Yes. I mean, it's an insurmountable difference. I sell Canadian lobsters most of the year. I probably sell more Canadian lobsters than I sell U. S.  lobsters. But I can't sell Canadian lobsters to China either, which is kind of defeating the purpose. And conversely, they made it so the Canadians could sell a U. S.  lobster as a Canadian. So it's like you got double screwed. That's really disheartening.

Have you been in touch with your buyers or your former buyers in China?What have they been telling you?

We've tried to keep in touch with them all along because it's always been - you never knew when this was going to end. There was no defined end. And it's just gone on and on and on. And everybody was getting a little hopeful that we might have some resolution in the next couple of months. And we had the tweets this weekend, which pretty much put the kibosh on that. So you sink back into despair.

I imagine you have been tracking very closely every development of these trade talks. Have you reached out to the Trump administration or any members of Congress to tell them that things are getting extremely tight for the lobster business now?

turn 0 : The speaker is frustrated because they cannot sell Canadian lobsters to China due to trade restrictions, even though they sell a lot of Canadian lobsters

How does the speaker feel about selling Canadian lobsters to China?

Answer: Frustrated


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 : The host nation is responsible for the safety of the entire compound.

What is responsible for the safety of the entire compound?

Answer: Host


O'Rourke. Yeah, let's talk about Beto.

Yeah, Beto O'Rourke. He made a hell yes promise to buy back assault weapons and to push for mandatory buyback of assault weapons. What do you make of this?

That was a dramatic highlight of the debate and grabbed a lot of people, got a lot of mentions. But such moments do not make legislation. Congressional Democrats don't have a clear majority for an assault weapons ban, let alone gun takeaways. They're still hoping for universal background checks or - on people buying guns. But to pass the Republican Senate and actually get enacted, even that much would need the backing of the president and the approval of the federal courts. We are still a long way from meaningful gun measures, despite the carnage we saw from guns in August and so many other recent months and years.

And let's stay in the realm of Congress for this last question, Ron. As of today, where do you assess where Democrats stand on the question of impeachment at the moment?

turn 2 : The background checks will be of anyone and everyone that buys a gun in the country.

Answer: Backing


Oh, my goodness, the crisis keeps deepening by the day. Yesterday, some of the parties called for a vote of no confidence. The chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, was hoping that he could get rid of Interior Minister Kickl, who has also been the center of several scandals himself during the course of the 18 months that they've been in government. The other ministers of Transport, Defense and Labor said, we're going to leave, too.

So you're describing all sorts of behind-closed-doors machinations going on here. But bottom line - as Austria prepares to go to bed tonight, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is still in charge of the government, but he doesn't have much of a government now that his coalition has fallen apart.

Exactly.

How is this playing as you are out and about interviewing people on the streets of Vienna?

turn 1 : Although Kurz is technically still in charge, the government has lost much of its power and stability due to the coalition's collapse.

Which government has lost its power and stability due to the coalition's collapse?

Answer: Austrian


Ultimately, with everything that's transpired since that conversation, I don't. I wish I could take it back. And often people will say, but then you'd have never had this essay. And it wouldn't have been the same. And I think, I could've written other essays. Yeah, ultimately I opened up something that was actually closed for me. When people read that piece, they said to me, oh, I wonder - I hope this was very healing for you. I hope you worked through what happened to you through this essay.

My reaction to that is, I actually did already work through that. There's a reason it took 17 years to write that piece - because I had to work through that, and the box was closed. And by opening it up again and bringing those people back into my life, ultimately it wasn't worth it. But I can't take that back now.

Listening to you talk about this, I'm struck by the fact that we are hearing now a lot from women who are writing and examining their lives in sort of powerful, astonishing writing. Do you think there's something wider at play?

I think people are really paying attention now. I think people don't have an option anymore than to hear us and listen. There is such fantastic momentum. And it's really only the beginning. But it thrills me to see the books being picked up right now and the stories we're seeing. And I want that momentum to just continue and crash through.

That was T Kira Madden. Her debut memoir is "Long Live The Tribe Of Fatherless Girls. "Thank you so much.

turn 1 : It's not a closed box but a memory of an event that is no longer thought about.

Answer: Closed


. . . Say, the state agriculture commissioner. It just doesn't make sense.

Well, forgive my naivety. But don't all parties weigh in on ballot design?Or are those days - am I living in the age of Pollyanna aspirations?

Well, they have - they do have the ability to at least protest. They have the ability to see it at the time. The ballot is sent out ahead of time to say, hey, here's what the ballot looks like. And the Senate campaign of Bill Nelson did not complain.

President Trump has said there's evidence of election fraud. Is there evidence?

turn 1 : Not all parties weigh in on ballot design

Which design aspect do parties not weigh in on?

Answer: design


Yeah. In fact, if a car is assembled in Canada and shipped to the United States, Americans should realize that about 50 percent of the content of that car is American-made. A carburetor could cross the border up to eight times during the manufacturing process. We have a completely integrated manufacturing process in the automobile industry.

And here, we have something very amazing. We have the labor unions - the head of the AFL-CIO; the industry - head of the automobile manufacturers - each of them; and we have the U. S.  Chamber of Commerce, all coming together and agreeing that auto tariffs would be bad for not only Canada, but also U. S.  jobs. And it would be bad for the U. S. -Canada relationship overall. And so I think that there are a lot of people that do not want to see us go down that road. And it would be very detrimental economically.

So one last yes or no question - do you see an agreement?

I'm the eternal optimist. You know, President Obama said once to me he's a congenital optimist, so I'll go with that.

turn 3 : He wants to believe that an agreement will be reached that benefits everyone.

Which quality does PersonA share with President Obama?

Answer: Optimism


Well, the regulations that I'm most concerned with are the ones that could be causing issues in getting approvals, new chemistries approved for crops that we grow. Cuts to different agencies could cause approval processes to take longer, which certainly in times where you have different pests and things that need taken care of, whether it's plant pests or, in our case, we have cattle as well, and if there's problems there and we don't have the ability to treat our plants or animals well or with the latest tools - you definitely want things to be safe. But it seems more like it's being pushed to the back burner for political reasons. It's very frustrating as a farmer sometimes when you see needs for things and you know there's fixes coming but regulatory issues are holding them up.

I have to ask, has your business been affected by climate in recent years?

(Laughter) Well, in the agricultural business, everybody's affected by climate. You know, I think anybody that says there's not changes happening is somewhat naive. On the other hand, it's the things that we can do to figure out what things we can do long term to make sure we're, you know, in good position to continue to grow the crops that we have here in the U. S.  and hopefully be profitable in the future and continue to be, you know, the largest producer of food in the world.

Kevin Ross, who grows corn and soybeans and raises cattle in Minden, Iowa, thanks so much for being with us.

turn 0 : Political agendas are taking precedence over the need for agricultural regulations.

What is causing frustration for farmers in getting approvals for new chemistries?

Answer: Agendas


Yes, they are in re-settlement areas. For example, in Mozambique you have 258,000 people, 90,000 of whom have been displaced over the past month or so. In Malawi you already have 700 cholera cases that have been reported. You have about 152,000 people who have been affected. So they are moving away from their home areas into re-settlement camps.

Let's move to Kenya in the east of Africa. The talks between President Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga continue today outside of Nairobi and the negotiations are being mediated by former U. N.  Secretary General Kofi Annan. Since the post-election violence began in late December, more than 1,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. There are also reports of a wave of sexual violence against women who've been displaced by this turmoil. So Cassandra, what's going on here?

Since the violence after the disputed elections on December 27th, we're seeing that this situation has put women and girls at great risk of sexual assault. We know that always in situations of conflict women and girls are in danger. And in Kenya it is no different. We are hearing reports from Nairobi, from the Nairobi general hospital, that there may be as many as double the number of cases of rape within the days following the eruption of the violence.

And what we know is that for every case that is being treated or is being reported, there are many more victims who fail to seek help.

turn 1 :  "Let's move to Kenya" is a figurative expression, meaning "let's switch our focus of discussion to Kenya" and not a literal suggestion to physically move.

How is the expression "Let's move to Kenya" used in the dialogue?

Answer: Figurative


Wow.

On steroids, that's what Tops in Blue is. And it's serious stuff. It's a lot of fun. There's a little break dancing, a little pop locking. And once again, it's very interactive. It's very much a very different theater experience.

You know, we had on Brian Copeland, who has a very successful one-man show called "Not a Genuine Black Man" and also dealing with some really very harsh realities of his childhood. It strikes me that, you know, that's got to be part of what shaped you as a person who's able to do - what is it?How many characters do you have in the show?

Twenty-three characters.

turn 1 : Tops in Blue is not just a regular show, it's something exceptional and unique.

Answer: Show


And you know, we still have, you know, we have horse farms. We have a couple of dairy farms left. In fact there's one dairy farm, the Ferris Acres Creamery, which people come from miles around it to have their ice cream. It's - they make it there. And you know, and we have hunters. And we have a couple of game, you know, hunting preserves around town. We still are in touch with that part of our tradition.

And does everybody's kids - do everybody's kids go to that particular elementary school?

No. We have, I believe, four elementary schools that feed into an intermediate school. So we have the Sandy Hook Elementary School. We have Hawley School, Middle Gate School, and the Head O'Meadow School. And my children went to the Head O'Meadow School, where I actually was in the graduating class when it first - when we first built that building in 1977. I still remember, I think, we buried some "Star Wars" paraphernalia in the front yard.

