Yeah. The embassy guards, it's kind of a, you know, a misperception. In any embassy they essentially protect the chancellery in the embassy and the ambassador's residence itself, and particularly to, you know, you get them into a safe place if there is an attack or to - and if that fails, to destroy the classified material and so forth.

They're not responsible for the overall external or internal security of the embassy compound per se. They can augment that and they have if necessary, but there is a diplomatic security mission that does that sort of thing, and then - obviously which didn't happen on this case. You're hoping that you've got a competent external protection from the host nation, which is responsible for the safety of the entire compound.

We're talking with retired Marine Colonel Gary Anderson about lessons learned from before and during the attack in Benghazi. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News.

And any number of recommendations were made by the Pickering Mullen report. As you look at those, are they going to address the kinds of interagency communications problems that you're worried about?

turn 1 : Diplomatic security mission is responsible for the safety of the entire compound

How is the safety of the entire compound ensured?

Answer: Diplomatic


Great to be here.

And a little background: It's been almost 20 years since the end of Guatemala's so-called Dirty War. General Rios Montt is now 86 years old. Some might wonder if justice delayed is justice denied.

Well, this obviously has been a really long time in coming for the victims of the crimes in Guatemala, and for their country, as well. I think the victims who had an opportunity to testify in the trial proceedings would say that justice ultimately was not denied, as a result of this really historic outcome, that I don't think anybody expected to happen.

Why?

turn 2 : a long time coming means something has been meaning to happen but hasn't happened until recently

How would you describe the outcome of the trial in Guatemala?

Answer: Historic


You described some playwrights, Beckett, for example, as somebody whose work seems to back away from you the closer you get it. But Miller's play, you say, is not like that.

No. It wasn't like - my experience with Chekhov and Beckett was just what you'd call - that they get harder and harder as you go. But with "Salesman," surprisingly, because it's fully as great a play as those others, it did welcome us and come toward us day by day. And then, we did a fairly smart thing, which is that we had a workshop just for ourselves for almost a month, and nobody ever saw it and we didn't perform it, but we just worked on it. And then as per plan, we went away for over three and a half months.

And then when we came back, we went into rehearsal and then finally got onstage and did it. And the three and a half months living and doing other things made a surprisingly big difference. It just sank into everybody and took enormous strides all on its own, and that was both exciting and surprising in its extent. And also, it was a clue to what was going to continue to happen, which is that it just burrowed deeper and deeper into the actors and they - into one another, and they have become a family. And they're - what goes on between them is - I've never seen - in my experience, I've never seen it quite like this.

Philip Seymour Hoffman obviously plays the lead role. Is - did the play come first or the actor come first?

turn 3 : "did the play come first or the actor come first?" - This is a literal question that asks which came first, the play or the actor, without any metaphorical meaning.

What is the literal question that PersonB asks in turn 3?

Answer: Literal


You know, we like to be considered a young couple.

We are a young couple.

But I don't know about role model and the word role model, but I like the word responsibility. And Gina and I do feel a tremendous amount of responsibility in terms of the images we project, and the fact that, hopefully - you know, we get letters all the time, and I think one of the nicest letters we received was from one of our fans that watched the show that said, you know, you gals have really enhanced my marriage. Me and my husband, we get in the kitchen, we cook, and we spend time together. And it's those types of testimonies that really motivate Gina and I, and make us feel real good about what we're doing.

turn 3 :  All right. Now, I want you to make my taste buds jump. I am not in front of any of your food, but I want you to describe this dish that sounds so intriguing, barbequed spaghetti. What does that taste like?  The phrase "make my taste buds jump" is an idiomatic expression that means to describe something in a way that sounds so delicious that it creates a physical reaction in the listener.

Which idiom is used by PersonB to describe the act of describing a dish in a way that it creates a physical reaction in the listener?

Answer: Jump


You know, while the cat was away the mice could play, and the gangsters increased their power, because being gangsters, a lot of them didn't have to serve. You know, they got out of the draft and a lot of men were aware and effort was focused elsewhere. So, their power increased and that's why you had a lot of gang wars at the end of the '40s and the beginning of the '50s. And I grew up in that era. But I also grew up with gangsters, because my father had to deal with them in various capacities and we lived among. . .

Your father ran the film company.

My father ran London Films. He made films like "The Red Shoes," "The Third Man. "And he had had a long career in the film business, which was bifurcated with a career in intelligence. He had to deal with gangsters, and sometimes he would take me with him. Also, I went to school with their children. So, my rendition of gangsters is a little different from screenwriters' rendition of gangsters because screenwriters only know what they see in other movies. I actually grew up with these people and I think I have a pretty realistic take on it.

I was struck by something that Harry Copeland tells his aunt at one point in Staten Island. He says there was more light and air in the war than now. What did that mean?

Well, that I take from my own experience.

turn 3 : In (4), the question "What did that mean?" implies that the listener wants an explanation of the deeper meaning or significance behind Harry Copeland's statement, rather than a literal interpretation of the words "more light and air in the war than now."

How did the PersonB want the statement to be explained?

Answer: Deeper


Major party conventions are almost a year away. But let's note this week Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts seems to be picking up steam, doesn't she?

If the focus is on the economy, well, Elizabeth Warren will tell you she's got a plan for that. And, of course, the other candidates will say they do, too. But policy is really Warren's strong suit. It's one reason she's climbing in the polls even as nearly the - all of the other top-tier candidates are sliding a bit.

Finally, Ron, I had occasion to look up and listen to the Greenland national anthem this week. It's very moving, as you may know. And President Trump, who complained about the fact that Puerto Rico is an island, reportedly wants the U. S.  or wanted the U. S.  to buy Greenland. What do you make of this?

Yeah, this is apparently one of the good islands. It's not so crazy an idea. The United States was interested in buying Greenland in the 1860s when we bought Alaska from Russia. And we were interested again after World War II when we were trying to keep Russia at bay. The only problem is Greenland belongs to Denmark. Denmark doesn't want to sell. And a lot of people in Greenland would rather be independent. So don't watch for the just-sold sign anytime soon.

turn 0 : picking up steam means she is getting more popular

Which candidate is climbing in the polls even as nearly all of the other top-tier candidates are sliding a bit?

Answer: Elizabeth-Warren


He wanted two basic political reforms. The major one is called open primary electoral system. And essentially, what that means, instead of having Democrats run against Democrats and Republicans against Republicans in primary elections in the state, you would throw all of them into the mix and the top two vote-getters would advance to the general election. And the idea, if you believe proponents, is that it would allow kind of more moderate candidates to survive what are now hardest in the primary election. Instead, that you'll be catering to kind of a more moderate, wider electorate in the primary.

So, finally there is a budget. How has Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reacted to this?

He hasn't said a whole lot yet, but his - I know that his staff is celebrating. This is a huge win for the governor. The framework is essentially what he's been calling for, for months. He's been urging both political parties to come out of their ideological corners. This has been his calling card for the past year, and if you look at the outline that he unveiled three months ago, this budget blueprint is essentially everything that he asked for. It's a major win for the governor.

And in his latest version of the budget, who were the big winners and losers?

turn 0 : Open primary electoral system would help moderate candidates.

How would the open primary electoral system impact primary elections?

Answer: A


Thanks so much for having me, Farai.

So this is a whole special issue on the issue of prisons. Your article talks about the economic impact the prison system is having on the nation. So what kind of money are we talking about?

We're talking about a tremendous amount of money that's being spent nationally and by the individual states, at least 55 billion dollars a year spent on our prison system, on every conceivable aspect of it. And the numbers are absolutely astonishing, as you mentioned.

Times like this, when the economies of states are in default, can states really afford this?

turn 1 : The topic of discussion is about the cost of prisons.

Which issue is the article talking about?

Answer: Economic


Sure, Scott.

Russia's been taking over bases in Crimea all this week following the referendum. Was this expected?Were there any signs of resistance, near as you can tell?

There were signs of resistance. So, just to give you a sense, so this was an airbase - the tarmac area was taken weeks ago. That was in the initial occupation by Russian forces. This part of the base is where the soldiers and the pilots lived, and lived with their families. There were houses, apartments right around there. So not a strategic area but certainly symbolic. And all these bases had a deadline of yesterday. This base missed that deadline; they had an ultimatum of today to evacuate the base or be stormed.

Significantly, this was one of the few bases that did announce their intention to fight. We're not sure what that would lead to, whether it would lead to death. And this is all because of the commander. Very interesting guy named Yuli Montir(ph), who became famous for a YouTube video that he put up, saying that he'd stand until he heard from Kiev, which has not given any information to these soldiers as to what they're supposed to do. Whether they're supposed to evacuate, evacuate or fight. And so when the Russians did come, it was very expected. They came today and the attack was very swift. Military people describe it as very professional. It was clearly designed to minimize casualties, and it seems to have done so. In fact, an ambulance followed the tank that crashed open the gate today.

turn 3 : (4) has an implied meaning different from its literal meaning. The speaker is describing the attack on the military base mentioned in (3). The attack was swift and professional, designed to minimize casualties. The fact that an ambulance followed the tank that crashed open the gate implies that the Russians were prepared for possible injuries or casualties, and were taking steps to minimize them.

How did the Russians prepare for possible injuries or casualties during the attack?

Answer: Ambulance


Kenneth, generally this song is called the Negro national anthem or the black national anthem. Finally, we turn to Anise Benerman(ph) in Durham, North Carolina, who wrote in about the segment called "Ready to get married but can't find a mate. "She said it hit close to home.

