Yesterday, General Motors announced that it would review its contracts with ad agencies to see whether or not they should even be renewed. Let's say you were working on a car company advertising campaign. What should they do to actually get American consumers to buy cars?

Yeah, I think there's a deeper question there, Alex, to be honest, about - with the car companies. If I were pitching them right now, or I was being asked to prove that it's worth doing, I would really, really want to understand what their view of the future of their industry is. And I would want to align my marketing around their authentic view of their business, right?

What I absolutely think they should do right now?They should do a series of advertisements, purely authentic and honest, basically saying, look, for the past 30 years, they've messed up. They've run afoul of obvious economic externalities. And I think if they are authentic, and they do a mea culpa, people will regain some trust in them. That might be a futile attempt, frankly, at this point because I think that they are lumbering giants.

So, how are companies reshaping their marketing strategies to deal with customers who may not want to buy anything right now?

turn 1 : Car companies need to understand their industry's future to create effective advertising

Which question does Alex ask to understand the car companies' view of their business?

Answer: View


Over 700 people were killed this week when a stampede took place during the Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. The sheer volume of pilgrims every year has led to problems before. In fact, over 1,400 people were killed in a similar incident back in 1990. This week, Iran and other regional powers criticized the Saudi Arabian government for poor management of the crowds that come to their holy places. Gary Sick is a senior research scholar at Columbia's Middle East Institute. He joins us now from New York. Thanks so much for being with us, Mr.  Sick.

It's a real pleasure.

What do you read into Iran's outspoken criticism of Saudi Arabia over these deaths?

This is very standard stuff. The Iranians and the Saudis have a running battle about the Hajj. And the worst incident they've ever had was actually back in 1987. In each case, they've blamed the Saudis. And in each case, the Saudis have blamed the pilgrims for misbehaving, for not doing what they were told. And on the previous case, the Saudis broke diplomatic relations with Iran over the incident. And that was only restored a few years later after Khomeini died.

turn 3 : (4) A: This is very standard stuff. (implied meaning: This type of disagreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia is not unusual or surprising.)

Which statement did PersonA make to suggest that the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the Hajj is not uncommon?

Answer: Disagreement


Let's wrap up, Ron, by talking about taxes. The House wants to try to pass a tax bill - an overhaul bill - by Thanksgiving. What can we look forward to there?

This week, we should see the pigs start coming out of the poke. The tax chairman on the House side, Republican Kevin Brady, is going to show us what his details show - legislative language. We're going to find out really who's going to be paying more, who's going to be paying less. And that could really kick off some political fallout.

Right because, obviously, the devil is in the details. And the vote could be very slim, at least on the Senate side, right?They can't afford to lose many at all.

That's right. Maybe they can lose 2 and still prevail in the Senate because their margin is basically 2. But we've got Rand Paul from Kentucky and Bob Corker of Tennessee both saying they don't want to add to the deficit. As it stands now, this plan would add 1. 5 trillion to the national debt.

turn 3 : A:	That's right.Maybe they can lose 2 and still prevail in the Senate because their margin is basically 2.But we've got Rand Paul from Kentucky and Bob Corker of Tennessee both saying they don't want to add to the deficit.As it stands now, this plan would add 1.5 trillion to the national debt.

Which two senators are opposed to adding to the deficit in the tax plan?

Answer: Rand,Bob


Perhaps the most interesting part of it is the number of loose ends that we have. On one hand, Secretary Pompeo said there was no doubt Iran was responsible for the whole thing. And he listed a whole series of things that he said Iran had been doing, one of which was apparently an unknown militia in Iraq and the other was action by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

So maybe Iran really was responsible for the attacks on the tankers. But I think the fact that Pompeo chose to blame them for absolutely everything that's going on in the region that we don't like is a pretty good indication that the United States really is on a kind of propaganda campaign against Iran. But that doesn't solve the problem.

I was going to ask about the Iran side of this. So just, you know, for the sake of argument, what would Iran's motive be - if these attacks detected - what would be their motive?

As I say, I'm not doubting too much that Iran had a hand in this thing. Their motive is I think quite clear. We are in the middle of a signaling process that is going on. The United States is actually cracking down on Iran so that, basically, Iran not only can't sell oil. It can't sell its refined products. And, increasingly, Iran's closed out of international markets for just about anything that they produce.

turn 2 : Assuming that Iran is responsible for the attack.

What was PersonB going to ask about in the dialogue?

Answer: Iran


Oh, lovely to be here, Neal.

And everybody knows Frederick Douglass met with Abraham Lincoln at the White House, what, 35, 40 years earlier. What's the big deal about Booker T.  Washington coming to dinner?

Well, what happened was African-Americans were invited to meet in offices. They built the White House. They worked for the various presidents. But they were never ever invited to sit down at the president's table. And when that happened, the outrage was just unbelievable.

And you write that the outrage was not - it was about crossing that social line. Yes, you can talk to African-Americans, you can have relations with them, business dealings, all kinds of relationships but not sit down at dinner, not have a social relationship.

turn 2 : Implied meaning: The speaker may be hinting at a deeper meaning or intention behind their words or actions, which requires further investigation or understanding to fully grasp.

Answer: Unbelievable


First of all, there is a lag time of - it's several months before raw material costs work their way all the way through the system. And farmers will be quick to tell you that they only get 20 cents from every food dollar. The rest of it goes to processing and labor and transportation. So all of these other factors also effect what we're paying at the grocery store.

Essentially the department is assuming that the volatility in the prices for energy and commodities is going to be with us for a while, at least through the middle of next year. In other words, the recent trends of lower prices for oil and other commodities isn't going to last, and if you look at today's spike in the price of oil, that's a good case in point.

John, you mentioned how we'll be seeing this at the grocery store. What about at restaurants?

Well, that's interesting. USDA forecast compares prices of food at home with those away from home. And in 2005 and 06, restaurant price and inflation was much higher than in grocery stores, but that changed last year and this year and supposedly will continue next year. Restaurants are now raising prices more slowly than grocery stores. Basically, restaurants are trying to absorb some of their higher food costs to cushion the blow to their customers and to keep them coming in.

turn 3 : "cushion the blow" - This is an idiomatic expression that means to lessen the negative impact of something rather than actually providing cushioning.

How does the idiom "cushion the blow" relate to the impact of higher food costs on restaurant customers?

Answer: Lessen


That could be jeopardized?

Well, certainly the people putting forth these plans don't think it would be. What they want to do is change Medicaid from a guaranteed benefit to a block grant to states. So a state would get a fixed amount of money from the federal government and decide for itself how to spend it. The idea is that states know their needs better than the feds, and this would give them flexibility.

What critics of this idea worry about is, what happens in an economic downturn when demand on Medicaid goes up?They say states could be left with a sort of Sophie's choice. Do you cut back on services for poor children or for the frail elderly?

I know we've talked about Medicare and Medicaid. Are there proposed changes that would affect older Americans who might buy their own health care coverage?

turn 0 : (1) Implied meaning: Is this plan risky?

Which word in the dialogue suggests a potential trade-off for states under the proposed Medicaid changes?

Answer: Sophie's


How has Koinadugu been able to avoid the infection for so long?

We took concrete measures, proactively, way back in May. The district decided to self-quarantine. There was control of movement - people coming into the district and people going out of the district. We also embark on major sensitization door to door. We involve community leaders, and we just involve the whole community to say this is a real. Ebola is real. Let us avoid Ebola.

Sierra Leone is a society with a lot of faith healers. What do they do that might help spread the disease?

The act of healing involves the use of the hands. They are not trained people. They don't have gloves. It's a lot of physical touching, and that is why we are saying the faith healing practice should be stopped for now because once the patient shows signs and symptoms of Ebola and they go to a faith healer, it's almost 100 percent that they will transmit it to the faith healer and eventually to the community.

turn 3 :  (4).  The speaker is not simply stating that faith healers use their hands and physical touch, but rather that this practice is a high-risk behavior that can easily spread the Ebola virus. The speaker is suggesting that in order to contain the spread of the virus, faith healers should temporarily stop their practice until appropriate safety measures can be put in place. The implied meaning is that traditional practices such as faith healing may need to be altered or suspended in times of crisis, even though they are deeply ingrained in the culture.

Which traditional practice is the speaker suggesting that should be temporarily stopped until appropriate safety measures can be put in place?

Answer: Faith


I think that - you know I think that there a lot of lower pay guys who are, you know, for contracts who are taking - because in other words, you're getting it from somewhere, and this - the money that they're getting paid now is coming from last year. You know, that's what baseball does. I think we will see, next year, we'll begin to see the push back in terms of the long-term contracts, which contracts are taking a hit. But right now, as long as television is there and fans are, you know…

Well, yeah, but are the fans going to be there?Because I'm hearing that the NFL, NBA, major league baseball fans, they're worried that - the clubs are worried because people - season ticket holders who keep thing - whole thing going they may not be re-upping the way they've been in the past.

And that's when you will see - you will see the effect of that next year. You know, right now, baseball is still going on in terms of the salaries. They're going on last year's income, which was record-setting. Now, if they've got a downturn at the turnstile, you were going to see it next year. This time next year, we could be talking about some serious, you know, shrinking, withdrawals, you know, there could be a couple of teams that aren't cutting it. And I'm talking about…

That was danger.

turn 1 : Season ticket holders may not be buying season tickets again this year.