A time capsule.

turn 0 : The town still has a strong connection to its agricultural and hunting heritage.

Which heritage does the town still have a strong connection to?

Answer: Agricultural


Do you think what we've seen over the past couple of weeks represents some kind of tipping point in the way people think about guns?

Probably not, unfortunately. I mean, after - Sandy Hook was about the worst thing that could ever possibly happen. And it didn't substantially change the tone of this debate. What is different is when you mix an ISIS story, which is what we have now, with a gun-control story. Maybe that's what's going to change things.

The idea that people who may not have been able to get on an airplane were able to acquire guns.

Right, right, right. We have zero tolerance for Islamic - Islamic State terrorism. We seem to have a certain level of tolerance for a certain number of school shootings a year. So - I'm sorry to say it, but it's true. And so maybe that's what tips this debate. But I don't see any one incident tipping the debate in the way you're suggesting.

turn 3 : And so maybe that's what tips this debate. But I don't see any one incident tipping the debate in the way you're suggesting." In this turn, the speaker suggests that the combination of factors or events, rather than a single incident, might be what leads to a significant shift in the ongoing debate about guns. The literal meaning is that a single incident alone is unlikely to lead to the suggested change in the debate.

Which event(s) might not lead to a significant shift in the ongoing debate about guns, according to the speaker?

Answer: One


But some people might want the extra three months of the nine months option. Just look through and see what's offered. And the other good thing is, this is not one of those negative option kind of options. At the end of the six months or nine months, they're not going to automatically enroll you into a plan in which you have to pay, because the six month is worth about 60 dollars and the nine month is about 115 dollars. So they will absolutely stop it, and you have to say, I want this back. But listen, for six or nine months you've got someone looking through your TransUnion credit file, so it's worth it.

You know, Michelle, what you're saying is anyone who has applied for credit, essentially in the last 20 years, any credit card, is eligible for this. There is a benefit, including maybe some cash, sitting there on the table. You can write in and get it. That's it?

That's it. That's exactly right. And you do have to register for it. It's not automatic, and you have to go to www. listclassaction. com. And once you go to the site, you click on the link for Register for Benefits. And then they will email you and tell you later when you can actually start getting the monitoring service.

We will link to you and to this website at our site, that's npr. org. Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist for the Washington Post and contributor to Day to Day. Michelle, thank you.

turn 0 : The offer is a good deal and worth considering.

Which option provides someone with access to their TransUnion credit file?

Answer: Treasury


Then on top of that, last year, there was this thing called the beast from the east, which was a deep freeze coming across Italy and Greece, and that destroyed a lot of trees. Olive trees are very hardy, but they can't take extreme cold. If it's below 10 degrees Fahrenheit for just a matter of hours, it can kill the tree. So Italian farmers these days are thinking they can't catch a break. This is a confluence of factors, which has led to an overall production of around 185,000 tons this season, which is not very good.

Is it really possible that Italy could run out of olive oil next month?

Well, you know, Italy is not as big, for example, a producer as Spain, you know, and we see a lot of headlines right now that says Italy will be forced to be an olive oil importer. Well, Italy is the largest olive oil importer in the world and always has been, but it has just a limited amount of its own production to go around. So what - I think it's really more a matter of Italy running out of stock, running out of stocks of its own olive oil. And all of the bottling that goes on there and the exporting that goes on in Italy will be using oils from other origins.

We have to ask in this day and age, is climate change affecting the Italian olive oil production industry?

turn 2 : Italy may run out of its own olive oil and need to use oils from other origins.

What is the reason for Italy's limited olive oil production?

Answer: Limited


And in talking to Smith, he's really thought a lot about what - why we have such a strong reaction to looking at embryos, and he's found this firsthand. I mean, and he gets emails all the time and sort of unpacks these questions, like, you know, is it - when you look at these pictures, does it strike you as more human or less human than you would have imagined, he asks. This is what he asked audience when he shows them. What is your experience with seeing these pictures in the past?You know, he said imagine 300 or 400 years ago, would - how would people imagine what an embryo is?This is a technologically. . .

Yeah. Yeah.

. . .  mediated experience.

And not only that, he's taken the technology faster - further, as you show. He's done MRIs, right?

turn 0 : There are no turns in this coversation.whose therir literal meanings.All of the return are being used in straight for word and literal meanings.

What is Smith's question to the audience when he shows them the pictures of the embryos?

Answer: more


You know, it's quite clear that it is a cherry-picked narrative. But reading it makes you wonder if that's an insult to cherries.

(Laughter) Which, after all, have many valuable antioxidants. Before it was released, a lot of Democrats said the result of releasing the memo would be catastrophic. Last night and today, many Democrats seem to be saying, is that all you got?Are you kidding?

Well, for some, it's more a dud than a slam dunk. But at the same time, of course, the Democrats want to release their own memo - their critique memo - their response or rebuttal. And that's going to be the big focus when we get back here on Monday.

turn 3 : "Rod Rosenstein - long for his position in the Justice Department?" Implicated meaning: The speaker is using a play on words to express their opinion on Rod Rosenstein's future in the Justice Department. "Long" can mean both "having worked in a position for a long time" and "desiring something strongly." The speaker suggests that Rosenstein may be both reluctant to leave his position and actively seeking to stay in it.

Which word suggests Rosenstein is both reluctant to leave his position and actively seeking to stay in it?

Answer: Long


Well, first, it's going to sell a majority stake in its most prized asset, its investment-management division. The bank will also slash its stock dividends and sell off much of its mortgage business. You know, this announcement was triggered yesterday by the collapse of a possible deal with the Korea Development Bank that would have given Lehman some much needed capital. But Lehman's been struggling for awhile. Like Bear Stearns, it's been caught with a lot of bad mortgage debt and investors who've been frustrated that Lehman can't come up with the money to cover that debt. They've driven the bank's stock price down 80 percent this year.

So, this is a big concern on Wall Street and a big concern in the banking industry. What about consumers, should they be concerned as well?

Well, consumers will be feeling the bank's pain, most likely in the form of higher interest rates for credit cards and car loans and mortgages. I talked to Jane D'Arista at the Financial Market Center, and she pointed out that last weekend, when the government announced that it would back up Fannie and Freddie's debts, mortgage rates dropped almost right away.

Ms.  JANE D'ARISTA (Director of Programs, Financial Market Center): We had that lively little bounce there in the mortgage market where the rates went down, and everybody is very hopeful that this will restart the process of making mortgages, therefore getting rid of inventory and therefore protecting the prices of the housing market. But Lehman may take that away.

turn 0 : Lehman's financial troubles are affecting consumers through higher interest rates.

How are consumers being impacted by Lehman's financial troubles?

Answer: Interest


So you say that some of his actions have been uncharacteristically un-Trumpian and that they're reminiscent of Obama. But what is Trumpian is that he's been conducting Syria policy over Twitter.

That's right, and he previewed the strikes. He said they were coming fast and smart. The missiles were coming. He then backtracked and said, maybe I haven't decided on a strike. And then, he tweeted something that really got everyone's attention. He said mission accomplished, which are two words that. . .

Very infamous words. . .

. . . George W.  Bush famously used. And he used them the last time we were involved in a Middle East conflict, declared it accomplished. And it turns out it wasn't.

turn 1 : Mission accomplished doesn't necessarily mean that the mission was successful.

What were the two words that Trump tweeted after the strikes?

Answer: Mission


Absolutely not. In fact, the people of my state should know we are doing everything in our power to defend them. If it comes to a legal fight with the Trump administration, we're prepared to have it. I've had some experience with taking on the Trump administration litigation. We have yet to lose a case yet, and I don't plan on starting with this issue.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson of Washington state, thanks so much.

Oh, thank you, Scott. Have a great day.

And we contacted the Department of Justice for comment on Mr.  Ferguson's remarks about Attorney General Sessions. We have yet to receive a response.

turn 0 : (1) The actual meaning of turn (1) is different from its literal meaning, as it implies that the speaker is ready to defend their state against any legal challenges from the Trump administration and has a track record of success in litigation against them, indicating a confident and confrontational approach.

Answer: Washington


And how did this start?

Well, about 20 years ago, we were thinking about doing a literary magazine because at the time there weren't too many journals out there for new writers. There weren't many literary journals at all during that time. And so we stumbled upon an idea that we had started with one of our friends from college where he had given me a first line to start a story. And then I would write the story. And then I would send it to him. And I'd give him a first line. And he would start a story. And he would send that back to me. And we did that. And so we decided that we'd open that up to the rest of the world.

How many stories do you typically get?

turn 3 : "We run between 300 and 450 submissions in issue." - This turn has a different meaning than its literal meaning. It means that the magazine receives between 300 and 450 story submissions for each issue. The word "run" is used here to mean "receive" or "accept". This is an example of using idiomatic language, where a word or phrase is used in a way that is different from its literal meaning.

What is the meaning of the word "run" in turn 3?

Answer: Cover


My pleasure, Scott.

And what seems to be the latest there?

Well, we had a night of very heavy air raids last night and it pushed the death toll from the low 20s up to around 40 - essentially doubling it in one night. We're now in the fourth day of what the Israelis have dubbed Operation Cloud Pillar. Last night, the air raids hit the headquarters of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Some other official houses were targeted. They also hit tunnels running under the border with Egypt, which are used to smuggle in weapons and fuel. Also, some electric power plants were hit, plunging some of southern Gaza into darkness.