I'm one of those early 30s never married, no kids, African-American females. I make decent money but I am by no means well off. I've had brothers tell me they can't do anything for me after finding out where I reside and what I drive. Besides economics, appearance and what's pleasing to the eye has a lot to do with marriage statistics in our community. I've been told that I was cute for a dark girl, but they prefer redbones. They like longer hair, thinner thighs and all sorts of superficial nonsense. I think a lot of brothers have taken on the European standards of beauty.

And that's it for letters. Thank you for writing, and please keep yours coming.

To write to us, just log on to npr. org and click on Contact Us. When you get there, you'll see lots of shows to choose from. Make sure you pick News & Notes when you write to us.

turn 1 : Appearance and superficial standards are prioritized over personality and character in African-American community

What is a common factor affecting African-American marriage statistics besides economics?

Answer: Appearance


We submitted this proposal yesterday to President-elect Obama, his transition team, and congressional leaders. As you may know, right now, they are working on trying to develop an economic stimulus plan that they're hoping to enact early in 2009. We are suggesting that this be part of that plan.

The National Retail Federation's leadership thinks that we need a two-pronged approach for fiscal stimulus. We think that you need something to provide some long-term economic stimulus, such as investment in infrastructure, which is being suggested. But that type of stimulus has a long lead time.

We think that you also need something that's developed to provide some short-term economic stimulus. As you may know, consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of the GDP. So we think that if, through these sales tax holidays, we can do something to spur consumer spending, that that will get re-circulated through the economy and will have a positive effect in 2009.

There are some states out there, for example Oregon and Maine, which currently don't have sales taxes throughout the year. Is there anything that you can potentially learn from states that have been doing this for a while?

turn 1 : long lead time means it takes awhile for something to happen

What type of stimulus has a long lead time?

Answer: Infrastructure


Right, I got the love of that from my grandfather. He was a Brooklyn Dodger fan going all the way back to the 1930s. And when I was a kid, I was a Mets fan, and this is in the late '70s or early '80s. There really wasn't a lot of good things to talk about when you're a Mets fan. So I would sit on the porch with my grandfather, and he would start talking to me about the old Brooklyn Dodgers. And, you know, he'd talk about people like Dazzy Vance and Duke Snider and Jackie Robinson, but then he'd start talking about a guy named Pete Reiser. Pete played in the early 1940s. And he would get this glazed look in his eye - this sad, faraway look - when he would tell about Pete Reiser. And he would say that he was probably the best ballplayer that ever played. And I was fairly well-read as a kid on baseball history, but I had never heard of Pete Reiser. So it made me get into baseball history and try to find those players that had an interesting story, which led me to find out what had happened to Pete Reiser and his career.

There are people who will tell you that Pete Reiser was the best of all time, except for the fact he kept running into walls.

He is credited with having five outfield collisions, and 11 times he was carried away off the field on a stretcher. Nine of those times he was unconscious. And today, he's the reason why Major League Baseball has padded outfield walls.

Another name that has been lost to history - Steve Dalkowski.

turn 0 : (1) Implied meaning: The speaker's interest in baseball history was sparked by his grandfather's stories about the Brooklyn Dodgers and a player named Pete Reiser, who was considered by his grandfather to be one of the best ballplayers ever despite not being well-known.

What was the name of the player that the PersonA's grandfather thought was the best ballplayer ever?

Answer: Pete-Reiser


When I was in a refugee camp, I did everything to survive, you know. And me and my friends, we used to go and steal chickens, and we used to go and pretend to other staff, so just to make a living and I've reached here because of the horrible things I've done but I'm saying it's not great but sometimes we are forced to sin to make a living.

(Singing) We used to raid(ph) villages Steal in chickens, goats and sheeps Anything we could eat I knew it was rude But we needed food And therefore I was

Forced to sin, forced to sin To make a living Forced to sin. . .

You know, at this point in time you've seen so many things that other people haven't and you've written that into your music. Are you hopeful that your music can transform lives?

turn 1 : The speaker and their friends committed crimes to fulfill their basic needs in the refugee camp

What did the speaker steal in the refugee camp?

Answer: Chickens


So I'm afraid he's not someone who looks at the situation in the same way that Western leaders do. He has different calculations, and he's trying to see if the Syrian state can be held together by Mr.  Assad. And I guess he will wait until it becomes completely apparent that that will not happen.

We're speaking with Fiona Hill, co-author with Clifford Gaddy of "Mr.  Putin: Operative in the Kremlin. "Her recent piece in Foreign Affairs, "The Real Reason Putin Supports Assad: Mistaking Syria for Chechnya. "You can find a link to that article at our website, go to npr. org, click on TALK OF THE NATION. And this is TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News.

Now, there is some suspicion that Syria may devolve into, well, different little warlord states, including an Alawite state led by Mr.  Assad based in the western part of the country near the Mediterranean. That's where the Alawites, 12 percent of the population live, and that's the element from which Mr.  Assad's family comes as well. At that point in the game, what does Russia do?

Well, you know, it's a very good question. I think it will depend on whether Assad asks for some kind of recognition for that state as the rump state of Syria, with the expectation that the rest of the territory might be regained. And if you think back to 2008, Putin actually has a track record already established, a recognition of entity.

turn 0 : I'm afraid in this context means that the person doesn't like what they are saying but its true

Answer: Dislike


That's true. Actually, the crime rate in Norway isn't really that high, so the police helicopter is actually more of a surveillance helicopter. It doesn't really carry people. But there is, as you found out, afterwards, there is a kind of - or should be a kind of co-working between the police and the air force, which didn't. . .

Didn't work, yeah.

. . . as it should (unintelligible). And there are also, on different areas, a lot of other routines that really didn't work as they were set up to be, so there had been a lot of criticism. And I think very much on the political side has changed and will change in the months and years to come because of what happened.

One, final question. In his manifesto, Breivik claimed to be the commander of a group of extremists in Europe. He called them the Knights Templar. Any evidence of that?

turn 3 : (4) - B is implying that Breivik's claims may not be true, even though it is not explicitly stated.

How is PersonB questioning Breivik's claims?

Answer: Implies


Sure. Well, before she becomes a pirate, she tries shoplifting. And when Gwen is shoplifting, she imagines herself as named Octavia. She imagines herself to much more glamorous persons, so there's a little bit in this book that's here.

(Reading) She remembered what it was called - shoplifting - and pictured lifting the whole place, the aisles tilting and tumbling their baubles and trinkety treasures into her pockets. Pink razors for her burnt leg and then a keychain she thought Naomi would like. And when she realized she could steal for other people, it was an avalanche, a chew bone for Toby the II, more stuff for Naomi, a stuffed bear and a tiny license plate that said Naomi. Three flasks of perfume, curvy and shapey like internal organs in her pockets, and she was done with Mother's Day for ages.

Her father liked the electronic things, which were behind locked cabinets. But she grabbed a slick stereo magazine and managed to slip into one of her boots. It would be a way to warm him for taking the bus by herself. By now she was thirsty and rounded a corner to open a fridge and grab an iced tea in a bottle that felt so good in her hands. It was One Universe Green Tea, which the label said was good for the immune system and for Octavia's skin. No one had stopped her. No one had spoken to her. It was smooth sailing. All for one and one for all.

So is there a straight line from that to piracy or just adolescence?

turn 0 : "she imagines herself as named Octavia" - actual meaning: she imagines herself being someone else named Octavia, not that her name changes to Octavia.

How does Gwen imagine herself when she is shoplifting?

Answer: Octavia


And how do you?

So what we found works the best is you need champions within that community. You need strong, influential voices that are going to say we need to accept these girls and women back, and the children. These are victims, it was not their fault. They're part and parcel of our society. So what we do is we identify not just the traditional religious and community leaders, but also those who have an influential voice amongst the women in particular in the community, so that they can become those carriers of the messages that these girls, these women, they deserve our support. They deserve our acceptance back. And then we can open up community dialogues so that people - we can't just dismiss that communities have fear. We must address it head on and allow communities to express those fears, but with religious and traditional leaders providing that voice of reason and tolerance so that these girls and women can come back into their communities.

Rachel Harvey of UNICEF in Nigeria. Thanks for joining us.

Thank you very much.

turn 1 : There are no turns in this conversation.whose actual meaniniNG are different from their literal meanings .All of the turns are being used in a straightforward and litreal meanings

Which community members does PersonA suggest identifying as carriers of the message for the acceptance of girls and women back into their communities?

Answer: Traditional


He was a Christian gentleman. And he was the paradigm of the Christian gentleman. He didn't have - he had no mean bone in his body. I'd never heard - you would hear him perhaps talk a little bit askance about someone. But he - but I never heard an ad hominem attack or caustic comment come out of him. He had a beautiful soul. And it was always radiant and on display.

Yeah. In the minute we have left, I sometimes would look at him, and it was hard to imagine him as the very young, teenage, just graduated from a prep school who enlisted and became the youngest flyer in the U. S.  Navy.

The youngest flyer and a decorated aviator at the age of 20. If you see those photos which have been playing across screens today, he looks like he's 14 years old.

Yeah.

turn 0 : when someone says "he had no mean bone in his body" it means that the person was nice and kind

Which quality did the person mentioned in the dialogue possess?

Answer: Nice


So there's a hard position, and there's also a soft position. But at this point, really, how do they engage?'Cause what are they engaging with?

Well, let me ask you about something you said. You said there's hesitancy about decoupling. Are there voices within China that say, maybe we should pursue a more isolationist trade strategy?Is that what that means, decoupling?

