Well, I know that my name is on the cover, but the Library of America was at least an equal partner, if not more. Reggie Hui there went into the archives, and he found every single short story she'd ever published in the most esoteric, small, little magazines. And John Kulka and Reggie and I had multiple really long debates and conversations about which stories to include. There were many passionate speeches on all sides, particularly mine. And we ended up with. . .

(Laughter) Battles to the death, I'm gathering. Yeah.

. . . Battles. Yes. It was bloody, but it was also joyous because we're - all three of us - just super fans of Nancy Hale's.

I mean, people always ask fiction writers - as you would know better than anyone - how much of your writing, how much of your protagonist is you. And writers always say, it's fiction. You know, I made it all up. But you write that with Hale, it's - it actually really matters to know what her life story was when you're reading these stories.

turn 1 : The person is making a humurous remark about the debate.

How did PersonB respond to PersonA's description of the debates about which stories to include in the collection?

Answer: Laughter


One of the things that struck me is some of the comments by some of the women. They don't necessarily see themselves as beautiful. They did not see in themselves the thing that you saw in them. Did you find that to be common?I'm thinking in particular of the sisters from Switzerland with the red hair who said they'd been made fun of as children because of the color of their hair. And you were drawn to them.

During the project, I did realize that women that I photographed were not confident in their way of being. So whenever I posted their picture on my social media, we got a lot of comments and positive reaction from the people. So the women that I photographed, after that, they realized how beautiful they are. That was extraordinary for them and for me because it gives them confidence.

How did this project change you?

I'm much more confident. I'm much more respectful of what the other women in the world have to go through every day because the life is so difficult in so many parts of the world. And this project was a huge gift in my life. And this is why I'm trying to put it out there in the world for people to understand that the world is extremely beautiful. And we should really appreciate everything that's happening in our life.

turn 3 : The project gave the speaker more respect for the struggles of women around the world

Answer: Gift


This sounds pretty controversial and like something we want to hear about.

It does. It does. Let's start with the basics, though. When we say scientists want to synthesize genetic codes of living organisms - that's a big mouthful - including humans, what do we mean exactly?

Yeah. So you know, scientists know how to read the genetic code. What they want to do now is what they call write the genetic code, write DNA. And what that means is they essentially want to assemble or manufacture genomes from the chemical building blocks it's made of for all kinds of living organisms, including, as you said, people. And they want to be able do it in their labs quickly, efficiently and cheaply so it becomes something really practical and easy to do.

turn 1 :  "Yeah, it sounds really futuristic, doesn't it?" Implicated meaning: The speaker believes that the topic being discussed sounds like it belongs in the future.

How does the speaker describe the topic being discussed?

Answer: Futuristic


Bill M wrote about it - read about it and wrote. Kilpatrick's stays in the news proving all the naysayers right with his childish antics and questionable judgment. He should resign.

And there's also the news that Broadway's "The Color Purple" is closing next month due to slow ticket sales and some people said it was because of singer Fantasia left the show without any thunder after she left.

All right. Just briefly, what do you think about the newsletter?What does that offer people that everything else we do doesn't?We've got the radio show and the blog. But, you know, you put out this great newsletter every day. What's going on with that?

Well, we've got headlines that pertain to African-Americans. We have highlights from the show. And the difference is - it's called Push me (unintelligible). It's a '90s Internet buzz word. And the idea is that you get all these things that you want sent to your inbox every day without having to surf from Web site to Web site. And it's a service that we offer.

turn 0 : "childish antics and questionable judgment" implies that Kilpatrick's behavior is inappropriate and unprofessional, even though the literal meaning of the words is just describing his actions and decision-making

Which word describes Kilpatrick's behavior according to turn 0?

Answer: Behavior


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 0 : HIV is preventable, but it requires individuals to take responsibility for educating themselves about the disease.

Which disease is completely preventable?

Answer: HIV


"VIC" (Member, Overeaters Anonymous): Hi.

Vic, I want to start with you, and I want to be very specific. Give me an example of a day when you completely lost control over your eating.

"VIC": It wasn't a day. It was the day before (Laughing) and that day and the next day. But anyway - OK, so I wake up in the morning, totally hung over. Dr.  Lerner - Marty - described very well, you know, having lost control. So, I wake up, I feel terrible, and the last thing I want to do, I think in my rational brain, is eat because I feel so bad. And yet, I know that if I take one bite of anything, I'll be off and running. And I'm scared. I'm really scared.

Let me just ask one thing. When you say hung over, do you mean hung over from overeating or hung…

turn 2 : VIC lost control over eating for multiple days, not just one day

How long did VIC lose control over his eating?

Answer: Multiple


I gather there were women who asked you for medical help.

Yes. So some of the women who had been raped asked to know if they were pregnant. One of the most heartbreaking things I would have to do would be to confirm for women that they were, indeed, pregnant as a result of rape. Some of them were requesting testing for sexually transmitted infections, which we couldn't do on the boat, but we helped to arrange in Italy once we arrived there.

One of the things I say about my Doctors Without Borders work is that I often come across the best of humanity, but I also come across the worst of humanity. And these women, especially, told me of things that had happened to them that it never occurred to me that humans could do that to one another.

All right, Dr.  Giles, you have at least a few ears in America right now. What do we need to hear?

turn 2 : "I often come across the best of humanity, but I also come across the worst of humanity." This turn uses the figurative language of "the best" and "the worst" of humanity, which refers to the admirable actions and the despicable actions of people, respectively. It does not mean that the speaker encounters people who are entirely good or entirely bad.

What kind of actions does the figurative language of "the best" and "the worst" of humanity refer to?

Answer: Actions


Now lots of lawyers were lining up to lead the Justice Department. So why did the White House decide to go with Lynch?

First of all, she has a reputation for working well with others. She's very understated and under the radar. Another important factor for the White House I hear from sources is that she's diverse and historic. She'd be the first black woman on the job. She descends from a long line of Baptist preachers in the south. And she has a rich, rich voice and an ability to speak and communicate a message. She's also, Linda, quite noncontroversial.

So about that. What is the reaction from Republicans in the Senate?Can she be confirmed?It's kind of late in the term.

It is kind of late in the term. She's going to have a year and a half or two years to make her mark. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican who's in line to lead the Judiciary Committee next year, says Lynch is going to get a thorough vetting. And he's going to make sure that happens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, another Republican, sounded relatively positive, too, about this election. And finally, Linda, Mitch McConnell, who's going to run the Senate as majority leader starting in January, said he is willing to consider her nomination. He wants it to happen in 2015 instead of during this lame-duck session.

turn 1 : A: "She's very understated and under the radar." - The literal meaning is that Lynch is not attracting attention or publicity. The actual meaning is that Lynch works quietly and effectively without seeking attention.

Answer: Understated


What about William Thompson, Jr. ?Originally of Brooklyn, now of Manhattan. He actually won the Democratic nomination four years ago and ran an unexpectedly close race.

Oh, absolutely. And interestingly enough, he's been part of the New York political establishment for a very long time. You hear people refer to him as Billy, because he's William Thompson, Jr.  His father was prominent in politics, generally well-liked in very much a known quantity.

Bill de Blasio of Brooklyn, the public advocate.

An interesting man - I guess you could still call him a young man. I was about to call him a young man. I've known him since we were both running around in sneakers. But he was an aide to David Dinkins. He was the campaign manager for Hillary Clinton when she ran for Senate here in New York and served a couple of terms in the New York City Council. So, he's been in and around this stuff for decades and now he thinks it's his time to go for the big chair.

turn 2 : Implied meaning: The speaker may be using nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions or body language, to convey a message that complements or contradicts their spoken words.

How does the speaker convey their message?

Answer: Nonverbal


But shouldn't you at least offer the people you're polling the option of checking that box as one of the issues?

In terms of?

Of, you know, as climate change or renewable energy, things like that. The choice is not even offered on the sheet of things that you - that is on your radar screen.

Yeah. Well, this is actually a really important point, is that when you look at - and I'll just come back to media coverage as an example. You know, for most people, this is an issue that's invisible. I mean, you can look out your window right this moment, and there's CO2 pouring out of tailpipes, out of smokestacks, out of buildings, but you can't see it, and likewise you can't see the impacts unless you know where to look. In fact, the only way most Americans even know about this issue is because of what they've learned about it in the media. They're not reading the peer-reviewed literature. They don't know scientists personally. They're learning about it through the media. And when the media doesn't report this issue, it's literally out of sight and out of mind.

turn 2 : "on your radar screen" - This is also a figurative expression meaning something that is being monitored or tracked, rather than a literal radar screen.

How is the expression "on your radar screen" used in the dialogue? (Answer: Figuratively)

Answer: Figuratively


One of the things I've always loved about the Democratic Party is that it is a big-tent party, and it embraces opportunity for all people. And I'm running for president because I think my life experience can address this Trump-fueled national crisis of division that has been moving us backward. And I look at my experience of bringing people together - businesses and nonprofits and Republicans and Democrats - and to really get things done, to get to near-universal health care, create the No. 1 economy in the country for three consecutive years - I think that record stands for itself.

Governor John Hickenlooper, thank you so much for joining us.

You bet, Noel. Thank you so much.