And how are Hamas leaders responding?

turn 1 :  (2) implies that B is wondering what the latest news or developments are in the situation,

How many days has Operation Cloud Pillar been going on for?

Answer: 4


Thanks. Good to be with you.

So you start your book by talking about a conversation you had with your young son. Tell us about what prompted that.

Well, he was 7 years old. He got in the car, put his seatbelt on, and he said to me, Mom, do you know what a hooker and a stripper are?And I was a little bit floored because I had been pretty much the mother from hell in terms of making sure that I knew everything he had ever seen, and I was the one that was acculturating my children. I wasn't having the media do it, and what the story turned out to be is he'd been at the playground that day and a bunch of boys had been talking about a video game that one of them had been playing. He told me that, Mom, you know, if you kill enough people, you get to go into a room where a lady takes off her top. That's what a stripper is. And if you kill more people and you get to a higher level of the game, you get to go into a room where a lady takes off all her clothes. That's what a hooker is. Well, needless to say, I was really floored because without anything coming from me or the home, he already had in his mind a connection between violence and killing and sexuality.

So what did you do?

turn 2 : The mother was surprised that her 7-year-old son already knew about the terms 'hooker' and 'stripper' and their connection to violence and sexuality without her teaching him.

Which terms surprised the mother that her 7-year-old son knew about?

Answer: Hooker


And let's not forget that that's the heritage that Marissa Mayer comes from; understanding how to make search at Google ever more personal, ever more relevant. If she can do the same thing with news and make it more relevant to you, so that it's not a one-size-fits-all product anymore, that could be a big advance in the form.

So, let's say in a year or two the president of the United States has what - I don't know if it's a tradition - but often he will have lunch with the major network actors. Does Katie Couric have lunch at that same table?

Well, there's two questions there. One, is whether that is the judgment of importance in news. I think that we have to get out of the access game. But I still understand your question, which is will Yahoo be a presence in news as much as the other networks?It might take a while, but there's no reason it couldn't be. You know, there's a great, great blog called SCOTUSblog that covers the Supreme Court like no one else and they are struggling right now to get a credential to the Supreme Court. They do great coverage, highly specialized. And we've got to get past this idea that only big, old institutions are journalistic institutions. We have to work collaboratively with all kinds of new players.

Jeff Jarvis, media analyst and professor of journalism joining us from New York. Thanks so much for being with us.

turn 3 : The implied meaning of this turn is that Jeff Jarvis is thanking the questioner for having him on the show

How does Jeff Jarvis respond to the questioner at the end of the dialogue?

Answer: thanking


The director of the U. S.  Census Bureau, John H.  Thompson, announced his retirement this week in the wake of a disagreement with Congress over funding for the 2020 census. The census is conducted every 10 years. The results determine how many seats in Congress and electoral votes that each state receives, and it helps guide how more than $400 billion is spent each year on education, health and infrastructure.

We're joined now by Robert Groves. He's former director of the U. S.  Census Bureau. He's now the provost of Georgetown University. Mr.  Groves, thanks so much for being with us.

Good morning. Great to be with you.

Congress has approved nearly $1. 5 billion to fund the census this fiscal year, and it's supposed to be the same for next year. Is that enough?

turn 1 :  (2) implies that Mr. Groves is joining the conversation for the purpose of providing his expertise on the topic.

What is the purpose of Mr. Groves' presence in the conversation?

Answer: Provide


I mean, of course, we don't know yet. But, yes, you can imagine this could present some big challenges they have to deal with. I mean, one big thing the - most glaring thing everyone's talking about today - is that this could serve for some voters as a reminder of Bernie Sanders' age. He is 78. The campaign is ramping up. It's only going to intensify. Campaigning is really exhausting. And so this might not rattle the diehard Sanders fans out there, but there are voters who exist - I have talked to them, my colleagues have - voters who are concerned about nominating or electing someone who is of advanced age. And so this could affect how those voters feel. And now, let's keep in mind, of course, that two of Sanders' main rivals - Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden - they're themselves in their 70s. Now, the additional. . .

As is the president who they'd be running against, President Trump, so yeah.

Exactly, yes. And, you know, the additional challenge is that Sanders is going to want to talk about other things. He just put up some great campaign finance numbers, a new income inequality tax plan. So the next debate - October 15 - that's what we're going to be looking at to see, you know, if he can look strong, remind people of how passionate he is. That's an opportunity to put all of this behind him.

That is NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben.

turn 0 : Everyone is talking about something that no one can deny as everyone sees it. It might not upset people who like Bernie Sanders and make them want to vote for someone else.

What is the most glaring thing that everyone is talking about today?

Answer: Age


Really bad, bad things.

Those are very difficult things to cope with, and certainly, those are realities unfortunately for millions of Americans. There are some things that we can do things about and there are some things we can't do things about. But if we focus on how you change the way you look at it, what you do, how you communicate, clarifying and prioritizing your values, becoming part of the community, helping other people, you don't have to wait six months to do those things. You can start doing some of those things today.

You don't even have to wait till you're laid off to do these things. Let's just put that out there.

You know, it's a way of living your life that works well all the time, but it's a great set of tools to have during this particular time, the time in between jobs.

turn 3 : The tools mentioned aren't literally tools, they are resources or actions people can take to kelp themselves.

Answer: Tools


How quickly would we see a border closing impact the U. S.  auto industry?

Well, really, we would start to see manufacturing facilities impacted almost immediately. Most of the industry follows a just-in-time inventory strategy, which means that the parts that are needed for the vehicle are shipped to the plant as they are needed and on a continual basis. They don't maintain inventory levels at the assembly plant. So we would see a number of factories start to shut down almost immediately because they wouldn't have inventory available to keep going.

Is it possible for you to paint a picture of this for us using a specific car part, for example?

You know, there's a couple interesting ones. One, wire harnesses - these are the wires that are - that go into a vehicle. There's probably miles of these copper wires in a vehicle, very labor-intensive to put these wire harnesses together. The vast majority are made in Mexico that are used in U. S.  manufacturing. And so that's something that would be very important for a vehicle because it goes on early in the process.

turn 1 : The U.S. auto industry heavily relies on just-in-time inventory strategy and factories would shut down quickly if the border is closed.

How would the U.S. auto industry be impacted if the border is closed? (Answer: immediately)

Answer: Immediately


Then, Francisco Lopez fired back with this. (Reading) Socialist, how interesting that we would call policies to get us out of the economic hole that when the political thought of the last 30 years has simply been welfare for the rich.

Then Qwende Madu(ph) chimed in with this. (Reading) Pure Republican haberdash. The government didn't require banks to make bad loans. They did so of their own accord. Furthermore, the stimulus package is not meant to replace private investment but is the last resort meant to show entrepreneurs that the economy is still viable.

And Walter Groppe(ph) has cheered our guest with this remarks. (Reading) Government got us into this mess. That means, Democrats and Republicans should they be trying to get us out of it?No, the government needs to sit down, shut up and learn.

Now, moving on to another story. Ann Powers(ph) in St.  Louise, Missouri wrote us after she heard us replay a Roundtable with African-American mystery authors.

turn 0 : The policies would make drastic changes for the better to the economy.

Which word describes the economic situation mentioned in turn 0?

Answer: Drastic


Right.

. . . Take me as I am. How did people perceive that?

Well, yeah. It's funny to think back. I shaved it all off because I didn't want to be a sex object. And there I was playing in bars, you know, mostly surrounded by men with drinks in their hands. And I was getting attention for not the right reasons. I wanted a different kind of power, I think.

(Singing) I am not a pretty girl. That is not what I do. I ain't no damsel in distress.

turn 3 : The speaker does not conform to traditional gender roles.

What kind of attention was the speaker getting in bars?

Answer: Wrong


The director of the U. S.  Census Bureau, John H.  Thompson, announced his retirement this week in the wake of a disagreement with Congress over funding for the 2020 census. The census is conducted every 10 years. The results determine how many seats in Congress and electoral votes that each state receives, and it helps guide how more than $400 billion is spent each year on education, health and infrastructure.

We're joined now by Robert Groves. He's former director of the U. S.  Census Bureau. He's now the provost of Georgetown University. Mr.  Groves, thanks so much for being with us.

Good morning. Great to be with you.

Congress has approved nearly $1. 5 billion to fund the census this fiscal year, and it's supposed to be the same for next year. Is that enough?

turn 2 : The census results are of great importance to the allocation of resources in the United States.

What determines the allocation of resources in the United States?

Answer: Resources


Fungus Blues - I love it.

Fungus Blues.

And they fell in love. And, you know, my dad, he was trying to find another way of living other than the one that he was in.

(Singing) Hustle was your middle name when you were a young man.

What was it about his current way of living at the time that was dissatisfying?

turn 4 : This statement implies that A's father is probably using his old age to hustle rather than to enjoy which he is not satisfied with.

Which aspect of PersonA's father's life was dissatisfying to him?

Answer: Living


Oh, it's kind of odd. Really, it's quiet. The streets are quiet. There's this wariness, though, that, you know, death could burst from the sky at any second. Obviously, this is something that Israelis are experiencing as well with rocket fire there. But here, there are no warning sirens. There's not an Iron Dome to intercept anything. The military strength of Israel is tremendously more powerful than the military strength of Hamas or Islamic Jihad or other groups here. In some cases, Israel does warn people about strikes. For example, I spoke to a woman this morning whose neighbor is part of Hamas, that that person got a phone call this morning to get out of the house. He alerted the neighbors. This is sort of normal. She burst into tears. Her husband said, don't cry in front of the children. She took the kids to a friend's. She went to work.

