CNN 2008-08-27

（单词翻译）

Hello, I'm Naamua Delaney at the CNN Center in Atlanta. And here is a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

Today is the 88th anniversary of American women getting the right to vote and in Denver where Democratic delegates gather in just under five hours. One woman in particular is on many minds, Senator Hillary Clinton who will get the spotlight¹ on Day two of the Democratic National Convention. She is expected to strongly endorse² Barack Obama in a bid to put her die-hard supporters in his column.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says it's regrettable that Russia's officially recognized the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Now Russia's president is calling for other countries to follow its lead. Those two regions were at the heart of the fighting between Russia and Georgia. Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate John McCain's wife Cindy is in the Republic of Georgia this morning for charity work with the United Nations. She is also planning to meet with President Mikheil Saakashvili.

There is a word the Secretary Rice will visit Libya next month. It will be the highest level visit there by a US official in more than 30 years and a big departure from the tensions of recent decades. The US accused Libya of involvement in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland in 1988, and a disco bombing in Berlin in 1986. Libya has paid families millions to settle a case stemming from the Pan Am bombing.

Hurricane Gustav is surging through the Caribbean. Right now, it has near 90 mile-per-hour winds as it heads for Haiti. Forecasters say Gustav may weaken as it moves over the impoverished³ country, but then regain⁴ strength as the center approaches eastern Cuba tomorrow. By this weekend, the National Hurricane Center says, Gustav possibly could grow into a much stronger Category III hurricane with 115 mile-per-hour winds.

Newish snapshots on the house of the economy out today. A key government index shows US home prices dropped 4. 8% in the second quarter compared to one year ago. That is a new record low, meantime, new home sales rose slightly in July after June sales were revised downwards⁵.

Well, those are the headlines this hour. Do stay with CNN for more on these stories and the other news of the day.

 Vocabulary:

snapshot: a piece of information that quickly gives you an idea of what the situation is like at a particular time

The book gives us a snapshot of life in the Middle Ages.