China, actually - to be honest with you, this is a Sputnik moment for them. They're not going to talk decoupling now but, actually, they're working on it. This has served China to be a real wakeup call that you can't depend on the U. S. , and you can't be dependent on the U. S. , whether it's for agriculture goods or whether for technology. And so they've been doing this for years, and now they're just redoubling their efforts to get suppliers from different parts of the world. And also, Xi Jinping talks a lot about self-reliance.

I mean, when you talk about China beginning to redouble efforts to become more economically independent, to build up their own, say, technology industry, do they have the capacity to do that, and how long would it take?

turn 0 : hard position means that someone won't change their opinion on something, where as soft position means they have an opinion but it could change.

How does PersonA describe China's response to the Sputnik moment?

Answer: Redoubling.


But I do think, at the Pew level, if you will, this is a divisive issue. And I am really hoping and I'm personally praying that evangelicals will stop and say, this one's too far. We don't want to close that golden door on people fleeing persecution, including people who are persecuted for their Christian faith. I think it's maybe not gotten a lot of attention that Christian refugees from some of the countries where Christians face the worst persecution in the world, along with other religious minorities, are also really dramatically harmed by these policies.

As I understand it, a big part of your work is talking to fellow evangelicals about this - about immigration more broadly. Can you give us a sense of what you hear in those conversations?

Yeah. You know, I wouldn't do this work - I think I'd be completely burned out if it wasn't for the opportunities I have on a fairly regular basis to be in an evangelical church in various parts of the country on a Sunday morning, preaching and teaching on God's heart for immigrants.

And what's encouraging to me is when I speak in churches, the response is actually really positive. I think a lot of churches are afraid to even have that conversation. But when they do, I find that most people are really receptive if it's grounded not in a political agenda - we're not there to tell people to vote for Republicans or vote for Democrats - but in a biblical message that focuses on who we know God to be, as revealed in the Bible, and his particular concern for vulnerable refugees.

turn 2 : to be burned out means you are sick of doing the same thing.

Which feeling does PersonA say they would have if it wasn't for the opportunities to be in an evangelical church?

Answer: Burned


No. And it's hard one wisdom that is a positive thing, you know?What would we be if we didn't learn from where we've been?And I think the more effort you spend pushing things away so that you don't have to feel them, see them, experience them, the more exhausted you become. And it's just inevitable that your arms go down and you have to go through them. And so that's what I think of as what's happened here with this record.

Mary Chapin Carpenter, who's on tour here in St.  Louis in support of her new album, "Ashes and Roses. "You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. We have time for another song.

We do?

And magically, you've changed guitars silently.

turn 0 : Pushing away emotions and experiences only leads to exhaustion and they must be faced.

What is the consequence of avoiding emotions and experiences?

Answer: Facing


Correct.

So, when you write in your - I'm going back to this - your investment outlook essay, Americans don't really understand Wall Street. They may never understand Wall Street. And then you go on in the next sentence to say, oh, and by the way, yours truly, meaning yourself, is learning every day, discovering every day what Wall Street is. I mean, what the heck are the rules now, and if you don't know, who does?

Well, the rules are changing. The balloon was being expanded, and now, the air has been taken out of the balloon, and so the rules are changing in terms of what becomes a safe and a relatively riskless position in this rapidly de-levering world.

Do you think capitalism is fundamentally changed, and if so, how?

turn 1 : You wrote that Americans don't understand Wall Street, but you don't really know what you're talking about either.

What did PersonB say about PersonA's understanding of Wall Street?

Answer: Don't


Tomorrow marks the end of the longest presidential campaign to date. This election looks like it might break all voter turnout records, and plenty of civil and voting rights groups are out there working to make sure you have a place to turn if you're having trouble voting. One of them is the NAACP. In September, Benjamin Jealous became the youngest man to lead the country's oldest and largest civil rights organization. He's got plenty of information about how to protect your vote. Ben, how are you?

I'm doing well.

So you are the head of this storied organization that has had so much to do with African-Americans in voting. You think about where we've been in the past decade with the contested 2000 election. What should people know firstoff about going to the polls and doing it in a way that protects their vote?

You know, there's really two things that I say to folks. You know, first is that you should be prepared, you know. You should really think about the time you need and make sure, you know, if you need to have somebody to watch the kids that you just take care of it. This is one of the most important things that you'll do in the next year, and just be prepared.

turn 0 : The phrase protect your vote means to ensure that you are able to exercise your right to vote and aren’t subject to racism

Which civil rights organization is mentioned as working to ensure voters have a place to turn if they're having trouble voting?

Answer: NAACP


Let's talk about this article, written by Emory's president, James Wagner. It appeared in the Emory University alumni magazine. It hit the presses. You read it. What was your reaction?

My first response was that it was a misreading of the three-fifths compromise and of what a successful compromise could be. In addition to the sort of strict historical interpretation of that compromise, the way that popular culture, and particularly African-Americans- see that compromise is that it is a way of counting African-Americans as three-fifths of a person, three-fifths of a human being. So, I knew that even if the historical interpretation of popular culture was wrong, it would strike a very bad chord among African-Americans and among others. I mean, I want to emphasize that this is something that is not an idea that's simply bound by race. But I knew that in terms of African-Americans, it would be particularly striking that he use that as an example of compromise.

Describe the reaction you saw once the article hit.

Well, for about two weeks, there was nothing, and then, I think, the Salon. com piece sent things out over the Internet. And Saturday, when that piece appeared, I had five emails. And people, friends - both historians at other institutions, folks at Emory - were very disturbed by this article.

turn 1 : The speaker is asking the listener for their opinion about the article, and how it was received by the public.+++

What is the speaker asking for in turn 1?

Answer: Opinion


But what he did is he went out and explained the policy to the public and rationalized it, basically provided the sort of intellectual underpinnings for Greenspan's policies in two important areas. One, that they shouldn't target speculative bubbles, so that justified not doing anything about the housing market. And two, arguing that there was what they referred to as a global savings glut, which justified a big spending binge in the United States.

The argument was that China doesn't spend enough. The rest of Asia doesn't spend enough. If the world economy is not going to go into recession, it's up to the American consumer to keep demand up. So we shouldn't worry too much if American saving rates is zero and America's on a spending binge.

In retrospect, both of those arguments, you know, seem to be if not completely wrong, certainly very questionable given where they got us. And Bernanke, you know, played an important role in coming up with them. So sure, he's partly responsible for the Greenspan policies. But not totally, as I say. Greenspan was the senior policy maker.

Now in retrospect, it was just a few months ago, but still it seems like a long time ago. A lot of people are saying that the decision that Bernanke and Paulson made to let Lehman Brothers fail was really key because that really led to the credit markets freezing up. And so, why did Bernanke, why did he decide to let Lehman go under?

turn 0 : Bernanke rationalized Greenspan's policies even though they were questionable

How did Bernanke support Greenspan's policies?

Answer: Rationalized


Well, you know, we've done a bunch of these kinds of stories that run in the body issue. And we've done everything from the importance of the glute to the strange secret ritual of the team shower. And we thought, gosh, we've kind of gone there with every other story. The last thing to explore was pee breaks.

I want to talk about the Tour de France in particular. These guys are on their bikes for hours and hours and hours. But it's the Tour leader wearing a yellow jersey, I might add, who gets to signal - is this right?- when it's time for the riders to pull over for a bit of relief?

It turns out, yeah. One of the greatest honors, according to the riders, of getting the yellow jersey is that you get to control when everybody else who's racing stops for a little bit of a pee break.

Which is extraordinary.

turn 0 : The hosts of the story series in the body issue wanted to cover all aspects of sports, including pee breaks. Implicated meaning: The hosts of the story series were willing to explore even the less glamorous aspects of sports and physical activity in their coverage.

What did the yellow jersey wearer get to control according to the riders in the Tour de France?

Answer: Bathroom


Jon Foley, director of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News.

And this email from Mark in Burnsville, Minnesota: Is there a middle ground?Either you believe in evidence-based science or you don't. Some people seem unwilling or unable to accept facts that confront their belief systems and would rather live in a world that matches their internal security beliefs than deal with reality.

And I don't think, Jon Foley, you disagree with him on the science, but you disagree with him on the approach.

Well, I absolutely agree with him on evidence-based reality. I absolutely cannot - we - and never should have concede that. I'm a scientist, and I absolutely support the, you know, evidence-based view. That is one place where I will not back down on an issue at all. But I think it's really more of what we do about it and how we frame these conversations. So, you know, I will always stand by the idea that, yes, climate is changing. We are the cause of this. That is what the science is saying. That is absolutely true. We're not backing down from that at all.

turn 3 : The speaker believes in the science of climate change and will not compromise on evidence-based reality, but thinks the conversation needs to be framed differently

What does the speaker consider to be absolute?

Answer: Absolute


That's right, yeah. I mean, these - the owners of these brains in life, you know, they lived at this state hospital. Just looking at the condition of the brains now I can only imagine what they endured in life and now their brains were taken by questionable means. It's not entirely clear if it was legal for them to be taken by the doctor at the state hospital and then they were put in these jars. And it's upsetting to look at them, honestly, to see, you know, to imagine the circumstances of their life and then to see them there - it makes you consider your own brain, I suppose.

Well, a tough story to report. Thank you for doing it, Matt.

No problem.

Matt Largey, of member station KUT in Austin.

turn 1 : "Well, a tough story to report." - This turn is a figurative expression that means the story is emotionally difficult to report, rather than physically difficult.

What kind of difficulty does the phrase "a tough story to report" refer to?