How are the clubs worried about the fans?

Answer: Re-upping


Wow. So that must have even surprised the researchers, I imagine.

Yeah, well the big thing is nobody really has any even guess about how the brain is able to do this. They did some similar experiments where they weren't turning somebody's world upside-down, they were - they had goggles that reversed right and left. So everything that was on your right is suddenly on your left.

And again, the first few days were just madness from the point of view of somebody doing this. The whole world is reversed. But after a few days, the brain adjusted to it.

Amazing. And so when they took the goggles of him and he had to go back to the normal life, how long did that take?

turn 2 : The brain is capable of adjusting to normalcy after experiencing an unusual situation.

Which ability did the brain exhibit after a few days in the experiment?

Answer: Adjustment


I mean, there is evidence that companies invest more when stock prices go up. But yeah, like you said, it's not necessarily on hiring. They might spend on equipment, factories, technology. And some of that could mean fewer jobs. You know, some of that technology makes things more efficient. The bottom line is it's not an easy cause and effect.

In the recovery from the recession, stocks went up, jobs didn't go up nearly as quickly. And sometimes, a company's stock price goes up after it lays people off. Investors say, oh, you're saving money. You're cutting spending. Good for you. In other words, it's not very simple. The stock market is a broad economic indicator, but it is not at all nuanced.

Danielle Kurtzleben. Thanks so much for being with us.

Sure. You bet.

turn 2 : The stock market is not reliable to determine whether companies will create more jobs or not.

Which indicator is not reliable to determine whether companies will create more jobs or not?

Answer: Stock-Market


And they would need 60 votes to do that bill, which means they would need at least eight Democrats and probably more to come on board to essentially re-pass some form of health care legislation to offer insurance to people on the individual market. I think realistic people in this debate on both sides of the equation say that is the most unrealistic option at this stage.

Do you hear any concern from Republican leaders or individual Republican legislators about the public opinion polls that suggest that the Republican health care proposals are extravagantly unpopular, less than 20 percent?

They are fully aware of how unpopular this legislation is. But I will tell you, Scott, every single conversation I have had with a Republican lawmaker on Capitol Hill is they say not doing anything on health care - letting this bill fail - is the worst possible political outcome because it is the singular thing that they have all campaigned on. It is the reason why they believe they have congressional majorities in the White House. And to fail on that would completely deflate the Republican base and structurally weaken the party going into the midterm elections.

But Mitch McConnell at the same time can't pull some Democrats over with a plan.

turn 1 : Is there any worry among Republican leaders and legislators about the low approval ratings of the Republican health care proposals?

How do Republican lawmakers view not passing any health care legislation?

Answer: Unrealistic


Believe me, I was - I just went into a state of shock. Yeah, it was one of those things. I mean, I guess some people's imaginations run towards good fortune all the time, but I'm sort of the kid who's always sort of preparing myself for the apocalypse. So when something good happens, it's more extraordinary even than normal.

Yeah, do you know who nominated you, by the way?

Oh hell no, and whoever did kept their secret because I had no clue.

Oh, you won't find that out. That's so interesting because I think you'd want to go and thank them.

turn 2 : The person who nominated the speaker for something kept it a secret.

What did the person who nominated the speaker do?

Answer: Nominated


No, so Wim van Egmond is an artist, and he was trained as an artist. He was a painter at first, and he was really into painting from these scientific illustrations, biological illustrations from hundreds of years ago. And he said, well, you know, I could just do this myself. So he purchased his first microscope about 20 years ago and since then has been kind of perfecting the technique.

But when he started, you know, he was also working with film, like Roman Vishniac. And, you know, when he had to look up what he was looking at, these organisms, he was looking in reference books, things that are just unthinkable these days, of course you would just Google.

So he said that, you know, progress has gotten much faster because now you can just look and see your result immediately. You don't have to develop your film, and - you know, and so he's gotten - it sounds like he's gotten - he's sort of refined his techniques much more quickly in the days of the digital camera.

Now I know you like to limit the size of your video pick to like three or four minutes.

turn 2 :  "progress has gotten much faster because now you can just look and see your result immediately." Literal meaning: Advances in technology have made progress faster because you can immediately see your result without having to wait. Actual meaning: The availability of digital technology has allowed Wim van Egmond to refine his microscopy techniques more quickly than he would have been able to in the past.

Answer: Wim


May of 2014.

Wasn't open very long, was it?

No, it wasn't. They said it was an experiment.

I don't expect you to make any effort to understand Wal-Mart's point of view. We've done a number of these interviews over the years, and people complain when Wal-Mart's open. And so now they're closing. Can you see from their point of view?You're saying that, you know, Wal-Mart might say people complain whatever we do. They just don't like us.

turn 2 :  The speaker is implying that Wal-Mart is not genuine in its claim that the store closure was an experiment, and that it may have been a strategic move to avoid further criticism and negative publicity.

Which store closure was referred to in the conversation?

Answer: May


What does she say - the captain?Does she say, I was just - I needed to dock the ship?

She said, I was respecting international law. And in fact, there are many constitutional experts here in Italy - also say that the decree is in violation of Italy's constitution and its treaties on international law, the U. N.  convention on asylum and on the right of anybody to come into a country and ask for asylum.

Now, issues of immigration and migrants, how to handle them - this has been front and center in Italy for years. How are Italians reacting to this case?How do they view the captain - what she was trying to do here?

Well, the reactions are as polarized as the country is, and she's a symbol of the divisions over the government's anti-migrant policies. Many on the center-left treat her as a heroine, while Salvini has called her a pirate and an outlaw. The media's dubbed this the battle of the two captains - Captain Rackete of the Sea-Watch and Salvini, who's known to his populist followers as il capitano.

turn 2 : when something is front and center in this context it means its out in the open, or some type of problem everyone notices

Which word describes an issue that is widely noticed and in the open in this context?

Answer: problem


He says he's thrilled, but he doesn't want to celebrate too much because he worries about other academics who are having a tough time.

Mark Shaleki(ph) used to work in a recording studio owned by Capitol Records.

But as we all know, the music business was in a tailspin even before the recession hit.

So Mark opened his own studio. He charges his clients less, but he says he's making more money than he did working for the man.

Theresa Tomas was laid off at a bank. She was working for the man. She had been there for five years, and then she contacted a company that she had worked for back when she was in college.

turn 2 : The music business was losing a great deal of money with end in sight.

Answer: recording


So alphabetically, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley, Bernie Sanders, who'd you like?

You know, I liked the fact that they all came. The important thing for the Urban League was that each of these five candidates accepted our invitation, came, and I think offered a serious perspective from their own point of view. They came in here. They talked about race. They talked about economics. They talked about the criminal justice system. They talked about cities. These issues don't get discussed on the main stage in many, many political debates and discussions. And so why we wanted them here, so they could talk about equality, talk about opportunity, develop those ideas in a way that will not, and - or, I should say, historically has not happened in this campaign up until this point.

Mr.  Morial, another unarmed black man was killed by an officer in Cincinnati. I wonder if you have some ideas you want to bring to our attention about how to try to repair a shattered relationship between black citizens and police.

It's an American tragedy of untold proportions, particularly as we've seen it play out in the last two years. Our ten-point justice plan recommended that body cameras and dash cameras be mandatory for all law enforcement all the way across the country. But we also believe that more must be done when it comes to police officer hiring, police officer training, and police officer accountability. The community wants to and must trust its police if they're going to be allies is in what we all want, and that is safer communities.

turn 2 : Mr. Morial wants to know what ideas would help bridge the gap between black citizens and police officers.

Which candidate did PersonA say talked about race, economics, criminal justice system, and cities during their visit to the Urban League?

Answer: Sanders


Do you ever get parents who say, well I don't really like the way you're approaching this, I don't believe that that the way you're approaching this is the best way for my child?Even if they brought their kids or they've had their kids kind of come on a field trip.

We've had very few people who have said that. We have people who have left suggestions of how we can do things better, which we really want. But the focus groups that we conducted with parents before - as we were putting this exhibit together at school sites around the country, it was very clear. They were hungry for us to do something that would allow them to help explain to their children why people look different, what the concept of race is and more importantly, how people of all different backgrounds can get along in the school site.

Give me a very concrete example of something that you have in the exhibit. Describe to us one thing.

We have a wheel, color wheel, and we ask students to find their color on the color wheel. And this is the place where we talk about the history of skin color and why people have different skin color. And it has a lot to do with how humans migrated out of Africa over the, you know, past 20,000, 50,000 years. Anyway, they find themselves, and then they look at ranges of people from around the world who look like them. And it's a big a-ha moment.

turn 3 : The exhibit helps students realize people of different races can get along.

Which concept does the color wheel in the exhibit explain?

Answer: Race


Right, and how ironically that they were announced during Small Business Week - (laughter) - on top of everything else.

I didn't know that it was a Small Business Week. Tiffany, what is your best-selling luggage line there?

Right. Well, we - kind of the example I've used is, you know, so if we had a piece of luggage on our store that was at $400 and, you know, has now gone up to $440, but that $400 piece of luggage goes up to $500, then that becomes a really big price jump.

So how are you feeling?

turn 2 : The actual meaning was differ from the original meaning that is the right answer

How was the actual meaning different from the original meaning in turn 2?

