NPR 2012-06-29

 The administration's historic health care law that has been under attack since day one has survived the US Supreme¹ Court. In a five-to-four ruling, the court announced today that the Affordable² Care Act, including its individual insurance mandate³, were constitutional under Congress's power to impose taxes. Chief Justice John Roberts cited with the high court's liberal justices to make a five-vote majority. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports on the strong dissent⁵ from conservatives. 

 

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy usually sides with the majority in close cases, not this time. Kennedy said from the bench that he found the President Obama's health care law “invalid in its entirety.” Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito all signed on to that reasoning. The four dissenting⁶ justices criticized the attempt to cast the individual mandate as a tax, when Congress shied away from using that word in the law. The dissenters⁷ wrote that in upholding the Affordable Care Act, “the court today decides to save a statute⁸ that Congress did not write.” Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

 

While it’s expected political reaction has been fasting, coming in largely among party lines, it's a major election year boost for President Obama.

 

“Whatever the politics, today's decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the Supreme Court's decision to uphold it.”

 

But Republican presidential candidate Mitt⁹ Romney calls the law a “bad idea.”

 

“Let's make clear that we understand what the court did and did not do. What the court did today was say that Obamacare does nott violate the Constitution. What they did not do was say that Obamacare is good law or that's good policy.”

 

Romney says if elected, he will work to repeal¹⁰ what he calls “Obamacare.” 

 

The high court has struck down the Stolen Valor¹¹ Act, a law that makes it a crime to lie about receiving military awards, including the Medal of Honor. Justices say “yes, a lie is contemptible¹², but still protected by the First Amendment¹³.”

 

In Colorado Springs, officials say hundreds of homes have been destroyed by the Waldo Canyon¹⁴ fire. The massive blaze has also burned some land on Air Force Academy. More from Kirk Siegler of member station KUNC. 

 

The fire has forced the evacuations of two housing complexes on the Air Force Academy's sprawling¹⁵ grounds. Most regular operations, like flying and field training, are on hold. But Lieutenant¹⁶ General Mike Gould says the scheduled processing of new cadets is proceeding¹⁷. 

 

“We've looked at pros¹⁸ and cons⁴ of delaying, but we've made the decision that it is safe, and it's the smart thing to do to receive the class of 2016.”

 

Air Force officials have moved the processing to a safer location that's farther away from the fire. Alternative housing accommodations are also being arranged for some new cadets whose host families have been evacuated¹⁹. For NPR News, I Kirk Siegler.

 

Before the close, Dow was down 25 points. 

 

This is NPR.

 

A third clean-energy company that received a government loan reportedly has gone bankrupt in the face of stiff foreign competition. According to the Associated Press, the Colorado-based Abound²⁰ Solar says it will suspend operations next week. The solar panel maker²¹ received a 400-million-dollar loan guarantee under the government's economic stimulus²² law.

 

Rupert Murdoch has announced plans to split News Corp. in two. As NPR's David Folkenflik reports, the conglomerate's newspapers would be separated from its TV and entertainment wing. 

 

Investors²³ complained the company's stock has been punished because its newspapers don't perform as strongly as Fox News and other TV holdings. But the move occurs against the teen of the phone-hacking and corruption²⁴ scandal at its British newspapers. Fox Business anchor Neil Cavuto asked his boss about that Thursday and got this reply.

 

“It's got nothing to do with it at all. At all. This is not any reaction. This is looking forward to what's best for our companies, and what's best for our shareholders²⁵.”

 

The publishing wing, including Wall Street Journal, the British tabloid²⁶ the Sun and more than 140 Australian papers, would be spun²⁷ off debt-free.

 

The company's Australian TV interests will remain bundled with its newspapers. Murdoch said he’ll remain chairman of both companies and still be CEO of the entertainment and TV giant as well. David Folkenflik, NPR's News, New York.  

 

Europe's debt crisis is at the center of crucial talks in Brussels this week. Leaders have agreed that more needs to be done to stimulate²⁸ growth and regulate banks. However, deep divisions remain over the issue of pooling government debt. 

 

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was off 25 points; NASDAQ down 26; S&P 500 down three points. 

 

This is NPR News.

1 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。

2 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

3 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

4 cons   

n.欺骗，骗局( con的名词复数 )v.诈骗，哄骗( con的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

6 dissenting   

adj.不同意的

参考例句：

• He can't tolerate dissenting views. 他不能容纳不同意见。
• A dissenting opinion came from the aunt . 姑妈却提出不赞同的意见。

7 dissenters   

n.持异议者，持不同意见者( dissenter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He attacked the indulgence shown to religious dissenters. 他抨击对宗教上持不同政见者表现出的宽容。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• (The dissenters would have allowed even more leeway to the Secretary.) （持异议者还会给行政长官留有更多的余地。） 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

8 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

9 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

10 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

11 valor   

n.勇气，英勇

参考例句：

• Fortitude is distinct from valor.坚韧不拔有别于勇猛。
• Frequently banality is the better parts of valor.老生常谈往往比大胆打破常规更为人称道。

12 contemptible   

adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的

参考例句：

• His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.他气貌不扬，言语粗俗。
• That was a contemptible trick to play on a friend.那是对朋友玩弄的一出可鄙的把戏。

13 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。

14 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

15 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

16 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

17 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

18 pros   

abbr.prosecuting 起诉；prosecutor 起诉人；professionals 自由职业者；proscenium （舞台）前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 )；赞成的理由；抵偿物；交换物

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

20 abound   

vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于

参考例句：

• Oranges abound here all the year round.这里一年到头都有很多橙子。
• But problems abound in the management of State-owned companies.但是在国有企业的管理中仍然存在不少问题。

21 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。

22 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

23 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

24 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

25 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

26 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。

27 spun   

v.纺，杜撰，急转身

参考例句：

• His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
• Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。

28 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。