Answer: Emotional


Yes. (Laughter). I suppose you're right. I mean, that may follow. But I. . .

(Laughter).

. . . Wanted to explore a masculine archetype. And that's what Daddy is. He is larger than life. He's almost too big to exist. He's straight out of mythology. He's very strong and reassuring, and he sticks by his children, et cetera. But he's also - you know, he's got this troubled streak. This sort of - this violence in him. He's entirely defined by his body, his physicality, his strength. And Cathy arrived, saying, actually, what happens when these ideals are instilled in someone who doesn't inhabit the right physicality?Or she's somebody who has a very similar temperament to her father, but she doesn't have his strength. And she's a girl. And how does she stitch together those dual identities?

Yeah. There is - not to give too much away, but there's an act of violence in the book in which a woman takes a man's life. She sees it as her only way to survive. And I have to ask if recent events and recent debates and soul searching we've had in both our countries makes the scene even more telling.

turn 0 : he literal meaning is that the speaker agrees with something and acknowledges that the other person is correct, and they both laugh.

Which emotion is expressed by both speakers in turn 0?

Answer: Agreement


And now, the EU countries, they're following suit on this.

That's right. I mean, you tend to sort of run out of superlatives these days. Indeed, when we look at the figures that are being available on the continent, Germany has approved a package of up to $680 billion, the French $500. The Spanish have set aside $130 billion.

Again, this sort of two-fold plan guaranteeing lending between banks, and taking stakes in financial institutions, similar to the United Kingdom. And again, Gordon Brown is getting a lot of kudos for being upfront, and right in front of the curve for doing this first.

Any sign that lending is indeed going on?Can people borrow?

turn 0 : EU countries are also taking action regarding the financial crisis.

Which countries are mentioned in turn 1 as having set aside money for a financial package?

Answer: Germany


It's lonely. That's why, in many ways, the CIA is the world's biggest dating agency, I think. I imagine it's much like two actors that get married because they understand that universe. You know, I'm pretty sure that the agency's divorce rate is rather high.

You've written a story here with shootings and chases and champagne in suites at the Four Season. But is a lot of spy craft people just scrunched over their laptops sipping coffee?

I would say more likely there's a lot of downtime. You spend a lot of time waiting. You're waiting in a bar or in a restaurant or at a corner to make your meeting. You're doing a lot of surveillance detection routes to make sure that no one is on your tail. You can't put that in a book before the reader puts it down really quickly. However, both Sarah and I felt very strongly we wanted to make it a realistic portrait, particularly of a female operations officer in the CIA. For the most part, to my mind, they come across as how they're portrayed in popular culture is paper dolls - really props more than anything else. And I wanted a strong but realistic character.

A sidebar: have any of the revelations that there have been in recent weeks about the National Security Agency surprised or outraged you?

turn 2 : Implicated meaning: The speaker is expressing a desire to create a character in their book who is strong and believable, rather than simply creating a character who is physically strong. The implied meaning is that the speaker values depth and authenticity in their character portrayal, rather than creating a one-dimensional, superficial character.

What is the PersonA's desired portrayal of the character in their book?

Answer: Realistic


Hi, David.

So we have heard so many different messages, I mean, from President Trump in terms of removing U. S.  forces, keeping U. S.  forces there, claims of victory, backing off claims of victory. What exactly is the situation right now?

Well, the U. S. -backed coalition does appear to be in the final stages of the actual combat. But what exactly the victory entails, what it achieves, how final it proves to be, those are all still open questions. Over the weekend, the Syrian Democratic Forces, the SDF - they're the ones actually in there trying to seize this last bit of ISIS control - said it would be over in a matter of days. There could still be some intense fighting, though, between now and then.

SDF commanders say some of those airstrikes that have been pounding the ground were targeting vehicle bombs left by ISIS. There was a Twitter post from an SDF spokesman. He said three car bombs were taken out. And there's - he also said it's going to be over soon, this battle. There's estimates hundreds of ISIS fighters are left. They're not going anywhere without a fight. But it sounds like a victory over those fighters is being portrayed as more a question of when rather than if.

turn 1 : Although the literal meaning of this turn is simply asking for a description of the current situation, the implied meaning behind it is that the speaker is expressing frustration or confusion about the conflicting messages they have heard from President Trump regarding the removal or retention of U.S. forces in Syria. It could be interpreted as a way of questioning the credibility of the information that has been provided so far and seeking clarification or a more definitive answer.

Answer: Questioning


It's a lot. . .

. . . Yes.

It's a lot of money to most people around the country.

And congressman, you know, if - let me understand this, are you calling for the outright abolition of the program?

turn 2 : The speaker is stating that the amount of money being discussed is significant not just to themselves, but also to most people in the country. This suggests that there may be financial hardship or inequality that the speaker is aware of.

Which group of people may be affected by the amount of money being discussed?

Answer: Most


I have to say, I'm a huge believer in the laws of political physics. The first one is gravity. And the sheer idiocy of what he said seems to me - it is going to drag him down. The second one is momentum. And you saw yesterday what was clearly a coordinated message on the part of Senator McConnell, Senator Cornyn and Governor Romney, to say, you've got 24 hours to think it over, buddy. They left the buddy out. Think what's best for you, what's best for your family, what's best for the Republican Party. They didn't say that, not necessarily in that order. It's the way we're thinking about it. And it may be that Mr.  Akin will hold on past close of business today. But I have to say, I'll be just stunned if he is the nominee who's on the ticket in November.

The deadline is 5 P. M. , Central Time. Ruth Marcus, thank you very much.

Thanks a lot.

Ruth Marcus is an editorial writer for The Washington Post. She joined us from a studio at the newspaper. Her piece is called "Self-Preservation, Meet Cynicism. "You can find a link to it on our website. That's at npr. org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. And this is TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News.

turn 0 : gravity implies that in politics a person's actions can hinder them from acting further

How does the concept of political physics relate to Mr. Akin's situation?

Answer: Drag


Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, one of the things we need to be doing is making this standardized. I've talked to many people. They say, well, he never even checked what my, you know, date of birth said. I think we need to go to more of a standardized approach in order to do that.

Is there any kind of technological solution to this - I don't know - thumbprint, iris scan or something?

So never before would I be sitting on a patient's, you know, medical record with three different electronic health record screens open, trying to work between, you know, different patients sitting in an emergency room. So with new technologies come this additional complexity that we need to sort of be thinking about.

turn 2 :  We have electronic health records, which are supposed to make this easier. But remember, anytime you introduce technology within sort of a complex health care system, you know, it can also have unintended consequences.  The actual meaning implied in this turn is that the speaker is cautioning about the potential unintended consequences of introducing technology into a complex healthcare system, despite the expectation that electronic health records would make things easier. The literal meaning is that the speaker is highlighting the potential negative effects of technology in a complex system.

What is the speaker cautioning about when introducing technology into a complex healthcare system?

Answer: Consequences


This is Day to Day from NPR News. I'm Alex Cohen. Today, federal marshals continued their search for a 38-year-old man from Indiana. They believe Marcus Schrenker faked a distress call while flying his single engine plane over Alabama shortly before he parachuted out of it. The plane later crashed in a swamp 200 miles away in Florida.

Schrenker is an investment manager, and it appears he was in some financial difficulty. With more now, we're joined by business reporter Jeff Swiatek, who joins us from the newsroom of the Indianapolis Star. Jeff, welcome to the program. And could you tell us why federal marshals are assuming this distress call was fake?

Well, I guess all the evidence seems to point that way. His distress call mentioned an imploded windscreen on his airplane. When they scrambled some military jets to check out the plane, the windshield was still intact, and the wreckage on the ground also indicates the windshield is intact.

So Schrenker parachutes out of this plane. Do they know where he went after that?

turn 2 : Schrenker's distress call was fabricated and he left the plane intentionally

Answer: Parachuted


I'm not sure. I think, certainly, if the other leading candidate in the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton, had won, she would also be generating a lot of interest. I think it's, at the end of a two-term presidency, you always get an upsurge anyway. But I think you're right. There's no doubt about it. These are historic elections. And for the same reasons that the American public have gotten so engaged in them, probably some of the same reasons are affecting foreign publics.

You know, there have been a lot of memorable phrases that have come out during this election. Maverick is one word that we've heard a lot, and what about lipstick on a pig?How do you explain that phrase, which seems particularly American, or lipstick on a pitbull?

What is fascinating is that, both those terms that you brought up, I know of cases where people here that work with me with journalists on a day to day basis have been asked to help. One was working with German press and the term Maverick and how could they, you know, where does that come from and so on. And we actually have a researcher that works here and can go back and find, you know, the roots of these different phrases. Even - I speak Spanish pretty well, and even lipstick on a pig, I wouldn't even try.

So, I don't know how they go about trying to kind of - I think they go through a longer two-paragraph explanation.

turn 0 : Hillary Clinton would also generate a lot of interest.

Answer: Hillary


Well "Band of Gold" would be it, but by the time I get to the end of the show, and I'm coming back for that last encore…

(Singing) Now that you're gone, all that's left is a band of gold…

A lot of times, I will do "Band of Gold," and as a matter of fact, I - and I find that it's a good thing because I see people in the audience just light up, like (unintelligible)…

turn 0 : Do you ever feel that way, you're just so tired of singing, but you know you have to because that song is so closely associated with who you are?" - The implied meaning here is that the person is feeling tired of singing a particular song, but they feel obligated to continue performing it because it is an integral part of their identity and public persona.

How does PersonA feel about performing "Band of Gold" towards the end of the show?

