Ripped from the Headlines: May 2020: This Week In Words: May 3–9, 2020

Llamas appear to block the coronavirus with an immune response that might yield a treatment in humans someday. Immune systems produce antibodies to fight infections; llamas and their camel cousins also make much smaller particles and these seem to be more effective. Human trials using these nanobodies, which are smaller than regular antibodies, may begin later this year.

Doctors and hospital administrators are having a difficult time getting enough personal protective equipment (PPE). With chaos at the federal level, states and individual hospitals have been scrambling to get gowns, gloves, and especially masks. Bidding wars have pushed prices up, and fraud is rampant, with fake gear being sold as the real thing.

With so much travel and industry on hold, air pollution levels have dropped dramatically in many parts of the world. Many wild species are benefitting, especially bees, which have a harder time finding food in polluted air. In addition to polluted air, many common pesticides harm bees, which are essential to our food supply. Fodder, food for grazing animals, is a Germanic word. From there it made its way through the French fourrage, and then into English as forage.

Amazon workers in California say that the company is forcing them to work when they are sick, which is against state law. The company says that its warehouses aren't food storage facilities, but state officials say that under the law they are, and they must grant workers two weeks of paid sick leave and also two weeks to self-isolate or care for a family member if needed. Jeopardy comes from the French jeu parti, "divided game," originally used in chess.

The Supreme Court made its oral arguments available as a live audio stream for the first time ever, as the Justices convened remotely from their homes for the current session. The Court has previously refused to allow cameras or recording devices into the building, but made this concession because otherwise there would be no way for reporters to cover the proceedings.

Some very good medical news, though alas not related to the coronavirus, came out this week. Some mosquitoes carry bacteria that appears to completely block the parasite that causes malaria. If this bacterium can be turned into an effective cure, it could save between 1–3 million lives a year, which is the current death toll from malaria.

As China slowly reopens amid promising signs that its part of the pandemic has passed, its airlines are flying again. With so many other planes around the world grounded due to travel restrictions and public fears, industry analysts speculate that Chinese airlines might be well-positioned to grab a larger share of the global market before other countries and companies get their fleets back in the air. Reckon is Germanic, from words meaning "calculate," "settle up," or "make right."

A memo released by Military Entrance Processing, which is responsible for signing up new volunteers for the armed services, states that nobody with a history of Covid-19 can be admitted into the military. Even those who have fully recovered are barred from serving. There is much speculation about what the reasoning behind this decision is, and whether it will change as more is learned about the disease and what its lasting effects are.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued guidelines for reopening schools, restaurants, churches, and businesses. But the White House said the guidelines were too strict and would further hurt the economy. The agency is reportedly working on a revised version. Vulnerabilis is Latin for "wounding."

The Justice Department plans to drop all charges against Michael Flynn, the former National Security Advisor, who had pled guilty to the crimes. Critics of the administration said that this is a sign that the Justice Department is acting to protect the President and his allies. A judge still has to approve it. If the wind blows an apple out of a tree, and it lands at your feet ready to eat, that's a windfall: something good that happens to you without you having to earn it or work for it.