NPR 2010-10-21

The economy's growing, though some regions are seeing a lot sooner than others. The Federal Reserve released a survey today that finds seven of the central bank's 12 regions reported moderate gains in business activity. They include mixed or steady improvements in Cleveland, Philadelphia and Richmond. The economy's front and center in the run-up to midterm elections. President Obama is making his closing arguments to voters this week. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports from the president's campaign swing to the West Coast.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn out for rallies on this trip, as they recently deferred¹ campaign events featuring Mr. Obama in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Presidential adviser² David Axelrod told reporters at the White House he believes a live appearance by the president can tip a close race in the Democrats³' favor.

“And it dominates the news. It gives people a sense that there isn't election going on, and they ought to get involved and nobody has a megaphone as large as the president in that regards.”

The trip begins in the Pacific Northwest with stops in Portland and Seattle. These cities are friendly to Mr. Obama, but Democrats in Oregon and Washington are in tight races for governor and Senate. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Portland, Oregon.

A scandal that nearly cost Clarence Thomas’s confirmation⁴ at the Supreme⁵ Court 19 years ago is reignited with a phone call. Justice Thomas's wife Virginia left a phone message over the weekend for Anita Hill, asking her to apologize to Justice Thomas for accusing him of sexual harassment⁶ nearly two decades ago. Hill's former attorney Charles Ogletree told NPR's "Tell Me More" that Hill's already been through too much.

“She has turned her life around, written a couple of books, teaching here at Brandeis, minding her own business, and to get this sort of call out of the blue is just beyond imagination.”

Anita Hill, who is a professor of Brandeis University, says she has no intention of apologizing.

The Obama administration is selling up to $60 billion in fighter planes and helicopters to Saudi Arabia. The military package is part of the US effort to build up allies in the region to counter Iran, as NPR's Michele Kelemen explains.

Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro says the proposed arms sales to Saudi Arabia include 84 F-15s, 70 Apache helicopters and 72 Black Hawks⁷. He says he doesn't expect any objections from Israel to the sale, nor does he expect much opposition⁸ in Congress.

“There may be different opinions about the sale. But we feel comfortable that we’ve done adequate pre-consultations with members of Congress that there will not be a barrier to completing this sale.”

Shapiro says the package is not just aimed at keeping Iran in check, but he pointed⁹ out several times that Saudi Arabia isn't a dangerous neighborhood. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

On Wall Street, the Dow was up 129 points at 11,108. This is NPR.

The British government is preparing to make the deepest cuts in public spending since World War II. As many as half a million public sector¹⁰ jobs may be eliminated. Benefits are also affected¹¹. The plan announced by Treasury¹² chief George Osborne today amounts to $130 billion in cuts through 2015 for Britain.

Pope Benedict has named a group of new cardinals¹³. The move allows him to put his stamp on the Vatican for years to come. As NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports, the new cardinals are mostly European and conservative.

The Pope named 24 new cardinals, the men who are the Pope's closest advisers¹⁴. Twenty of them are under the age of 80, meaning that they are eligible¹⁵ to vote on the Pope's successor. With today's announcement, Pope Benedict has selected 50 of the 120 so-called electors. While previous popes have chosen men from the developing world, Pope Benedict favors Europeans. Of the 20 electors, eleven are from Europe and eight of those are from Italy. As expected, he elevated the archbishop in Washington DC, Donald Wuerl, who is a conservative. Analysts¹⁶ say most of the new cardinals are conservative, suggesting that after Benedict dies, the cardinals will be inclined to elect someone with similar abuse and geographical¹⁷ perspective as the current pope. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR News.

Space Shuttle Discovery will need a few more repairs before it is launched into space for the very last time. NASA said today it was still working to shore up fuel tanks and prevent leaks. Discovery's scheduled to blast off from Florida's Cape¹⁸ Canaveral November 1st for a final mission to the International Space Station.
 

1 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

2 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

7 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

8 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。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

12 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

13 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

14 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser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：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

15 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

16 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。

17 geographical   

adj.地理的；地区(性)的

参考例句：

• The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
• These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

18 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。