Answer: actual


You can never protect someone by stripping them of their rights. The premise is that unless California lawmakers become complicit in denying California athletes equal rights, then somehow those players will be harmed. And that's just a false premise.

And before we let you go, do you feel like you're making headway?Like, you know, part of the reason you got started with this - you were a former UCLA football player yourself. You saw the NCAA suspend your teammate for accepting a bag of groceries when he had no food. You know, you've seen a lot over the course of time that you've been working on this. And I'm just wondering if you feel like your arguments are making headway. Are people starting to take the questions around how college athletes are treated more seriously?

I do think there's progress. Not as fast as I would like - you know, you look at the multi-year scholarships are now available, the name, image and likeness lawsuit from Ed O'Bannon that resulted in stipends. There's still a ways to go. Let's put it that way. But I do think there's reform. I think a lot of key people are listening, especially lawmakers.

That is Ramogi Huma. He is the founder and executive director of the National College Players Association, an organization founded to advocate for college athletes.

turn 0 : Stripping someone of their rights does not protect them.

How does Ramogi Huma feel about the progress made in advocating for college athletes?

Answer: progress


Well, absolutely. That would be a sin for me. . .

. . . to put inaccurate science into my work. So you're right. And it's true. Even though this transposition or this abrupt shift of the monarch migratory pattern is an invention, I wanted to frame it in a plausible way. And the fact is, one of the manifestations that we're already seeing that's really very straightforward to document is migratory shift in - especially birds. Almost - the great majority of North American bird species have already shifted their migratory patterns and their breeding ranges.

And so I thought this is a sensible beginning place, so that if I could ground this fictional event in real science, that would be - it wouldn't be a sin. It would be both good fiction and good science, if you see what I mean.

I do. Did you have to do a lot of reporting?

turn 0 : It would be a mistake for me to do that.

What would be a sin for the speaker to put into their work?

Answer: Inaccurate


Every president in his or - his - well, I should say his or her. Every president in their first year has an unexpected crisis, whether it's national security, a natural disaster, domestic unrest. This is certainly shaping up to be Donald Trump's unexpected crisis. And I think he realizes that. And the stakes are getting higher, and I think that's why he's lashing out more because I think he realizes what's going on.

It's moved to the capital. As we said Secretary Price has resigned, but at least three more Cabinet members face similar accusations about charter jets. Whatever happened to them, can the Trump administration say they'll drain the swamp when they seem to be flying over it in private jets?

You, know, this reminds me of that line from "The Godfather" about Mr.  Corleone likes his bad news early. Donald Trump is not like bad news. And this was starting to spread to other cabinet members, obviously. And I think the we'll-see when he was asked whether Trump - I mean, whether Price should resign was his way of signaling, yes. And sure enough, Tom Price offered his resignation. And unlike the Session's case, the president accepted it because I think he sees this for the irony that it is of his own cabinet doing what he campaigned exactly against.

Is the Republican Party offering much of a profile of leadership at the moment?- can't get Repeal and Replace passed, the tax code seems - proposal seems fuzzy, federal response seems to certainly be slow if not negligent in Puerto Rico. We could go on.

turn 2 : (3) - The actual meaning is that Donald Trump likely wanted Tom Price to resign as Secretary of Health and Human Services after facing criticism for his use of private jets. Trump campaigned against government corruption, so this situation is ironic.

Which cabinet member resigned due to criticism of their use of private jets?

Answer: Price


I saw poofy hot pants. They were like, they were kind of like a poof skirt but done in a hot pants style.

So many regrettable. . .

Regrettable, regrettable fashion sense.

Just unfortunate that you just sort of go, OK, all right. Just X, you know, that X thing they have with Glamour?Yeah, a lot of that.

turn 0 : B is describing a pair of shorts that have a poofy appearance, not actual pants made out of hot air.

Answer: Poof


The Staples Singers, Booker T and the MGs, Isaac Hayes and more - but the Stax tale isn't just one of another record company that became an international sensation. It's a story of tragedy - business and personal. But most importantly, it's a tale that features racial harmony in a city with a troubled racial history. In the late '50s and early '60s, Memphis, Tennessee was a city divided.

It was a city that you might say had hate pulsing through its veins.

That's author Robert Gordon. He lives in Memphis. His new book is "Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion. "But Stax didn't start as an explosion of soul. The owners of Stax Records, Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, set out to do something very different.

They were two white siblings. Jim was a white country fiddle player. You just wouldn't believe how far black music was from their minds at the time.

turn 3 : "black music was from their minds" - The literal meaning of this turn is that Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton were not thinking about black music at the time. The implied meaning is that they had no previous interest or exposure to black music, which makes their eventual success in the soul music industry all the more surprising.

Which industry did Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton become successful in, despite having no previous interest or exposure to it?

Answer: Music


Some of them do. But, more than that, what I'm hearing are the amount of people who are so disturbed because everything that Toby says about Rachel is something that they could be accused of. I always think of that, that the - sometimes, my behavior is forgivable in my marriage. And God forbid I should ever get a divorce. But if I did, that very same behavior would be looked at as completely reprehensible. And I think the amount of people who are struggling to find their footing in this new world - where we are supposed to have these equitable marriages and that women are supposed to be as successful as they want to be and that perhaps nobody told the men that we were given permission for that - I think, more and more, you're going to be hearing people who say, oh, my God, the things that Rachel says are things that I've said. It sounds like a miserable book. But I do want to say that. . .

No, it's not.

. . . I think that there is - (laughter). . .

It made me laugh a lot. It bubbles with the insights and funny situations.

turn 3 : Bubbles implies that there were many of insights and funny situations included.

Answer: Entertain


Sure. Sure.

. . . And two child actors were killed in a horrific helicopter crash. . . . . . And two child actors were killed in a horrific helicopter crash. . .

This is the "Twilight Zone" movie. This is the "Twilight Zone" movie.

The "Twilight Zone" movie, right, in northern Los Angeles County. The "Twilight Zone" movie, right, in northern Los Angeles County. And despite the fact that violations - Landis and the other defendants were acquitted. And despite the fact that violations - Landis and the other defendants were acquitted. No one has actually ever pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter when it comes to a film production. No one has actually ever pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter when it comes to a film production. So from that standpoint, this was an historic development. So from that standpoint, this was an historic development.

turn 3 : A: "And despite the fact that violations - Landis and the other defendants were acquitted. No one has actually ever pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter when it comes to a film production. So from that standpoint, this was a historic development." - The literal meaning is that Landis and the other defendants were found not guilty in a case related to a film production where someone died. The actual meaning is that the speaker is discussing the significance of the case, specifically that no one has ever been held accountable for a death on a film set before.

Which case is being discussed by the speaker?

Answer: TwilightZone


Sounds like if you could meet with the president again, you would tell him the same thing you told him last time.

That's exactly right. Matter of fact, obviously that was the announcement there, but he was heading to Japan. And in the Oval Office, I said, Mr.  President, we need a trade agreement with Japan. We're losing market share there right now because others are entering that market at a lower tariff rate than what we are. Canada is taking our market share that we worked hard to earn. And the longer this goes on, the more harm it is. It's going to be the more difficult force to be able to regain. And so, Mr.  President, when you're talking to Abe, please let's get back into have a free trade agreement with Japan.

Is it frustrating though that you would have to tell them the same thing again when you thought less than two weeks ago you had a fix?

Well, compared to me not planting my corn, it's not that frustrating. So - but, you know, I think you've got to be understanding that on the rural playing field that yes, there are other issues. We can be patient. We know that - I would have a tendency to agree that there is unfair trade practices in other areas, and those need to be addressed. To a certain effect, we're getting sideswiped because it's not our product. It is what it is, but I think we need those that - we are true believers in free and fair trade. And so we want that in all sectors of society.

turn 1 : The speaker wants the President to negotiate a new trade agreement with Japan

What was PersonA's main concern about the trade agreement with Japan?

Answer: Market


The tragedy in Burma is it's just hard for us to comprehend. It is true that the current projections are that the numbers will rise significantly. I've heard numbers as high as 50,000 people being killed. So it's something that just automatically pulls at the heartstrings.

And you know, Farai, scientists have discovered that human beings are actually wired to be altruistic, so it's a part of our DNA. It's natural for us to want to give. We see a crisis, we want to give. And so I think it's really important to acknowledge that, and to really encourage people to give. It can. The giving, overwhelming giving for a major public emergency like this can have a negative impact on other parts of the world. We've seen it in the past.

For example, when the tsunami hit Asia, several years ago, where a quarter of a million people lost their lives, you saw relief and development organizations flooded with donations. OxFam UK, at a certain point, actually had to refuse donations because they no longer had the capacity to actually program funds. So what I would actually advocate for those that are really interested in making contributions, is to give responsibly. To really look at those organizations that you are interested in making a contribution to, and making your donation in flexible kinds of ways. . .

So, for general support as opposed to necessarily for one thing.

turn 2 : Donating responsibly and researching the organizations one is donating to is important in ensuring that the funds are used effectively.

How can one ensure effective use of funds when making donations?

Answer: Research


It is - they take it as good news, but the reality is it's not because the only infrastructure that remains intact is the infrastructure of the former regime and the former ruling party. It's difficult to see how, in a situation where people are fearing for their lives, you can put together a cohesive electoral campaign. Even though the military council says that they will allow observers in, this is a military council that is blocking journalists - that has suspended Al Jazeera, that has suspended other journalists from doing their work. So there's a lot of disbelief that they will allow observers to carry out their job.

