Ripped from the Headlines: April 2023: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for April 22–April 28, 2023

New research shows that relationships with acquaintances play a big role in most people's happiness. Though psychologists call them "weak ties" or "peripheral ties," casual associations with classmates, neighbors, and co-workers were found to boost both mood and overall health. Friendship and love may be more important, but the people you greet at the dog park are actually helping to keep you mentally healthy. Acquaintance derives from a Latin root meaning "to come to know."

Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy protection on April 23. The company has struggled to remain profitable for years, a problem that was temporarily disguised while shoppers spent their stimulus money during the height of the pandemic. Unable to continue paying its bills, Bed Bath & Beyond has stopped accepting coupons and will close its 360 stores by the end of June. Bankruptcy is from bankrupt and the Latin phrase banca rotta, "broken bench."

Scientists have found evidence that carnivorous plants tailor the odors they produce to attract particular kinds of insects. Researchers studied frilly pink pitcher plants, which supplement their diets by feeding on bug flesh, and discovered that distinct aromas are correlated with consuming specific insects. The Latin roots of carnivorous are caro, "flesh," and vorare, "to devour."

Major League Baseball's Athletics are preparing to depart California for Las Vegas. The process of leaving the city of Oakland, where the As have played for more than 50 years, will be a long one. Team officials signed an agreement to buy land west of downtown Las Vegas, where they plan to construct a new stadium. The earliest the team will play as the Las Vegas Athletics, leaving Oakland without a professional baseball team, will be 2027.

On April 22, the United States began an evacuation of its diplomats from Sudan's capital city. The 70-person staff of the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum was moved by helicopter to a Djibouti military base. Weeks of tension had erupted into violent clashes between two groups led by rival generals who are fighting for power in Sudan. The U.K., Germany, and France have also removed their diplomatic staffers from the country. The Latin root of evacuation means "to empty."

In a new study, a researcher found that forgiveness can improve overall well-being in most people. A psychologist whose career previously focused on helping couples let go of their angry feelings toward each other surveyed nearly 5,000 people in five countries. The data showed that learning to release resentment and forgive others for the harm they may have caused results in improved mental health and mood for the majority of individuals.

Disneyland workers were treated for smoke inhalation after a dragon in the Fantasmic! performance burst into flames on April 22. Spectators thought the fire was part of the show, which included the 45-foot fire-breathing dragon. As flames spread from the creature's head, smoke filled the air and the area was evacuated. Employees who breathed in too much smoke got medical care, but no one was seriously injured. Inhalation has a Latin root that means "breathe upon."

After setting a new world record for consecutive days spent underground in isolation, a Spanish climber finally left the cave she had inhabited alone for more than 500 days. Beatriz Flamini entered the cave in November of 2021 and remained 230 feet below ground with no human interaction until she emerged this week. The Latin root of isolation is insulatus, "made into an island."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov faced official rebuke from Western diplomats during his United Nations visit this week. Before Lavrov addressed the Security Council on April 24, the European Union's ambassador to the UN made a statement admonishing Russia, and the Secretary General condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calling it a violation of international law. UN members from Western Europe and the United States also declined to send their foreign ministers to the meeting.

Experts are scrambling to save an endangered mid-Atlantic salamander species. The Eastern tiger salamander has lived in the region since the Ice Age, but its numbers have sharply declined in recent years. Ecologists are boosting the amphibian's chances of survival by replacing breeding sites destroyed by human activity. Salamander is from the Greek salamandra, a mythological lizard that thrives in — and can extinguish — fire.

President Biden said he will seek a second term in the White House. He announced his reelection bid on April 25, asking voters to keep him in office to "finish the job" he started when he was elected in 2020. Biden, who is 80, is the oldest U.S. president in history, and his advanced age worries some voters. However, polls show that registered Democrats strongly support an additional term for the candidate. The Latin root of term means "boundary or end."

A toddler crawled through the fence surrounding the White House. U.S. secret service agents apprehended the tiny intruder and returned him safely to his anxious parents on Pennsylvania Avenue. The boy, who appeared to be about three years old, triggered the security system when he squeezed into a narrow gap between metal fence posts. Toddler is from toddle, of Scottish origin, meaning "walk with short, unsteady steps."

This week, the cable news world was shaken by the unexpected firing of two popular hosts, Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon. On April 24 Fox News abruptly dismissed Carlson, whose reports of various conspiracies made him controversial but pulled in three million viewers each night. Fox's surprising announcement was followed by CNN's firing of Lemon, who has been accused of misbehavior, misogyny, and ageism. Lemon responded to his firing by saying, "I am stunned."