That's former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, talking to us for our Opening Arguments series.

turn 0 : Democratic Party is inclusive and addresses national crisis

What is the national crisis that John Hickenlooper thinks his life experience can address?

Answer: Division


Well, many millions have lifted out of poverty and many millions seemed to have been lifted into the pockets of the top leaders. And so that, I think, reporting of socioeconomic inequity and privilege is a source of corruption in the Communist Party that really has to be managed or dealt with in some decisive form by President Xi.

And is there going to be realignment?And you look towards the new leadership in South Korea. The United States, of course, has had a longstanding security relationship with South Korea, going back to the war there in the early 1950s. And, of course, you mentioned the treaty with Japan and United States have been - had bases there since 1945. There - is there going to be any fundamental change in those relationships, do you think?

The change is not coming so much in the U. S. -Japan or in the U. S. -Korea alliance relationships at this stage. There are some rising tensions that have emerged in the South Korea-Japan relationship that present, I think, a challenge for U. S.  policymakers. You know, one of the aspects of the U. S.  pivot or rebalancing policy is that it suggests that we want allies to work together or horizontally with each other more actively.

But Korea and Japan are increasingly facing divisions over history issues and with a woman South Korean president and a Japanese prime minster, who has raised questions about some of the comfort women issues; it suggests that we've got potentially a rocky road ahead.

turn 0 : This means that the leaders are corrupt - there is nothing quite literally going into their pockets.

Which word describes the nature of the reporting of socioeconomic inequity and privilege that is a source of corruption in the Communist Party?

Answer: Reporting


Exactly, keep looking up, and I can't believe I still pinch myself every time that I get to say those words afterwards. But this is the fellow that would appear on your PBS station, usually late at night, at weird hours, for a minute or five minutes telling you what's up in the sky. He'd sit on the rings of Saturn and point out at Jupiter, and he'd have this very interesting voice. It was great.

And so he passed away a few years ago, and the station has decided to continue the program. We've done a little bit of touching-up to it, but it's called "Star Gazers," and so you might catch us on weird hours on your PBS station, and they're always online at our website, stargazersonline. org, and you can watch any of the shows there, and we'll tell you what's up in the sky and say keep looking up. That's what we always say.

That's it. It's a great show. I've been watching it for years. I used to know Jack for a while, so. . .

Oh, I know, what a great guy. I mean, this is a populizer of astronomy, and I just hope that I can fill his shoes a little bit and get people excited about the stars.

turn 3 : "fill his shoes" implies that the speaker wants to follow in Jack's footsteps and continue his work, but not that they literally want to wear his shoes.

Which phrase indicates that the speaker wants to continue Jack's work?

Answer: Fill


And there is a correlation between dogfighting rings and other crimes, perhaps?

Oh, my God, yes. You know, if you've got dogfighting and gambling, you got just about any type of crime that goes with it. It - and that's what people are more aware of.

What is the line, as research has established it, between people who abuse animals and violence against other human beings?

Well, the research is very clear. And it's been there for a long time, as I said earlier. Law enforcement just hasn't got it yet, even though some have. Some agencies do a very good job. It's growing. If you look back at Son of Sam and Dahmer and. . .

turn 3 : The turn has a literal meaning, but it also contains two cultural references. "Son of Sam" refers to David Berkowitz, a notorious serial killer who terrorized New York City in the 1970s. "Dahmer" refers to Jeffrey Dahmer, another infamous serial killer who murdered at least 17 young men and boys in the 1980s and early 1990s. The references serve to illustrate the link between animal cruelty and violence against humans, which has been established through research.

What are the two cultural references mentioned in turn 3?

Answer: Son-of-Sam,Dahmer


He apologized for the messages and essentially blamed the fact that he worked really long days and often used this group chat to - as he said, you know, relieve stress. That did not sit well with people, obviously. He ended up, like you said, having to ask most of his inner circle to step down. But that has not appeased anyone. The outcry and the demands for his resignation have only grown. Not only from his political opponents - also, essentially everyone within his own party here in Puerto Rico has abandoned him. And now there is talk within the legislature of beginning the process of removing him from office if he doesn't step down on his own.

And has he said that he is considering it?Or what is he saying about that possibility?

No, he's basically dug his feet in and has said he is not going to resign. He said he was, you know, elected governor by the people of Puerto Rico, feels like he has a lot of work to do and intends to continue doing it. A big question is obviously how because he has lost the confidence of everyone within his government, and no one really sees him having the capital needed to govern.

That is NPR's Adrian Florido joining us from San Juan.

turn 0 : The person in question had to ask his close associates to resign due to the controversy

How did the person in question handle the controversy?

Answer: Asked


At 18 years old, I moved from Charlotte to the mountains. And I've lived in Appalachia - in Jackson County, N. C.  - ever since. And it's the same thing here. You know, I think poverty - it's the same condition no matter where you're from. You know, I talked a little bit in that essay about that man from Baltimore saying desperation is a way of life.

This was a documentary on the BBC that was talking about poverty in Baltimore.

Yeah. I think anybody I grew up with could have said that. Anybody that I'm friends with now in Hazelwood, Haywood County, could say that. That's the reality of people who have nothing. They all know what it's like to miss a meal or to have the lights turned off or to have to decide - do I make my car payment, or do I pay my health insurance?That's a common theme that bridges the gap all across this country. And the unifying thing about that is poverty.

You also talk about addiction. The opioid crisis, as we know, is enormous right now. And you say that people just want to be listened to. What is the story that we aren't hearing?

turn 0 : In (1), the speaker is using the statement "poverty - it's the same condition no matter where you're from" to express the idea that poverty is a universal experience and can be found in any place or culture. The actual meaning is that poverty has a consistent impact on people's lives, regardless of their location.

What is the unifying factor mentioned by A, which bridges the gap across the country?

Answer: Bridges


Some folks get a little bit cranky about having to work on the holiday. It's a day that, you know, most of us spend with our family and friends. How do you feel about working on a day that most people get off?

Folks that work in NASA have a common bond of a real passion for the space program. So, we wouldn't be here if we didn't have that. And obviously, we'd like to be with our families, but if we can't be there, then the next best place to be is working on a space mission.

So, you know, we've been doing a space station for 10 years straight, and there's been someone here every year for every holiday. And beyond holidays even, you know, one of the crew members on board is having their wedding anniversary just yesterday, and tomorrow's one of the birthdays of one of the flight directors working the flight.

So, we all kind of take care and bond together and take care of each other. And we're having a Thanksgiving dinner here that management's all bringing in for the flight controllers that are working, and we try to shift people out so that, you know, there's three shifts so that people do get some time at home.

turn 1 : Working on a space mission is a fulfilling experience

Which anniversary is one of the flight directors working the flight celebrating tomorrow?

Answer: Anniversary


I think it's going to move in a lot of different directions. There's a lot of things happening. Number one, the directors now are younger. And they usually tend to want to have the music that they grew up with, or music that they're into at that moment, in their films. So for me, I'm kind of open. I think, you know, if you have some music in your soul, and you're able to produce it however you can, you know, there's a musician there. I do miss, you know, the old days, you know, when you do a film, you get hired and the guy says, write some music, and you write music. And you come back and you talk about that music, but not in relationship to a committee deciding based on something that some kids in Pasadena thoughy. You know, so anyway.

Well, it sounds like a fascinating business.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Stanley Clarke, thanks for talking to us.

turn 3 : (2) implies admiration and admiration of the business while (4) implies gratitude and appreciation for Stanley Clarke's time.

Answer: Grattitude


Wow.

. . . Actually the night he died. So he was a very well-respected young person by our staff, by our students and our community. And, you know, it was a very shame that that did happen.

I'm so impressed. I gather the youngsters themselves in your school came up with the idea of electing them king and queen. I got to tell you. . .

Yeah, you know, you think about social media as something that's bad sometimes. Well, they - her friends and his friends kind of started a little social media thing and the adults weren't even totally aware. And they wanted to - they wanted to have them be king and queen. Now, it wasn't, you know, the whole school. It wasn't everybody. It was a very tight group of kids that really. . .

turn 0 : Wow. Implicated Meaning: B is expressing surprise or admiration. It implies that B is impressed or astonished by something.

Which emotion was expressed by PersonB in turn 2?

Answer: Impressed


What are his legal and PR teams trying to achieve by releasing audio conversations or snippets of them with Donald trump and apparently claiming that Trump knew in advance of that Trump Tower meeting with a group of Russians?

Well, I have to say, Scott, I think that's pretty much a mystery to a lot of people. Most criminal defense lawyers and former prosecutors can't. . .

. . . That I've spoken to can't make sense of it. It's a very, very unusual situation.

We're getting some bad audio - either that or a Martian craft has landed over your shoulder, so you might want to take a look, in which case we really got a big story to work on.

turn 1 : Bob cannot understand the reasoning behind the release of audio conversations with Trump

How would you describe Bob's comprehension of the audio release?

Answer: Confused


What does it mean to put your hat in someone's ring?Does it mean that you are, for example, trying to lead your constituents that you're trying to lead other people, who are a part of the Congressional Black Caucus or part of Congress?What exactly does you putting your chips on the table mean?

For the past 20-something years, I have been putting out a sample ballot. And if people don't get it at the time that they think they should, my office is inundated with calls. You know, through the media, through your sample ballot operation, I let people know what's on my mind. And I try and let them know why I'm doing what I'm doing and then they make their decision.

