Ripped from the Headlines: July 2024: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for July 27–August 2, 2024

President Biden proposed term limits for Supreme Court justices and a constitutional amendment prohibiting presidential immunity from crimes. In a Washington Post opinion piece, Biden wrote, "No one is above the law. Not the president of the United States. Not a justice on the Supreme Court." Amending the Constitution is a complicated process, requiring Congressional approval and the support of 38 state legislatures. The last constitutional amendment was added in 1992.

Venezuela’s authoritarian president claimed victory in an election, despite exit polling which showed his opponent with a majority of votes. Early results showed that opposition candidate Edmundo González had twice as many votes as President Nicolás Maduro. Nevertheless, the strongman leader declared himself "president-elect." Authoritarian comes from the sense of "favoring authority over freedom."

A new study investigated what happens in the brains of people when they blush. About 40 test subjects watched videos of themselves performing karaoke while undergoing an MRI exam. Researchers noted whether the embarrassed subject blushed, how red their cheeks became, and what areas of their brains had activated the response. Nearly all the subjects had skin flushing caused by activity in their cerebellum. The root of blush means "to shine or burn."

Scientists have learned that chimpanzees have natural conversational patterns that are very similar to the way humans talk. In a new study, researchers watched the interactions between 252 chimps. They observed a give-and-take rhythm, in which the primates took turns making gestures to each other — a reflection of the way humans converse. As our closest ape relatives, it makes sense that chimps have a similar communication style. Chimpanzee is derived from a Bantu language.

July was Disability Pride Month, marking the 34th anniversary of the day the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990. Month-long events celebrated the contributions of millions of people in the U.S. who live with physical and mental conditions that make daily tasks more difficult. This includes people with impaired vision and hearing, those with mobility impairments, and many whose disabilities aren't visible to observers.

According to scientists, domesticated rabbits can successfully "rewild" because they have some feral DNA. A recent study found that formerly tame rabbits produce offspring that are highly skilled at surviving in the wild; they also lose the qualities that make them attractive as pets, like being calm and docile. When researchers sequenced the rabbits' genomes, they were surprised to find that wild, feral, and pet rabbits all share a combination of wild and domestic DNA.

In the past few years, some U.S. hospitals have begun adding specialized geriatric emergency departments, in an effort to reduce the misdiagnosis of elderly patients. Older people frequently show different symptoms than younger ones, and they often take multiple medications and have underlying health conditions. Diagnostic errors are common, especially with a growing elderly population. Geriatric is from the Greek gēras, "old age," and iatros, "doctor."

A British architect's artful hedges, which he trims into giant animal shapes, have become local landmarks. The appropriately-named Tim Bushe shapes his North London neighbors' shrubs using a hedge trimmer, and has created an enormous pair of elephants, cats, a hippo, and more. The cleverly clipped bushes are so popular with tourists that they have reviews on Google Maps. Originally, a hedge was any kind of fence, living or constructed.

Torrential rain caused catastrophic landslides on July 30 that killed at least 194 people in Kerala, India. Nearly 200 others are missing after roads and houses were swept away in the deluge, which occurred at the peak of monsoon season. Monsoon's Arabic root, mawsim, used for any annual or seasonal event, was adopted by Portuguese sailors facing the rainy season in the Indian Ocean.

An unusually strong solar flare on July 28 released waves of plasma and magnetic fields, making it likely that people in parts of North America will be able to see the northern lights this week. The bursts of ionized gas directed toward the earth may cause visible aurora activity over northern states and as far south as the lower Midwest. In Greek, plasma means "something molded or created."

For the first time, a U.S. school system will have varsity pickleball teams as part of its official sports roster. Maryland's Montgomery County will offer the paddle sport at its 25 public high schools. Pickleball was previously an intramural activity; the change means it will be considered a more competitive and athletically challenging sport. Varsity is shorthand for university, and originally varsity sports were only played at the college level.

After successfully completing the most difficult vault in women’s gymnastics, Simone Biles went on to lead the U.S. team to a gold medal Olympic victory. Biles excelled in all her events, but the spectators were especially thrilled by her Cheng vault, in which she launched herself in a round-up over the vaulting table and finished in a forward flip with one and a half twists. Vault is rooted in the Latin volvere, "to turn around or roll."