Ripped from the Headlines: February 2025: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 23–March 1, 2025

A study shows that lab mice act in an altruistic way, attempting to revive other mice that are unconscious. A neuroscientist observed that after an anesthetized mouse was returned to its cage, its companions sniffed and bit at the drowsy mouse's face, as if giving first aid. The study found these actions increase oxytocin in the unconscious mouse, helping to revive the animal. While the helpers' intentions can't be known, the behavior seems driven by an instinct to aid a fellow mouse.

Astrophysicists observing a huge black hole in the center of the Milky Way report seeing bright flares and flickers of light circling the massive, dense space object. The orbiting light show, which varies in length and brightness, is described as resembling a fireworks display. The black hole, Sagittarius A*, is close enough to Earth in astronomical terms that scientists can see the flares with powerful telescopes, helping them better understand the gravitationally powerful object.

Almost 130 years after hundreds of metal ornaments, figures, and plaques were stolen from the Kingdom of Benin by British soldiers and sold to the Dutch, they are being returned to Nigeria. The Netherlands will give back a total of 119 Benin Bronzes, a collection of culturally important 14th-century artifacts that were cast from brass and bronze and once decorated Benin's royal palace. Bronze, a gold-colored metal, may come from the Persian birinj, "copper."

In Canada, more than 250,000 people signed a petition to revoke Elon Musk’s Canadian citizenship. The document is addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and argues that Musk's role in the Trump administration, which has threatened to make Canada "the 51st U.S. state," is an attack on Canadian sovereignty. It demands that Musk's passport be voided and that he lose his right to live, work, and vote in the country.

Five Hawaiian crows that were raised in captivity are being released more than 20 years after their species went extinct in the wild. The large, glossy, black birds, called ʻalalā in Hawaiian, will have to learn how to forage for food and avoid their natural predator, a native hawk. Scientists hope the intelligence and sociability of crows will help them survive. Crow comes from the Old English crawe, which imitates the bird's distinctive "caw" call.

A new fellowship awarded 20 older jazz musicians $100,000 each. The program, designed to grant funds to working artists over the age of 64, is a joint effort between the Mellon Foundation and the Jazz Foundation of America. The Jazz Legacies Fellowship aims to support late-career jazz artists, who often struggle financially between gigs and work without benefits, including health insurance.

Layoffs at Starbucks this week were the largest in the company's history. About 1,100 corporate office workers lost their jobs, and several hundred open positions were eliminated. The layoffs did not affect employees who work in Starbucks warehouses, roasting plants, or stores. In the late 19th century, layoff meant "rest and relaxation." Later, it was a temporary break from being employed; today, it means the permanent loss of a job, often for a group of workers.

As the second-largest lithium producer in the world, Chile has benefited economically. But in the last few years, it's become clear to many small communities that mining the precious metal, which is used to make batteries, harms their environment and depletes their water reserves. Friction is growing between people working to extract the valuable mineral and residents who resent the presence of mining companies. The Greek lithos, "stone," is the root of lithium.

A measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico has made at least 124 people sick, most of them young children and teenagers. More than two decades after U.S. health officials declared measles eliminated, the highly contagious illness has erupted, mainly spreading among unvaccinated people. So far, about 25 percent of those diagnosed during the current measles outbreak have been hospitalized, and one child has died.

Archaeologists found a pharaoh's tomb near Egypt's Valley of the Kings. It was the first such discovery in the area since King Tut's tomb was uncovered in 1922. Egypt's minister of antiquities said that the royal burial chamber belonged to Thutmose II, who reigned around 1480 BCE. Shards of alabaster jars recovered in the tomb refer to the "deceased king," and remnants of a ceiling were painted blue with yellow stars. Pharaoh is from the Egyptian Pero', "great house."

The New York Yankees announced the end of the team's nearly 50-year-old no-beard policy. The longstanding rule, which stipulated that players must be clean-shaven and that their hair should be shorter than their collars, was established by team owner George Steinbrenner in 1976. Over the years, many players were obligated to cut their hair or shave their beards after being signed to the team. Former Yankees player Clay Holmes commented, "It'll be cool to see who grows a beard out."

In February, the Trump administration purged tens of thousands of federal workers. The mass firings are part of a plan to cut costs in the federal government. Many of the fired workers were informed they weren't "fit for continued employment," despite recent positive performance reviews. Jobs have been eliminated at agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. Purge is from the Latin purgare, "free from what is superfluous."