And a normal life continues in the midst of all this?

Well, in some ways, it has to. If you aren't right next to a rocket attack, you might not even know it happens - or close enough by to hear it. I did speak to a man this morning whose, you know, baby came two weeks early three days ago. And he had to take the baby boy to the doctor last night at night. He had to do it even though he didn't want to be driving around at night. So, yes, people do carry on as they can.

And briefly - we don't have much time - but there have been similar flare-ups like this in recent years. Is there any sense of what's coming next in this conflict?

turn 2 : Implied meaning: Do people have to keep going despite the danger in the conflict?

Which question addresses the continuation of people's daily lives despite the danger in the conflict?

Answer: Conflict


I think there are millennials that are doing fine. I think that when you talk about wealth transfer, what's really interesting is Americans over 62 are 80 percent white. And so when you look at these wealth transfers, white millennials are five times more likely to receive an inheritance than millennials of color. Forty-five percent of millennials are non-white. That's going to exacerbate inequality within the millennial generation. And so we're already seeing this where cities are becoming concentrations of wealth. Cities have better social services, better hospitals, better schools. And it's only the kids whose white parents can get them into those engines of opportunity, that are able to access those better services.

What do you think the responsibility of the boomer generation is at this moment?

I think, really, to think about the ways that their kids have it harder than them. Right now, the growth is going to people primarily who own land, who own homes, who own stock. Those are all people that are disproportionately old. And we need to find ways, systematically, to share those gains with people that are younger.

And I hesitate to ask this, but what is the responsibility of the millennial generation?

turn 0 : Inheritance inequality perpetuates disparities within the millennial generation.

How does inheritance impact inequality among millennials?

Answer: Inequality


Exactly. I mean, just how it sounds. You know, there's three guys on the court for each team, instead of five. I guess a close parallel might be what they did for the Olympics, bringing in beach volleyball to accompany, you know, regular volleyball. So it's a little bit like that.

And you play outdoors, right?

Outdoors, yep, in some beautiful venues, too, yeah. Here in Amsterdam, we're outside the Rijksmuseum, you know, one of the biggest museums in Amsterdam.

Oh, my gosh. That's a beautiful museum.

turn 1 : The fact that the game is played outdoors is being confirmed.

What type of venues is the game played in?

Answer: outdoors


And I went and bought bread. I made a really good salsa and started selling tortas at a bus stop. Of course, everybody thought I was nuts. And my friends used to make a lot of fun of me - you know, no girl is going to like you because you sell food on the street. And I'd say, no, you're totally wrong. I said, I'm an entrepreneur (laughter). I have my own business.

Now he's executive chef and partner in the James Beard-nominated Taqueria del Sol, a counter-service chain in Georgia and Tennessee. In the kitchen of one of the Atlanta restaurants, he shows me how to make his turnip greens. It starts with a little butter and oil.

We're going to build the sauce for greens. And you want to saute your garlic, a few onions, your pepper. In this case, we use the chile de arbol.

The chile de arbol pepper brings some heat. It sautes with the onion and garlic until the peppers start to release their oils.

turn 0 : People should pursue their dreams and not let negative opinions stop them from achieving success.

How did PersonA's friends react when he started selling tortas at a bus stop?

Answer: Mocking


Kids are natural scientists. They're natural born inquisitors. They like to find out about everything, and we just don't have a way of doing it. Maybe your math book can help do that. Have - do teachers use it at all and think about it?

We do have teachers using it. They say that they warm up the class with a math problem in the morning. We've heard all kinds of stories. There's a bus driver outside Chicago who actually puts the math problem up on a whiteboard on the bus every morning. And he has a bag of Oriental Trading prizes.

Right.

And the first kid on the bus to get it gets to pull something out of the bag. So it's really a movement that's spreading.

turn 1 : The teacher gets the class ready for school work by giving them a math problem to do.

What do some teachers do to warm up their class in the morning?

Answer: Math


Good morning.

So why do you think the jury could not make a unanimous decision?

Well, obviously, it was - there was a split. We don't know what the split was because, apparently, that's confidential under Pennsylvania law. But, you know, who knows?Even though jurors are not supposed to speak about other jurors, that may end up leaking out.

The prosecution did not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. On the other hand, the defense also did not get an acquittal. And so this case is going to be tried again. I did represent one - the other accuser who was permitted to testify, Kelly Johnson. And I admire both Kelly and Andrea for their courage in testifying in such a high-profile case. And I've said, you know, we can never underestimate the blinding power of celebrity, but justice will come.

turn 2 : "But, you know, who knows?" - The literal meaning of this turn is simply acknowledging the uncertainty of the situation. The implied meaning, however, could be interpreted as a sarcastic remark indicating the speaker's lack of faith in the legal system's ability to keep information confidential.

Which turn in the dialogue implies the PersonA's lack of trust in the legal system's ability to keep information confidential?

Answer: 2


Yeah - African-American mayor from Tallahassee.

Yes. So this is sort of a test of whether real progressive candidates can win in these sort of purplish states. And so that's going to be a really - you have a Trump ally there in Ron DeSantis. It's going to be, I think, a really close race still. Next door in Georgia, another woman trying to make history - Stacey Abrams would be the first African-American woman ever elected governor.

Right.

And that's a state that is changing. Has it changed enough?That's a really big question. And then there's sort of a handful of surprising opportunities for Democrats in the Midwest and in the Sun Belt. Nevada and Ohio - those were always sort of toss-ups. But then Democrats have real chances to flip some places - really ruby-red territory - like Kansas, South Dakota, maybe even Oklahoma.

turn 1 : "Purplish" states are not really colored. They refer to US states that are neither clearly Republican (red) nor Democrat (blue) in their voting..

Answer: Crowding


Hey. How you doing, Lulu?

I'm very well. For people who haven't been to Richmond, can you describe Monument Avenue for us?What statues are there?

Monument Avenue is one of the most beautiful stretches of street in the United States of America. I mean, it's tree-lined. It's on the national historic registry. There are statues to Robert E.  Lee. There's a statue to Jeb Stuart, to, you know, Stonewall Jackson. And there's a lonely statue of Arthur Ashe, which I call the only true champion on that stretch of street.

The tennis champion, Arthur Ashe.

turn 0 : "Hey.How you doing, Lulu?" - The actual meaning is the speaker is greeting Lulu and asking how she is doing, rather than just stating those words as an empty phrase.

Which street is described as one of the most beautiful stretches of street in the United States of America?

Answer: Monument


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

How did the speaker make a living in the refugee camp?

Answer: Stealing


Yeah, Phillips Andover Academy. And David Halberstam actually unearthed this better than anybody when David was working on a book on Belichick, "Education Of A Coach. "And Ernie Adams is such a historian that he wanted to meet the great David Halberstam. And I think they traded questions. Every time David would ask Ernie something, Ernie could ask a Vietnam question of the late, great David Halberstam.

Yeah, so what does he do during a game?What does he do for the team?

Well, there's no question. During the games he's up in the booth with a headset and there's an emergency line down to the field with an orange piece of tape that says Ernie. It's a dedicated line for him. And if you see a controversial play or a play where they might dispute or throw the red bag to get a replay, those are carefully selected challenges. And Ernie, I believe, makes all the calls on those, like, this is worth the risk 'cause you lose a time out if you make the challenge and it's upheld. So if you go back - and there's an excellent NFL Films video from the Super Bowl last year and Ernie does speak a little bit in that. And it's pretty clear that he sniffed out the play that Pete Carroll ran from the one-yard line at the end of the game, which Malcolm Butler intercepted to win the Super Bowl. The Patriots had worked on that repeatedly on Friday. . .

Oh, my.

turn 3 :  (4) is an expression of surprise. The implied meaning is an expression of admiration.

Which expression did PersonB use to react to the statement made by PersonA about Ernie?

Answer: admiration


All right. Does this activity now go completely unregulated after Congress sort of blocked this legislation taking force?

So since the privacy rule has been blocked, as, you say, a few things have happened. The companies themselves the Internet service providers, have gone on a campaign. They're reassuring users that they do offer opt-outs. Now, they're not opt-ins, but they're opt-outs. And also they say that they do not and will not sell people's individual browsing history. They might use this history but - to tailor ads - but they do not sell it to third parties. One thing that the angry customers have prompted is interest from lawmakers in a bunch of states - to name a few, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, I randomly picked a bunch of M's - these lawmakers are tackling Internet privacy laws. They're debating them on a state level.

So we may see a change soon. All right. Alina Selyukh, she reports on technology for NPR. Thanks so much.

Thank you.

turn 1 : A: "They might use this history but - to tailor ads - but they do not sell it to third parties." In this turn, the literal meaning suggests that the companies use users' browsing history to customize advertisements. However, the implicated meaning is that the companies collect and utilize users' browsing history for targeted advertising purposes, although they claim not to sell it to third parties.

How do companies utilize users' browsing history for advertising purposes?

Answer: Tailor


It's the most vegetal thing I've ever smelled.

Excellent. And we're going to add the ginger.

OK.

And then I got some mint. And then I got a little lime. OK, and then I'll do a little agave.

turn 3 : (4) "And then I got some mint.And then I got a little lime.OK, and then I'll do a little agave" is a list of ingredients and a plan of action.

