Ripped from the Headlines: October 2024: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for September 28–October 5, 2024

A study found that newborn babies are protected from Covid if their mothers were vaccinated while they were pregnant. Researchers examined data collected in 12 states between 2022 and 2024, finding that 90 percent of infants hospitalized with Covid had mothers who didn't get the vaccine. The results point to the likelihood that a pregnant person's antibodies are passed on to their fetus, with that protection against the virus extending months after birth.

Archivists discovered a previously unknown composition by Mozart in a German library. Workers at the Leipzig Municipal Library were reorganizing a collection of Mozart's compositions when they found one that wasn't recorded in the archive. The sheet music, composed for strings, dates from the 1760s, when the Austrian composer wasn't even 13 years old. Archivist is from archives and the Greek ta arkheia, "public records."

An increase in avian flu outbreaks has sent the cost of eggs soaring. During the past year, egg prices have risen nearly 30 percent, to an average of $3.20 per dozen. Since 2022, 100 million birds have been infected with bird flu, a number that includes wild birds and egg-laying chickens. Birds in close quarters, the way most farmed chickens are kept, are especially vulnerable to infection. Avian's Latin root, avis, means "bird."

Former President Jimmy Carter turned 100 on October 1, the first-ever American president to become a centenarian. Carter, who has been in hospice care for more than a year, wasn't able to attend the celebrations in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, though he briefly joined family members in his yard to watch a military flyover. Centenarian comes from centenary, "100 years," and its Latin root, centum, "hundred."

At least 194 people died from effects of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida and also plowed through parts of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Hundreds of people remain missing, and over a million were without power more than a week after the massive tropical storm barreled through. Helene was the most powerful hurricane in recent history, at 350 miles wide and with winds of up to 140 miles per hour.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on charges including bribery and fraud. He is the first mayor in the city's history to face federal corruption charges. Allegations against Adams include taking illegal campaign contributions from people close to the Turkish government and accepting free plane flights and luxury hotel rooms. The most serious charge against the mayor has a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The Latin root of indict means "to declare."

Scientists eager to solve the mystery of the Greenland shark's longevity have successfully mapped its genome. They hope a closer look at the shark's genetic makeup will help them understand how it's capable of living as long as 400 years. Researchers are particularly interested in genes involved in DNA repair, which may partially explain the lifespan of the shark, the world's longest-living vertebrate. Longevity derives from a Latin word meaning "long lifetime."

After actor Damian Lewis was officially named an honorary Freeman of the City of London, he drove a flock of sheep across the River Thames — part of a medieval tradition. Centuries ago, the Freeman title was bestowed along with the right to herd livestock over the bridge without paying the usual toll. Today, this custom from the Middle Ages is purely ceremonial. The Latin words medium, "middle," and aevum, "age," were used to coin medieval.

About 50,000 members of the longshoreman's union went on strike October 1, a work stoppage that effectively shuttered all East Coast ports. Goods that arrive by cargo ship and are unloaded on docks from Texas to Maine — including furniture, clothes, food, and cars — won't be delivered. Exports that ordinarily depart daily from the busy ports will also be affected. Higher prices and shortages of certain products are expected to result from the strike.

The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the state of Alabama, saying that it violated federal laws when it purged voters. The state removed 3,251 registered Alabama voters from its rolls 84 days before the November election, claiming they were "noncitizens." The law in question does not allow the elimination of voters less than 90 days before a federal election. Purge is derived from the Latin purgare, "cleanse or purify."

On September 29, California's governor vetoed a controversial AI bill. Governor Gavin Newsom's refusal to sign what would have been the strictest regulation of artificial intelligence technology in the U.S. is considered a major win for large tech companies. The bill sought to hold companies responsible for AI technology that was used to hurt people, and required companies to test products before releasing them. In Latin, veto means "I forbid."

Amazon workers at warehouses in India say they are overworked, including during deadly heat waves. People employed at loading docks in an Amazon facility in Manesar say they were pressured to continue working without toilet or water breaks even as temperatures reached record-breaking highs of 122 degrees. Warehouse workers in northern India are tasked with storing, packing, and shipping goods ordered by Amazon customers who have come to expect fast delivery times.