Meanwhile, they will just continue to sit-in, to protest, to demand democratic reforms even if they are unlikely.

To resist - that's what we're hearing - that so much blood has been spilled, so many lives have been lost that to turn back now is unthinkable to many of those people we're speaking to on the ground, Rachel.

CNN's Nima Elbagir. She is senior international correspondent with CNN covering Sudan. She joined us from London on Skype. Thank you so much.

turn 0 : The military council is not trustworthy and will not allow observers to carry out their job

Answer: Military


And based on your experience, Ms.  Rosenberg, how much do France and the U. K.  and Germany want to be different than U. S.  policy in this regard?

Right now is the period of true testing of exactly that question. How independent do they want their foreign policy to be, given that there's a long-standing, close relationship between trans-Atlantic security partners and significant collaboration and interconnectivity in the economic sphere?So on the one hand, Europe wants to adhere to its own principles on foreign policy and economic relations, which lead it to diverge from the United States in the matter of this Iran deal. On the other hand, that may mean risking quite a lot.

Elizabeth Rosenberg of the Center for a New American Security, thanks so much for being with us.

Thank you.

turn 1 : Europe is facing a difficult choice between adhering to its own principles and risking significant consequences or aligning with the US on the matter of the Iran deal.

Which country's policy is Europe considering diverging from in the matter of the Iran deal?

Answer: United-States


He does. He even asks for changes.

This is sounding awfully inauthentic to me.

Well, I figured if I could program the personality I might as well make it friendly.

Ken Schwencke of the Los Angeles Times. Thanks so much for being with us.

turn 2 :  friendly.the speaker is implying that they are trying to manipulate the personality of someone to make it more

Which word describes the kind of personality the speaker is trying to program?

Answer: Friendly


Sure.

We are always so grateful when you come on this show. I got to tell you - we got a lot of noes from Republicans who didn't want to come on this show and talk about gun policy, except, you know, maybe they'll go on Fox News. If the Republicans are proud of their record on guns, why not be interviewed about it?

Well, I can't speak for all of my colleagues on this. I mean, we obviously have a very serious violence problem in the country and particularly a firearm violence issue. And that - you know, we must address it. That said, we also have to respect the rights of people who own. . .

OK.

turn 0 : This turn expresses willingness to engage in the conversation.

Which turn in the dialogue shows that the Republicans refused to come on the show to talk about gun policy?

Answer: Republicans


And yes, impeachable.

You say, if it's true, what powers does the House have to try to corroborate this claim?

It does have to be corroborated. We can't impeach a president based on, you know, unnamed people speaking to the press, as credible and numerous as these reports may be. So you know, there is an investigation underway already by three House committees into what President Trump may have done with Ukraine. That is going to absolutely heat up in the next couple of weeks. So all I can say is, stay tuned. Fasten your seatbelts. The stakes here are extremely high.

Let me ask you, congressman. There are a number of Democrats and voters who are saying, you know, where is the party's spine in all of this?This is a president who has been, they say, running roughshod over your legislative authority with total impunity. What do you say to that?

turn 2 : "stay tuned" impllies to pay attention. "fasten your seatbelts" implies to get ready.

How should you prepare for what's coming?

Answer: Ready


At dusk tonight - the Belmont stakes, and an engaging chestnut named California Chrome has a chance to be the first horse to win the Triple Crown - a sweep of all three of the major thoroughbred races since 1978. We're honored now to be joined by Laura Hillenbrand. She's a horse rider by trade, of course she's author of the perpetual best-selling "Seabiscuit. "Laura, thanks so much for being with us.

I'm so happy to be here Scott.

What is there about the Belmont stakes that frustrates so many great four-legged athletes who've already won two big races?

They call it the test of their champion for a reason. It is a tricky race. It's run around the biggest track in the country so strategy is different. You have to move a different place. It's a race that requires a lot of the jockey.

The thing that makes it the hardest in terms of sweeping the whole Triple Crown is the horse that gets there with a chance to win it as California Chrome has. They've already competed in the Derby and the Preakness, which are two incredibly difficult races. And now, in the span of five weeks, they have to try the third one. And it's the hardest one of all, the longest one of all. It's really asking a huge amount of them. And that's why, in my whole racing fan life, I have never seen a horse sweep the Triple Crown. I've seen 12 horses go to the Belmont with a chance to win it, and all of them have failed.

California Chrome is called the people's horse, kind of like Seabiscuit.

turn 4 : "It's really asking a huge amount of them" - This indicates that the race requires a significant physical and mental effort from the horses, rather than simply making a request or demanding something from them.

What is the reason for the difficulty of the Belmont stakes?

Answer: Effort


Some of our questions are very basic. Were you a slaveholder?Did your money come from the labor of enslaved people?Many of the questions we're asking at our university are the same as the questions that people are asking at other universities. But I think we have one very special part of our story. That is that Princeton really was a very Southern school.

And it turns out that between 1790 and the outbreak of the Civil War, about 40 percent of our students came from the South. That's extraordinary. And there were some consequences of this very Southern orientation of our student body. There were some horrific acts of violence in our community in the 1830s and '40s as Southern boys raised in slaveholding families came to this town in New Jersey and encountered a free black community for the first time in their lives.

These Southern students were important to our school. Their tuition money was important. Keeping their parents happy was important. So the ethos on our campus was, let's just not talk about this stuff. Let's keep the peace.

Obviously, we are having a debate in this country right now about the legacy of the Civil War. And as a historian, I'd like your thoughts on how you resolve the tension between remembering and honoring.

turn 3 : "remembering and honoring" - While these two terms are often used synonymously or interchangeably, in this context they represent distinct and potentially conflicting objectives. Remembering implies a willingness to confront the past and acknowledge its complexities and injustices, while honoring suggests a desire to celebrate and venerate a particular heritage or tradition without necessarily engaging with its darker aspects.

How do the terms "remembering" and "honoring" represent potentially conflicting objectives in this context? (Answer: Conflicting)

Answer: Conflicting


Habib Koite is one of Africa's most recognized musicians. His music blends the diverse musical traditions of his homeland, Mali, with rock, blues and jazz. After a six-year absence from the recording studio, Koite and his band Bamada are back with a new CD, "Afriki. "

So, on this CD you have a very strong feeling about Africa, that it is not a place of just sorrow and hard times. How do you feel about the continent and the people of Africa?

Africa is a continent wanting to change something. You know, everybody have to think what to do to give best future for the Africa, give hope to the young in Africa. And African young can have hope in Africa and make something in Africa and believe in Africa.

You've seen so much of the world. But why don't you take us to your childhood in Mali. And it's a country I've always wanted to visit. I've never been there, but I love the musical traditions and the long history of it being a nation with a lot of learning. What was it like for you growing up, and when did you start playing music?

turn 2 : In turn (3), Habib Koite talks about Africa as a continent that wants to change something and how everyone needs to think about giving the best future and hope to the young in Africa. The literal meaning of the turn is clear, but the implied meaning is that Habib Koite is advocating for a better future for Africa and its people, which is not explicitly stated in the turn.

What is the implied meaning of Habib Koite's statements about Africa in turn 2?

Answer: Better


So, for those people that are stuck on that buy-and-hold, we'd suggest to them, look at more market history. If you have a listener who has lost 30 percent in the market in this down cycle, they need the market to compound at seven percent per year for the next six years to get back to even. If they've lost 40 percent, they need eight years at seven percent. You know, frankly, I know elderly people who have been left in this market by people who believed in that buy-and-hold theory, you know, that are now in their 70s, 80s and even 90s. They don't have 11 years left. They will never see their money back.

So, what would you advise for the rest of us?

Well, I would advise a couple of things. One is stop listening to Wall Street platitudes. Wall Street, frankly, doesn't know anything. If they did, they would not have left their clients in for one of the greatest bear markets of all time. Number two, use some of your own judgment and common sense. People with long-term horizons might want to step a toe in the markets, but you have to do it with an open mind that you may lose more money. And if you are not prepared to lose more money, don't go in to the markets. There will be a day when earnings stop going down.

So, we've all heard, don't open, don't even look, at your 401(k) statement; just put it away. You say, no, look at it and rebalance?

turn 2 : Step a toe means to test the waters and try something new

Which body part does "step a toe" refer to?

Answer: Toe


Hi, Lulu.

All right. Do Democrats have a strategy here?

They thought they had one. Remember; the mantra before the election was that Trump's world would change because the House of Representatives would have subpoena power. But now we're finding out, what if they issued a subpoena and no one came?I don't think that the House anticipated that he would really stiff them across the board. And in some ways, the very idea of Congress holding oversight over the executive branch is being challenged.

So this is a combination of Bill Barr, the attorney general's, long-standing belief in a very strong executive. He really doesn't think Congress should be investigating the president. And that fits nicely with Trump's, really, lifelong instinct, which is if you're not fighting, you're losing. He also doesn't want the exposure and the optics of having Mueller testify before the cameras. And, of course, he has a career-long history of litigiousness - take his enemies to court, cost them some money and, above all, run out the clock.

