Ripped from the Headlines: September 2023: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for September 2–September 8, 2023

Ukraine halted international adoptions after Russia invaded 18 months ago. The move has left many children and adopters in limbo; in some cases, kids had already visited their prospective parents in the U.S. and the legal adoption process had begun when the war started. Ukrainian officials say the chaotic state of the country makes the freeze on adoptions necessary until the end of the war. The Latin root of adoption is adoptare, "to choose for oneself."

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks announced that hunters had captured the longest alligator in the state's history. The huge scaly reptile, caught in the Sunflower River, weighed over 800 pounds and measured 14 feet, three inches long. Alligator is from the Spanish el lagarto de Indias, "the lizard of the Indies," and a Latin root, lacertus, "lizard."

Studies show that up to 65% of jobs in Las Vegas could be automated by 2035. In the city's casinos and hotels, machines have already begun taking over work formerly done by people. This includes check-in kiosks in lieu of desk clerks, robot servers at restaurants, and machines automatically dispensing drinks at bars. Labor unions in Las Vegas are currently negotiating new contracts that include protections against AI replacing humans, and workers say they're prepared to strike if needed.

A new study shows that too much screen time affects the ability of very young children to communicate and solve problems. Researchers found that one-year-olds who spent two or more hours a day in front of a phone, television, or other digital device had delays in development. More screen time was associated with even bigger deficits. The delays in cognitive skills were most notable, but there were also setbacks in social and motor skills in babies that spent the most time watching videos.

On September 3, U.S. tennis players dominated in the U.S. Open for the first time in decades. Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Coco Gauff, and Ben Shelton all prevailed in their matches that day, with Gauff and Shelton moving on to the semifinals. At 19, Gauff is the first American teen since Serena Williams to advance so far in the U.S. Open, and Shelton is being hailed as "the new face of U.S. tennis." Dominate is derived from a root meaning "lord and master."

Local officials began the cleanup process at the annual Burning Man festival after 70,000 people were stranded in mud for two days. The week-long event is built around community and collaboration, with participants working together to build interactive exhibits and plan festive performances. Despite the festival's principals, such as "leaving no trace," attendees left debris that included cars stuck in the muddy playa. The Latin root of festival means "feast."

A ship that sank in 1881 was discovered almost completely intact at the bottom of Lake Michigan. Shipwreck hunters found the 140-foot schooner Trinidad about 300 miles below the lake's surface, ten miles from shore. The ship's remains were remarkably undisturbed, including an attached deckhouse with cabinets that were still full of stacked dishes. Intact derives from the Latin in-, "not," and tactus, "touched."

An Australian rescue team completed a perilous mission on September 2, successfully evacuating a critically ill staff member from an Antarctic research base. The daring rescue involved an icebreaker ship, which traveled through thick sheets of ice, and two helicopters staffed with a medical recovery team. Unpredictable early spring weather in Antarctica made the undertaking especially dangerous. The Latin root of perilous is periculum, "risk."

Scientists have long known that many of Germany's wild boars were radioactive, and now they know why. While other European plants and animals show traces of radiation, a lingering effect of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant meltdown, some boars have highly radioactive tissue. Researchers discovered that the isotopes in the wild pigs matched 1960s nuclear weapons tests, and traced the source to truffles they eat, which absorb the radioactive chemical from the soil.

A painting bought at a thrift store for four dollars was found to be a rare work by renowned American artist N.C. Wyeth. The piece, an illustration for a 1939 novel, is expected to sell for up to $250,000 when it's auctioned off later this month. Wyeth was a celebrated illustrator and also the father and grandfather of two other renowned artists, painters Andrew Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth. Renowned comes from a now-obsolete verb, renounen, "make a name famous."

Chinese leader Xi Jinping's decision to skip this weekend's G20 Summit in India is seen by many as a snub to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It's the first time Xi has missed the meeting since he took power in 2012. Modi's goal of burnishing his image as a powerful global leader will be somewhat hampered by China's cold shoulder. The Old Norse snubba, "to chide, curse or scold," is the root of snub.