AP美联社一分钟新闻 2009-02-22（在线收听）

1. Workers should see a little more in their paychecks soon. President Barack Obama says the Treasury Department has begun directing employers to reduce the amount of taxes withheld from people's paychecks. It's all a part of his stimulus deal.

2. The nation's governors are in D.C., they're holding a three-day winter meeting that's focusing on the federal bailout plan and how it will help their states.

3. Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib Prison is reopening. It has a different name, the Baghdad Central Prison, and is being run by the Iraqis. Beyond the cells, it is also stocked with computers, a recreation area and even a sewing room.

4. Half a million people are filling the streets of Rio as carnival celebrations continue. They came dressed in wacky costumes for the "Black Ball" street parade. Unlike luxurious carnival parties attended by the elite and hosted in posh hotels, the street parties are open to everyone.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. wacky: adj.

If you describe something or someone as wacky, you mean that they are eccentric, unusual, and often funny.