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

A study found that Florida carpenter ants can save each other's lives by amputating damaged limbs. When the insects perform this rudimentary surgery, removing another ant's infected leg, they prevent infection from spreading to the rest of the ant's body and killing it. It's the first time scientists have documented a nonhuman animal performing a life-saving amputation. The Latin root of amputate is amputare, "lop off."

Boeing will plead guilty to fraud related to two fatal crashes of its 737 Max airplanes five years ago. After the company was initially charged with deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration about a faulty flight control system, it agreed to increase monitoring and reporting of its planes' safety and quality. The Department of Justice found it violated that agreement, and Boeing must pay a fine of $243.6 million. Fraud derives from a Latin root meaning "deceit."

A 12-year-old high school graduate is the youngest-ever student to be admitted to New York University. Suborno Isaac Bari finished his studies at Long Island's Malverne High School after just two years. He plans to major in physics and mathematics at NYU in the fall. Bari said, "I hope to graduate from college at 14 in 2026," adding that he intends to get a PhD in math. The Latin gradus, "a step, or a figurative step towards something," is the root of graduate.

A study found that persistent feelings of gratitude are associated with a lower risk of death. Researchers examined data from 50,000 older women who had filled out a 2016 survey that included questions about how often they noticed and felt grateful for positive experiences. After adjusting for physical activity level, religious involvement, and other factors, researchers found that those who experienced the most gratitude had a nine percent lower risk of death from any cause.

Koala cuddling has been banned at Australia's Lone Pine Sanctuary, in response to criticism from wildlife advocates who say the practice upsets the furry animals' preference for solitude. Since the park opened in 1927 with the goal of protecting the small, bear-like marsupials, who were hunted for their fur, celebrities from British royalty to Taylor Swift have visited in order to pet them. The koala hugs have been replaced with a variety of educational experiences.

Official results after last week's election in the U.K. show a landslide victory for the center-left Labour Party. It's the party's first win since 2005 and one of the biggest margins of victory in British election history, giving Labour a 170-seat majority in Parliament. The results are seen as a reaction to the political chaos of the last 14 years, which included Brexit and economic struggles in the U.K. Landslide has been used for "lopsided political victory" since 1888.

Scientists believe they've discovered a way to recycle clothes, by breaking fabric down into its component molecules. Until now, it's been nearly impossible to turn old clothes into new garments, because most are made of different fibers — usually a combination of cotton and polyester. Using chemicals and microwaves, researchers have found a new method of dissolving fabric into its tiniest particles, separating these molecules, and using them to make new products.

A philanthropy donated funds to make medical school free for most students at Johns Hopkins University. Mike Bloomberg's philanthropic organization gave $1 billion to the school, which will now offer free tuition to students whose families earn less than $300,000 per year. Bloomberg Philanthropies has donated a total of $4.55 billion to Johns Hopkins, most of which has been used to make college more affordable. The Greek root of philanthropic means "benevolence, humanity."

After spending over a year in a 1,700-square-foot space that simulates the environment on Mars, four volunteers emerged on July 6. The crew members had lived since June 25, 2023 in a 3-D replica of the red planet that was created by NASA. They maintained equipment, grew vegetables, and performed simulation "Marswalks" as part of an experiment to observe how humans would manage living on Mars. Simulate has a Latin root, simulare, "to imitate."

Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigrant National Rally party was leading in polls before the French election's final round of voting, and it was widely assumed they'd win a majority of legislative seats. Instead, the left-wing New Popular Front and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition thwarted a far-right victory. Together, the parties stopped what would have been France's first right-wing government since World War II. Thwart originally meant "to pass over or across."

In a major Wimbledon upset, American tennis player Emma Navarro defeated her top-seeded opponent, Coco Gauff. Navarro, who was seeded 19th in the tournament, unexpectedly beat the number-two seeded Gauff in the fourth round. The sports definition of upset comes from the verb and its older "overturn or capsize" meaning.

Though some Democrats say President Biden should withdraw from the presidential race after his shaky performance in last week's debate, he remains determined to seek reelection. In a letter to Democratic lawmakers, Biden said, "I am firmly committed to staying in this race." The Congressional Black Caucus has voiced its support for Biden as the Democratic candidate, while various pundits and celebrities have expressed their belief that the president should pull out.