NPR 2010-08-31

Law enforcement officials confirmed reports that two men were detained after flying from Chicago to Amsterdam. Officials tell NPR the men do not appear to have ties to al-Qaeda or its affiliates¹, but they are continuing to check those connections. One of the men had a number of cell phones, a medicine bottle and other items taped together that made officials suspicious. Their bags were removed from the planes before takeoff. Officials are cautioning against reading too much into the episode while they continue their investigation². Under Dutch law, the men can't be detained while that investigation continues.

President Obama says his advisors³ are looking for new ways the government can encourage companies to hang out the help-wanted sign. As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, that might include additional tax cuts and government spending on infrastructure⁴.

President Obama promised he'll have more to say about government moves to boost the economy in the days to come. For now, he's renewing his call for Congress to pass a small business assistance measure, an idea he's been tallying⁵ since his State of the Union speech seven months ago.

"The small business owners and the communities that rely on them, they don't have time for political games. They shouldn't have to wait any longer."

Mr. Obama spoke⁶ in the White House Rose Garden after his daily briefing on the economy. A closely watched report on unemployment comes out later this week. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

The White House's point man on Iraq, Vice⁷ President Joe Biden, has arrived in Baghdad for a three-day visit. NPR's Kelly McEvers reports Biden will meet Iraqi officials and attend a ceremony marking the drawdown of US troops in Iraq to fewer than 50,000.

The vice president is expected to meet Iraqi political leaders who're still deadlocked⁸ nearly six months after parliamentary elections in March. The results in that race were so close that political parties have yet to agree on how to form a government. The vice president also will attend a ceremony to mark the reduction of combat operations here in Iraq. The Americans are renaming their efforts as an "advice and assist" mission, but they still will be actively⁹ pursuing insurgents¹⁰ alongside Iraqi troops. Although violence is down from the worst days of the war in 2006 and 2007, there have been a wave of attacks in recent weeks. And more are expected, especially if the political impasse¹¹ continues. Kelly McEvers, NPR News, Baghdad.

Hurricane Earl, the latest storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, has reached Category 4 status. Earl, which is lashing¹² the northeastern Caribbean, has maximum sustained winds of 135 miles an hour. There're now warnings up to the Puerto Rican islands. The storm has already caused some flooding in low-lying parts of the Leeward¹³ Islands and has been picking up strength. Earl is currently on a course that could threaten the Eastern US later this week.

Stock market investors¹⁴ appear to be starting the week on a low note, many choosing to ignore some upbeat income in spending numbers as they wait key government employment figures due out of week's end. The Dow fell 140 points today to close at 10,009. The NASDAQ lost 33 points.

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A lawsuit¹⁵ filed by the parents of six deceased US soldiers is accusing life insurance company Prudential of paying paltry¹⁶ interest on military life insurance policies while keeping some of the more generous interest earnings¹⁷ on the policies for itself. That case, filed in US District Court, accuses the company of profiting from the dead soldiers' policies by using bookkeeping maneuvers¹⁸ and misrepresenting how beneficiaries could collect lump sum payments. Attorneys are seeking class-action status for the case, meaning ultimately it could affect tens of thousands of life insurance beneficiaries.

Personal spending was up 0.4 percent in July. The Commerce Department says it was the biggest increase in four months. Danielle Karson reports the savings¹⁹ rate, however, fell to its lowest level since spring.

People shelled out more than $44 billion last month, with auto²⁰ sales driving most of the spending boost. People also saved a smaller portion of their disposable incomes. How good things, say economists²², since consumer spending drives most of the country's economic output. Keith Hembre is chief economist²¹ at First American Funds.

"There was certainly a decent gain for real spending. The spending could be up by 1.5 percent or so on a real basis for the quarter, which is far from robust²³ but certainly better than things we're looking."

Economists agree the gains in spending all are a solid start to the third-quarter GDP. But they say job growth also dictates²⁴ how much people spend and a new employment report, which comes out Friday, could show the jobless rate went up this month. For NPR News, I'm Danielle Karson.

After a 30-year absence from the US market, Fiat²⁵ is apparently²⁶ poised²⁷ to return. Chrysler's notified its dealers²⁸ starting next year, and it plans to bring the Fiat 500 minicar to the US, which the car will be sold through some 165 Chrysler Group dealers.
 

1 affiliates   

附属企业( affiliate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She affiliates with an academic society. 她是某学术团体的成员。
• For example, these security affiliates participated in the floating of 19,000,000,000 of issues in 1927. 例如，这些证券发行机构在1927年的流通证券中，就提供了一百九十亿美元的证券。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 tallying   

v.计算，清点( tally的现在分词 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合

参考例句：

• In 2007 the state set a U.S. record, tallying 141 twisters. 该州在2007年以总计出现了141个龙卷风而创下了一个美国记录。 来自互联网
• We charge extra fee at 100% of the rates of tallying fees. 我们按理货收费率的100%收取附加费。 来自互联网

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 deadlocked   

陷入僵局的；僵持不下的

参考例句：

• The plan deadlocked over the funds. 这个计划由于经费问题而搁浅了。
• The meeting deadlocked over the wage issue. 会议因工资问题而停顿下来。

9 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

10 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

11 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

12 lashing   

n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The speaker was lashing the crowd. 演讲人正在煽动人群。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rain was lashing the windows. 雨急打着窗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 leeward   

adj.背风的；下风的

参考例句：

• The trees all listed to leeward.树木统统向下风方向倾。
• We steered a course to leeward.我们向下风航驶。

14 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

15 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

16 paltry   

adj.无价值的，微不足道的

参考例句：

• The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns.那些家长对家里鸡毛蒜皮的小事没什么兴趣。
• I'm getting angry;and if you don't command that paltry spirit of yours.我要生气了，如果你不能振作你那点元气。

17 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

18 maneuvers   

n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
• Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句

19 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

20 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

21 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

22 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

24 dictates   

n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• Convention dictates that a minister should resign in such a situation. 依照常规部长在这种情况下应该辞职。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He always follows the dictates of common sense. 他总是按常识行事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 fiat   

n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布

参考例句：

• The opening of a market stall is governed by municipal fiat.开设市场摊位受市政法令管制。
• He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.他试图下令强行解决该国的问题。

26 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

27 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

28 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。