Congresswoman, I've had a chance to come to your offices in South Los Angeles and you have a multi-racial coalition of staffers - black, white, Asian…

That's right.

turn 1 : The literal meaning of "putting out a sample ballot" is distributing a document that contains a list of candidates or initiatives. However, in this context, it means actively campaigning for specific candidates or positions by providing guidance on who to vote for.

What does "putting out a sample ballot" really mean in this context?

Answer: Actively


. . . the French press is hard to nail because there's. . .

Yeah.

. . . so many variables that are outside of your control.

Right. Right. And it's our Video Pick of the Week up there on our website, and it's beautiful animation.

turn 0 : The French coffee machine that presses beans is hard to understand.

Answer: Crowding


Short word - yes. That is exactly what happened. And that includes in regular order a lot of backroom negotiation. And there is no guarantee of success for all of that, but at least if people know that they are back to what they need to do and know how to do best, sure, we could be right back here in three weeks with the difference being this far smaller chance of a shutdown. Now, they really ought to be able to do what they do best in that period of time, but if not, the president will be back in the same poker game with a far weaker hand than the one he just folded this week.

Roger Stone, one of the president's closest friends, a longtime adviser, of course was arrested yesterday, charged with lying to Congress, witness tampering, among other things. What does this tell us about the Mueller investigation?

It tells us that investigation is as robust as ever and moving forward. The former CIA chief, John Brennan, said yesterday he expects many more indictments in the weeks ahead, including some people who are household names. Now, the Mueller team is closely following the performance of some other actors like Paul Manafort, an old business partner of Roger Stone's. They say he has not followed through with the factual and truthful testimony he promised when he pled guilty on several counts last year. So that's another space to be watching.

Report from NBC this week - Jared Kushner got his security clearance only after administration officials overruled career security specialists. What do you make of this?

turn 0 : backroom negotiation means that the negotiation was done in secret.

What does the term "backroom negotiation" imply?

Answer: Secrecy


So this is the second year that the numbers are up. What kind of numbers are we talking about?

We are reporting four hectares of overwintering colonies. That's 9. 1 acres. That is the area that they occupy, so that is indeed very good news compared to last year where we only had a little bit over one hectare.

You've been out in the field with them. Just describe for our listeners what - if they haven't been able to see them, what these monarch butterflies look like when they come to stay in Mexico.

Once they arrive to Michoacan - which is the name of the state where the forests are and the state of Mexico - they congregate on fir trees.

High up in the mountains - I mean, it's quite a steep climb to get there.

turn 2 : (3) - Describe for our listeners what the monarch butterflies look like, instead of asking the listeners to actually go and see them.

What do the monarch butterflies congregate on in Michoacan?

Answer: fir


So right now, there are multiple congressional committees investigating this issue. We've got them on the House side. We've got a couple on the Senate side. I guess I want to know why is there a need for multiple investigations, and how do these congressional investigations differ at their core from what Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting?

Well, Senate Intelligence looks at intelligence matters primarily. Senate Judiciary looks at matters that fall under the broad scope of the Judiciary Committee. All these congressional investigations differ very much in function from what the Special Counsel Mueller does. Mueller works in secret and long, long deep studies of things like finances. And he doesn't bring his results public. If he finds something that's really important, he won't let you know until it's time to indict somebody. Whereas, the congressional committees when classification allows them to be in the open, they live for open hearings. They want people to know what they found.

And what about compelling witnesses to testify?The subpoena, is that a last resort thing or is it just a negotiating device?

Oh, the subpoena is the basic working tool of these investigations. It can be a single piece of paper that demands that the witness show up on pain of contempt. Or it can also be a subpoena of the kind that seeks documents, including digital material like emails. By bringing in a witness, they cut through a lot of the stalling. And by demanding the documents, they have the materials to pin the witness down in the questioning.

turn 3 : The subpoena is a powerful tool to get the truth out of witnesses and to obtain documents that may be relevant to the investigation.

What is the basic working tool of these investigations?

Answer: Effectiveness/Necessity


And if the court - the judges in the court find him insane, that would, he believes, invalidate his political arguments.

Yeah. It seems like that. Normal, it's considered to be less of punishment or it's actually, technically, it's not the punishment if they sentence you to - sentence you as an insane man and put you in a hospital because then you then aren't responsible for what you did. Anders Breivik, however, wants to be considered as a person who know - knew what he did on the 22nd of July.

And has scoffed at the conceivable punishment. As I understand it, he could get 21 years in jail if convicted and found sane and that he says, wait a minute, either I should be acquitted or I should be put to death.

Yeah. Instead that - but we can't really put anyone to death in Norway, but it's correct that there are maximum - maximum punishment is 21 years. But we also have what we call - I've been looking for the correct English expression, and I think it's called containment, which is a system where a person that is considered to be a threat even after a certain period of time, he can actually be held in prison indeterminate because the - we can't - it's not really considered safe to let him out again in the society.

turn 2 : Breivik hopes that being found insane will invalidate his political arguments and be a way for him to avoid punishment.

Which political arguments does Breivik hope to invalidate by being found insane?

Answer: None


Thousand of miles west of the capital, trouble is brewing over a utility bill. Back in November, Veterans Day to be exact, residents of Bullhead City, Arizona, lit a flame at the town's memorial park. They called it an Eternal Flame. The plan was to keep it constantly lit to honor the fallen. But then they got the gas bill. Joining me now to tell us about that bill is Bullhead City's spokesman, Steve Johnson. Welcome to the program, Steve. And how expensive was that first gas bill you got?

The bill was about $961.

That was a pretty big initial gas bill. I'm trying to picture how big this flame is. Could you describe it for us?

It's - at its height, it's about 12 to 15 inches tall. I describe it as a kind of as a large artichoke. And it consumes a lot - well, obviously, it's consuming a lot of gas, at $900 a month. But it's a pretty tall flame.

turn 2 : The size of the flame doesn't justify the high gas bill

How does the size of the flame relate to the cost of the gas bill?

Answer: A


Well, you hit the nail on the head. A lot of the amateur astronomers who are making these observations are just as skilled as many of the very best professional astronomers. And the only difference between the two is sort of the size of the telescopes that they use.

Yeah.

And a big advance in recent years that has allowed amateur astronomers to observe and record these impacts is digital photography and digital video recording. You know, we can make very sensitive digital video recordings of planets now, and we can capture these impacts when they occur.

Mm-hmm. I'm Ira Flatow, and this is SCIENCE FRIDAY, from NPR, talking with Tony Phillips, astronomer and author of Spaceweather. com. If you want to see the impact on our - go to our website at sciencefriday. com. We have the video up there of the impact. It seems - it's pretty big. I mean, we can see that, right?That flash, you said it was - how many megatons of. . .

turn 0 : hit the nail on the head implies directly saying the key information or the main gist instead of wasting time

What did PersonA say about the difference between amateur and professional astronomers?

Answer: Size


I've been embedded with U. S.  troops. And, as I don't have to tell you, you know, it's close quarters out there - in all ways - and soldiers are exposed to each other in all kinds of intimate ways. Does mixing genders just add an extra complication that combat can do without?

You know, I was forward deployed with Delta Force. I slept in some pretty crappy places, for lack of a better term. Is it a little bit of extra effort?Sure. You know, I'm not going to say that it's not. But when you look at the benefit, when you look at what you're losing, OK, the qualified, talented, amazing, remarkable women who walk into a recruiter's office and want to serve their country and are told you can serve your country but you have to pick from one of these jobs. It's just that you're a woman. But you know what?Every step of progress along the way in the history of our country, there have been people who have tried to make it more difficult, you know, integrated, racially or in any other, you know, situation that we've had to take a step forward in progress. There have been people that have made it more difficult. But the benefit just far outweighs.

Major Mary Jennings Hegar. Thanks so much.

Thank you so much.

turn 2 : (3) implies that Major Mary Jennings Hegar is being thanked and acknowledged for her efforts in making progress for integrating genders in combat.

Which Major is being thanked by PersonA in the dialogue?

Answer: Hegar


And Border Patrol agents are making a lot of trips to the hospital with sick children up and down the Southwest border - nearly 70 kids a day since December, they say. But immigration officials say it's just hard to keep up with the sheer numbers here. It's putting a huge strain on resources, and they're asking Congress for billions of additional dollars to deal with it.

In the meantime, what more have you learned in your reporting about the death of Carlos Hernandez Vasquez?

Well, a couple of things. One thing that really stands out is that Carlos Hernandez Vasquez died in a Border Patrol station. The previous migrant children who died were taken to the hospital first; Hernandez Vasquez was not even though immigration authorities clearly knew that he was sick. He was diagnosed with the flu by a nurse practitioner.

On the same day, Customs and Border Protection moved him to a different Border Patrol station where they could separate him from the other migrants to stop the spread of the flu. Even Health and Human Services officials were concerned about how ill he was. This is the agency that's responsible for long-term care of unaccompanied children. And HHS decided that Hernandez Vasquez could not be flown to a shelter in Florida because of his illness. So in retrospect, critics say it's hard to see why they did not take him to the hospital.

turn 3 : It was negligent of immigration authorities to not take Carlos Hernandez Vasquez to the hospital

What was Carlos Hernandez Vasquez diagnosed with by a nurse practitioner?