All right, so what can the Democrats do then?

turn 3 : "Run out the clock" is not literal. There is no actual clock here, as in sports. Instead, it refers to delaying tactics where the "clock" would be the remainder of his time in office.

Which term describes delaying tactics used by Trump to outlast his opponents?

Answer: Run


He hasn't always fallen right in line with Trump by any means. He hasn't always fallen right in line with Trump by any means. He's been critical of Putin over some gas projects that he's been involved in. He's been critical of Putin over some gas projects that he's been involved in. But generally, he has held the Trump line. But generally, he has held the Trump line. So I think this is going to be interesting to go in. So I think this is going to be interesting to go in. He did have that one key moment in the text chain where he came in and clearly stated this was not quid pro quo but then suggested they get offline. He did have that one key moment in the text chain where he came in and clearly stated this was not quid pro quo but then suggested they get offline. So. . . So. . .

Right. Right.

So we'll see what happens once he jumps in there. So we'll see what happens once he jumps in there.

Are people following this in Portland?Are people following this in Portland?I mean, how are they reacting?I mean, how are they reacting?

turn 1 : "Right. Right." implies to understand what was said.

Which word did PersonB say twice in response to PersonA's statement?

Answer: Right


Phil Simms was quarterback for the New York Giants.

(Laughter) Yeah.

This is NPR, Dan. We have to fill in the blanks sometimes.

(Laughter) I understand. Well, Bill Parcell is one of the legendary coaches in NFL history. I called Bill and, you know, 'cause saw in the press guides that Ernie was his pro player personnel director for a couple of years in the 1980s. And Bill could not remember anything about him. He says, I don't know the guy. I said, Bill, it says on the press guide that he was your director of pro personnel for two seasons when you were head coach. And he says, well, I don't remember the guy. So they're all either being very careful about it or Ernie just does not leave a personal mark with them.

turn 2 : The speaker is not providing information about how to complete a blank, but rather communicating to his interlocutor that they need to be careful about what they say since they are on NPR.

How does the speaker perceive the importance of being on NPR?

Answer: important


(Laughter) You know, initially, these started as two separate essays - an essay about pregnancy and an essay about my eating disorder that I had been trying to write for 15 years. And, you know, on one level, there was, you know, a very physical experience of stepping on the scale at my doctor's office and thinking, oh, this is the first time I've wanted the scale to read higher, and remembering back to this secret scale in my closet in college and how I would go in obsessively and religiously and just want the number to be lower and lower and thinking, what's the difference between that self then and this self now?

But it was also important to say, I think we can get really attached to these conversion narratives of self to say, I was this way back then, and I've gone 180 degrees, and I'm a totally different self now; I've left that old self behind. But I don't think that's how it works. I don't think we leave our old selves behind. I think we have to reckon with them. And this essay is also me reckoning with the ways that I've changed and with the ways that the ghosts of the old selves and the old fixations are still there, too.

Leslie Jamison, thank you so much for your time.

Thank you so much for your questions and for having me.

turn 0 : They would go in every day without fail to weigh themself.

Which obsession did Leslie Jamison have in college?

Answer: weight


Well, because there are a number of reasons that a security clearance can be denied. Among them would be foreign contacts, foreign business interests, criminal activity, financial instability, drug and alcohol use. And some of these are very serious. If employees who had the history of these issues - and they weren't properly mitigated, they could be a risk to national security if they received security clearances.

You're saying hypothetically those could be reasons security clearances would be denied. Were they in these cases reasons that they were denied?

Some of them were applicable in different cases, yes.

Is overriding 25 security clearance denials a large number?I have no idea what's normal in this situation.

turn 0 : The reasons for security clearance denial listed by A are hypothetical but serious.

What kind of reasons for security clearance denial did PersonA list?

Answer: Foreign


How much did you pay for that last box of Girl Scout cookies you bought?Five bucks, six maybe, maybe more?How about $15 billion?That's the price of a single box if - if it were turned into graphine. Researchers at Rice University in Houston have discovered a way to turn anything with carbon into graphine, the super-strong wonder material that can be worth over two million times the price of gold. You heard that right, two million times.

Forget alchemy, that's for chumps. This is graphene, worth a lot more in its weight of gold. Marc Abrahams, editor and founder of the Annals of Improbable Research is here to tell us why graphene is so pricey and what this invention could mean for nanotechnology. Welcome back to SCIENCE FRIDAY.

Thanks, Ira, nice to be back.

So what is this thing about turning Girl Scout cookies into graphene?

turn 0 : Girl Scout cookies can be turned into graphene, a valuable material.

How much can graphene be worth compared to gold?

Answer: Two-million


And now to Haiti, where things are settling down after three days of rioting in the capital, Port-au-Prince. A huge rise in food prices drove thousands of protesters and looters to riot earlier this week. U. N.  troops moved in to protect parts of the capital. Meanwhile, President Rene Preval has begged for calm. Haiti is considered to be the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and the unrest over a crippled economy may not be easy to squelch. Mara Schiavocampo is in Port-au-Prince right now. She is a digital correspondent for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Mara, welcome to the show.

Thank you for having me, Tony.

You've been in the streets reporting on the story. What have you seen in terms of tension and unrest there?

Today, things are good. Public transportation is running. People are out doing their business, shopping. We went out, no roadblocks, no trouble at all. I can't say the same for the last few days. Yesterday was manageable. There were a few roadblocks, car fires, things like that, but it felt like the fire was dying down, so to speak. The last few days before that, things were very tense. Just coming in from the airport, we hit about a dozen roadblocks, burning tires, dumpsters, trash, with mobs of people that would come around the car.

turn 3 : The situation in Port-au-Prince has improved, but it was very tense and dangerous before.

Answer: Port-au-Prince


Give us a call, our number 1-800-989-8255. You can also tweet us @scifri. Gerald Crabtree is the David Korn Professor of Pathology and Developmental Biology at Stanford School of Medicine. He's also an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Welcome to SCIENCE FRIDAY.

Good morning, Ira.

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

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

turn 3 : Genetically-based intelligence decline is so slow that it cannot be detected within existing generations

How fast is the genetically-based intelligence decline detectable within existing generations?

Answer: Not


About 50% of my business was China 'cause I focused on that sector of the business.

And now what proportion of your business - what proportion of your lobsters go to China?

Zero. I can't sell a lobster to China. I can't compete with Canadians.

So you have lost half of your business.

turn 2 : Despite having a large market potential, the Chinese market is difficult to penetrate due to competition from Canadian suppliers.

What market is difficult to penetrate due to competition from Canadian suppliers?

Answer: Chinese


This is an email. We've asked other songwriters to email us and say how much of themselves and their lives do they put in into their lyrics. This is from Luli(ph). I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly. I have always put my own experiences in my music combined with experiences and emotions I interpret from those around me. One challenge has always been with significant others looking too deeply into my music if, for example, the song is sad or about love. A risk that somebody is going to misinterpret something.

Well, as Eudora Welty so beautifully put it, all serious steering comes from within. So, you know, I think that you can't have your art and not take risks.

And this one is from Mary: My husband passed two years ago at the age of 50. I lost all desire to play, as well as creativity. Only recently have I rediscovered how to put my emotion into my music. My life is definitely reflected in my music. Thank you to all singer-songwriters for giving us a channel through your lives.

How long after these events - obviously, your father passed last year, so not that long before you went into production for this album.

No. I have been writing these songs that became this record for the last few years. And then after dad died, I had a few more songs to write, as you can imagine. And then I went into a studio this past January and recorded the album.

turn 4 : The songwriter wrote songs about their father's death

What event inspired the songwriter to write a few more songs for the album?

Answer: Death


Well, I would imagine that if you can survive all that stuff, right, and you can be zapped with radiation, frozen to almost to almost absolute zero, you can dry up or you go into some sort of. . .

It's called the tun phase. They sort of shrivel up, became desiccated, and then they can just survive all of these things, and then be brought back to life.

And they just wait for the right moment to. . .

You just - a drop of water, I think, will do it.

turn 0 : It is not actually zapped. It has been exposed to radiation.

Which process causes the creature to become desiccated?

Answer: shrivel


So every time that you have, you know, even life in a - in the House of Representatives means you need to be there. You need to deal and wheel and pork(ph) and everything. Grillo's going to be at home. So what is going to happen?His 150 MPs will go on the phone and say, Beppe, what are we going to do with this?It's ridiculous. So that's one point.

And the second point is Beppe Grillo's people and Beppe Grillo's deputies are actually younger, much younger, and I suspect much wiser and quieter than he is.

So expect some of them to say, look, we promised Italians to change this country, we're going to do that. And so they already proved that in Bologna, where I am, actually. It's - they've been successfully here in Emilia-Romagna. They were successfully in Parma and in Sicily. They cut deals all the time, American style, really cutting deals on the legislative floor without the parties, and they were very successful.

Well, you've said what you thought should happen. What's your best guess as to what you think will happen?

turn 0 : They mention that the House of Representatives done everything in their power to make sure they needs are met.

How does PersonA describe Beppe Grillo's deputies?

Answer: Crowding


Well, he sounds like a very ambitious entrepreneur.

I think they are, you know. I think the appeal of it, obviously, for entrepreneurs - this drop shipping model - is that it takes almost nothing upfront. You don't need money to buy the stuff. The tools online are very inexpensive, and it's this possibility that these entrepreneurs can get something for nothing - right?- that they can generate money basically out of thin air.

