NPR 2012-01-26

 The Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise the benchmark interest rate before 2014. Its policymaking arm, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), is trying to reassure¹ consumers and investors² they'll be able to borrow cheaply well into the future. Steve Beckner of Market News International has details from the Fed's two-day meeting.

 

The FOMC's been holding the key federal funds rate near zero for more than three years, and now it says it expects to keep the overnight money market rate exceptionally low at least through late 2014. The committee had previously³ said it expected to keep the funds rate that low to at least mid-2013. In announcing its decision, the FOMC cites slower business investment and world economic growth, still elevated unemployment and significant downside risks from global financial strains. It calls inflation subdued⁴. For NPR News, I'm Steve Beckner in Washington.

 

President Obama's touring a manufacturing plant in Iowa as part of a three-day swing through key election-year states. He's echoing the economic agenda he laid out in his State of the Union address last night. In the speech, he called for a robust⁵ commitment to manufacturing and incentives⁶ for companies to bring outsourced jobs back home.

 

Well, Congressional Republicans are criticizing the president's State of the Union address, including his call for higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans. NPR's Craig Windham reports GOP lawmakers argue the speech was a rehash of policies that they say have failed to help the economy.

 

Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming says the speech left him cold.

 

"I didn't hear much new at all."

 

Barrasso says he's surprised the president did not defend his policies.

 

"So as said, I heard a talk about fairness and basically pitting one American against another."

 

But John McLennan, a government professor at the College of William and Mary, says Mr. Obama was actually pitting himself against Republican economic policies.

 

"The real contrast he's trying to draw here is between a party that seems, from his perspective, to be primarily about protecting the advantage of the very wealthy and a party that's gonna defend the middle class."

 

Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

 

President Obama's praising the Navy SEALs who rescued an American woman and a Danish man from Somali pirates yesterday and apparently⁷ said as much when he gestured to the Defense⁸ Secretary Leon Panetta just before the State of the Union address.

 

"Good job tonight. Good job tonight."

 

But Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain John Kirby revealed that even though the president was told Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted were saved, the secretive mission was still not over.

 

"We knew at that point that shots had been fired [and] that casualties had been taken among the kidnappers⁹, but more importantly, we knew that the two hostages were safe."

 

The aid workers who were kidnapped in October are reported to be in good condition.

 

Dow's up 48 points.

 

This is NPR News.

 

The ‘right to be forgotten’ will soon be legally guaranteed in the European Union if sweeping¹⁰ new data privacy recommendations are indeed adopted. Teri Schultz in Brussels says it's clear the EU has US social media companies in mind with the new proposal.

 

Currently, each of the 27 EU members have their own laws regarding the handling of personal data. With the new directive, all EU countries would be governed by what Justice Commissioner¹¹ Viviane Reding calls a ‘one-stop shop.’ That would be a single set of rules including a requirement for companies to contact people if they want to use their data and the ‘right to be forgotten’ under which companies such as Google or Facebook would have to delete any data upon request. Reding says even a company that's US-owned will have the same responsibility.

 

"They will have to apply European law like everybody who is doing business in Europe."

 

If the proposal becomes law, any company breaking the rules can be fined up to 2% of annual turnover¹². For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Brussels.

 

The head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in a northern town reportedly has been shot dead. The Associated Press cites the spokesman for the international committee saying the official was in a car when he was shot. Syria has been plagued by ten months of unrest since the uprising began against President Bashar al-Assad.

 

Well, the last of thousands of mourners have paid their final respects to Penn State's Joe Paterno at a two-day public viewing for the legendary¹³ coach. Thousands streamed past Paterno's casket for four hours this morning before a private funeral that was scheduled for this afternoon.

 

Here's the latest from Wall Street. The Dow is up more than 40 points; it's at 12,714.

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, Washington.

1 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

2 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

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

5 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。

6 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 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。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

11 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

12 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。

13 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。