Answer: Flu


Yes. In Los Angeles, we made a commitment a number of years ago to only purchase any new buses into our fleet that would operate on alternative fuels. And what we have today is the largest compressed natural gas bus fleet in the country. And that's doing a lot to help improve our air quality here.

What's the difference between compressed natural gas and regular gasoline in terms of, you know, how it affects the environment?

Well compressed natural gas is a much cleaner fuel.

You know, let's just take a look at Los Angeles' demographics. You have people from incredibly wealthy to incredibly poor. You have immigrants, native-born people who've come here from other parts of the U. S. , people, of course, who were born here. How do you think L. A. 's demographics affect the need for public transportation?

turn 0 : The city of Los Angeles has made a conscious effort to reduce air pollution by implementing alternative fuel sources for public transportation.

What is the largest compressed natural gas bus fleet in the country?

Answer: Angeles


Story's still unfolding, we understand. What are you hearing?

Well, the evidence is that the Islamic State is behind this. In addition to French President Francois Hollande saying that the attacks were the work of ISIS, the group itself claimed responsibility in an online statement a short time ago. And they say the attacks were a response to French airstrikes in Syria and that France would remain, in their words, a top target as long as it continued its current policies.

This has been independently confirmed by intelligence officials you've been able to talk to.

Well, my understanding is that officials first started to suspect ISIS was behind this late last night. There were some cellphone conversations or texts that the gunmen were exchanging while the attacks were going on. And they mentioned ISIS. And here's why that's important. You remember the Mumbai attacks in 2008 that were - those were attacks on hotels and Jewish centers and a railway station. Well, one of the ways that they traced it back to the perpetrators was by picking up phone conversations between the gunmen and their handlers in Pakistan. The information is still coming in, but it appears that something similar happened here.

turn 3 : (4): The implication is that the authorities were able to trace the perpetrators of the attacks by looking at cellphone conversations or texts.

How were the perpetrators of the attacks traced?

Answer: Texts


The parallels between the two men were extraordinary, and, of course, I didn't know that when I started researching the story. But every step of the way, there was something else that was a mirror image. They both pursued lofty goals in childhood. They both suffered love and loss as young men. They both lost their wives and were left with infant daughters at very young ages. They both embraced public service, and they both emerged as leaders. And the thing is that in another more enlightened time, they could've held the other's job.

It is also interesting. We mentioned Frederick Douglass, obviously the first generation of African-American leaders in this country. He met with President Lincoln, was - discussed the race issue several times during the Civil War with him, and it is Booker T.  Washington who sort of picks up the mantle, along with W.  E.  B. Du Bois.

They did. But it was interesting to me that Booker T.  Washington and Du Bois came from completely different positions. Slavery was not a concept to Booker T.  Washington. He lived it. Whereas Du Bois grew up in Massachusetts and had a - was born free and had a completely different experience. It was really Booker T.  Washington's mission to lead his people out of slavery. He was actually called the Negro Moses, and it was Du Bois' mission to lead them into the 20th century. If they had been able to work together in concert, I think that what they would've achieved would've been remarkable.

Yet they had tensions, well, I think, that continue to this day.

turn 3 : The implied meaning of (4) is that the tensions between Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois are still relevant today. This is different from the literal meaning, which is that the two men had tensions.

Answer: Relevance


In The New Yorker piece, you were quoted as saying, he's like a velociraptor. He has to be boss. And if you don't show him deference, he kills you.

It's true. It was an impression that I had. And I - that just of somebody who was very aware of his own power and very conscious of any potential threat.

You've been a diplomat for decades, and you've worked through both Republican and Democratic administrations. How is foreign policy, briefly, normally conducted in those administrations?How does the United States normally find consensus for how it deals with other countries?

Yeah, that's a really great question. And, you know, part of that is why you have so many senior people like me leaving the Department of State. This is not about a foreign service or a career diplomatic corps that feels that it must have the final say on all things. The State Department and the career foreign service are enormously patriotic. We are apolitical. We serve the president. We sign an oath that says that we will serve unconditionally the president and implement his or, in some future, her foreign policy. But we are involved. And our involvement is our value added. We live and work overseas. We speak languages. We tend to develop years of expertise if not in regions, then on specific thematic issues.

turn 0 : Being like a velociraptor means that the person is dangerous and threatening.

Answer: Dangerous


You know, I thought at this point that nothing the president did could surprise me. He surprised me. To say the least, it is a stunning lack of understanding and judgment on his part, frankly.

Can you just walk me through that why?

Well, look at who we're talking to. This is the Taliban. It is not a sovereign government. To extend an invitation to Camp David for a meeting with the president when they have not accepted a ceasefire, a full ceasefire, when they are very much in the business of killing American troopers and Afghan civilians. This is not the first casualty that we've had out there since these talks began. But to invite people like that under these conditions to Camp David to be hosted by the president of the United States - that to me was something unthinkable until, obviously, he thought it.

Do you have any sense of what role this meeting would have played in the discussions that have taken place so far?I mean, a lot of people are focusing on today sort of the optics of it. A lot of the people in the president's own party are having trouble with that - I mean, bringing the Taliban to meet at Camp David with the president of the United States. But substantively, though, what role would a discussion like this have played in trying to finalize these negotiations?

turn 1 : They are asking if the other person can help them to understand what they mean.

Which turn is asking for clarification on the potential role of the Camp David meeting in the negotiations?

Answer: 3


So Virginia was demographically the ideal Barack Obama success story. It was not a one color success story. It was a multicolored — he even did better than he's done anywhere else among Latinos. So Virginia is really, if you will, the marquee state for the Barack Obama coalition that he wants to put together.

What about independent voters?Independents or particularly first time voters seemed to have come out.

Yes. In fact, first time voters are largely a creation in this particular cycle of the Barack Obama campaign. That's why they came out. It isn't just because they are suddenly interested in the political process; it's Obama. And in Virginia in particular Obama did so well among independents that he was the reason largely that Mike Huckabee threatened John McCain at all in Virginia. Otherwise McCain would have counted on five to 10 percentage points more from independents who were being attracted over to the other side by Barack Obama.

Before we let you go, there are so many ways to crunch the delegates on the Democratic side. But specifically in terms of delegates that the two candidates have won, in the primaries and caucuses, how are they standing now?

turn 0 : Virginia being a success story for Barack Obama's coalition despite its diverse demographics.

How was Virginia described as a success story for Barack Obama's coalition?

Answer: Diverse


Well, I will say he's not so much trapped. He did do the wrong thing, and he knowingly did the wrong thing for what he believed were for the right reasons. But he still did break the law. So there was going to be some sort of comeuppance in regard because I didn't want to do it where he does something illegal, and it's, like, but it's the main character. Let it slide. On the other hand, the idea was to show that once he's there, exactly where he's sending people.

And one of the reasons I found this interesting is there are comics like "Doonesbury," for example, that are known for taking on topical issues, but that has always been the flavor of "Doonesbury. "As I said before, this is a legacy comic. I mean, it started in 1952. The people who've been reading this comic aren't necessarily used to this. And I'm wondering how people - or how are your fans, how are the readers of the comic are taking it?

I - we'll use the word fans.

This is a legacy strip. And I'm not trying to go, OK, now I'm just going to make it so now, and it's going to be thing. But on the other hand, you never want any strip or anything to be caught in amber, and you do want it to always be moving and feel like it's alive. So - now, granted, we do have the fantastic elements. Assassins appear regularly in this strip. . .

(Laughter).

turn 3 : "be caught in amber" implies that a comic strip appears to contain no action or movement.

Which phrase implies that a comic strip appears to contain no action or movement?

Answer: Caught


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?

We run between 300 and 450 submissions in issue.

turn 0 : "How did this start?" - This turn has a literal meaning and it is asking for the beginning of something.

What is the average number of submissions per issue?

Answer: 300


You mentioned that your narrator offers to help translate this project, the book of collateral damage. This, too, resemble something you've done in real life because you have translated other people's works from Arabic into English. Are you also thinking of that as an act of preservation?

Definitely. Its preservation. It's a creative act. And because the - one of the bright aspects of the history of our species is the exchange and transmitting beauty from one cultural sphere to another. And it's a deliberate act, and if I had more time, I would do more translation.

Given. . .

I also translated my previous novel, "The Corpse Washer" - I translated it from Arabic to English.

turn 1 : exchange and transmitting beauty from one cultural sphere to another means it can be done differently and extraordinarily

What is one of the bright aspects of the history of our species according to A?

Answer: preservation


Well, you know, that's another thing. So sometimes what happens to, you know, big scientists, you know, scientist that really have been enormously successful, is that as they grow older they don't feel as if they can continue, you know, with kind of mainstream incremental science after they have done something really big in the past. And as a result they adopt something that is completely outside of mainstream because they think, a-ha, maybe I'll make yet another huge contribution.

And that has happened to Pauling with Vitamin C.  And it happens to others too, you know, that at old age they suddenly pick up on something. Yes, it happened to Hoyle, Fred Hoyle, who is another person that I discuss on the concept of how did life evolve, you know, and so on. It's not a topic I discuss much in the book, but he started saying that probably all of life on Earth came from outer space and things like that and so on. So it happens.