And not to make any comparisons, but I seem to recall that there was a time when J. Crew was a catalog retailer - didn't have any real stores. And now, of course, they've got plenty of them in addition to a very ambitious online retail site.

Absolutely. The way that I've thought about these Shopify stores is they're undoubtedly strange because they're new, but their model is fundamentally not that different from, like, a big corporate enterprise. It's just that the tools have democratized the ability for people to tap into the globalized economy. And so before, it took the idea of having a supply chain and having all these people who would know factory owners in China and all these other kinds of things - that took a lot of infrastructure.

turn 1 : "it takes almost nothing upfront" and "they can generate money basically out of thin air" - Literal meaning: The speaker is referring to the low cost and ease of starting a dropshipping business online. Actual meaning: These phrases are used figuratively to emphasize how easy it is to start a business without significant upfront costs or physical inventory.

Which phrases were used figuratively to emphasize the ease of starting a business?

Answer: Almost-nothing,Thin-air


And this week on Africa update, we have more on the political crisis in Kenya. President Bush has pledged aid to Africa, but is it enough?And France extends an olive branch to Rwanda.

For more on all of this, we've got Bill Fletcher. He is a senior scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies and former president of TransAfrica Forum. Hi, Bill.

Hey.

So we just heard Ofeibea Quist-Arcton's report, very vivid report on the violence in Kenya's Rift Valley area. Can you tell us a bit more about that area?Give us some background on the ethnic groups that live there.

turn 3 : Although the question is asking for background information on the ethnic groups that live in Kenya's Rift Valley area, the implied meaning behind this turn is that Bill Fletcher is being asked to provide context and further information on the political crisis and violence in Kenya,

What is the topic of Ofeibea Quist-Arcton's report?

Answer: Kenya's


You don't have to do that. You are not alone in this process.

(Laughter).

Really, when you're ordering a bottle of wine, you only need to give two pieces of information - one, your budget. And do not be ashamed. Do not be embarrassed. We all have a budget. Secondly, your taste. Now, that could be as specific as saying, I had an incredible Adelsheim Oregon pinot noir the other night - what do you have like that?Or it could be as broad as saying, I like things that smell like peach.

And from there, if you have a good sommelier, they're going to be able to guide you to the hidden gems on that menu. And I have to say, it's a pleasure to be able to have a conversation with someone about what they like and to take them on a journey through this glass of wine because a good glass of wine is that. I didn't believe it in the beginning, but I came around to really experience it as a way to travel through time and place without ever leaving your seat.

turn 3 : the statement by A about a good glass of wine being a way to travel through time and place without leaving your seat is a metaphorical expression. It suggests that drinking a good glass of wine can provide a sensory experience that evokes different sensations and transports you to different contexts, even though you are physically still in your seat.

What does the metaphorical expression about a good glass of wine being a way to travel suggest?

Answer: Sensory


The New York Mets lost 7 to 1 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, but the real loser was their mascot, Mr.  Met. Mr.  Met has a huge white baseball of a head dappled with red stitching and embellished with a perpetual grin.

But as he left the playing field Wednesday night, Mr.  Met flipped a middle finger to a group of fans who posted it on Twitter - busted, Mr.  Met. The club apologized, and the team employee in the Mr.  Met costume that night has reportedly not returned. There were reports that fans heckled him, which fans deny.

The Mr.  Mets middle finger controversy poses a physical and philosophical question. Mr.  Met has four fingers on each hand. How can you say that any of them is a middle finger?Anyway, flipping the bird in New York, isn't that just how they say good morning in Queens?

(Singing) Well, everybody's heard about the bird - bird, bird, bird, the bird's the word. Well, bird, bird, bird, bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, bird - the bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, bird, bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, bird - the bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, bird's the word. Well, bird, bird, bird - the bird's the word. Well, bird, bird, bird, bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, bird's the word. Well, don't you know about the bird?Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, the bird's the word. . .

turn 1 :  (2) The real meaning of the statement is that despite the fans denying that they heckled Mr. Met, the mascot was still held accountable for his actions and the team employee in the costume has not returned.

Which team apologized for Mr. Met's middle finger controversy?

Answer: Club


And you do say us. You believe that you've been complicit in some small ways, too.

Of course. I believe that everybody has. I tell a story in the piece about a former colleague of mine who did not harass me but who I saw harass other people. And at a later job, that colleague, I was told, was going to be brought on. And I made this stand. No, I will not work with him. But I was on a leave at the time. And I was told - OK, it'll just be temporary. By the time you get back from your leave, he'll be gone. And he was.

However, when I got back from that leave, there were younger employees who came to me afterwards and told me that he had messaged them inappropriately. So you know, here I was thinking, actually, that I was, you know, doing the right thing by raising my voice in concern. But in fact, in doing it only, in some ways, on my own behalf, I failed to protect the others - younger women - from that kind of behavior.

Some of the allegations against prominent men - and be they Harvey Weinstein or Roy Moore or James Toback or President Trump or Al Franken - are 10, 20, even 30 years old. Should some of the women who defended President Bill Clinton from allegations of sexual misconduct in the '80s and '90s reassess the support they gave him now?

turn 1 : (2) The literal meaning of this turn is that A made a stand against the colleague, but the actual meaning is that A had the power to stand up for others but didn't.

Answer: Power


Indeed. And on that note, let's get to some of what are listeners had to say, shall we?So Kyle Smith(ph) writes, "As a person of color and a news junkie, I've really come to depend on this show to offer more of a rounded view on current events. The show is truly a lifeline for me during a day that is color-deprived. "And Sharon Oshalle(ph), just to give some indication of the kind of listeners we have, says, "I'm a white, 40-year-old woman, and News & Notes is the only window I have into the perspective that it offers. In my white suburban world, all I get of black perspective are MTV and the Philadelphia City News. It's refreshing to tune in to News & Notes and see other sides of the culture. Isn't that what public radio is all about?Giving voice to different types of people so we can all appreciate each other. "And as you said, you know, some kudos for you, too. Aaron Coleman(ph)= says this, "I absolutely love me some Farai Chideya. Somebody find her a venue. Journalists of her caliber need voice because ears are starving. "

That's beautiful.

Yeah. And we also have some response from listeners who want to know what they can do to help. Monica McClendon(ph) asks, "Can you guys move to a less costly area?The South has all kinds of options. "So I don't know about starting the day with a biscuit and some sweet tea, but…

Mmm, not a bad option.

turn 0 : on that note means speaking of which, or they are moving the discussion forward with a topic that was mentioned.

Which phrase means moving the discussion forward with a topic that was mentioned?

Answer: Moving


That's right. There are a few things in particular that stood out in the early excerpts. I haven't had the chance to get my hands on the book yet. But a couple of things in particular. One is that Bannon talks about that infamous Trump Tower meeting in June of 2016 that featured Donald Trump Jr. , Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and the meeting that they had with the Russian lawyer, who was offering dirt on Hillary Clinton. Bannon describes the meeting as treasonous, as unpatriotic. And he says that those three should've called the FBI immediately. A second thing is that he also says that there's no way - there's no way that Trump Jr.  didn't walk the Russians up one floor to the 26th floor of Trump Tower and introduce them to Trump himself.

We should explain that's his - he doesn't know that happened, but he just finds it inconceivable it didn't.

He doesn't offer any proof. He wasn't in the campaign at the time. But this would be important if true because Trump has denied any knowledge of the Russian overtures, any knowledge of Russian outreach. And it would - this would obviously contradict that. The last thing is that Bannon says that the investigation is going to focus on money laundering. There are indications that Mueller's team may indeed be looking at that. So a lot to digest there.

NPR's Ryan Lucas, thanks so much.

turn 1 : "he just finds it inconceivable it didn't." - The actual meaning of this turn is figurative, expressing Bannon's belief that it is highly likely that Trump Jr. introduced the Russians to Trump, rather than literally being unable to imagine the possibility of it not happening.

How does PersonB describe Bannon's belief about Trump Jr. introducing the Russians to Trump?

Answer: Likely


Some of my friends and family still are able to work. However, my best friend - her DACA expires in mid-summer. So it's very important for me and for us as a community for legislation to pass.

Ciriac, I'm curious - do you regret having come forward and actually voluntarily given your information to the government when they started this program?

No, I think personally because I've been able to move forward with my life from going to college, graduating college, doing internships and now having a full-time job and having a car. I can't really regret having come out of the shadows and saying I want to do things right. This is who I am. I think it's given me a certain level of pride to say I was able to come out of the shadows, do all of these things. And I am, you know, part of your community. I am American. I am and always a Utahn. And so I can't regret coming out of the shadows if I was able to do so much and continue to move forward with my life.

Ciriac Alvarez Valle - she's a DACA recipient in Utah.

turn 2 : Coming out of the shadows and revealing her status as a DACA recipient has allowed the speaker to pursue her dreams and be proud of her identity.

What program did the speaker voluntarily give her information to the government for?

Answer: DACA


So Gaspasr got a no. Can you talk about why?What was the reasoning?

Sure. So the applicant's explanation for Gaspasr - they explained that, I am a nurse anesthetist, which would make sense. They use gas. But the DMV commented gas passer. She passes gas - in parentheses - farts.

