Ripped from the Headlines: January 2020: This Week In Words: January 4–10, 2020

The ongoing conflict in Libya got more serious as rebels took the coastal city of Surt. It's a complicated situation, especially with foreign countries backing different sides and sending troops to help. The U.N. supports the current government, which now only holds a strip of land on the coast around the capitol, Tripoli. Turkey backs the government and has sent soldiers to try to retake Surt.

After the U.S. killed Iranian military leader Qassem Suleimani in a drone strike near the Baghdad airport, Iran responded by hitting a couple of American bases in Iraq with missiles. Iranian news said that at least 80 Americans were killed in the attacks, while the U.S. said that they were warned ahead of time by the Iraquis and that there were zero casualties. Observers speculate that Iran wanted to save face by responding, but did not want to escalate the situation by doing any real damage.

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is scheduled to be sentenced, and prosecutors are asking the judge to send him to jail for up to six months. Flynn initially cooperated with the prosecution, but that deal fell apart after he refused to take any responsibility and worked to undermine a related case against another defendant. Excoriate comes from the Latin corium for "skin," so excoriate means "to skin" or "to flay," though it's mostly used in a figurative sense.

Joe Biden sharply criticized the President after the attack that killed Suleimani, saying that he acted without authorization and without regard to the consequences of such a serious escalation of the conflict between the U.S. and Iran. Biden called on the President to explain the decision and back it up with evidence that there was an imminent attack being planned that Suleimani's death prevented. Fiat means "let it be done" in Latin. Rule by fiat is something that dictators do.

Uber is suing California over a new statute that would require them to classify their drivers as employees rather than independent contractors. The law requires companies to give workers fair pay, health insurance, sick leave, and other benefits that traditional employees receive. Uber's stock price has fallen almost a third since it went public last May, and investors worry that the law will hurt the bottom line.

Scientists are successfully growing food in labs, using bacteria. The process is so efficient, and produces so little waste, that hopes are high for providing healthy, affordable food for the growing world population in a way that doesn't deplete natural resources like water and topsoil.

The devastating fires in Australia eased a bit as cooler weather and some rain arrived, but the problem is still incredibly serious and widespread. 26 people have died, and some estimates of animal deaths have climbed to over a billion. Some endangered species may have gone extinct. The Prime Minister has taken a lot of criticism for denying that climate change has contributed to the fires, and opposition leaders are calling for hefty reductions to greenhouse gas emissions.

Unrest in the Middle East has oil prices rising, and though that's good for the energy sector, it's bad for other industries and consumers as fuel costs make everything else more expensive. Continued uncertainty has investors on edge, especially since Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow piece of ocean through which nearly 20 percent of the world's oil is transported in ships.

Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from Hurricane Maria, was hit by a couple of big earthquakes. Much of the island lost power, and 300,000 people had no water either. Recovery efforts are made more difficult by the fact that much infrastructure is still not fully repaired after the storm. Officials are urging the administration to release the rest of the Maria disaster funds and add more for the new disaster.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has the votes to set impeachment trial rules, so Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi should send the articles to the Senate so the trial can begin. She is holding out until the Senate agrees to hear witnesses, which McConnell is refusing to do. He has said that he wants a quick acquittal of the President. Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says he will force the Senate to vote on witnesses, and that without them the trial will be a joke.