Ripped from the Headlines: November 2026: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 7–November 13, 2026

At a time when polls indicate that 70% of Americans "have cut back on spending for extras," libraries have seen an uptick in people using the library. In cities around the U.S., librarians are reporting increased circulation, with more cardholders checking out books and using their library cards to stream audiobooks, read online periodicals, and watch movies. This matches previous trends, when library circulation increased during economic recessions.

A new study showed that Chihuahuas are one of the few dog breeds with fragments of coyote DNA. Most pet dogs are descended only from Old World gray wolves, but the world's smallest pup is also genetically tied to the wild canine that's a smaller version of a wolf. Researchers found that an ancient indigenous dog was crossed with a coyote, resulting in a Chihuahua ancestor. Coyote is a Mexican Spanish word that derives from the Aztec cóyotl, or "trickster."

After an election ended in deadlock between the two major political parties, it will be weeks before New Zealanders learn who their country's next prime minister will be. The tight vote, in which neither the Labour party nor the National party won a clear path to leadership, resulted from voters' support for minor parties and lack of enthusiasm for the major candidates. Negotiations to form a government will start once final ballot counts are released on November 27.

Tesla announced that it will terminate production of the Cybertruck next summer. The vehicle, which is distinctively angular and clad in stainless steel, debuted three years ago. Sluggish sales of the $120,000 Cybertruck meant that only about 25,000 were made annually in a factory designed to build 10 times that number. The Cybertruck's demise came despite investments of about $2 billion by owner Elon Musk's other company Tesla. The Latin root of demise means "let go."

After protests by Bangladeshi garment workers disrupted production at hundreds of factories, the country's government agreed to raise their minimum wage. Bangladesh is the second-largest global clothing exporter, producing apparel for H&M, Gap, Zara, and other brands. Garment factory employees earn only about $100 per month; officials did not specify how much their pay would increase. The Old French source of garment is garnir, "fit out" or "adorn."

A Bangkok surgeon conducted a randomized control trial over 345 hospital shifts to study a common superstition among Thai healthcare workers that eating Kentucky Fried Chicken causes bad luck and extra-long shifts. Dr. Thanat Tantinam tested the jinx by comparing groups that ate KFC chicken, another brand of chicken, and nothing during breaks. The study found no evidence of a Kentucky Fried Chicken curse, but even in Tantinam's own hospital, the belief persists.

The top item on the agenda for the 119th Congress's final weeks is keeping the government open by extending the provisional funding measure passed last month. The interim bill, which expires December 11, is likely to be followed by another temporary, short-term agreement. Provisional, "as a temporary arrangement," is from provision and its Latin root provisionem, "foresight."

NASA is soliciting applications from people who want to live on the moon as an astronaut. The agency is specifically seeking candidates with a master's degree in STEM or nursing who would work and reside on a future lunar base. Astronaut applications are competitive, with last year's process yielding 10 candidates from a pool of over 8,000. A NASA statement said that they are looking for people capable of "technical excellence, sound judgment, teamwork, and courage."

Three people were arrested at an airport in Lima, Peru, for attempting to smuggle thousands of tarantulas inside dirty socks. Peruvian officials said that the three were traveling to Germany, and a search of their luggage revealed suspicious wiggling inside. Security staff discovered a startling number of the large, hairy spiders, along with eggs and hatchlings. Despite the fact that they're venomous, tarantulas are very popular exotic pets.

Heavy rain in Chile's Atacama Desert caused the rare phenomenon known as a desert bloom, when colorful wildflowers cover the normally barren landscape. Experts say that it's the most vibrant bloom in the region in decades. Flooding due to El Niño saturated the desert soil with rainwater, allowing millions of long-dormant seeds to sprout. The resulting blooms blanketed the desert in brilliant hues of yellow, red, purple, and orange.