How does PersonA plan to sweeten the drink?

Answer: Agave


And what about men?After all, they groom too, especially their beards. So, they need tables of their own. Well, these vanities aren't really tables. Men stood to shave at narrow cabinets with stacks of drawers for their grooming supplies. One glossy modern piece caught my eye.

It's red and it's plastic by Raymond Loewy. The design date is 1969. It was manufactured and he made variations on the theme. But this is the men's shaving stand. And as you see, there's no place to sit. So, he combined sort of the historical idea of men's dressing tables with new contemporary materials, the molded plastic. He has no handles, but the grips on the drawers come out of the molded plastic. And the mirror, again, pops up. When you pull it down, it looks like just one closed cabinet. But in fact it's a men's shaving stand.

What is it, do you think, in the human psyche that we - so many of us - I mean, look at the human history that's shown here in this exhibit - need to look at ourselves, at least for a time, to begin the day?

It is inexplicable, it's innate. It's something in our gene pool. . .

turn 3 : In both of these turns, the implied meaning goes beyond the literal words used. The speaker is not simply asking about the reasons behind the human need to look at themselves or stating that it is innate and related to genetics. The implied meaning suggests a deeper exploration of human psychology and the significance of self-reflection as a part of our daily

How does the implied meaning of turn 3 relate to the discussion of the men's shaving stand? (Answer: Innate)

Answer: Psychology.


Well, Pluto's official designation is a dwarf planet. And I have to tell you the people who sent this probe all the way out to Pluto are a little angry about that because when they launched it a decade ago, Pluto was still a planet.

(Laughter).

It got downgraded in the intervening years.

That seems so unfair.

turn 1 : B is amused at the situation, showing empathy for the people who sent the probe.

Which emotion does PersonB display towards the people who sent the probe?

Answer: Empathy


It occurred on August 1st, in the late hours of the morning. One Serbian fell, and another (unintelligible) porter fell as well trying to rescue him, and that was the beginning of the fatalities. However, the serac fall, which stranded most of the climbers, didn't occur until quite late in the evening on August 1st.

A serac is a big column of ice, a big sheet of ice. And it fell off the mountain, and that complicated things for a lot of people. What were conditions like?

The weather was completely calm, very cold and clear, which is normal. No wind and as the day began to - as the sun began to rise, the weather was actually better than we could have hoped for. But, of course, things changed. The wind began to pick up the next day as people were stranded, and that complicated the rescue effort.

You were attempting to summit on that day, weren't you?

turn 1 : "And it complicated things for a lot of people." - The implied meaning here is that the serac fall caused significant problems and challenges, rather than just making things more difficult.

Answer: Challenges


Colin Powell - not one black candidate on the ticket, but two. That would be remarkable.

Well, let's also remember Colin Powell is a Republican. He would establish a kind of bipartisan bridge. And if you want to say, yes, it's a ticket of two African-Americans, which it would be, it is already a ticket of one African-American. So people who have perhaps a problem with that might not necessarily have that much more of a problem with two.

And I think that the advantage that it would have would be to say, we're kind of, in a sense, taking race off the table here. We're not talking about electing the first black president. We're asking you to vote for Barack Obama and Colin Powell and look at those two individuals.

It's a really interesting suggestion, I would imagine that a number of Democrats would say, wait a minute, he was on the wrong side on Iraq. Plus, we've got our own guys. We want a Democrat, a real Democrat. Who's out there?

turn 1 : Framing the ticket as Barack Obama and Colin Powell instead of the first black president could take race off the table.

How could framing the ticket differently impact the discussion about race?

Answer: Impact


Really.

But they removed like some G - from what I understand, you can't like ping it for like GPS location. So I believe GPS types of tracking or chips have been removed out of it. So I think it is a stripped down and highly secure BlackBerry.

One of the things and you mentioned this earlier, Mario, that the president wants to do - he wants to put everybody on the Internet who wants access to it, and he's trying to expand it into rural areas.

I'm sorry.

turn 1 : stripped down in this context means that some extra things the product could have were taken away, likely to keep it cheaper for consumer purposes.

What does "stripped down" mean in this context?

Answer: Simplified


Well, actually, we - there's three records on the chart, the chart of this year. Within the top of 30, you have Flo Rida, and then there - a couple of other songs that were charting this year were Alicia Keys and one by Timbaland with "One Republic. "

So, you know, in the - if you look at the top ten, one thing I'm happy about in terms of grading on the curve, if you look at the top ten, every decade that this chart has touched, is represented here. We have one from the 50s, and we also have the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s, and this decade represented.

But yeah, there's ample representation of recent hits here. One from this decade in the top 10 being by Mariah Carey, "We Belong Together. "

All right, what is changing about the music game with digital distribution?Does it affect how people buy singles, and what might be on the top 100 in the next 50 years?

turn 0 : There are songs from various decades in the top 30 chart.

How many songs from different decades are included in the top 30 chart?

Answer: Three


Just quickly, what about men?

Men. Well men, we tend to focus more on outcomes and process. And so we kind of, you know, focus almost exclusively on the outcomes. We tend to like win-lose scenarios, as opposed to negotiating for win-win. And then, men, we tend to be command and control leaders, where as women can be more inclusive and interactive. And so we really have to work on those traits.

Has anyone ever given you static for trying to do the Mars-Venus thing, about how you see men and women?

Well, because it's really my opinion, and they typically let me have that opinion. But again, it's really a broad statement, so I'm not saying all men or all women, but just as a rule, they're some observations that I've had over the years.

turn 1 : Men tend to focus only on outcomes, prefer win-lose scenarios and have commanding leadership style, unlike women who are more inclusive and interactive

Answer: outcomes


Five hundred pages, yeah.

Yeah, it doesn't seem so simple. Republicans seem pretty certain that the tax bill is going to pass. How big a victory would it be?

You know, it's a pretty big deal. All year, Republicans struggled to get anything done, even though they had full control of the federal government. Now they have this big accomplishment they can point to. And I think that was part of the reason here. You saw a lot of Republicans like Bob Corker of Tennessee saying, I have big concerns, but I'm going to vote yes. A lot of people in Congress just wanted to get a victory. But look at the polling. It's not a popular bill.

It's not.

And you can already hear the Democrats putting together their campaign message against this. I mean, they were going to argue Republicans haven't done anything in Congress. Now they can argue the only thing Republicans have done so far is big tax cuts for the wealthy. So you can hear the messages already.

Indeed, you can. Big deal for the Republicans, but it's not the only issue to come up this week. There's a government funding fight that we're looking at on the horizon and the ongoing Russia probe. And this weekend, we're seeing more pushback against the Mueller investigation.

turn 3 : Both A and B agree that the tax bill is not popular

What do PersonA and PersonB think about the popularity of the tax bill?

Answer: Selfish


Yeah, I think what Ron said about the end of the day he wants to see all the candidates treated equally. His wish will not be fulfilled is my prediction. As far as I can see, this election is election where Obama is getting all of the scrutiny. Now, when you said media bias, I don't want you to think that this means he's getting all the scrutiny and that scrutiny is positive. He's getting positive scrutiny, he's getting negative scrutiny, and he's getting scrutiny about trivial things that are not normally newsworthy. But my prediction is that the end of the day this is going to be an election where it's going to be about Barack Obama, is he qualified for the job?If he turns out to be, he'll get elected, and if he turns not to be, then McCain will be elected.

All right. Andrew, thank so much.

Great to talk to you, Farai.

Media analyst Andrew Tyndall. He's the publisher of tyndallreport. com, which has been analyzing the network's nightly news coverage for 20 years. And we want to know what you think about the media's coverage of the presidential candidates. Go to our blog at nprnewsandviews. org.

turn 1 : "All right.Andrew, thank so much." - The actual meaning is different from the literal meaning. The intended meaning is a truncated expression of thanks, rather than a complete sentence.

Which expression of gratitude is used by PersonB towards Andrew in turn 1?

Answer: Thanks.


You are so nice for not doing that spoiler alert. But, yes, so many people discuss Israel-Palestine as if its people on a spectrum. But this notion where people say, oh, you know, Israel and Palestine, they disagree. It's not a spectrum. It's metaphysics.

Is there an affinity between writers and spies?

That's funny. I'm like - I was going to the list. I was like, writers and shrinks, writers and sociopaths. But, yeah, I have a whole list of things. . .

turn 1 : They're in a different reality, whereas, I lived in Jerusalem that had the Temple Mount and a Palestinian neighbor lived in al-Quds that had Haram al-Sharif. Like, literally, we're inhabiting the same space and in a different city with a different extraordinary holy place on the same spot. And, to me, you know, that gets us to the title of this book. I was looking for a space for the no man's land where a moment of understanding might take place."  In this turn, the implied meaning is that although the speaker and their Palestinian neighbor physically occupy the same space, they have distinct and separate realities due to the differences in the names and significance attributed to the holy places they inhabit. The speaker seeks a metaphorical "no man's land" where a moment of understanding and connection can occur despite the stark differences in perspectives and experiences.

Which holy place is located in al-Quds according to the PersonA's statement?

Answer: Haram


We've been going on the assumption - I suppose largely from movies - that dinosaurs made a big noise. They're such big creatures. Why do you think we're wrong.

Most dinosaur sounds are based on models that are more like lions and tigers and bears. And we know that the two groups of animals alive today that are most closely related to extinct dinosaurs are birds and crocodilians. In fact, birds are living dinosaurs.