Answer: Exhausted


. . . Didn't make millions. I know he made a lot - who ran Bernie Sanders' campaign.

Yeah, I think it's a question of, you know, does money tempt you to do things that you might not otherwise do?

Well, you've been there. What do you say?

I like to think that you need to stay grounded, right?You need to stay grounded. You need to say to yourself, am I doing what matters to the country and our future?Or am I just thinking about just pure self-interest, the amount of money that I can amass for myself and my family?

turn 3 : It's important to prioritize the country's future over personal gain.

Answer: Message


Correct.

And that's the idea?

That's exactly the idea and that's where we are today. So you kind of keep the country in limbo. And you say, as long as there's no election then I get to be president.

Have there been any calls for President Kabila to be investigated, forced to step down, impeached, put on trial for violating the constitution?

turn 2 : Implies that the current situation is a de-facto form of long-term leadership by President Kabila, without the need for elections.

Which form of leadership is implied in the current situation?

Answer: De-facto


Yes.

What is it like coming and finding a place in New York's theater world?Because it can be very tough to even get a little purchase in it, but it sounds like you have found a place with your off-Broadway version of the play that's very comfortable and fulfilling.

Well, it is definitely - yeah, I have to admit, I wish I could sit here and say I knew it was going to happen this way. I was nervous waiting for that New York Times review to come out. You know what that's like. You know, it was like, OK, you know, am I going to get the theater gods' blessing?Because New York it is what it is; it's the Big Apple. It's the biggest theater market in the world. If you can make it, here you can make it anywhere.

So, this feels really good to have, you know, not just the approval from the critics, but just be able to, you know - I shake everyone's hand who buys the ticket every time I perform my show. I stand at the door as people leave the theater; I shake their hand and look them in the eyes and say thank you. So, I really feel like just because the reviews are great, I still know that it's reaching people, and that's what's important to me.

turn 1 : Finding success in the New York theater world is difficult.

Which market is the biggest in the world for theater?

Answer: NewYork


Earlier today, U. S.  Secretary of State John Kerry held a joint news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal who told reporters his country can not ignore military intervention from Iran and Hezbollah in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Saudi Arabia already sends arms to the Syrian opposition. The U. S.  also plans to provide light arms to the rebel forces. But the Saudi foreign minister said more is now required. NPR foreign correspondent Deb Amos joins us now from NPR's bureau in Beirut. Nice to have you back one more time.

Very nice to be here.

Everyone knows Saudi Arabia and Iran are sometimes bitter rivals and on opposite sides in Syria. What does it mean for the Saudi foreign minister to speak so bluntly as he stands next to the U. S.  secretary of state?

What is different here is a change in tone. The language was very, very tough today. The Saudi foreign minister talked about genocide by the government of Syria. He talked about an outside invasion. He's talking about the Iranians and Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group here in Lebanon. He says they have a massive flow of weapons, and that that must be stopped. He was asking for a resolution to have an arms embargo on the Syrians, nigh on impossible. What he's talking about, one would guess, is a U. N.  resolution and any resolution that would ban weapons would be certainly vetoed by the Russians and most likely the Chinese. But they were venting, the Saudis today, as John Kerry was there for talks.

turn 2 : The Saudi foreign minister might not be actually standing next to the U.S. Secretary of State, but figurately.

What was the Saudi foreign minister's tone during the joint news conference?

Answer: Tough


Yeah.

We were able to test the tongue and found that it is uber soft. It is actually 10 times softer than the human tongue.

Tongue-wise, what does this accomplish?

So the soft tongue and the sticky saliva which exists on the tongue work together to actually increase adhesion. And the frog is able to catch very hairy things, like tarantulas or even other frogs, which are slippery. And it's able to use this amazing tongue with this amazing adhesive to capture things in the blink of an eye.

turn 2 : ) B: Tongue-wise, what does this accomplish? - Implication: What practical purpose does this serve?

Which question does PersonB ask to clarify the practical purpose of the softness of the frog's tongue?

Answer: Accomplish


But I'm sure that there's something else that you want to share with us. You have your poems about California, poems about the blues.

I've got one. The once called "Who I Am in Twilight. "And it's a poem that is actually emblazoned on the sidewalk. And it's set in stone, as it were, on something called "Poetry Walk" in Berkeley, California. They put down on sidewalk, Addison Street, about a hundred poets', I think, work. So it's fun to go over there and see how posterity works, because always somebody has dropped some pizza on it, mashed out a cigarette on it, or something like that.

So don't live for posterity, live for now. But here it is. "Who I am in Twilight. "

Like John Lee Hooker, like Lightnin' Hopkins, like the blues himself. The Trickster Sonnet, hoedown, the tango, the cante jondo. Like blessed spirituals and ragas, custom-made. Like sagas. Like stories. Like slick, slow, sly, soliloquies sliding into dramas. Like crime and punishment. Like death and birth. Canal Street, New Orleans. Like the easy, erasable, troubled voices a whirling ceiling fan makes in deep summer nights in hot, un-heavenly hotels. Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee. Like the Mississippi River so deep and wide, you couldn't get a letter to the other side. Like Grand Canyon. Like Yosemite National Park. Like beans and cornbread. Like rest and recreation. Like love and like. I know we last. I know our bleeding stops.

turn 3 : The poet's work is inspired by various cultural influences and experiences.

What is the name of the poem that is emblazoned on the sidewalk in Berkeley, California?

Answer: Who


He already faces charges in Indiana from the secretary of state's office. He likely will face charges in Florida. The Coast Guard Investigative Services now are working with the Pensacola U. S.  attorney's office. They are tallying up the cost of the search for him. That will include manpower hours; that will include two helicopters, a boat and a cutter that they had put into the water. So, he will face a felony charge there, which has not been filed yet, of making a false distress call, and likely will be asked to repay the cost of the search for him.

Carol, has anything been heard from his wife or those who had invested money with him?

We have spoken with one person who had hired him as his financial adviser. It was a former Delta pilot. Apparently, a group of Delta pilots had brought him on board to manage their money. He had lost several thousand - well, thousands of dollars, but I think that is small compared to some of the larger investors.

Carol Robinson of the Birmingham News in Alabama, thank you.

turn 0 : The person being talked about made a fake emergency call

Which type of charge will the person likely face in Florida?

Answer: Felony


Oh, wow, it's like turning off a switch. And suddenly I was running down these trails in the dark and I didn't know where I was and I didn't know where I was going and it was getting colder. And all I could see was the distant glow of Vegas. And I was thinking, wow, I really like that city right now. I wish I were there and I didn't know how to get there.

Yeah, you obviously were able to find your way to asphalt and you were able to get back to civilization. Very nice - of course, I'm a sucker for daughter daddy stuff in the book - but you really do say that marathon running - or the training even - reminds you of the preciousness of every moment, moment after moment.

Yeah, it does. It puts you in the minute and being out there every day - bad weather, good weather, light, dark - I started this morning about nine miles ago in the dark and it was cold. And you just find yourself saying, you know, there are things in life that are important and that are worthwhile that require a little bit of sacrifice and a little bit of struggle and a little bit of suffering. It doesn't mean you shouldn't do them. And running reminds you of that all the time.

Tom Foreman - "My Year Of Running Dangerously" - thanks so much for being with us.

turn 3 :  the host is wrapping up the interview and thanking the guest for being on the show. The literal meaning is simply expressing gratitude, but the implied meaning is that the interview has come to an end.

How did the host conclude the interview?

Answer: Thanking


(Laughter) I have no idea. I know that the pope - his five most famous words may be - who am I to judge?- which is about gay people. And I know that he has gay friends. You know, one of the people that he met with during his papal visit in the United States was a gay friend and his partner. So he's open to what he calls a culture of encounter and accompaniment. He's certainly in favor of listening to people and meeting them where they are. And so on that page, you know, we agree.

You suggest in a couple of sections of the book that there must be priests who are LGBT, but they are faithful to their vows of chastity.

Yeah, I know them. And, you know, by saying that a priest is gay, it doesn't mean that he's breaking his promise of celibacy or his vow of chastity or, you know, lesbian nuns. And one of the challenges for the church is to recognize these people and to see them as the gifts that they are as all LGBT people are to the church. They are gifts, beloved children of God who bring certain gifts and certain talents to our church, to the community.

Father James Martin - his book, "Building A Bridge: How The Catholic Church And The LGBT Community Can Enter Into A Relationship Of Respect, Compassion, And Sensitivity" - thanks so much for being with us.

turn 3 :  expressing appreciation for Father James Martin's efforts to promote understanding and dialogue between the Catholic Church and the LGBT community, as reflected in his book.

How does PersonB acknowledge Father James Martin's efforts in the dialogue?

Answer: Appreciation


And that - you know, that - it totally imbued his soul. He was - you know, I've been in the presence of a lot of great men. And almost all of them preferred to talk about themselves. He wanted to talk about you. And that's what made you fall in love with him.

Yeah. I don't want to draw everything to what's going on now. But, you know, you would have dinner with President Bush. You would talk about things. Did - can we draw distinctions between the kind of president he was and what we see in the country now?

Oh, Scott, there will be time for that conversation. And I'm sure it's being held. And of course there's - we're in a very different world now. But I think George - I can almost hear George Bush right now saying, now, now, let's not have any of that. He. . .

Yeah.

turn 2 : A believes that George Bush would want to avoid political discussions and focus on a more positive conversation.

What did PersonA say George Bush would say to avoid having a political discussion?