Mm-hmm. This is SCIENCE FRIDAY from NPR. I'm Ira Flatow talking with Mario Livio, author of "Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein," talking about great blunders that happened. Speaking about those kinds of blunders late in life, Bill Shockley, who was one of the inventors of the transistor, also got into trouble about views about racism late. . .

Yeah. Unfortunately it is more common than we would like.

turn 0 : Some successful scientists adopt unconventional approaches after achieving something significant.

What happens to some successful scientists after achieving something significant?

Answer: Unconventional


The advice I'd give to others is, do your homework, and don't be afraid to do it. The one rule I gave myself was, it's OK if you fail. And coming from a type-A legal background, you don't make any mistakes. But in business, you have to be flexible. So, I allowed myself the freedom to make those mistakes and grow from them.

Have there been any moments when being an African-American entrepreneur has either hurt you or at least given some food for thought?

I'll take the food for thought. I'm a member of the International Spa Association. That's a pretty high-end spa group. And that market's OK, but other trade shows I would do, people would walk up and they'd say, oh, is this a black skin-care company?And I'm thinking, well, everybody has skin, irrespective of who you are - because they see me there. Even though the woman on the cover, model is - she's kind of every woman. She's actually Filipino and German, but people can't tell her background. But when they see my face there, they assume it's a company just for African-American skin, which is not the case.

When you think about that aspect of marketing, do you think that black companies that market directly to African-Americans, just very briefly, have an advantage or disadvantage over businesses like yours?

turn 2 : Assuming a product is only for African-American skin based on the founder's race is wrong and harmful.

Which race did people assume the company's product was only for based on the founder's appearance?

Answer: African-American


Well, one of the first things you do when you find out somebody who shares your name is say, oh, where's your family from?So I told him my family was Romanian and many had come over after World War II. And he told me when I asked him that his family was indeed descended from a sort of aristocratic Austrian family and that he was clearly not wealthy now. There had once been a family fortune, but as he put it, mother lived too long.

Mother lived too long.

Mother lived too long.

And so this acquaintance blossomed over the years, and so you got to know him a little bit.

turn 2 : that the acquaintance between the two people had grown over the years.

What had grown between the two people over the years?

Answer: Acquaintance


And so when two clumps of free protons and electrons hit each other, they will slow each other down. But dark matter has no charge. That's why we can't see it because the only reason you and I could see anything, it's because there's charges that are being accelerated. That's what light is. But if something has no charge, it doesn't give off light.

So yeah, so in the Bullet Cluster, dark matter and galaxies stayed together just as they should, and in Abell 520, they do not, and that is a mystery as to why exactly that is. There isn't a comfortable explanation that can be readily arrived at.

Is there a theory about what may be happening, or just - you have to just think about it some more?

Well, so there's a number of things that could be happening. All of them are slightly disturbing.

turn 0 : (1) The speaker is explaining why dark matter cannot be seen because it has no charge and therefore does not emit light.

Answer: Bullet


Well, it occurred to me very early on in my career that there's no story to equal the story of Moses. At least, you know, to me and my background. So, I wrote some notes - this is back in 1951 - about something called the lawgiver, which I would hope someday to write. And I put these papers aside and glanced at them now and then, but I never thought I'd be able to do it because Moses was just beyond my reach.

Mr.  Wouk, I mean, I don't think telling the story of Moses is beyond you. But I do want to point out that it's been done.

Well, that really was the trouble. It's been done to utter perfection. There's no matching the tale exactly as it's told in the five books of Moses. The key to writing it was there was no narrative voice so that, quote, "Herman Wouk," unquote, is taking no responsibility for what's being written. It's just various voices around a production rather of a movie about Moses.

Every time in this book I read an email or a conversation that seemed to kind of be mocking Hollywood, I thought about the movies that have been made of your books. And they've been pretty good, haven't they?

turn 0 : He as not reaching for Moses but means that the story was something he could not write.

Which story was beyond his reach according to turn 0?

Answer: Moses


Yeah. Everyone agrees that our prescription drug costs are too high - both right and left - you know, Democrat, Republican. It's one of the few points of information, points of fact that everyone agrees on. The problem is everyone disagrees on how best to tackle that. And there are a lot of forces that are resisting any change at all.

The bipartisan solution which Senator Klobuchar and Senator John McCain have proposed is allowing prescription drug imports from other countries, so we allow for a global competition in the sense of, you know, if everyone else is getting a better deal than us, why can't we buy our prescription drugs from there the same way we buy our, you know, refrigerators and cars?

Elisabeth Rosenthal, editor-in-chief of Kaiser Health News and author of "An American Sickness: How Health Care Became Big Business And How You Can Take It Back. "Thanks so much for being with us.

Thanks for having me.

turn 3 : The conversation is coming to an end and Elisabeth Rosenthal is being thanked for her valuable insights.

How was the conversation concluded with Elisabeth Rosenthal?

Answer: Insights


Do you think the Trump administration has achieved that with this action?I mean, do you see them as having a coherent strategy in your view to bring Assad to the table?

No, I don't, and that's the problem. So the strikes were successful in the sense that we follow through on our word. But what now?There doesn't seem to be an answer to some of these larger questions that we were just discussing. Like, where do we go from here?What is our end goal in Syria?What are we doing about the humanitarian situation?Are we going to accept more refugees, or are we going to try to allow people to go back into their homes?Are we going to push for another political - a round of political talks like the ones we had in Geneva or not?These are some of the big questions that I think the administration should be thinking about right now and should be planning for rather than focusing just on the use of chemical weapons and the immediate reaction to that.

Jasmine El-Gamal is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, and she joined us from Beirut. Thank you so very much.

Thanks, Lulu.

turn 1 : The administration should be planning for the future and not just focusing on immediate reactions

What was the main concern of PersonA regarding the Trump administration's approach to Syria?

Answer: Strategy


Not me but we collectively.

We. And then in one place, Philadelphia, I believe, they say yeah mean, which is different.

I thought he played basketball. The Chinese guy, Yao Ming.

Oh, he's - yeah, yeah, yeah.

So it's - I've fallen in love with the phrase. I've fallen in love with the culture, with the people. And just trying to, you know, spread laughter and learn at the same time.

turn 1 : A: "Yeah mean" is a colloquial phrase commonly used in Philadelphia. The actual meaning is "Do you understand what I am saying?" or "Do you know what I mean?"

How is "Yeah mean" commonly used in Philadelphia?

Answer: Understand


My pleasure, Scott.

First, the basics - Secretary Pompeo's attending a meeting about - of about a dozen Asian nations. We know the president likes to negotiate one on one. So what is the multilateral message in Singapore?

So Pompeo was at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. One of his main messages to them is that the U. S.  is not retreating from the region or turning in on itself. And he underlined this by announcing $300 million in new U. S.  government funding for security cooperation in the region and another roughly $100 million for economic and infrastructure projects. Now, observers were quick to note that that's really not very much money compared to China's investments in the region. And it's also a pretty small commitment compared to the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal, which the Trump administration pulled out of in its early days. The other main message to Asian governments there was to just keep on enforcing those sanctions against North Korea until they give up their nuclear weapons.

The secretary says that Russia's violating U. N.  sanctions regarding North Korea and that Pyongyang is going back in its commitment to denuclearize, which says essentially the - you know, that summit a few weeks ago we hailed did nothing.

turn 2 : The U.S. is making a small commitment to security cooperation and infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia, compared to China's investments and the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal that the Trump administration pulled out of. Asian governments were encouraged to continue enforcing sanctions against North Korea.

What message did Pompeo underline by announcing $300 million in new U.S. government funding for security cooperation in the region and another roughly $100 million for economic and infrastructure projects?

Answer: Not


What was the basis on which you were denied?

They said that we need to request a formal tour. And this is the problem. You know, I was at Homestead yesterday - the facility in Florida that houses 2,700 mostly teenage migrants. You think about it - they do these guided tours only at very specific times when they have a lot of notice about when people are going to come through. I'm told that lawyers who represent the kids in there have to sign a nondisclosure agreement so that they can't talk about the conditions in there.

It makes you wonder, what are they hiding?Why do we keep seeing images of overcrowding and of terrible living conditions, and then journalists go in there on one of these guided tours, and everything seems to be fine?

You visited another community center where there are migrant families or children. What did they tell you?Have you been able to get any reports?Or did any people who'd been in those facilities have anything to say to you about what the conditions were there?

turn 1 : seeing images of overcrowding and of terrible living conditions implies the unpleasant view and conditions

What view does the media portray of the living conditions in the facilities?

Answer: living


And a few facts to guard those younger than you and me. Britain seized the Falklands in 1833, illegal then and illegal now, according to Argentina, which calls them the Malvinas. Every Argentine school child learns Islas Malvinas son Argentinas, but the roughly 3,200 residents adamantly insist they and the Falklands are and will always be British. But Jackson Diehl, none of that has changed since the end of the war three decades ago. Why has this dispute reemerge now?

I think it has to do with Argentine politics more than anything else. The reason the Argentine junta in 1982, military generals in charge at the time, invaded the Falklands, was they were desperate to distract popular attention from the fact that the economy was tanking and that they were losing their legitimacy. Now we have a civilian government in power, which, to its credit, doesn't want to invade the Falklands, but it has the same difficult economic problems again and it has the same problems with potentially losing legitimacy at home. And this is a very easy way to distract people.