So you look at the way birds make noises?

Exactly. That's what we did in this particular study. We looked at one aspect of vocal behavior, which is whether the mouth is open or closed. And we looked at living dinosaurs - birds. We have 10,000 species today. Most of them vocalize, sing with an open mouth. But some birds produce sound with a closed mouth. They actually inflate different structures that allow them to resonate, often at lower frequencies than many other birds. But we also needed to look at alligators and crocodiles as the closest cousins to dinosaurs.

turn 0 : (1) We've been going on the assumption - I suppose largely from movies - that dinosaurs made a big noise. Actual meaning: We have been mistakenly assuming that dinosaurs were very loud creatures based on what we have seen in movies.

How did the researchers in this study look at vocal behavior?

Answer: Birds


Well, you know, this is having a lot of different effects. So you know, some of the students have been expelled. Their admissions have been revoked. Some of the coaches have been fired. They face charges - athletic coaches who were involved in misrepresenting people as being recruits. And of course the legal cases are going to continue to unfold.

But I'm also interested in how it's unfolding in the broader culture at large. You know, whether you look at things like - we had a big debate last year about Harvard and affirmative action. And these conversations about things like legacy admissions are really bringing us to a broader conversation about, what do these elite colleges really offer?You know, the fact that they have nonprofit status - are they really serving the public, or are they just acting in a way that's really inflating their own bottom line and their own brands?

And so I think there's a broader conversation about, are there better ways to have admissions?And can we define excellence in education some other way other than, you know, something that's really expensive and only lets in about 5 percent of people who get to apply?

And for all that conversation, just in our last 30 seconds or so, do you see signs of systemic change coming?

turn 1 : The consequences of the scandal go beyond those immediately involved and have raised questions about the integrity and fairness of elite college admissions.

Answer: Scandal


My pleasure.

And we will get to civilization being in danger, I assure you. But first question - you just heard our interview with our Justice Department correspondent. Is it a good or bad decision not to release the Democratic memo?

I think it's a mistake. I've read the memo. And, again, our entire society is based on, you know, counterpoints. You think this. I think that. And the Socratic process is that the truth falls out as you go through that back and forth. I think it's a mistake not to release.

I have to tell you, you're one of the first public officials I've heard quote the Socratic process. I will mark that - which raises the question that you raise, why does this budget deal put civilization in danger?

turn 1 : The interviewer is surprised by the guest's knowledge of the Socratic process and is implying that the guest's opinion is reliable.

Which process surprised the interviewer and implies the reliability of the guest's opinion?

Answer: Socratic


So, you know, is this going to be a situation where states line up basically to sue this lender, and what difference would that make in how this is unfolding?

I think it's going to play out in a number of a ways. Countrywide is - obviously they were the largest non-bank mortgage lender in the country. They were - just sold a few weeks ago to Bank of America for what amount - to pennies on a dollar but many many. Countrywide is by far - was by far the largest player in the subprime crisis in terms of a single mortgage lender. But they weren't the only one. The thing is that Countrywide has become a symbol for how bad this gotten many communities.

And I think if you see a challenge like the one here in Ohio or the one here in Florida proceed with favorable results, you will probably see many other states - especially those where minorities or women or the working class, working poor were hit hard by subprime mortgages - are going to start lining up, and attorneys general are going to be filing suit against Countrywide and many other countries like - companies like Countrywide.

Well, Keith, thanks again.

turn 2 : suggests that other states will start to take legal action against Countrywide and other similar companies

How will other states react to the legal action against Countrywide?

Answer: Sue


I know as far as me in the glamour I always go back to self-responsibility. It really does have to start with the person. They have to make a choice to want to get educated about HIV, and learn about it. And I really think that people should realize that it's a 100 percent - 100 percent preventable disease. It's a disease you don't have to get. It is something you have to acquire. So, I really want people, you know, to get that in their head. Like, quit blaming, you know, the media, or rap videos, or you know, school systems. It really has to start with you.

If you had to describe in one word what keeps you going when you're down, what would it be?

Life. You know, just me. I'm my own motivation, I'm my own role model, you know, I love me, and I'm very happy, you know, that HIV presented itself in my life. You know, a lot of people would regret it or whatever, but it really taught me self-love, self-acceptance, and self-responsibility. And that's the best thing I could possibly ask for.

Well, Marvelyn, thank you.

turn 2 : Living with HIV has taught me to love and accept myself, and I am grateful for the experience.

How has living with HIV impacted Marvelyn's self-perception?

Answer: Self-love


What does the president want?Do we know?

That is the question. And it seems to be constantly changing. On Tuesday at the White House meeting, the president told lawmakers essentially, if you come up with a compromise, I'll sign what you send me. And so they did come up with a. . .

Yeah, he said I'll sign it. I'll take the heat. Yeah.

Exactly. And so they thought they had done that. And he rejected it. The White House has never put a particularly fine policy detail on what they want. I think it's fair to say he wants a win. And on this issue, it's tough for him because he needs to be able to bring something back to his base on a key issue in his campaign but also come up with a deal that Democrats can vote for.

turn 3 : Interracial interactions can be negatively impacted by implicit racial biases that individuals may not even be aware they possess, highlighting the importance of awareness and education around these biases to promote understanding and positive interactions.

What is the main theme of turn 3 in the dialogue?

Answer: Compromise


I mean, it's tempting, and certainly we do it in the news business, to look at a figure like $9 billion and say, you know, figure out what that cost per arrest and everything. But I wonder, isn't it in a sense worth, I don't know, a billion dollars a year to the American people to have that deterrent aboard?Because as people in the program have pointed out, if something happens, there's no one else to call upon for help in an airliner.

Well, you could justify almost anything on that basis. But I will tell you that on any cost-benefit analysis, this program does not hold muster. I can tell you also that while a billion dollars might not seem like much money in the whole federal government. . .

Oh, no, it's a lot of money. Don't get me wrong. . .

It's a lot. . .

turn 0 : Turn (1) has a non-literal meaning. The speaker is suggesting that the cost of the program may be justified by its deterrent effect, even though it may not be cost-effective in terms of the number of arrests made.

Answer: Turn


Yeah. They considered all kinds of things. And - but they were stuck on coming up with a design that was really a wow design. So John Graham hired as a consultant a professor from the University of Washington named Victor Steinbrueck. He's known locally in Seattle as architect-activist who saved the Pike Place Market. But he was a designer, and he worked on the Space Needle design.

He got stuck. And one day, he was sitting in his home office and he saw - he had a beautiful abstract sculpture by a California artist named David Lemon, and it was feminine figure in complete abstract, reaching up to the sky with this narrow waist and then this tripod legs. And it was called "The Feminine One. "And he went, aha, OK, there is a unique shape for a tower.

Wow. If you have a question you want to ask Knute, get up there on our microphones and you can ask it. Where there any engineering innovations that were required to get this to be built?Anything about the revolving restaurant, anything like that?

Well, it was interesting because at that time, there were no revolving restaurants.

turn 0 : They had a hard time coming up with something that would amaze and impress people.

What was the problem faced by the designers while coming up with a design?

Answer: Difficulty


I like a slice of lime, but you don't need it. And by the way, you better also get that lime before the price goes up.

Jacob Gluck, cheers.

Thank you.

He's co-owner of Goza Tequila based in Atlanta, Ga.

turn 0 : A thinks that the price of lime will increase soon.

Which condiment does PersonA like to have with their drink?

Answer: Lime


It has.

Get out.

The time has flown. And you are flying. You are flying across the ocean. You are leaving us.

Great segue.

turn 2 : the time has flown means time went by fast.

Answer: B


Duane, why don't you describe to us some of the work that you did with actual cases when you were at the California Department of Justice?I mean, what was your job, literally and physically?

Literally, I went to the scene of the crime. I was often the one who collected all the evidence. I also did photography of the crime scene. I did not do fingerprints. There was usually a technician who did that. Back at the laboratory, I would take all that evidence that I collected and inventoried, and I would begin a systematic investigation of that.

As an example, one case in the middle of my career was a triple homicide, and it was a great case from the physical-evidence standpoint. There was bullets. There was blood. There was saliva on cigarette butts. There was hair. There was soil. And I got to basically do it all. And what was really interesting is I presented all these evidence to the jury, laid out a scenario for the crime.

And during the time I was testifying, the defendant called his girlfriend and confessed the crime to her, and then threatened her with death if she ever talked. Well, five minutes later, she called the DA and told the DA about the confession. And she came in to testify at that point, and what she testified to was basically what I had testified to from the physical-evidence standpoint.

turn 1 : The turn "Literally, I went to the scene of the crime" is meant to be taken at face value as a statement about the speaker physically going to the location where a crime was committed. There is no figurative or non-literal meaning to this turn.

Which turn in the dialogue refers to a case involving a triple homicide?

Answer: Turn3


Now, the Russian government doesn't get many chances in this context internationally, on the global stage, to do the right thing. I have been criticizing the Russian government while I am here. What more can I do to satisfy you or any of these critics who hold these positions?The reality is there is nothing that will satisfy them because it is their suspicion, it is their skepticism, it is their distrust of the Russian government as an institution which is motivating this.

I mean, do I have to detail for you the ways in which the Putin government has earned (laughter) some suspicion?

