NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2015-12-19

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号：tingroom，领取免费英语资料大礼包。

From NPR news in Washington, I'm Jack¹ Speer.Authorities have arrested a friend of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook in connection with the mass shooting there that left 14 people dead. NPR's Nathan Rott reports that the friend is facing a three-account criminal complaint that include conspiring² to commit terrorism. 24-year-old Enrique Marquez used to be neighbors with Farook and has been described as a longtime friend of the shooter. It was Marquez who bought the two assault rifles Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik used during the attack in a county building in San Bernardino earlier this month. Federal authorities say he claimed be buying those weapons for himself when he was in fact buying them for Farook. They also alleged³ he helped Farook planned terrorist attacks in southern Californian and in * in 2011 and in 2012 that were never carried out. The arrest is a major development in the ongoing⁴ investigation⁵ into the terrorist attack. Nathan Rott, NPR news. President Obama says while there is no credible⁶ threat at the moment, US intelligence and counter-terro officials say the government continues to do all it can to protect Americans. Speaking today during a visit to the National Counter-terrorism Center in Virginia, president also said the country also must remain vigilant⁷ during the holidays. Obama says the types of threats that have evolved including people acting⁸ on their own and in small groups make some plots like the San Bernardino shootings harder to detect. The drug company executive involved in a price gauge⁹ in controversy¹⁰ in September is under arrest. NPR's James Rolly reports that Martin Shkreli has been charged with securities and wire fraud. US officials say Shkreli lied to investigators¹¹ about the assets in a pair of hedge funds he operated. Later he allegedly tried to compensate¹² them for their losses by giving them fake consulting contracts in another company he started called Retrophin. FBI special agent Mike Harpster. 'These charges describe a securities and wire fraud trifecta of lies, deceit, and greed.' Shkreli as widely reviled¹³ after another company he founded bought a life-saving drug called Daraprim and raised the price by 5000 percent. He defended the move saying the company needed the money to do research but he later agreed to give volume discounts on the drug to hospital. James Rolly,NPR news, New York.

A current account deficit¹⁴ * the nation's broadest measure of trade widened slightly during the July to September quarter. Government blames a drop in petroleum¹⁵ and several other factors in helping¹⁶ increase the gap to 120 billion dollars during the third quarter. Current account tracks, trading goods services and investment flows, a strong dollar also dragged down US exports, making US-made goods more expensive overseas. The value of the dollars increased by around 12 percent over the past year.

Stocks gave back a significant part of yesterday's big run-up following the Federal Reserve's decision to move on interests rate targets. The Dow dropped 253 points today to 17495. The NASDAQ was down 68 points. The S&P fell 31 points. You're listening to NPR.

On the heels of a mistrial in the Freddie Gray case, lawyers from both sides were in the judge's chambers¹⁷ this morning with the attorneys declining comment after walking out. Not clear as to what would happen next in the cast. The judge declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to agree in the case of William Porter. Porter was the first Baltimore police officer to stand trial in connection with Gray's death. Gray died of injuries as he sustained while in cuff¹⁸ in the back of a police van the past April. Porter's trial lasted a little more than 2 weeks. Jurors were deliberating on charges of man-slaugter, assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct. Dozens of US attorneys cross the country have been told to bulk up their enforcement to work safety crimes by looking for connections to environmental violations¹⁹. NPR's Howard Berkes reports the Justice and Labor²⁰ Department say they're trying to address weaknesses in workplace safety laws. The Justice and Labor Department say they'll team up now to try to attach more jail time and bigger fines for crimes involving workplace safety. And though do it by looking for environmental violations that might somehow be connected, the initiative follows reporting by NPR, the Center for Public Integrity and other news organizations about workers injuries and deaths. They'll result in a few prosecutions²¹ and minor²² penalties. Labor Law makes these crimes mist minors²³. Environmental violations are felonies with more serious consequences and more attention from prosecutors²⁴. The Justice Department says employers coming corners on workplace safety do the same with environment laws. Howard Berkes, NPR news.

Crude oil futures²⁵ prices closed lower today. The price of oil was down 57 cents a barrel to end the session at 34.95 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. I'm Jack Speer, NPR news in Washington.

分享到：