This time, though, there is no hint of military action.

There isn't. And I think the interesting thing about this government is they have cut the Argentine military budget so severely in the last few years that even if Argentina wanted to invade the Falklands, they would be incapable of doing so. So that's one good thing.

turn 1 : Implied meaning: The speaker may be expressing a subtle hint or suggestion, rather than stating something directly.

What kind of action is not hinted at in the current situation according to B?

Answer: Action


Well, I want to offer condolences to you and the Virginia Beach community. I'm wondering what you can tell us about how people are holding up. I understand you visited a hospital where some of the people wounded in the shooting are being treated still.

I did. You know, this is - again, it's a horrific tragedy, and our hearts go out to certainly the 12 victims that showed up for work yesterday for the city of Virginia Beach intending to go home. And this tragedy occurred, and they weren't able to. And so there's a tremendous void in their families and our community right now. There's a lot of hurt and healing that needs to take place.

I was able to go to the hospital this morning. My intentions were twofold. I wanted to thank the caregivers, the doctors, the nurses and the administrators. And then also, I was able to speak with one of the patients and the families. And they're just such strong and faithful people and just going through what must be one of the hardest experiences in their lives. They were just very grateful for the care that they were receiving and grateful for the heroic work of the law enforcement agents yesterday.

Inevitably, after each mass shooting, there are calls for tighter gun laws. You introduced a number of gun control bills in Virginia's General Assembly back in January, not even six months ago.

turn 1 : The shooting was a terrible tragedy and has left a lot of hurt and healing needed in the community.

What was the intention of PersonA's visit to the hospital?

Answer: Thank


Microfauna, can't get enough.

Microflora and fauna.

That's right.

Excuse me, I just thought of - wow, and was this something he started out to do, I mean, as a scientist?

turn 2 : The living conditions of workers are terrible and lack privacy and basic necessities

How are the living conditions of the workers?

Answer: Terrible


This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Secretary of State John Kerry has joined world diplomats in Geneva today in hopes of reaching an initial agreement to freeze Iran's nuclear program. His arrival suggests a deal may be within reach this weekend, but it's still not there yet. NPR's Peter Kenyon is in Geneva and joins us now. Peter, thanks so much for being with us.

Hi, Scott.

So, how do we read the tea leaves on this?The talks were supposed to finish yesterday, but now the secretary of state has flown all the way across the Atlantic to join them.

Well, it should be a positive sign, although the very latest comments from British Foreign Secretary William Hague are along the lines, well, the gaps are narrow but they're important and not easy to resolve. So, I think your point that we're not there yet is still very much in play. But I think there's also a high-level presence, which means there's a growing sense of urgency about wrapping up these talks. I mean, this is supposed to be the easy part - a six-month deal that's entirely reversible in just about every respect if something doesn't go right. So, hammering out a lasting comprehensive deal is going to be much harder than this. And if this one takes too long to negotiate, there's a fear the whole diplomatic enterprise could just collapse under pressure. We've already heard from both parties in Congress that more sanctions may come up next month if these talks fail. So, I'd say there is a feeling of some kind of a deadline. Maybe not this weekend but soon.

turn 2 : The expression "read the tea leaves" is used to describe gathering subtle clues to gain an understanding of a situation. In this context, it means to interpret the events to gain an understanding of the likelihood of an agreement being reached.

How does the expression "read the tea leaves" relate to the talks in Geneva?

Answer: Likelihood


You've probably seen the signs in pharmacies now - flu shots here. You can buy shampoo, deodorant, nasal spray, M&M's and a flu shot. But if you're of a certain demographic, you might consider waiting a while before you get that shot. Here's some advice from Dr.  Laura Haynes, a professor of immunology at the University of Connecticut.

The best time for most people to get the flu vaccine would be in October. If you're a little bit older and over 65, I would say between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Why should older people wait a month or more?Dr.  Haynes says. . .

Their immune response isn't as good to the vaccine. So the protection that's induced wanes more quickly. So therefore, you'd want to wait a little bit longer than you would if you were a younger adult. That way, you're protected throughout the majority of the really bad flu season, which happens from, say, January to April.

turn 0 : (1) A: On the other hand, in this case, much as you or I might find to step on the flag terribly offensive, it was - it seems to me - actually well integrated into the lesson plan. I think he was probably trying to shock his students. I think that maybe the best way to do that pedagogically, however, is to do something with a little balance. If you think your more conservative students are going to be shocked by the - you stepping on the flag, do something that's going to shock your more liberal students as well to illustrate to both sides in the classroom that shocking speech is also OK.  The literal meaning of this turn is that the act of stepping on the flag was integrated into the lesson plan to shock students and that the speaker suggests doing something with a little balance to shock both liberal and conservative students. However, the implied meaning is that the speaker believes that educators should not shy away from using provocative or controversial material in their lesson plans, even if it might offend some students. The speaker is suggesting that this approach can be a useful pedagogical tool to engage students and challenge their beliefs, but it should be done in a balanced way that respects all viewpoints in the classroom.

Which side of the classroom does the speaker suggest shocking to illustrate that shocking speech is also okay?

Answer: Both


You know, it's the - there's not formal groups that kind of, you know, identify themselves. They don't have a problem with some other towns in the South where there's like, you know, revived Klan groups and such. I'm aware of the SPLC's research and such. But it's more - I think it's less formal than that but it's probably no less prevalent.

One of the things I'd like to ask you, because you're a person who has been writing about this and the photographs have been printed and seen around the country - the role of the media in covering this, does it make it better, does it make it worst?

Well, I think that really depends on, you know, literally what skin you're in, you know?A lot of the - many of the black folks in that town are very happy to see outside attention brought, they hoped that that scrutiny is going to force some changes down there. But by the same token many of the white folks are just outraged and they think that, you know, this is outsiders meddling in their affairs and they ought to just get their nose out of their business. There was the local Methodist preacher the last time I was there a month ago who told me that I was no better than a Christ killer but you know, you just kind of have to have thick skin.

Howard, thank you very much.

turn 0 : There are informal groups in the town that are not identified openly

What kind of groups are present in the town?

Answer: Informal


Yeah. This is, again, completely innovative. You know, part of the problem that we have with tall buildings is building them all out of glass and then having to go to gymnastics to kind of cover them up on the outside, and we see that in America. But in intense solar environments like the desert, it makes even less sense.

This is an innovative way to control this. It actually, to my knowledge, for the first time creates this skin on the outside made up of, you know, hundreds of modules, which can open and close by computer control, depending on the angle of incident sun. So if the sun's on the other side of the building, the modules open up and allow natural daylight into the space. And if the sun is incident on the building, then those modules close up and block the sun from entering.

Is what makes a tall building great the ability to actually look like it fits in with the rest of the buildings in the neighborhood or the culture of the people?

I believe so. That's - you know, as a professor, that's the thing that I advocate. I believe that a Chinese tall building or a, you know, an American tall building or a Middle Eastern tall building should be different to each other in the same way that, you know, religious and other architecture is clearly identifiable.

turn 1 : "creates this skin on the outside" - This is a metaphorical expression that refers to the outer facade or surface of the building, rather than a literal skin.

Which expression in the dialogue refers to the ability of the modules to open and close depending on the angle of incident sun?

Answer: Modules


I gather there were women who asked you for medical help.

Yes. So some of the women who had been raped asked to know if they were pregnant. One of the most heartbreaking things I would have to do would be to confirm for women that they were, indeed, pregnant as a result of rape. Some of them were requesting testing for sexually transmitted infections, which we couldn't do on the boat, but we helped to arrange in Italy once we arrived there.

One of the things I say about my Doctors Without Borders work is that I often come across the best of humanity, but I also come across the worst of humanity. And these women, especially, told me of things that had happened to them that it never occurred to me that humans could do that to one another.

All right, Dr.  Giles, you have at least a few ears in America right now. What do we need to hear?

turn 2 : "I often come across the best of humanity, but I also come across the worst of humanity." This turn uses the figurative language of "the best" and "the worst" of humanity, which refers to the admirable actions and the despicable actions of people, respectively. It does not mean that the speaker encounters people who are entirely good or entirely bad.

How does the speaker describe the people they encounter?

Answer: Actions


No, not at all. And I've been pretty much apolitical my entire adult life. But this election is obviously quite different than previous presidential elections. So I just thought - I thought it was necessary to jump in and use my voice.

Why?

The prospects of Donald Trump being president just scare the hell out of me. And that's coming after having initially, you know, supported him and hoped that he would be 180 degrees different from what he turned out to be.

I mean, am I wrong?I seem to remember there was a time when you offered to be the running mate for either of them.

Oh, sure. Yeah, a lot of that was a little bit tongue-in-cheek. I didn't really expect that to happen. But, you know, there was a time when Donald first got into the race where I would talk to him on the phone.

turn 3 : The implied meaning behind this question is that A was initially willing to support Donald Trump and even offered to be his running mate at one point, but has since changed his mind and is now opposed to him.

What was PersonA's initial attitude towards Donald Trump's presidential candidacy?

Answer: Supported


What do you think - if this decision is permanent, what do you think the U. S.  will miss by not being a member of UNESCO?