No, no. Absolutely not. Again, I agree with you. This (laughter) - look, look; this is why I have been criticizing the Russian government. There's no distance between us on that. I'm not saying Vladimir Putin is an angel. I'm not even saying Vladimir Putin is a decent guy. What I'm saying is you have to understand there doesn't need to be a quid pro quo here for it to make sense.

Edward Snowden. Elsewhere in the program, he talks about his work at the NSA before he leaked classified information and tells us what's keeping him from returning to the U. S.  to face trial.

turn 3 : The information was told to others when it was not supposed to be told.

Which turn describes a piece of information being leaked?

Answer: NSA


. . . Positions. What will you be looking for, Danielle?

You're right. They back a lot of the same policies - like "Medicare for All," a $15 minimum wage, that sort of thing. And so they have some basic, similar ideas on economics. They both talk about inequality a lot, for example. So one big thing I'm going to look for is just what, if any, daylight emerges between them on some of these really big issues. But aside from that, I'm going to be watching their rhetoric because they do talk about their ideas in different ways.

Elizabeth Warren, for example, tends to talk about how she likes capitalism, but she thinks it needs some major, major fixing. Bernie Sanders, of course, considers himself a democratic socialist, so that's one way they might clash. But aside from that, they tend to frame their ideas in different ways. Bernie Sanders frames his stump speech as being about big, overarching goals about revolution. He brings in these big national inequality statistics over time and says these things need to change. And his supporters love that. Now, Warren, on the other hand, has branded herself in a different way. You may have heard her slogan by now, the. . .

She has a plan.

turn 0 : to look for something in this context means they are trying to see if something will happen

How does Elizabeth Warren tend to talk about capitalism?

Answer: Fixing


It was like a brick carriage house. Inside, there was just one room on the first floor and one room on the second floor, so it was an intimate house for a non-intimate family.

(Singing) Squint your eyes and look closer. I'm not between you and your ambition. I am a poster girl with no poster. I am 32 flavors and then some.

Ani DiFranco talks about those early years in her new memoir. It's called "No Walls And The Recurring Dream. "

turn 1 : "Her deep craving for intimacy would lead her to music. And it turns out the things Ani DiFranco wanted to say were exactly what a generation of women coming of age in the '90s wanted to hear." This turn is an example of a figurative language where the meaning is not literal. The words "deep craving for intimacy" do not refer to a physical or emotional hunger for intimacy but rather a desire to express oneself intimately through music. Likewise, the phrase "lead her to music" does not mean that music was a physical destination but rather a medium for self-expression.

Which craving did PersonB refer to as leading to music?

Answer: Intimacy


Yes. I don't think the government contends that she was a spy. She pled guilty to one count of failing to register as a foreign agent. But still, in her statement of the offense, the activities she undertook weren't necessarily covert or spycraft. There's no allegation she's a member of Russian intelligence. And I think that's worn out, although she did pled guilty - plead guilty and is accepting responsibility for not registering as a foreign agent.

Yeah. What was she trying to do then?

She was trying to build bridges between the two countries, and through civil society groups, which I think happens with a lot of foreign nationals and foreign students.

Well, build bridges or - I'm going to mix metaphors here - or create a road in for Russian interests?

turn 2 : build bridges implies engaging in good human relationship and connections

How does the term "build bridges" suggest the nature of the activities undertaken by the woman?

Answer: Good


That's because they're dark horses, Tony. I don't who they are.

I know who will not be in the final four this time around. My beloved Bruins from UCLA, they're not going anywhere this year.

Serves then right.

Yeah. They had their chance, right?

turn 0 : dark horse in this case implies an unknown entity, as in a team that no one knows of or is aware of.

What does "dark horse" imply in this conversation?

Answer: B


Yeah, yeah. Hopefully, you know?So whereas in America, you know, you sort of smoothed the edges and you've just put, you know, you've put makeup on. That's what you've done. We're still in the very, you know, you still see all of our imperfections. Whereas in America you try to put a lot of makeup, but the imperfections are still there. And I find that that's the most interesting thing for me.

The changes that we've seen in South Africa over those 17 years are little short of phenomenal.

Yes. It's been amazing. It was a bloodless revolution, you know, because the difference has been - in America, black people have been fighting for their freedom and for their identity and so on, but as a minority. In South Africa, you had a white majority rule, ruling over — I mean, this is Africa. This is the home of black. It was the black factory. So I mean this is, you know, it was a very different story and never before has there been a bloodless revolution in Africa.

Is there much of a tradition of comedy in South Africa, particularly tweaking the powers that be?You don't think of John Vorster. . .

turn 0 : The speaker is pointing out the cultural differences between America and their country, where America tends to cover up imperfections while their country embraces them. Implicated meaning: The speaker values authenticity and honesty over superficial appearances.

Answer: Authenticity


But in addition to that, that same instrument can actually also just suck in Mars atmosphere and can look for methane. And methane is definitely something that we think is primarily associated with biological sources, obviously here on the Earth.

There are some ways in which methane can be created without, you know, living organisms, and so we need to be able to differentiate between the two. But yeah, Mars, there have been investigations done from here on the Earth where we're looking through telescopes at Mars, and we see indications of methane.

And I think hopefully, like I said in the first, next few days, we'll begin to at least see whether or not we can detect similar things.

You know, when you touched down, there were people who were talking about gee, this looks just like the Southwest, down in the desert there. Can you smell it, as if it might be the Southwest?Is there any way to say gee, it smells like the Southwest?

turn 3 : "Can you smell" implies that there is no similarity between gee and southwest.

Which sense is questioned by PersonB in the dialogue?

Answer: Smell


Good morning, Scott.

Please give us a fill - so much going on in the Mueller investigation this week.

Well, you know, it seemed like there was Mueller news pretty much every day this week, Scott. On Friday, we learned that Trump's chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, has been subpoenaed in the Mueller probe. Now, this is a man who has the keys to the kingdom, if anyone does. We also got a list of 35 witnesses who are expected to be called in the trial of Paul Manafort. Now, that's Trump's 2016 campaign manager. He is accused of money laundering and deceiving the U. S.  government. That trial was delayed until next week. But we do expect this is going to be the new refocusing of the Mueller probe in the days ahead.

Also this week, CNN reported that Michael Cohen - that's the former attorney for the president - is ready to testify that Trump knew about that June 2016 meeting with Manafort and Donald Jr.  and some Russians offering dirt on Hillary Clinton. And we also learned that Putin and the president will not meet in September because they want to wait until after the Mueller probe is over. So they're planning to exchange visits to each other's capital city next year.

turn 1 : B is asking for an update on the Mueller investigation.

How many witnesses are expected to be called in the trial of Paul Manafort?

Answer: 35


Like what, as you see it?

Well, there are a few things. First of all, ABC did try to get the case dismissed in the early going and the judge declined to do that. They tried to remove the case to federal court, which is a pretty well accepted strategy. But they couldn't remove it to federal court. So they were going to end up trying the case, really, in the plaintiff's backyard. So I think that those were risks combined with the fact that there's obviously a great deal of sort of free floating anti-media sentiment out there these days, which is hard to quantify. And the amount that was being requested by the plaintiff was, you know, billions, literally, billions of dollars.

Does a large settlement like this just embolden other people to sue media companies?

Well, I think that after we see a large verdict or a large settlement, we do tend to see an uptick. Many plaintiffs and their lawyers think that maybe media entities are easy get-rich-quick targets. I think that's a mistake.

turn 3 : People may view media entities as easy targets for lawsuits in order to make a quick profit.

How do some plaintiffs and their lawyers view media entities?

Answer: Get-rich-quick


Exactly.

At the same time, she's this very sassy character. And, you know, so many of the characters here are very, you know, just sexy, kind of contemporary figures. And there's a joie-de-vivre about this, and even though she touches on a lot of heavy themes, including race and patriotism, there's a certain sass to this. Is that what attracted you to her work?

Well, I was astounded at her work. I was actually looking for something else in her cartoon that is in the late '40s. Most of her cartooning was done in the late '40s and early '50s. This one year of '37 was kind of a little different thing.

I was looking for evidence of a doll. I knew that she created a doll, and I thought I could find some evidence of that in her cartoons. And then yeah, I found the doll, but then I went on to see all of the different topics that she took on, and that got fascinating.

turn 3 : A's turn contains figurative language. The phrase "looking for evidence of a doll" is not meant to be taken literally. The speaker is referring to the fact that they were searching for any visual or textual reference to the doll that the artist had created.

How was PersonA searching for evidence of the doll?

Answer: Visual


Good morning, Ira.

Good morning to you. What evidence do you cite?What evidence is there that human intelligence is slowly declining?

Well, you know, there are a few things I'd like to say I guess at the onset, and you referred to them in your introduction, and that is any genetically based decay in intelligence is extremely slow. And so we should never be able to detect it by comparisons to people within generations existing right now on the Earth.

Rather, what we see is what you mentioned, an actual, probably recent, increase in intellectual ability. We know that our students are the brightest in generations. They score higher on tests than students ever have before. They take more complex courses earlier and accomplish more. So there's all these reasons to believe that at least recently what we see is an actual increase in intellectual ability.

turn 2 : Genetically-based decay in intelligence is extremely slow, we cannot detect it in existing generations.

How fast is genetically-based decay in intelligence?

Answer: Slow


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 1 : B is asking A which type of alcohol is suitable for the recipe and wants A to try different types of alcohol to find the best one

Which method does PersonB suggest for finding the best alcohol?