Answer: Now


Because he is speaking about African Americans. And he used such derogatory terms. And to even say that not even humans want to live there hurts so many people because he is challenging their very humanity based on the color of their skin. The negativity, the disregard is a problem and should always be addressed and called out.

The statistician Nate Silver tweeted out some facts about Maryland's 7th District, which includes Baltimore and some of the surrounding suburbs. And he says it's the second wealthiest and second most well-educated majority black district in the country. Why do you think President Trump singled out this district?

Facts don't matter for this guy, OK?He sees people of color, and he describes them in the most derogatory terms. So he's hitting back at Cummings or trying to bully him just because he sits on this particular committee that is actually doing their job in investigating some of the things that are - been happening in this current administration.

The House Oversight Committee.

turn 0 : to call someone out means to challenge someone, be it on their beliefs or if they are bullying someone

What is the problem that should always be addressed and called out according to A?

Answer: Disregard


Well, yeah.

And - select which is the right kind of alcohol to put in there. Free test it.

Well, they - rum and bourbon.

Right.

turn 2 : A suggests using rum and bourbon for the recipe

How did PersonA recommend enhancing the recipe?

Answer: Rum


Well - so these agents actually do, from my experience, from my research, find themselves connected with the people that they encounter. But for many of them, this job is not necessarily about stopping immigration. This isn't about their dedication to immigration law or their dedication to keeping migrants from crossing the border illicitly or anything like that. This is about economic self-interest. This is about survival.

Because a lot of the Border Patrol agents are recruited from the border areas, and many of the border areas are very economically depressed.

Yeah, exactly. And so we might look at this - and that's, I think, what's so tragic about this kind of broader story, is that the stories of the Latinos who enter immigration law enforcement parallel so strongly the stories of the men and women who are trying to come to this country and willing to do anything to get here in order to provide for their own families.

But Border Patrol is there to enforce the United States' borders, which is important for any country. Borders are places where lots of things happen - some of it criminal. How would you enforce a border then?

turn 2 : "and willing to do anything to get here" implies "are desperately trying to get here".

How would you describe the motivation of the men and women who are trying to come to the United States?

Answer: implies


Yeah, of course. I think it's right for the employer to know. But let the person go all the way through the process until the point where they're being offered a job. It creates more momentum towards hiring and more of a chance that that person's actually get a job.

Why do you include in this legislation a provision that would allow felons to vote in every state in the country?

You know, these felony disenfranchise laws - if you go back to some of the state legislative debates that were happening after Reconstruction, they were designed to stop African-Americans from voting. These have racist roots to these laws. And it gets to a point now where you can see the fruit of that poison tree - is that you have some counties in America where 1 out of 4 African-Americans can't vote. And remember; the overwhelming number of charges are for nonviolent drug offenses.

So here, you've served your time, and now you're going to have 10, 20, 40, 50, 60 years more as an adult. And you're told that your citizen rights have been stripped from you?This is a way, I think, that poor people especially - low-income people are being stripped of their democratic power.

turn 2 : "And it gets to a point now where you can see the fruit of that poison tree." The figurative meaning here is that the negative consequences of the racially motivated felony disenfranchisement laws are becoming evident or visible. The phrase "fruit of that poison tree" implies that the current situation is a result of something harmful or unjust in the past.

How does the phrase "fruit of that poison tree" relate to the impact of felony disenfranchisement laws?

Answer: Evident


If that was the concern initially, I've never heard it expressed in recent years. There are now so many people who have gotten out, and their stories have been corroborated by, you know, so many of these different people who've escaped that it's, you know, North Korea is as bad as they say, and perhaps even worse.

But, you know, I would like to say that the stories are also inspiring. You hear these terrible things, and sometimes I go to sleep at night thinking about the horrible stories I'd heard about life in North Korea. But at the same time, it's very positive to think that after six decades of totalitarian repression, there are people who are still longing for freedom and have the courage to go after it.

Yet it raises the question of the many more who are still inside that hell on Earth.

Indeed. And the 24,000, 25,000 who have gotten out are a drop in the bucket when you consider there are still 25 million people enslaved in North Korea. However, the North Koreans who escape are small in number, but they have provided a huge service, two ways. One is that they've educated all of us about the reality of life in North Korea. Nobody can say today that we didn't know. We now know about the gulag. We know about the way the government uses food as a political tool. We know all of this.

turn 3 : The statement implies that despite the small number of North Koreans who have escaped, they have provided valuable information about the reality of life in North Korea.

What is the service that the North Koreans who have escaped have provided?

Answer: Service


Good to be with you.

This last Republican debate may have been the most contentious, at least between the candidates and the questioners. What do you see as the immediate fallout?

Now, at the same time, nobody's cast a single vote yet. Jeb Bush is sitting on a lot of money, and, of course, he has a name that's instantly recognizable. Is there really talk that this could be the end of his candidacy?

turn 2 : "Immediate fallout would be Jeb Bush's problem. He needed a revival, and he wound up looking worse than he had in the first two debates and out on the stump as well. The memorable punches in these debates tend to be counter punches. And Bush went after his one-time protege, Marco Rubio, and Rubio came back smart, fast, tough and got a highlight moment out of it, just one of several for Rubio, by the way."  Here, the speaker is discussing the consequences or negative outcomes for Jeb Bush after the debate. The implied meaning is that Jeb Bush's performance in the debate was disappointing or damaging for his campaign. The speaker highlights that memorable moments in debates usually involve counter-attacks or responses, and in this case, Jeb Bush targeted Marco Rubio, but Rubio responded effectively and gained a notable moment. The implied meaning goes beyond a literal description of the events and emphasizes the impact on Jeb Bush's candidacy.

How did Marco Rubio respond when Jeb Bush targeted him during the debate?

Answer: Effectively


If Beijing could have its way, David, what do you think they would want to do with Hong Kong?What would they want from Hong Kong?

Well, we know they would like Hong Kong to basically focus on money and making money and not worry about politics at all. That was the model. I mean, it's a comparison that Beijing would hate. But the truth is they basically treat it like a colony. It used to be a British colony. It's now a colony of China. And like any well-behaved colony, you're meant to focus on getting rich, making money and not worry about politics.

And David, just briefly, what happens in 2047, 50 years after Britain hands Hong Kong back to China?What happens then?

Well, then the promise of one country, two systems falls away, but the truth is they're going to try and chip away as in all kinds of small and subtle ways before then. We're also going to see probably more mainland immigration into Hong Kong - would be one way of diluting Hong Kong's kind of will to resist. But let's not underestimate an amazing thing that happened. There is a piece of China that gets free press, that knows what's happening, that is allowed to protest - not allowed where I'm sitting in Beijing - and they said, no, and the government backed off. And that's an absolutely extraordinary thing that can only happen in Hong Kong.

turn 0 : China wants Hong Kong to focus on making money and ignore politics

What is Beijing's desired focus for Hong Kong?

Answer: Money


Well, I say that may be the case. And I'm for affirmative action. I'm for giving opportunities to minorities. I'm for immigration reform. I'm a very proud Hispanic. But I just think the Democratic Party has to communicate a better message of economic populism, of helping small businesses. Somehow the centrist white male, the conservative white male that used to vote Democratic from the South and the Midwest is eluding us. And we've got to get that base back or get some portion of the base because they're leaving us in droves.

And what about those politicians that might say, hey, look, we won a couple of national elections with the demographics that we have in the Democratic Party.

Well, what I say to them is that's great. But we've lost the Congress. We've lost the House. We've lost the Senate. We lose governorships. And, you know, it's not just the presidency that has the power in this country. It's local officials, it's county commissioners, it's governors. It's not just the Congress. It's a whole range of offices where we're not competing because we - we need a stronger, compelling economic message. And somehow, that seems to be eluding us if you look at recent elections, especially in the South and the Midwest.

You've already cited Bernie Sanders. And I gather you have endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president. How do you think Secretary Clinton addresses these issues?

turn 3 : implies that A has endorsed Hillary Clinton and believes she effectively addresses the issues.

Which presidential candidate does PersonA endorse?

Answer: Hillary


I think it's just incredibly boneheaded that there is any attempt to not reveal absolutely everything that's going on. Because there's such - just potential for, if not impropriety or corruption, at least the appearance of that. So, I don't understand why the Fed isn't being more forthcoming.

But if you look at the actual TARP program, that's the Treasury. They've taken the 700 billion, and of that, they have already allocated about 290 billion. 125 billion went to the nine huge banks that basically had the capital shoved down their throats. And then another 125 effectively went to a lot of other banks that signed up quickly. And then 40 billion has gone to AIG.

So, there's really only 60 billion of that first tranche left. And then Hank Paulson will have to go to Congress, and say, OK, please give me the next 350 billion.

And so what were the conditions under which that first tranche was paid out?In other words, what do we know about what happened with that money?

Well, what we know is that the way it was originally sold to the public and to Congress was, this will enable the banks to lend again, and so we need to give them money. And really, within minutes of the plan being announced, you had a lot of the major banks' CEOs, like Merrill's John Thain, come out and say, look, we've got more important priorities, which is basically saving our firms.

turn 1 : The banks that received TARP funds didn't necessarily need them to lend again

How did Merrill's John Thain prioritize the TARP funds received by his firm?

Answer: Saving


Yeah. After the West Africa outbreak, there was this sense that, you know, we're in much better shape. We know more about it. We've got new treatment options. We've got a vaccine that's out there.

But in this one, it really has been this perfect storm. The area that this occurred in is incredibly poor, that had poor health care infrastructure beforehand. It's incredibly volatile; there's these militias that have basically been running that part of the Democratic Republic of Congo for decades. They're vying for control of minerals. And, you know, they have really undermined any governmental institutions that would be there.

