NPR 2011-07-16

A short-term approach to the nation's pressing debt limit deadline falls well short of what Washington should be doing. Says President Obama:

"This notion that we're going to go through a multiyear process instead of seizing the moment now and taking care of our problems is a typical Washington response. We don't need more studies. We don't need a balanced budget amendment¹. We simply need to make these tough choices and be willing to take on our bases."

The president spoke² to reporters not to congressional negotiators. Top House Republicans did the same thing. Speaker of the House John Boehner:

"Our stand on the debt limit has been clear: There can be no tax hikes because tax hikes destroy jobs; we need real spending cuts and real spending cuts that will exceed the amount of increase in the debt limit."

Republicans will take a House vote next week on a balanced budget constitutional amendment.

The British News of the World phone-hacking scandal drew grave condemnations. Onward⁴, the paper had hacked⁵ into the cell phone of a missing girl. Now, Larry Miller⁶ tells us the extinct tabloid⁷'s owner Rupert Murdoch has met with the girl's family.

When Murdoch left the meeting, members of the public shouted "shame on you." A 'shaken' Murdoch retreated back into the hotel. Moments later, the family of slain⁸ teenager Milly Dowler emerged with her lawyer Mark Lewis, who says Murdoch appeared humbled⁹ and contrite¹⁰.

"Yes he did apologize. He apologized many times; I don't think somebody could have held their head in their hands so many times and say that they were sorry."

Murdoch has placed full-page ads in Britain's Saturday newspapers to apologize, saying his News of the World tabloid failed, and that he's deeply sorry for the hurt suffered by those hacked by the paper. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

There'll be a longer-than-two-day closure on part of the heavily traveled Interstate 405 in California this weekend. Helicopter pilot Lan Strong says he's offering discount helicopter rides from Van Nuys to Los Angeles International Airport.

"Cost thousands of dollars to charter helicopters from us. But since I was born and raised here, I thought it'd be a great opportunity to try to help out. So for 150 dollars, if you have four people, we'll take [you] in one of our jet-powered helicopters, and in 12 minutes we'll have you at LAX."

The part of the freeway that's to be closed is north of the airport.

The United States is joining more than 30 nations in formally recognizing Libya's main opposition¹¹ group as the legitimate¹² governor there pending³ creation of a new interim¹³ authority.

On Wall Street, approaching the close, the Dow was up 35 points at 12,472 in trading of three billion shares.

This is NPR News.

The Clorox Company's considering a 10-billion-dollar takeover bid from its biggest shareholder¹⁴ billionaire investor¹⁵ Carl Icahn. From member station KQED, Joshua Johnson reports Icahn could get much more from the deal than just a bleach¹⁶ maker¹⁷.

Pine-Sol, Hidden Valley, Formula 409, Kingsford charcoal¹⁸ and even Fresh Step kitty litter, Icahn could control all the Clorox Company's diverse brands if it accepts his bid. In his offer letter, he urged the Oakland-based company to consider his offer alongside other perhaps better deals, but it's unclear how hot a commodity Clorox could be. Sales are up, but the company's latest financial outlook disappointed some analysts¹⁹. For NPR News, I'm Joshua Johnson in San Francisco.

BP is promising²⁰ to meet strict new standards if it's allowed to return to drilling in the Gulf²¹ of Mexico. NPR's Jeff Brady says the oil giant is campaigning to mine the Gulf's rich oil fields again.

BP's new self-imposed standards are designed to address concerns that emerged from investigations²² into the Deepwater Horizon accident. BP, in a letter to the country's top offshore²³ drilling regulator, says the new rules will apply only to wells in the Gulf of Mexico where BP is the designated operator, and the company promises not to transfer operatorship just for the purpose of avoiding its new self-imposed requirements. While BP has interests in wells drilled since last year's disaster, the company has not yet been given permission to lead drilling operations in the Gulf. Jeff Brady, NPR News.

Harry²⁴ Potter fans lined up for the midnight showing of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," the last in the series. Ticket sales 43 million.

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

1 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

2 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。

3 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

4 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

5 hacked   

生气

参考例句：

• I hacked the dead branches off. 我把枯树枝砍掉了。
• I'm really hacked off. 我真是很恼火。

6 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

7 tabloid   

adj.轰动性的，庸俗的；n.小报，文摘

参考例句：

• He launched into a verbal assault on tabloid journalism.他口头对小报新闻进行了抨击。
• He believes that the tabloid press has behaved disgracefully.他认为小报媒体的行为不太光彩。

8 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

9 humbled   

adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低

参考例句：

• The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
• I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。

10 contrite   

adj.悔悟了的，后悔的，痛悔的

参考例句：

• She was contrite the morning after her angry outburst.她发了一顿脾气之后一早上追悔莫及。
• She assumed a contrite expression.她装出一副后悔的表情。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

13 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

14 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

15 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

16 bleach   

vt.使漂白；vi.变白；n.漂白剂

参考例句：

• These products don't bleach the hair.这些产品不会使头发变白。
• Did you bleach this tablecloth?你把这块桌布漂白了吗？

17 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

18 charcoal   

n.炭，木炭，生物炭

参考例句：

• We need to get some more charcoal for the barbecue.我们烧烤需要更多的碳。
• Charcoal is used to filter water.木炭是用来过滤水的。

19 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

20 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

21 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

22 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

23 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

24 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。