Answer: Test


And, of course, a lot of the Democrats are aware of these shortfalls. And there are counties with only one insurance company and counties where it's not clear there are going to be any insurance companies. And some of that's been overblown, but there are real problems. And, of course, any bill, any large program, any law needs to be revisited and amended, and the parties need to get together to do that.

These insults this week flying back and forth between the president and Kim Jong Un - lunatic, frightened dog, dotard. I don't know about you, I had to look that one up.

We all did.

This is this just scenery chewing or are people in official Washington worried it could encourage something more destructive?

turn 1 :  (2) implies that the speaker was surprised by the unusual words used in the exchange between the president and Kim Jong Un, and had to look up the meaning of one of them.

What word did the speaker have to look up?

Answer: One


But you can actually trace the Denisovan material in some populations but not in others in Island Southeast Asia. It's very easy to see because it's very distinct from modern human DNA. It's kind of like a medical imaging dye, and you can actually see who carries them and who doesn't and what the gene flow and migration patterns were.

Fascinating, David Reich, thank you for taking time to be with us today.

Thank you.

And good luck to you. I know you're going to go out hunting for more fossils, more Denisovans.

turn 0 : Denisovan material is identifiable in some populations but not in others, and it's easy to distinguish it from modern human DNA

Which material can be identified in some populations but not in others?

Answer: Denisovan


From NPR News, I'm Farai Chideya. For Wednesday, February 13th, this is News and Notes.

From NPR News, This s News and Notes. I'm Farai Chideya. The White House race only gets hotter, especially if you're John McCain. Yesterday the Arizona Senator picked up the Potomac primary wins in Washington, D. C.  and Maryland. He also took Virginia, where Mike Huckabee put up a good fight. The victories are edging McCain closer to the GOP candidate seat, and as for the Democrats, yesterday was all Barack Obama. He swept the Potomac Primaries and stacked up key delegate points. Joining me now to sort through the numbers is Ron Elving. He's NPR's senior Washington editor. Hi, Ron.

Hello, Farai.

So how many delegates did McCain pick up?

McCain picked up a little over a hundred, possibly as many as 113, depending on how they sort out Maryland. But he got everything in Virginia, all 30 delegates, despite the fact he only won by nine percentage points. That's the way the Republican rules work. You can win certain winner take all states, no matter what your plurality or majority may be, you get all the delegates. So he did that in Virginia and the District of Columbia and he'll get virtually all of the delegates in Maryland. So he picked up somewhere between 100 and 113 delegates. It puts him pretty much out of sight. He's got more than three times as many as Mike Huckabee.

turn 1 : John McCain is doing well in the Republican primaries.

Which state did McCain get all 30 delegates from?

Answer: Virginia


Yeah. And is the money - is it as big as drug money, for example?

Much more. I mean, I made drug trafficking for years. But here, we are talking about money that there's no comparison with drugs. Just to give you an idea for two reasons. First of all because these are money that's collected in advance and without risk. It's a typical business without risk because when you put 500 people in a boat, like, 20-meters long and 4-meters large and cost a few thousand euros, you get something like 1 million euros, 800,000 euros for each boat with a cost that is very, very low. And you don't risk anything because basically, you don't care if the human good - the good that you are. . .

Yeah.

. . . Trafficking arrives or not. It's not the same with drugs because is if a load of a drug is lost, of course, there is a real problem. Somebody must pay it. If 100 people died in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea but they pay in advance, there is not any kind of problem for them.

turn 3 : (4) is implying that human traffickers don't have to worry about accountability or paying for lost goods if the people they are trafficking do not arrive safely, unlike drug traffickers.

Which traffickers don't have to worry about accountability or paying for lost goods?

Answer: Human


Absolutely. And there is a risk, from the government's point of view, that if they aren't seen to act, then the Bharatiya Janata Party, the BJP, which is a Hindu nationalist party which has been in power before, might appear to be a better option because it is tougher on this sort of subject.

Congress has not really got it together. They don't have a good national leader. And there isn't - the government isn't showing the drive and the command that the people are increasingly wanting.

John Elliott is a writer in Delhi, India. He writes for Fortune magazine, and he also keeps a blog called "Riding the Elephant. "Thank you, John.

Thanks very much.

turn 1 : The government is not providing strong leadership, which is causing dissatisfaction among the people.

Which subject is the Bharatiya Janata Party tougher on, according to the dialogue?

Answer: Subject


The bad news in this story involves the main character's family and her country of origin. She is from Haiti. Most of the characters in Danticat's new book of short stories are Haitian-American. They live in New York or Miami, but Haiti is often in their hearts and on their minds. Natural disasters and political disasters have sent many of its people fleeing to the U. S.  Danticat's book of short stories called "Everything Inside" reflects her experiences as an immigrant.

How did your family come to the United States?

My father first came when I was 2 years old. He came on a tourist visa, which he overstayed, and as did my mother. When I - she left when I was 4, and they were undocumented for about eight years. And during that time, we were separated. I stayed in Haiti with my aunt and uncle. And when I was 12, after they had changed their status and were - got their papers, then they were able to send for me and my brother to join them in Brooklyn, N. Y. , in 1981.

I'm sure you've had to tell this story more than once, and I'm sorry to dwell on it. But both as a parent and as a son, to think about so many years away from your parents and especially those particular years, that could not have been easy.

turn 0 : Danticat's book of short stories reflects the immigrant experience

How does Danticat's book reflect the immigrant experience?

Answer: Immigrant


In a word, Ari - schadenfreude. I think at this moment, whether you look at politics or society in general, there is a lot of concern about fraud, about misrepresentation, people not being who they say they are, not to mention a lot of resentment of wealth and privilege and all the trappings that come with it. And the way this story has unfolded, the fact that these families really seem to believe that the rules should not apply to them - that's been galling to many people.

And then look at the setting, right?So elite colleges are the source of such cultural fascination. Some would say obsession. Highly selective colleges - you know, they only enroll about 1 percent of all college students. So they're very, very small. But then again, they have these brands that are known all over the world. And they're supposed to stand for merit, for hard work, for the best and the brightest.

And so when you look at something like this or, even bigger, the legacy admissions or the fact that some wealthy donors can write a check and get their kid into college that way supposedly, it - all of this is really going to undermine the idea of having institutions in our society that represent hard work and being kind of excellent.

So where do these cases go from here?

turn 1 :  Implied meaning: Elite colleges are seen as a source of envy and reverence, but they are also seen as a symbol of hard work and excellence.

What are elite colleges supposed to stand for?

Answer: Merit


Yeah, which politicians are able to do when required. She was very much a quiet remainer. She made one speech at the beginning and then vanished. It was almost as if she too was calculating and looking at the greater prize at the end.

Let's turn to the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn, the leader, has been accused of campaigning to stay in the EU just about as enthusiastically as speaker Paul Ryan in the U. S.  has been campaigning for Donald Trump.

Yeah. I think that's a - it's a perfect analogy. And he was a long-term euro skeptic, but his campaign was so (unintelligible). And he was asked on a tv show how important Britain remain in the European was, and this was at the height of the campaign. And he said, well, seven - seven and a half, and that went down very, very badly. You're not going to win votes like that, and he didn't. And there was a revolt in the Labour heartlands, in the industrial north areas, which have not done particularly well in recent years as manufacturing declines. And as a result, there was a huge uprising in the Westminster party and the houses of Parliament against him.

Yeah, his members of his shadow cabinet have been stepping up to resign.

turn 3 : idiom meaning that members of Corbyn's shadow cabinet have been leaving their positions, and is not meant to be taken literally.

What is the idiom used to describe the members of Corbyn's shadow cabinet leaving their positions?

Answer: Idiom


Good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you for having me.

Do you still feel a wall wouldn't be effective?

Absolutely. No. I mean, again - and I've said this before - a wall is definitely not going to be statistically significant. And the current existing wall, in fact, has had many issues. In reference to breaching the wall, I know some of the reports out had, existing walls have been breached thousands of times. And again, going back to the price tag that is going to cost the American taxpayer - it's just an incredible amount of money that's just going to be wasted.

turn 4 : A wall is not a good solution for border security and would waste taxpayers' money.

Which solution does PersonA think is not effective and would waste taxpayers' money?

Answer: Wall


One sergeant in the Green Berets told you - and this gives you some sense of the intensity of what went on - I've never seen that many rocket-propelled grenades in my career.

That's correct. He's an 11-year veteran of the Green Beret team, so he's pretty much seen it all in Iraq and Afghanistan. And he said it was almost, you know, cinematic. This particular attack seemed so highly orchestrated that they just felt like, you know - that they were throwing everything that they could at them.

Why weren't the Afghan military forces in Ghazni able to repel this Taliban attack?

The local forces had communication problems. They weren't able to really strategize about how to beat back the Taliban forces. They were overwhelmed in a lot of ways, despite the fact that they're flush with U. S. -supplied weaponry, at that. There were reports of Afghan military firing on their own forces, as well as American convoys. And there were reports that they had delivered the wrong supplies to police departments that were in desperate need of more ammunition. So really, what it came down to was that they needed the U. S.  Special Forces and Afghan commandos, which is special forces of sorts for the Afghans, to be able to have strategy, to be able to communicate with one another and to be able to act in concert rather than these sort of disparate skirmishes.

That adds up to a pretty damning appraisal of the Afghan military's readiness.

turn 3 : They had a large amount of weapons from the United States.

How were the Afghan military forces equipped?

Answer: Flush