And then all these health care workers show up to try to contain the Ebola treatment unit - that Ebola, you know, outbreak, and some of them were attacked, even killed. The World Health Organization yesterday was saying they've documented 198 attacks on Ebola clinics and workers over the last year. So obviously, that's an incredibly high number for attacks on a health response, you know, even in a declared war zone.

Well, I mean, yeah, it is a war zone, but why attack - specifically attack clinics that you know are treating a disease?

turn 3 : It does not make logical sense to attack people are trying to help get a dieses from spreading.

What was the World Health Organization's documented number of attacks on Ebola clinics and workers over the last year?

Answer: 198


Thank you.

The next justice will be conservative. I think it's pretty safe to say that. But you write that conservative justices aren't all conservative in the same way. So could you explain?

Sure. Conservative judicial philosophy can mean a lot of things. Most prominently, what people talk about is that the judge focuses closely on the text and original understanding of the Constitution. But there are other philosophies that are associated with conservatism, as well. One is there's a libertarian strand of conservatism, which basically focuses on freedom from the state. And then there's an important strand of conservatism that says that judges should defer to the legislature and not get way out ahead of the people in terms of recognizing social rights. So, sometimes, the deference strand of conservatism conflicts with the other two.

You write that liberals are too confident in their despair, and conservatives are too jubilant. And you hinged that on Chief Justice John Roberts, who is conservative but could take on the mantle of the swing vote.

turn 3 : The hinge is just the importance of the information being placed on the Chief Justice. This person would not take on a mantle but just vote in a way that changes the outcome.

How would Chief Justice John Roberts vote?

Answer: Crowding


They found an interested buyer.

Because, you know, there's no question that there are some assets out there that are probably undervalued. But there are not private sector entities at this point, apparently, that have the capacity to buy and hold and take that risk. That's one of the things we want to explore. Are there entities other than the federal government that can do that?

Well, what are the risks there, that you would be stuck with carrying a bunch of bad debt?

The risk is that the taxpayer would lose some money.

turn 2 : bunch of bad debt implies owing too many debts or inability to pay a lot of debts owed

Which term describes the type of debt mentioned in turn 2?

Answer: owing


Good morning, Renee.

First, that citizenship question. In just a matter of days, it's been on, it's been off. Now the president says he wants it on again. What's going on there?

The Supreme Court said last month, you could have it but only with good justification. And the Supreme Court has ruled before that the census is supposed to count everyone and not just citizens, as it has always. Then, the president said yesterday he had four or five ways that he could get this question back on. But executive orders, which were one of the ways he mentioned, do not supersede court orders. So the president is still going to have to have something that pleases the court.

And yesterday, a federal judge in Maryland ordered further discovery in this case, meaning people from Commerce and the Justice Department are going to have to answer questions about this question, where it came from. And yesterday, in court, the lawyers for the administration admitted that, at this point, they don't know what to say.

The president has also been tweeting about another big story, the conditions at Border Patrol detention centers. Yesterday, he said many of the migrants held there were - and I'm quoting - "living far better now than they were where they came from and in safer conditions. "I mean, that's not what a report from the Department of Homeland Security's own Office of the Inspector General said this week. It - that report warned about dangerous overcrowding and prolonged detention without proper food or hygiene or laundry facilities - very big difference.

turn 3 : The administration is unsure of how to defend their stance on the citizenship question.

What is the administration's stance on the citizenship question?

Answer: uncertain


Yes. Launch is tomorrow at 4:55 AM Cape Canaveral time, which is where the rocket launches from, or, say, 1:55 AM California time. I'll actually be here in California at SpaceX headquarters at mission control. And so we have launch control at Cape Canaveral, and we've got mission control here at headquarters in California. So for the first nine minutes or so, the rocket will be ascending and delivering the Dragon spacecraft to orbit. And then the Dragon spacecraft will separate from the rocket and then - and begin orbital phasing with the space station, which will take a few days.

Then we're going to do, essentially, a flyby at the space station. Now, something that's important to appreciate is that the space station is actually zooming around the Earth at 17,000 miles an hour. People sort of think it's just sort of up there and stationary, but it's zipping around the Earth at - it actually completes an orbit of the Earth every 19 minutes. So you can think of this like you're trying to synchronize speed with something that's going 12 times faster than a bullet from an assault rifle.

And we've got to match the space station. As the space station makes more movements in its orbit, we've got to track those movements exactly. So we'll do a wide loop around the space station, establish communication - a communication link with the space station, have our docking sensors lock on and then the spacecraft actually plots an approach vector and will go in and pause at various points before finally going into dock with the space station.

And what time into the mission will it actually dock?

turn 0 : The rocket will be launching tomorrow and the Dragon spacecraft will be sent into orbit and then eventually dock with the space station.

Which spacecraft will be sent into orbit and eventually dock with the space station?

Answer: Dragon


Right. And people in Detroit and in Michigan have seen that up close. Detroit is one of the country's leading cities for foreclosures, and people have just seen the values of their houses plummet there. What do you hear from your readers?

Well, they're very angry. And the next question is, well, who are they angry at?And the answer seems to be, well, who's available. If McCain is doing a swing through the suburbs today, they'll be mad at McCain. If the Democratic governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, visits Detroit, they'll be mad at her. Both candidates still have favorable ratings above 50 percent. That's a little bit at variance with what I'm hearing anecdotally from readers. They seem much more polarized than that, and the Obama people seem much more hateful towards McCain and vice versa.

And what do they want to hear from the candidates?

They want to hear how the candidates are going to stem the hemorrhaging of manufacturing jobs in Michigan or alternatively, what they're going to replace those jobs with. Michigan has been struggling with job losses, foreclosures and high unemployment for well over a year now. And there's anger, but there's also a little bit of numbness at the constant patter of bad news.

turn 2 : "stem the hemorrhaging" - figurative meaning: stop the rapid loss

How can the candidates address the issue of job losses in Michigan?

Answer: Replace


Look; can Democrats accuse Republicans of refusing to live up to their oversight responsibilities because they don't want to antagonize what they take to be their political base if Democrats don't bring up impeachment because the poll numbers are discouraging or because they think they'd lose the vote in the Senate?Isn't there a constitutional responsibility, too?

I think there's absolutely constitutional responsibility right now to break through obstructionism put up by the president to continue the investigations that we're pursuing right now. Just as an example, you know, within the Intelligence Committee and the Oversight Committee, we're pressing for the financial records of the president through Deutsche Bank and his accounting firm to figure out, you know, what are his ties to the Russians?This is material that I don't think that the Mueller team necessarily pursued because the president had put a red line around it. And I think the Mueller team, based on what we can tell, decided not to cross that red line.

So this is potentially new material that hopefully would move some independent-minded folks on the other side depending on what the results are. But at the end of the day, this can't be about party. It has to be about our country and what's best for our country. I do believe the president has done some very bad things, and now we have to hold him accountable.

How?I mean, isn't - doesn't the Constitution provide the instrument for holding him accountable right in front of you?

turn 1 : The person thinks there is contitutional responsibility to investigate areas that the president has said not to. The Mueller team did not as the president told them to investigate only so much and then to stop.

What material is the Intelligence and Oversight Committees pressing for to figure out the president's ties to the Russians?

Answer: Financial


Oh, no. As a matter of fact, I was delighted that I had had the opportunity to contribute to it. I had the option to volunteer for the program. I opted not to because I was very much involved in research that needed to be done. So I was - I turned down the opportunity because I felt that what we were doing was valuable for the future of our space program. As a matter of fact, the small 5-foot diameter parachute that we used to stabilize my freefall is still being used today in every ejection seat in the world. So what we did some 50 year - 55 years ago is still being used today.

What do you think about space exploration now?It struck me watching this that it's lost its human component, in a way. We send these unmanned missions into deep space, but we haven't really pushed human boundaries, I think, for quite some time.

I personally think that we should go back to the moon as soon as we can because there's a lot of lessons we need to learn before we can go to Mars, which should be the next great human adventure.

May I ask you a question?As you were standing on the precipice, you said a prayer. What was that prayer?What were you praying for?

turn 3 :  (4) - Implied meaning: What thoughts or feelings were you experiencing in that moment?

What did "B" ask "A" about when they were standing on the precipice?

Answer: Prayer


Jeffrey Dahmer in Milwaukee.

Right and Ted Bundy in Florida. I mean, if you look at the serial killers, the majority of them that abused animals prior to turning on humans - and even one admitted, I did it to see how the animal would die before I killed a human. It's just - it's amazing. School shooters, Pearl, Miss. , and Columbine, they all abused animals and killed animals prior to their shooting spree. So it's - the data's there and it's not just guesswork. It's actual documented data.

You've been a law enforcement professional. Are there people who say the last thing I need is more paperwork, more data?

Yeah, here's the thing. Law enforcement really hasn't grasped this problem yet. If you look back in the early '70s when domestic violence came up and how the laws changed and then law enforcement would go, say, well, if the woman's getting beat, why she won't leave the house?Well, we didn't understand. We'd understand the dynamics of domestic violence, and as that whole thing changed, it got better. And if you look at animal abuse right now, it's - can follow the same timeline. You can always - bet you it's within years that it's going to be the same timeline. You have to get - in order for this problem to be solved, you're going to have to get the legislators to create the laws, you're going to have to get law enforcement to enforce the laws, you're going to have to get prosecutors to prosecute and judges to convict.

turn 2 : The speaker is implying that some law enforcement professionals may be resistant to gathering and analyzing data on animal abuse because they view it as an added bureaucratic burden. This suggests that the speaker believes that some law enforcement officials may be unwilling to take the issue of animal abuse seriously or prioritize it as a potential indicator of violent behavior.