Oh, I think the U. S.  will miss a lot. It's a big loss for the United Nations family because we are part of this family. It is a big role for multilateralism. But I believe it is also a loss for the U. S.

Irina Bokova is director general of UNESCO. Thanks so much for joining us.

Thank you very much for inviting me.

turn 3 :  The implied meaning of this turn is that the guest is expressing gratitude for being invited to the show

How did the guest respond to the invitation?

Answer: Thank-you


. . . He maintained a hold too long. That hold became deadly force. . .

Right.

. . . That his commissioner decided was not necessary at the point that it was being used.

However, there was a long review of not just the commissioner. . .

turn 3 : A case of police brutality is being investigated and all involved are subject to that investigation

How are the individuals involved in the case being treated?

Answer: Unnecessary


You've probably seen the signs in pharmacies now - flu shots here. You can buy shampoo, deodorant, nasal spray, M&M's and a flu shot. But if you're of a certain demographic, you might consider waiting a while before you get that shot. Here's some advice from Dr.  Laura Haynes, a professor of immunology at the University of Connecticut.

The best time for most people to get the flu vaccine would be in October. If you're a little bit older and over 65, I would say between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Why should older people wait a month or more?Dr.  Haynes says. . .

Their immune response isn't as good to the vaccine. So the protection that's induced wanes more quickly. So therefore, you'd want to wait a little bit longer than you would if you were a younger adult. That way, you're protected throughout the majority of the really bad flu season, which happens from, say, January to April.

How did the speaker suggest shocking both liberal and conservative students in the classroom?

Answer: Balance


It is an example of how we can work together, from the scientific side, to generate very good data and answer the hard questions. As (inaudible) asked - are the things we do really impacting positively?It is also an example of how governments have worked together. When President Obama, Prime Minister Harper and the President Pena Nieto got together a couple of years ago, they signed this agreement. They established a high-level committee that has been working for these years. And we really wish we could have more of those cases. It certainly is an example to follow.

Just to remind our listeners, though, the numbers are still way down from where they were 20 years ago, so there's still a long way to go.

Jorge Rickards is field programs director from the World Wildlife Fund in Mexico. Thanks so much for speaking with us.

It's a pleasure. Thank you very much.

turn 2 : the World Wildlife Fund in Mexico's field programs director, Jorge Rickards, has expertise and valuable insights to share on the topic of wildlife conservation.

How is Jorge Rickards associated with wildlife conservation?

Answer: Conservation


And then the women also said they wanted their jacket to look like that. They wanted to wear a male tie, which is unusual. Usually women wear, like, kind of a little crosshatch-looking tie. But they wanted to wear a long, male tie. And they wanted a pencil skirt.

Were the women and the men in the military polled about this?

Yeah. From different ranks, they had people come in and look at the uniforms or hats, you know, sent the prototypes to them and said, what do you like?Is this comfortable?And what would you like to see?

So they get some sartorial input.

turn 0 : The women wanted to wear a long, male tie and pencil skirt, which is unusual for women.

What did the women want to wear that was unusual for women?

Answer: male


It's hard. It is really hard when every time you look up, three kids killed here, four people shot here, somebody getting killed right down the street, right around the corner. It's kind of discouraging sometimes trying to do as much as you can with the resources that you do have.

Boy, I mean, I think a lot of people listening, well, will be very moved, but, I mean, some of them have to be saying, wait a minute. The president of the United States is from the South Side. Don't people look up to him?

I definitely look up to Obama. Obama's a great guy. I never forget - March 31 I wrote the president. You know, I'm from your city, and we're dying down here every day. What are you doing up there to stop what's happening to us down here?And he wrote me back, a little girl in a little basement apartment in Englewood. He wrote me back.

I was able to use that letter to inspire the people that live in this neighborhood like me. Don't ever stop trying. And it just goes back to the movement. No matter how hard things get, no matter every day and I'll wake up and I look at the news and more people have been killed, more people have been shot, that just shows me that I still have work to do.

turn 1 : The literal meaning of this turn is that some people may question whether the President of the United States, who is from the South Side, is a role model for people in that area. However, the implied meaning is that the President should be doing more to address the issues and problems faced by the people in the South Side. The speaker is suggesting that the President has a responsibility to use his position to help the community and that some people may feel disappointed by his lack of action.

How might some people feel about the President's actions towards addressing the issues faced by the South Side community?

Answer: Disappointed


Thanks for having me on.

You call this man's screed and his other provocative activity online - you call this booby traps. What do you mean by that?

I mean his goal is to provoke and sow division between the right and the left. A lot of the comments that he put in his manifesto are, essentially, things that he knew would be picked up by the world media and cause the right and left to get to each other's throats. Like, that was part of the goal - is to get people angry and fighting.

And can you give me an example?

Yeah. He brought up Candace Owens, who is a far-right YouTube personality and credited her for his radicalization, which is - cannot be true. He said that she was more extreme than him. This is a man who just shot dozens of people at a mosque. She's not more extreme than him.

He also mentions President Trump.

turn 2 : The goal of the provocative activity is to create division and unrest between opposing groups

What is the goal of the provocative activity?

Answer: Conflict


I agree. I was shocked - really shocked - when I found them. And then many things happened to me with Chopin through my life.

Such as?

Well (laughter), you're not going to believe this if you don't believe in the unknown normal. But I had a death mask of Chopin given to me. Some friends came over, and they said, what's that?I said, it's death mask of Chopin. That's what they used to do in those days. When someone died, they'd get someone to put wax on his face and make this death mask as a memorial. I took it off - down. I said, please be careful with it because it's, you know, very unique. There are only two or three in the world. My wife was there. My son was there - he was about 17 - and these two friends. And, suddenly, a fluid started coming out of one of the eyes. And I put my hand into this fluid, and it was salty. So I guess there was no question in my mind these were tears. What I felt was that Chopin was happy that he could communicate somehow with the current world.

You know, I learned one thing. People who are negative about these kinds of unknown normal things - they will never change. They'll always find another way that it could've happened or try to find another way that it could've happened. But I just give up try to convince them because they won't ever be convinced. The ones who are skeptics - once they hear about it, they say, oh, actually, it's real.

turn 2 : "fluid started coming out of one of the eyes" is a literal description, but the interpretation of the fluid as tears from the death mask is a metaphorical or supernatural belief.

What was the fluid that came out of one of the eyes?

Answer: Tears


What can Americans learn from 18 years of war?That's what the U. S.  has faced since the 9/11 attacks in 2001. James Mattis was in position to learn. The Marine veteran served in Afghanistan and Iraq and was defense secretary under President Trump until he resigned. Mattis has a memoir - "Call Sign Chaos. "He avoids direct criticism of the president. When we spoke yesterday, we asked if the president thinks long term, and Mattis said only that people around him do. The general describes his own detailed planning. Before leading a force into Iraq in 2003, he read thousands of years of history of Alexander the Great and others who invaded that region before him.

What could a multi-thousand-year-old battle teach you that would be relevant in the 21st century?

Well, there's enduring aspects of leadership, and plus geography doesn't change. And so when you read about the challenges they faced, it gets you thinking about your own. I knew we were going to be operating very deep inside the Middle East, and I had to decide what was the right manner in which I wanted the troops to go in. So I used words from antiquity. From a Roman general, I used no better friend, no worse enemy. We were going in to liberate the Iraqi people from Saddam. We were not going in to dominate them. I didn't want triumphalism. I wanted to go in with a sense of first do no harm.

So you read thousands of pages and then tried to boil it down to a few phrases, or in some cases even a word, that you could pass on to thousands of people.

turn 2 : The roman general he used was not someone he knew, but they were helpful in good and bad ways.

Which Roman general did Mattis use as a reference for his leadership style in Iraq?

Answer: Roman


Help us understand. Just how good were the Lightning before this collapse?

Oh, quite good. They had 62 wins in the regular season. That tied the all-time NHL record for wins in a season. This was a team that was doing historic things in the regular season. Consider this. Thirty of their 62 victories were by three goals or more. So every time they stepped on the ice, they weren't just winning. They were blowing away their opponents.

So it's safe to say any sane hockey analyst (laughter) basically would have said that the Lightning was going to win the series, right?So what happened?

(Laughter) Well, I think Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh put it best. Everything that they did so well in the regular season, the Columbus Blue Jackets did it better in this series. But the bigger picture is this for the Lightning. They clinched a playoff spot in early March. They've been on cruise control for months. The Columbus Blue Jackets had to win seven of their last eight games just to get into the playoffs. So when push came to shove and adversity hit in the series, the Lightning had a bad six days compared to a great 82 games in the regular season, and then they were swept.

turn 0 : "collapse" in line 1 - The word "collapse" is being used metaphorically here to refer to the unexpected defeat of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL playoffs, rather than a literal collapse.

Which NHL team tied the all-time NHL record for wins in a season?

Answer: Lightning


The MIT Media Lab has been under fire for the past several weeks for its financial links to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The lab's director, Joi Ito, initially said he had accepted $525,000 and more for his own private tech investment funds from Epstein, and he apologized. Now The New Yorker has detailed the lengths to which the MIT lab went to conceal its acceptance of millions of dollars more in gifts arranged by Epstein. Today, Ito formally resigned, writing, quote, "after giving the matter a great deal of thought over the past several days and weeks, I think that it is best that I resign as director of the media lab and as a professor and employee of the institute, effective immediately" - unquote. Joining us to talk about this is NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik from New York.