Ah, OK. So someone decided they weren't buying it. Are there things that they police for, like, hate speech or racism?I mean, how does that work?

Totally, yeah. Unfortunately, they do get a lot of submissions that at least could be interpreted as hate speech, as offensive to certain groups. They try to filter out things that could be seen as maybe references to white supremacy. For instance, the number 88 - in any context, even if it's benign, even if it's completely harmless, they always consistently block out the number 88 because it has a certain symbolism for white supremacy.

turn 1 :  A: "She passes gas - in parentheses - farts." - The literal meaning is that the applicant is a nurse anesthetist who uses gas to sedate patients. The actual meaning is that the DMV misunderstood the term "gas passer" and interpreted it as a reference to flatulence.

How did the DMV interpret the term "gas passer"?

Answer: Farts


Well, I think what's wrong with it is manifold. Our social safety net is embarrassingly weak; it barely merits the name. We give unemployment benefits that are stingy by rich countries' standards over periods that are short by rich countries' standards. And something a lot of people don't know, only about one-third of the unemployed even qualify because of various eligibility requirements. And on top of that, people lose their health insurance, some of them lose their pensions and so on.

And, we have estimates now that the unemployment rate will go up to at least 8 percent now.

I think that's right. I think at this point, we'll be fortunate or skillful, depending on how you want to think about it, if we can hold the line at 8 percent. I think higher is probably likely.

OK. So let's talk about unemployment benefits, and what do you think President-elect Obama should do about extending those?

turn 0 : The social safety net is inadequate due to strict eligibility requirements and inadequate benefits.

Which benefit is inadequate according to turn 0?

Answer: Unemployment


Thank you. I - so each morning in my newsletter, I include the schedules for all of the 2020 presidential candidates. And so I'm kind of, you know, kind of scouring the Web to make sure that I can keep on top of all of them. And on Wednesday night, I stumbled upon a Facebook post from a county party in Iowa announcing that de Blasio would be coming there for the first stop on his presidential announcement tour. And that rings alarm bells since he hadn't announced yet. And so I tweeted out and was able to kind of pre-empt his announcement.

That is a huge scoop. And it's great sleuthing. I mean, it's amazing attention to detail. And you also put out your news on the same day you were taking a four-hour Advanced Placement exam, which is extraordinary. That must have been a lot of work.

It was. It was a big day, for sure.

You have been writing this newsletter since you were 9 years old. I mean, you've clearly been a journalism junkie for a long time.

turn 0 : Scouring means to be reading the internet.  Stumbled upon simply means it was an accident to find the information.  Alarm bells did not ring but the person did get alerted to the information.

Which day did PersonA tweet out and pre-empt de Blasio's presidential announcement?

Answer: Wednesday


Thank you very much, I'm really happy to be here today.

What do you remember most about Lonesome George?

Wow, I've known George for over 30 years, and some of the interesting things working with him was just, he was a very different personality than many other tortoises, and it was always a challenge to try and figure out what the best thing to do was for George.

And among the things that we tried when I was supervising the tortoise breeding center was bringing some - a couple of females from Wolf Volcano to be in his corral. I also had a young woman from Switzerland volunteering for a couple of months, trying to do sexual stimulation with George.

And there were a lot of things we did with George, always trying to recover the Pinta population of tortoises.

But nothing worked out, huh?

turn 5 : Turn 6 is a question that seeks clarification on the outcome of the speaker's efforts to recover the Pinta population, which is also a literal meaning.

How did the PersonA's efforts to recover the Pinta population turn out?

Answer: Challenge


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

Jacob Gluck, cheers.

Thank you.

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

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

What is PersonA's prediction about the price of lime?

Answer: Prediction


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

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

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

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

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

How are beauty standards viewed in the African-American community?

Answer: Superficial


I had always written about my mother. I started writing in college in a creative writing class. And some of the first stories I wrote were talking about different disagreements that we had. But what was important was the kind of larger struggles that were embodied in those arguments. I just published an essay about the conception of this book, and I talk about the issue of hair and how the struggle of hair between black mothers and black daughters is fraught with all of these racial tensions that are basically absorbed from the larger culture.

So I had always written about my mother as a way to write about these larger issues and about immigration and gender and motherhood. And during the time that my mother's health took a turn for the worse, I was a grad student at Columbia in their MFA program. And actually, it was the last day of school. And we had our graduation ceremony. And I found out that my mom was, you know, had a few months to live.

So I pretty immediately - because I was done with school - packed my things up. I quit the job that I had and moved back to Philadelphia and basically spent the last six months with her. It was, you know, it's an around-the-clock job. It's very draining. And at the end of the day, the only thing I had time to write were basically one paragraph or sometimes a sentence - reflections. And I just started collecting them in this folder. And I didn't tend to do anything with them, but they all started to fit together in this large story.

I want to have you read from one of those vignettes, Page 31.

turn 0 : "larger struggles that were embodied in those arguments" Actual meaning: The arguments between the speaker and their mother were about more significant issues. Non-literal meaning: None.

What issue did the speaker address in their essay?

Answer: Hair


It's nice to be here, Neal. How are you?

I'm good. Thanks. That first phone call - well, just sort of out of curiosity, I assume.

The first call that I made to Alan?Yeah, it was a funny feeling of both, obviously, curiosity and a strange sensation of being crowded in my own skin by another guy who had my same name.

And he turned out to be - well, debonair might be the word.

turn 2 : The first call was an overwhelming experience of connecting with someone who shared the same name as me, feeling both curious and a little intimidated.

Which feeling did PersonA experience during the first call?

Answer: Curiosity


Yeah, I've got a book going on, and I'm trying to work on some animation stuff. And, you know, and I don't need a crowd-funding campaign to do most of that stuff. It's just me and a couple cups of coffee at home on the computer. So I'm fairly low-budget with my needs at the moment.

Tell me a little bit about this book before we let you go. It's "How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You"?

Yeah. It's basically a collection of funny cat comics ranging from how to tell if your cat thinks it's a mountain lion. There is another one that will show ways to identify if your cat is a raging homosexual. So it's this kind of a mixed bag of weird cat. . .

News you can use, in other words.

turn 2 : The content of the book is humorous and not meant to be taken seriously.

Answer: Humorous


Hey. How you doing, Lulu?

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

The tennis champion, Arthur Ashe.

turn 2 : "Monument Avenue is one of the most beautiful stretches of street in the United States of America. I mean, it's tree-lined. It's on the national historic registry. There are statues to Robert E. Lee. There's a statue to Jeb Stuart, to, you know, Stonewall Jackson. And there's a lonely statue of Arthur Ashe, which I call the only true champion on that stretch of street." - The actual meaning is the speaker is expressing their opinion about Monument Avenue and the statues on it, highlighting the controversial nature of the Confederate statues and elevating Arthur Ashe as a true hero, rather than just providing factual information.

Which street has a lonely statue of Arthur Ashe?

Answer: Monument


I asked Groff, who you will know from her own short story collection "Florida" and her novel "Fates And Furies" - I asked her how Nancy Hale went from someone with dozens and dozens of stories in The New Yorker to someone we forgot about.

You know, I don't know definitively. It's very hard to tell. I think part of it is that her stories are very quiet and very elegant, and she's possibly not fashionable at the moment - her style of writing. But I find her incredibly fascinating. She creates these lines that are full of a humming electricity. And her structures are so deep and so thoughtful that you don't really understand what you're reading until maybe a couple of days later when you realize exactly the craft that went into creating her short stories.

And they span the gamut. Some of them are highly lyrical. Other ones are satirical and very funny. So we did put together this collection of 25 short stories. They're all interesting in their own way. And you can sort of see the development of a writer over the course of decades.

Right. No, absolutely. You can feel - she's obviously, as you would expect, writing very different things than - in her later years than she was as a very young writer. How did you pick the stories that you landed on out of the many, many ones she wrote?

turn 0 : Nancy Hale became a person that people did not think of any longer.

What happened to Nancy Hale's recognition?

Answer: Forgotten


You know, let's come back to the Large Hadron Collider because if you talk about things, if you talk about this theme, there's much more to the universe than meets the eye, the other one that you know well is the prediction from string theory and similar theories that there are extra dimensions. And one of the ways to look for things like extra dimensions or shadow universes is to look for the leakage of material from our universe into their universe.

And let me use the LHC. One way to look for evidence of extra dimensions would be to carefully look at collisions that take place at the Large Hadron Collider and look for some of the energy to disappear. And what's interesting about that technique is when I put there's - when I say there's much more to the universe than meets the eye, the top of my list would be neutrinos, and we now know neutrinos exist. We can't see them with the eye, but we can build detectors to detect them. And the original evidence for the neutrino was missing energy in beta decays that were observed in the early part of the last century and then poly-hypothesize this particle, the neutrino. And eventually, we built detectors that were sensitive enough. So this technique of looking for energy leaking out of our universe going elsewhere is a very powerful technique for looking for things that we can't see.

Michael Turner, a pleasure as always to come have you come on and explain this stuff to us. Thanks a lot, Michael.

Glad to be on.

turn 3 : the literal and actual meanings are the same. The speakers are simply exchanging pleasantries and expressing gratitude for the conversation

Which turn expresses the technique of looking for energy leaking out of our universe going elsewhere?