Which specific group of officials might be hesitant to gather and analyze data on animal abuse according to the implied meaning of turn 2?

Answer: Lawenforcement.


Well, so what I got really interested in was that when the coat showed up, it showed up in a black plastic package from China Post. So I thought I was buying a coat from some brand that represented itself as kind of this modern gentleman. You know, I was expecting it to have its headquarters, you know, in New York or San Francisco or Los Angeles or something. And this thing is shipped direct from a technology park in China.

So I kind of started thinking like, well, what is this brand?And I started diving into this new class of online retailer that use a tool called Shopify, which allows anyone to kind of spin up a retail store in five minutes; sucks products in from a service called AliExpress, which is sort of like Amazon but in China, and it's dedicated to kind of the export market for Chinese and other Asian manufacturers; and allows - basically - consumers in the U. S.  to take a different route into this manufacturing ecosystem, which makes so many clothes, which makes so many consumer goods, in Asia.

When you ordered this coat, were you genuinely surprised to be able to trace this stuff back, or was that the whole idea?

Well, no. I was genuinely surprised. I was literally - I had been tagged in the Facebook advertising system, which Instagram also uses, as someone who likes to buy clothes. And what I came to find was that this is a pretty widespread phenomenon.

turn 0 : "Modern gentleman" is used figuratively to describe a brand's image or style, rather than a literal definition of a man who is modern and well-mannered.

What was the term used figuratively to describe a brand's image or style?

Answer: Modern


Well, what it does is it does away with the prohibition against rating on pre-existing conditions, meaning that if you have a pre-existing condition - and about a third of us do - that you could be charged a much higher rate for insurance. So let me give you an example. Somebody is working, they have insurance, and they have a catastrophic illness - cancer, some other calamity. They have to stop working because they need to get their condition taken care of. If they're out for 60 days, they lose their insurance. And now, they have to pay whatever the insurance company decides is the premium because they are - now have a pre-existing condition. Somebody in that situation may never be able to accumulate enough money to pay the very high premiums and get back on the cycle of having continuous insurance coverage.

Now, of course, Speaker Ryan looks forward to what are called now high-risk pools. These would be plans that are essentially devoted to try and accommodate people who have expensive and pre-existing conditions. You're not convinced that would do it.

Well, I think that the problem with those is in the fine print. First of all, very often they are not adequately funded. And many of the high-risk pools have lifetime caps, lifetime limits.

What kind of reforms would you like to make?

turn 3 : Implies that the speaker would like to see further reforms beyond what is suggested by Speaker Ryan.

How does the speaker feel about Speaker Ryan's suggestion for high-risk pools?

Answer: Critical


But turning 70, that's got to be a bit of a shock.

No, it isn't. Really, I keep wondering what everybody's amazed about it. You know, I feel excited the same as I did when I was 37 and that has carried on pretty much the same all those years. I feel no difference at all. Somebody's told me, or I heard in the radio or something, someone said that Mark Twain said age is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. So I just amble merrily forward. I don't care. I don't hide my age. I think hiding you age is a bit as sensible as acting(ph) your street number.

Well, acting, let's go to that for just a moment. I want to ask you about that Dustin Hoffman movie where. . .

That was a smooth maneuver.

turn 1 : Age is just a number and doesn't define how one feels

Answer: Number.


Every administration has some level of dysfunction. But in a White House that is running somewhat more smoothly than this one, how would this work when it's a well-oiled machine or something close to it?

Well, I was involved in a similar case back in the Clinton presidency when we were examining someone for a high position in national security and seemed like a very fine candidate. But then we began to learn things about his past that were troubling. Red flags started to go up. And we went to the president and said, Mr.  President, there are some real problems here; these are very problematic. And the nominations then just disappeared.

So the public didn't know about it at that point.

The public didn't know and still doesn't know, and I don't think it's fair to the individual. His name was never put into play. I think his privacy should be protected since he wasn't seeking a job; he didn't - wasn't nominated. Here's the thing that also mystifies me because there's so much about this is strange. You would think that candidate himself, knowing how the system works, knowing that there's going to be deep scrutiny - you would think that the potential nominee would go to the chief of staff of the White House and say, we need to talk, and volunteer the information so there can be no misunderstandings along the way instead of having a situation here where people just sat on the information clearly some people knew.

turn 1 : The Clinton presidency had a scandal similar to the current one

What presidency had a scandal similar to the current one?

Answer: Clinton


Thank you.

This study was conducted by some FDA researchers. Can you tell us more about what they found?

They found that some of the chemical active ingredients in sunscreen - oxybenzone, avobenzone - was absorbed through the skin. But they did not make a determination about whether or not that meant health effects - health side effects from that absorption.

You were behind Consumer Reports' extensive ranking of sunscreens. So in light of this news, how should we think about our choice of sunscreen?What should we look for?

turn 2 : Sunscreen ingredients can be absorbed by the skin, but the health effects are still unknown

What did the FDPersonA researchers determine about the health effects of sunscreen absorption?

Answer: Unknown


I'm Farai Chideya and this is News & Notes. Staycation. It's one of those newfangled words that's caught on fast. A vacation is when you vacate. You take off, you stay in a hotel, or camp out, or see the sights. A staycation is - well, you got it. With soaring gas prices and plane tickets, this was supposed to be the summer of staying at home. But was that prediction off the mark?If you're thinking about traveling soon or for the winter holidays, what should you keep in mind?With us to talk about both of those issues we've got Madeline Nunn, senior travel agent with the Richmond, Virginia, branch of the American Automobile Association, or Triple-A. Hi, Madeline.

How are you?

I'm great. So, back in May, a Rand McNally survey found that two-thirds of Americans planning road trips this summer said they would shorten their trips or cancel them all together. Summer is wrapping up, so what actually panned out?

Well, actually, the staycation thing is sort of a myth, so to speak, because Americans are traveling. They're traveling because they are hard-working and they need the rest and the revitalization. They need this vacation. So, what we're finding is that they're not staying home, per se. Some are just staying a little closer to home. And sometimes they're limiting the length of time that they may take for this vacation.

turn 2 : Contrary to the prediction, many Americans did not cancel their summer road trips

How did many Americans respond to the prediction about their summer road trips?

Answer: Responded


We wanted to learn more about all this, so we've called on Daniel Fessler. He is a professor of anthropology at UCLA, and he is the inaugural director of the Bedari Kindness Institute. And he's with us now. Professor Fessler, thank you so much for talking to us.

Well, thank you for your interest. I'm happy to be here.

I was just looking at your bio, and you say in your own bio - your own university bio that when your colleagues talk about your work, they politely call it eclectic. And I took that to mean that your work is hard to categorize. So I just wanted to ask, you know, how - what is your work, and how does it translate into this task of creating this kindness institute?

So it is indeed eclectic, broad-ranging, you might say. I'm an evolutionary anthropologist. And, in particular, I work on understanding contemporary human behavior, contemporary human health and how the mind works in the contemporary world in light of our species' long history of evolution. And in terms of kindness, an important feature of our species is that we are perhaps the most cooperative animal on the planet. So in no other species do you see cooperation between large numbers of unrelated individuals, or even, in many species, tolerance of large numbers of unrelated individuals.

turn 3 : His work is odd and seen as very different from what people normally do and/or expect.

What is the professor's area of expertise?

Answer: Anthropology


Sure, you don't want the whole - that to be the second sentence of every every paragraph about you.

O'CONNELL: Yeah, Billie Eilish, who has Tourette's syndrome. . .

Right, which since I announced it, which I only announced it because I was, like, this needs to be cleared up. And of course, I said in that thing that I don't want it to define me or be who I am or whatever. And of course now, it's everything everybody talks about all the time. So it's great. And people keep asking about me about it in interviews.

O'CONNELL: (Laughter).

turn 2 : (3) implies that the speaker is annoyed that the announcement about their Tourette's syndrome has become the focus of attention, even though they had only announced it in order to clear things up.

How does the speaker feel about the focus of attention on their Tourette's syndrome?

Answer: Annoyed


It's becoming a new Thanksgiving tradition. This year, like the year before, the newest installment of "The Hunger Games" movie franchise "Mockingjay Part 1" is an adaptation of the first half of Suzanne Collins third and final book in the series. And with the backdrop of what's been happening in the world, protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and shakeup at the Capitol - Capitol Hill that is. Audiences look for comparisons between the fictitious world of Panem and the real world. We're joined now by Stephen Carter, a professor of law at Yale, a novelist and columnist for Bloomberg View, where he writes regularly on popular culture. Stephen, thanks so much for being back with us.

It's my pleasure, Scott.

I'm just guessing you don't watch "Hunger Games" the way a lot of other people do.

You're right. I'm looking for tropes and ideas that are going to leap out of the film into public life. And one that's really striking about the "Hunger Games" franchise is how more than really anything else in recent years in popular culture, so many of the symbols - the nation of Panem itself with its deep wealth inequalities, the notion of the Capitol, this barricaded wealthy city and of course, Katniss Everdeen herself, the hero. All of these things have not only leapt into the public imagination, but they are regular features of political argument.

turn 2 : "watch" - This verb usually means to observe something with one's eyes, but in this context, it implies enjoying or experiencing a film.

How does PersonA describe the symbols of the "Hunger Games" franchise?

Answer: Tropes