每日英语早餐 (English Breakfast）_北京外宾旅游攻略！

Meaning
the activity of getting money from someone by threatening or tricking them勒索，敲诈 (Cambridge)
最近几天特朗普与乌克兰总统的“通话门”事件持续发酵，美国左翼媒体，如CNN推波助澜。媒体高频率使用 "shakedown" 和 "mafia"。美国的媒体只要涉及到党派利益，似乎也难于做到客观公正。

Citation
Adam Schiff has compared Donald Trump’s communications with Ukraine, as reported in a White House memo, to the actions of a mobster. The House intelligence committee chair said the US president's conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart represented a 'classic, mafia-like shakedown' of a foreign leader. 'This is how a mafia boss talks,' Schiff said. 'And it’s clear that the Ukraine president understands exactly what is expected of him'

今日词组 Phrase of the Day

political football

Meaning
a problem that politicians from different parties argue about and try to use in order to get an advantage for themselves (Cambridge)
政治足球（各党派争论, 并试图利用来回争论以获取好处）

“政治足球”是指两党在解决一个非党派问题时，往往并将其变成一个党派问题。政党这样做是为了获得相对于另一党的优势，将一个问题像“足球”一样来回踢。

Citations
Ukraine, which counts on US political support and military aid to help repel its larger neighbour Russia, could end up being treated like a political football in the upcoming impeachment battle and the 2020 elections, even as it grapples with larger issues of security and reforms. （theguardian.com Sep 25, 2019)

Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha said Monday that Republicans are turning the immigration debate into “political football" instead of working with Democrats to stem the influx of migrants at the U.S. southern border. (thehill.com June 9, 2019)

今日俚语 Slang of the Day

dig up dirt on

Meaning
If you dig up dirt or dig the dirt on someone, you look for harmful or shocking information about them.
字面意思是把脏东西挖掘出来。这是政界惯用的伎俩，就是深挖政敌的隐私，把一些那些不为人知的丑闻揭露在光天化日之下，玷污政敌的形象。

Citation
Zelenskiy is squeezed between a US president urging him to dig up dirt on his political rival Joe Biden and a Democratic party that sees the White House’s pressure on him as a compelling argument to unseat Trump.
（theguardian Sep 25, 2019）

今日习语 Idiom of the Day

circle the wagons

Meaning
to take defensive action; prepare for an attack: from arranging a wagon train in a circular formation (collinsdictionary.com)
把马车围成一圈，严阵以待，准备反击；团结起来，捍卫共同的利益

这个习语最早起源于古罗马军队。把马车围成一圈，加强防御能力。早期美国西部也用这个方法防御土匪和强盗。也就是人们所说的“wagon fort”(马车堡垒），一种可以移动的堡垒，功能是跟福建土楼是相似的。

Examples
"If there's an impeachment charge against the sitting president, typically the party that's being challenged very much circles the wagons," Sanford said. "I don't know which way the knife will cut. It could make my job that much harder."(CBS NEWS Sep 25, 2019)

Some in Congress who have seen the complaint have called it troubling, with Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) saying it “reinforces our concerns” and is “deeply disturbing.” After reviewing the document, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) said, “Republicans ought not to be rushing to circle the wagons to say there’s no there there when there’s obviously lots that’s very troubling there.”(vox.com Sep 25, 2019)