Answer: Turn


Earmarks and pork-barrel spending are as American as a bridge to nowhere. They're little, and sometimes not so little, holiday packages designed to win the votes of senators and representatives for national legislation with government money that's earmarked to directly benefit their states or districts. Many Democrats have groused about the latest examples that have been added, often in hand-written scrawls, into the new tax bill. Norman Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and joins us now. Norm, thanks for being with us.

A pleasure, Scott.

What are some of the earmarks you've noticed in this tax bill?

Well, we have, of course, the most famous one, which is now being called with hashtags all over Twitter, the Corker kickback, named for Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee who had famously said quite early on I will not vote for any tax bill that adds a dime to the deficit and then turned around at the last minute and voted for this one with a provision added very, very late in the game to provide additional benefits to a particular set of real estate LLC's, as they're called, a particular kind of corporation. And Corker has significant investments in them, as does Donald J.  Trump and other members of the Trump family - something that would specifically give them millions in additional tax benefits.

turn 2 : Asking what financial benefits are being provided to certain individuals through the tax bill.

Which Senator's name is associated with the provision that provides additional benefits to a particular set of real estate LLC's?

Answer: Corker


All right. My apologies there.

Oh, thank you.

Well, technical glitch. Thanks very much for being with us. And you wrote about your experience as a child actor in an article for the website Cracked. And you wrote you're glad you weren't Olsen twins famous, but you are pretty famous.

Well, thank you. I mean, I think that when I was child, acting was mostly just a hobby for me. It was something that my parents encouraged me to think of the way that my brothers thought of their cross-country classes, or my little sister to dance classes and art classes, and it was something like that for me. You know, the other kids were playing Little League or Pee-Wee hockey or whatever, and I was - well, I was an actor.

That's the way that I saw it. So I never really realized how much of an impact that was having on other kids' lives. And still to this day, I'm not sure how much on an impact I really had.

And you wrote in your piece that this was your choice. You didn't have a stage mom and stage dad. This was something you wanted to do.

turn 2 : He is glad that he is not so famous that he is recognized everywhere he goes all of the time.

What did the person write about their experience as a child actor?

Answer: Experience


If you dig into this latest employment report, the unemployment rate for those with a college degree is roughly half of the national average. But a new report by the nonprofit Center for College Affordability and Productivity says that roughly half of those college graduates who have jobs are now working jobs that don't require a college degree. People with Ph. D. s. are driving taxis and waiting on tables. They are earning much less than expected, and certainly bargained for when they began to rack up college debts. Dr.  Richard Vedder co-authored the study. He's also a distinguished professor of economics at Ohio University and joins us from member station WOUB in Athens, Ohio. Dr.  Vedder, thanks so much for being with us.

Glad to be with you, Scott.

Help us understand what this means.

Well, it means there's a lot of people that are going to college, I suspect most of them with expectations that upon graduation they will make a pretty good living and live sort of an upper middle-class American life. But instead, a lot of them are getting jobs upon graduation working as bartenders, taxi drivers - a million of them are retail sales clerks, 115,000 of them are janitors. They're getting jobs that I'm fairly certain are less than what they're expected when they began the college experience.

turn 3 : Implied meaning: The speaker's use of sarcasm or irony suggests that they hold a different opinion or belief than what they are expressing explicitly.

How did the speaker convey their opinion about college graduates' job prospects?

Answer: Sarcasm


Yes, they are. They're very much weather aware, because the weather here is sometimes pretty tough, like it is in Kansas and Texas and all the other places. But they're weather aware. So, a little bit different. They're used to what we have. They seem to handle it quite well. They, you know, they all pretty well know their safety precautions. They usually react well. So, a little bit different group of people in Oklahoma than you'll find in some other states.

It certainly does. And, you know, we do our best to train people to get up in the morning, obviously, and find out if there's a risk. And with the advent of all the wireless devices - the phones and such - it's much easier to do.

But despite all the technical innovations there've been over the years, including a few that you've figured in, like the use of Doppler radar, how predictable is a thing like a tornado?

turn 1 :  B states that "Getting up so many mornings of the year not knowing whether or not a tornado might come churning through your street must make a different kind of person." The implied meaning here is that people who live in areas prone to tornadoes must be resilient and adaptable in order to deal with the constant threat of danger. The literal meaning is simply that living in an area prone to tornadoes must create a different type of person.

How would you describe the people in Oklahoma based on the dialogue?

Answer: Aware


If you can find these kinds of primitive organisms, could you find things like evidence of, like, ancient viruses that might have been around?

Well, that's an interesting question, and people have tried to look. The difference between what we've been finding and the virus is that the virus doesn't have a rigid cell wall to protect it. It just invades other things that have cell walls. So it makes it much harder to see and much harder to fossilize. It's often the cell wall or the protective material around it which goes into the fossil record.

But some of my colleagues have thought they have found viral-like structures, sort of polygonal-shaped structures a bit like modern viruses - very, very tiny, but have been unable to convince themselves and other people that no other explanation can be brought forward for these things. So that's still very much an open question.

But it would be nice if we could, but a little bit hard to really confirm it.

turn 1 : It's hard to find fossil evidence of ancient viruses.

How does the lack of a rigid cell wall affect the fossilization of viruses?

Answer: Destroys


What has been done since then?And what still needs to be done to achieve a formal exoneration from the state of Texas for Timothy Cole?

Well there's an enormous amount. The first problem is that the court system in Texas is addicted to convictions and not very up on exonerations. We have created a very political system here in which egos are involved, politics are involved, and it's very, very difficult for judges and prosecutors to ever admit that they've convicted innocent people.

Do you have. . .

Because of that, we are running into a lot of obstacles.

turn 3 : There are many obstacles to achieving a formal exoneration for Timothy Cole due to the addiction of the court system to convictions.

How is achieving a formal exoneration for Timothy Cole difficult?

Answer: Difficult


But you're reporting the car companies don't want this to end up in the courts. How come?

So it takes a long time to bring a car to market. It takes five years to introduce a new product for these automakers. So they're planning years in advance. If you know what the regulations are going to be in five years, you can make decisions about what kinds of cars you want to bring to market.

If you don't know because it's up in the air and a judge could issue a ruling at any time that will change the regulation of your entire industry, then there's a lot of uncertainty. So even some carmakers who, again, were kind of skeptical about the original rules are really adamant now that they definitely don't want this feud, this back-and-forth, to continue.

They just want clarity. NPR's Camila Domonoske, thank you so much.

turn 1 : Car companies want to know the future regulations to plan ahead

Which industry's uncertainty led to carmakers' adamant stance against the original rules?

Answer: Automakers


What were some of the challenging parts of school?What did you find the hardest?

Reading, studying my lessons. You know, because I had to read more, you know, and because, you know, as you get older, your short-term memory sort of fails you once in a while. So to make sure that you got the material where you could reproduce it, you had to study a little harder and do a little more research.

So tell me what graduation day was like?

Oh, the best day of my life, I guess. Life doesn't get any better. Life doesn't get any better. With my family there, all my friends cheering me on, I felt like I was 16 years old. What a day. What a day. I was happy. Everybody was pleased. They gave me a good ovation. I really enjoyed it. I really did. I cannot explain to you in words my feelings.

turn 2 :  The speaker wants to know about the experience of graduating from school and what it felt like for the person they are talking to.

What did PersonB want to know about in turn 2?

Answer: Experience


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

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

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

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

turn 3 : (4) B: And we contacted the Department of Justice for comment on Mr. Ferguson's remarks about Attorney General Sessions.We have yet to receive a response.

Which federal agency was contacted by PersonB for a comment on Mr. Ferguson's remarks? (Answer: Department of Justice)

Answer: Department


There's been a lot of outrage. The thing is there's only a finite amount of money. It's not limitless. So that is true for federal aid, state aid and university aid. So money that is going to these families who would not otherwise be eligible for it means that that's money that is not going to a student who really needs it. In Illinois, for example, last year, there were 82,000 students who were eligible for the state grant who did not get it because the state ran out of money.

Have you heard from federal aid officials?Has anyone weighed in on this?

So I think the Department of Education is now aware of it. The state financial aid folks are aware of it. The universities are on alert now. I think they will be looking closely at financial aid applications from students who mark that they are in a legal guardianship. But keep in mind, there are students that really are in that situation. So you don't want there to be so many restrictions that it becomes harder for those students to get the aid.

That's Jodi Cohen, reporter at ProPublica.

turn 2 : to weight in on something means to give an opinion on something

How would you describe the purpose of Jodi Cohen's report?

Answer: Report


One of the main things that the sheep people face is the predators. And coyotes, wolves will impact your herd and kill lambs and so forth. It's kind of hard to imagine. But, at one point, I was trapping as many coyotes in a year as when I had sheep running on the land. And this is one of the things that this Barrasso bill seemed to address is the threshold level and not letting that level be like a mirage that you never really get there.

I apologize in advance for my city kid naivete, but isn't there something you can do to prevent the coyotes from getting to your - do I say flock or herd?

It's difficult. You got to remember, you know, it takes 30 acres to run a cow on my place. And you just can't be every place at once. So consequently, the cows have to kind of take care of themselves. And predators are very hard to offset in that instance.

How would increased state involvement, which is called for in the Barrasso bill, improve things as far as you're concerned?

turn 2 : Despite efforts to protect livestock, it's difficult to fully control predators and their impact on the herd.

Answer: Predators