David, welcome back. Thanks for joining us.

My pleasure.

Could you just walk us through the scale of this?How far did MIT go to conceal their ties with Jeffrey Epstein?

turn 0 : Joi Ito received money from Jeffrey Epstein, leading to his resignation from the Media Lab.

Answer: Gifts


It turned into sand. We're going to stick with that.

(Laughter).

We atomized the entire thing.

So you get a sense of how this whole thing is going. Obviously, we should then inject alcohol into the situation. For his new show, Brad spent some time around Austin, Texas. So to cap off the visit, we made a cocktail - a paloma made out of a spirit called sotol, distilled from a plant that grows in the Texas desert.

turn 3 : So you get a sense of how this whole thing is going. - This implies that the speaker wants the listener to understand the context and overall direction of the conversation.

How did they cap off Brad's visit in Austin?

Answer: Sotol


Good morning, Renee.

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

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

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

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

turn 2 : Pleases the court could mean "good enough for the court" or something like that.

How did the Supreme Court rule on the census citizenship question?

Answer: allowance


So a medicinal leech is a common name that we use for leeches that feed on humans. . .

Oh.

. . . And have anticoagulants that could be used in modern medicine. Leeches have these anticoagulants in their saliva. So when they bite, that causes the blood to flow and for the blood to stay liquid inside the leech once it's eaten it. And this has been used in medicine for many, many years. It was most popular in the 17, 1800s in Western medicine, and it's even used today in modern medicine. Leeches are approved medical device in the United States, and they're used readily.

Tell me about your collection method. How did you find this three-jawed leech?

turn 3 : It's not three jawed but has multiple capabilities when it bites a person.

How would you describe the leech's capabilities?

Answer: Multiple


It probably had more to do with Moore - Roy Moore - and his unique trainload of baggage. But it's still hard not to compare it to what happened back in 2010 when Scott Brown was elected in Massachusetts, taking Teddy Kennedy's seat. And this was at about the same point in President Obama's first term.

That really changed the mood on Capitol Hill. It did not stop the passage of Obamacare, but it signaled a big turnover in Congress in the next elections. And we could be heading into a correction here in the other direction under President Trump.

NPR's Ron Elving. Thanks so much.

Thank you, Scott.

turn 2 : "NPR's Ron Elving thanking Scott". However, the actual meaning is "Scott thanking NPR's Ron Elving.

Which person thanked the other, Scott or Ron?

Answer: Scott


For the second time in as many months, Mozambique is recovering from a deadly cyclone. In March, it was you Idai. This time it's Kenneth. Kenneth was a Category 4 cyclone when it made landfall in the north of the country last week. Devastating winds were followed by days of torrential rain and widespread flooding. The government says at least 38 people have died.

For more, we're joined by Deborah Nguyen with the United Nations World Food Programme. She's in Pemba, near the center of the storm's path. And to begin, can you tell us what the damage looks like on the streets of Pemba right now?

In Pemba itself right now it's completely flooded. It has rained for the past two days, which is making humanitarian aid difficult.

Currently you're involved with the teams who are distributing food. What kind of food are you bringing to people?And how are you able to reach them?

turn 0 : The cyclones in Mozambique have caused a lot of destruction and loss of life.

What is the reason for the widespread flooding in Pemba?

Answer: Rain


Tomorrow, car sales numbers for November are due out, and they're not expected to be good. That could lead to more dealerships shutting down, and that could mean a big loss of revenue for local governments. For example, this year, the state of California has lost at least two billion dollars in sales taxes due to the drop in car sales.

To get a better sense of how local governments are coping, we're joined now by Marshall Bond. He is the city manager for Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Thanks for joining us, and why don't you tell us how many car dealerships are in Monroeville?

Just about every major domestic and foreign manufacturer sells cars here in Monroeville.

And so, how much of your budget comes from the revenue from car sales at these dealerships?

We have a business tax which obviously is, I'd say, probably of that - I'd say total tax is probably about 15 to 20 percent is based upon our related car industry.

turn 0 : The car sales numbers for November are expected to be bad and it may lead to dealership shutdowns, causing a big loss of revenue for local governments.

What is the potential impact of bad car sales numbers on local governments?

Answer: Loss


We're going to talk through this now with Jamil Jaffer. He was a lawyer in the White House under President George W.  Bush. And he was senior counsel to the House intel committee. He joins us now. Welcome back.

Thanks, Lulu. Good to be here.

All right. We have the Democratic memo. What have you learned from reading it?

Well, look. I think that what we've learned is there's a real debate here between the two sides about the substance of this application on Carter Page, the FISA application and the three renewals. And, you know, what was going on here?According to the Republican memo, it was a highly slanted investigation. Information from this dossier, which has largely been discredited now, was used to obtain the surveillance.

And for the Democrats, you see a response that says, no, in fact, there were lots of sources of information. The memo was but one source and that this was a long, ongoing investigation long before they even heard about the memo. And we ought not believe the Republicans' claims. And so we have a very clear now debate. The American people can read both memos and have a honest discussion about, you know, who has the right of this here.

turn 3 : Republican memo was biased and used unreliable information.

What was used to obtain the surveillance according to the Republican memo?

Answer: Dossier


Well, I would say that he is a guy that tends to see silver linings in dark clouds. And, you know, this is a man that, in private business, had 10,000 lawsuits over his career, so I think he has a unique ability to sort of quarantine in his mind the impact some of these things have.

And what's the risk in that?

Well, I think the implications, again, is that it's not just about Zelenskiy. It's not about the Ukraine. It's not about Rudy. It's - the can has been opened. Now we have to see if there's good soup inside or worms, right?They're going to be looking for stuff - the House Democrats - that are not going to be very glowing and positive about the president. So if we think these revelations are not good - and now they might get an expedited subpoena power with the impeachment process under way. It's not good.

Does the seriousness of this cast a shadow on the White House?Are they concerned about what, for instance, is going to be coming out today?

turn 2 : Not soup, but they have to study the situation to see if it will be good or be trouble.

Answer: Worms


ou're also seeing some extreme moves by companies like Advantage Consultants who basically say, hey, we can supply you, Mr.  and Ms. Candidate, with an army-full of bloggers ready to get your campaign out on the blogosphere 24/7. It's just - it's like the wild, wild West right now on the Internet.

Is that - I mean, of course, all fair - all is fair in love, war and politics. But is that cheating in a way, you know, blogs were created initially as if, like, I'm just going to express what's in my heart. And now, it sounds as if what you're saying is that there is a lot of people who are saying, I'm going to create the appearance that people are speaking from their heart.

Yeah, and, you know - and this is - gets into astroturfing and a whole bunch of other terminology behind what's the real message of these types of Web sites. You're right. The organic nature of a blog was to be something that was transparent, that wasn't agenda-driven. And obviously, when you start looking at politics and campaigns, it's agenda-driven. So now, they're looking at these tools being PR machines, more than this transparent, here-is-a-look-into-my-life type of outlet that it used to be.

Speaking of transparency, there is some information that campaigns don't always give out, like where their money is coming from. And tell me about OpenSecrets.

turn 1 : "express what's in my heart" is a figurative expression that means to express one's true and honest feelings.

How was a blog supposed to be transparent according to A?

Answer: Transparent


What should we make of these shocking statistics?

I think to most Alaskans, these statistics aren't surprising. Anyone who lives here knows someone or is themselves a victim of sexual violence. And so this is a reality that Alaskan residents are constantly made aware of.

You say in an opinion piece you wrote for the Anchorage Daily News that 59 percent of women in Alaska say they've been sexually assaulted.

That's right. And it should be noted that, though that number is remarkable, it is likely that that number is also conservative. And we should also note that amongst the 59 percent of Alaska women, 61 percent are Alaska Native, which makes Alaska Native women almost 10 times more likely than other Alaskans to be victims.

turn 1 : Sexual violence is a widespread problem in Alaska.

How common is sexual violence in Alaska?

Answer: Widespread


Yeah. The deficit - you can think about that - that's just a gap between what the government spends and what it takes in. So if you outspend your paychecks a month, you might put the difference on your credit card. The government does the same. That's the deficit. The debt is like the accumulated credit card balance, the sum of all the deficits you've run in the previous months or years.

So the bigger that balance on the government's credit card, the more the government has to pay in interest costs. And that means it's got less money available to spend on everything else we want the government to do. What's more, if the government's borrowing a whole lot of money, that potentially means there's less money available for individuals and businesses that want to borrow. And that can have the effect of curbing economic growth. Economists call that the crowding out effect.

This was a huge issue for Republicans, and they seem now to have backed off of that.

Yeah. Some of the Republicans who used to sound the alarm about rising deficits during the Obama administration seem less concerned about that now. I'm not sure if that's because they've gotten some new economic theory. It may have more to do just with who's in charge. During the recession, we saw dire warnings about debt-to-GDP ratios. Those turned out not to be true. A better question might be, you know, what are we running up the debt for?

turn 1 : A large government debt can lead to less money available for individuals and businesses to borrow, which can slow down economic growth.

Which factor can potentially curb economic growth?

Answer: Crowding