Ripped from the Headlines: January 2024: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 6–January 12, 2024

Severe winter storms hit much of the U.S. on January 9, bringing tornadoes, flooding, and blizzards that affected millions of people. Strong winds accompanied snowfall in the Plains and Great Lakes, and parts of northern New England saw as much as 20 inches of snow during the blizzard. Forecasters have issued another severe storm warning for next weekend. Blizzard first became a common word for a powerful snowstorm during the snowy U.S. winter of 1880.

A blockade by Polish truckers, who are protesting new rules for Ukrainian drivers, has led to a 20-mile backup at the border. An EU ruling two months ago allows unlimited entry to drivers from Ukraine, and Polish truckers say they can't stay in business with that much competition. By entirely blocking off entry at the border crossing, the drivers hope to keep Ukrainians from entering. They also aim to restore an old permitting system that limited trucks entering from outside the EU.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina easily won a January 7 parliamentary election, a vote that was boycotted by her main opposition. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party refused to participate in the election, accusing Hasina of repressing dissent and creating a one-party state. Boycott is named after Charles C. Boycott, a 19th-century English land manager who refused to lower rents and found himself boycotted by his tenants and employees.

Singapore is lifting a 34-year-old ban on cats in government-built apartments, allowing thousands of clandestine pets to finally come out of hiding. For decades, feline-loving Singaporeans have secretly kept cats in spite of the rule, which applied to 80 percent of the country's 3.6 million residents. Clandestine is from the Latin clandestinus, "secret or hidden."

The president of the Navajo Nation raised objections to a plan to deposit human remains on the moon, saying it would desecrate something held sacred by many tribes. Two companies that send cremated remains into space had included the ashes of 70 humans on this week's attempted moon mission. Indigenous groups say the moon is a sacred object that would be defiled if it were a "resting place for human remains." A spaceship malfunction left it unable to land on the moon or return to Earth.

A customer sued Hershey's for five million dollars because the Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins she bought didn't match the design on their package. A lawsuit argues that the company's marketing embellishments, in this case a cute face that the actual chocolates don't have, are essentially a lie. The extra decoration is accused of being "false advertising." Embellishment is from embellish, "make beautiful," and its Latin root, bellus,"handsome or pretty."

Lily Gladstone became the first Indigenous woman to win a Golden Globe for best actress, for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon. Gladstone, who grew up on Montana's Blackfeet Indian Reservation, gave part of her acceptance speech in the Blackfeet language. The movie's plot is based on a true story about the brutal treatment of Osage tribe members who became wealthy after oil was discovered on Native land. The Latin root of indigenous means "sprung from the land."

What was intended to be the first U.S. moon mission in 50 years launched successfully on January 8. After the privately-owned Peregrine spacecraft separated from its rocket, it began to lose propellant, making a moon landing impossible. Despite a perfect blast-off, the fuel loss set the journey up for failure. Japan's space agency will be the next to attempt a lunar landing, with a spacecraft that launched in September and is scheduled to touch down later this month.

A new study found that hearing aids increase longevity for people with hearing loss. Researchers found that people who regularly used hearing aids had a 24 percent lower mortality rate than those who didn't. Not using the devices led to a dramatically higher risk of dying early. The Latin roots of longevity are longus, "long," and aevum, "lifetime."

Researchers finishing an underwater surveying project off the coast of Los Angeles were surprised to discover World War II-era munitions. Using sonar and video imaging, oceanographers found pyrotechnic "smoke floats," which camouflaged ships during wartime, and depth charges, weapons used to destroy submarines. The munitions were probably linked to the former Long Beach Naval Shipyard, according to the researchers. Munition's Latin root means "defensive walls."

Congressional leaders negotiated a plan to finance the federal government in 2024. The deal includes money for the defense budget as well as essential programs. Despite the work House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did over the weekend to reach the agreement, far-right House Republicans are demanding more budget cuts. Lawmakers may have to sign a short-term spending measure to avoid a total government shutdown on January 19 as negotiations continue.

At Indiana's Potawatomi Zoo, a golden retriever became a surrogate mother to a litter of African painted dog puppies. Their biological mother wasn't taking good care of the pups, according to the zoo's canine team. A substitute parent was important because painted dogs rely heavily on their social group, forming bonds from birth. A local shelter provided recent mom Kassy to nurse the puppies as her own. The Latin root of surrogate means "put in another's place."