Ripped from the Headlines: August 2021: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for July 31–August 6, 2021

As new infections surge around the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has sped up the process of granting full approval for the Pfizer vaccine. The agency's unofficial deadline for approving the vaccine is now Labor Day. Until now, the vaccine has been available only under emergency authorization; officials hope official approval will encourage some unvaccinated Americans to get the shot. The Latin root of approval is approbare, "to regard as good."

Eight designers, architects, and journalists have compiled a list of the 25 most influential works of post-war architecture. Each of the building design experts nominated about ten structures for consideration. The final list includes the glass Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe in suburban Chicago and Kenzo Tange’s concrete Kagawa Prefectural Government Office Building in Takamatsu, Japan. The Greek root of architecture means "master builder."

More than 17,000 looted cultural artifacts were reclaimed by Iraq this week, many of them seized from the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. The museum was founded by the owners of the Hobby Lobby craft store chain, who had purchased the relics to accompany Old Testament exhibits. The ancient clay tablets and other objects were illegally obtained and sold. It's the largest ever repatriation of stolen antiquities.

Olympic Belarusian sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya feared for her safety after criticizing her country and was offered asylum in Poland. Timanovskaya flew to Warsaw on August 4 after Belarus authorities tried to force her to return home. She had complained on social media after her coaches signed her up for the wrong Olympic event. In Belarus, any criticism is seen as political dissidence, an offense punishable by imprisonment. Poland was one of several countries that offered protection.

A piece of cake from Prince Charles and Princess Diana's 1981 wedding will be auctioned off next week. The item, described on the auction website as "A large slice of cake," was cut from one of 23 wedding cakes made for the event 40 years ago. Dominic Winters Auctioneers will sell the slice, coated in marzipan and decorated with a royal coat-of-arms, to the highest bidder. It's expected to cost the buyer at least $400.

As Wall Street offices begin to reopen, after more than a year with most employees working remotely, employers have relaxed their dress codes. While past standards stipulated formal attire like suits, ties, and high-heeled shoes, returning workers report wearing casual clothes, including polo shirts, sneakers, ballet flats, jeans, and even workout gear. Some predict the change in norms will be permanent.

A survey of synchronized swimmers found that at least 25% had sustained concussions during training. The results were seen as surprising for a sport that appears calm and dancelike above the water, as the athletes perform graceful, coordinated movements. Underwater, however, the swimmers' legs are kicking furiously. The speed and proximity of their bodies results in regular incidents of brain trauma. The Latin root of concussion means "a shaking or an earthquake."

In its most recent quarterly earnings report, Amazon announced that it employs almost a million people. This means that one out of every 169 workers in the United States has a job at the online retailer, making Amazon the second-largest employer in the country, after Walmart. Employ derives from the Latin root implicare, which means "enfold or be connected with."

On August 3, the Biden administration enacted a new moratorium on evictions, just three days after the previous ban expired. The new nationwide rule will apply to areas of the country with high levels of community transmission of Covid-19. Until October 3, landlords will be barred from forcing tenants who owe rent money to leave their homes. The CDC said that mass evictions would be "detrimental to public health," with people congregating in shelters and other crowded places.

Though genetic animal research tends to focus on dogs rather than cats, scientists who are more interested in cat genomes say that feline DNA holds important clues to human health. A cat's complete genetic instructions resemble those of people in many ways, and a deeper understanding of the feline genome could provide insight into human diseases. Scientists cite the Covid drug remdesivir, which was originally tested in cats for treating a feline-specific coronavirus.

Some private companies are contemplating vaccine mandates as white-collar workers begin returning to offices. Workplaces are reopening just as coronavirus cases increase in many regions of the U.S. After President Biden announced a vaccine requirement for federal workers, several large companies, including Disney and Google, established similar mandates for in-person employees. The Latin root mandatum means "command or order."

After withdrawing from several Olympic events, Simone Biles competed in the balance beam final on August 3, winning a bronze medal. Biles had pulled out of five finals after experiencing "the twisties," a sensation that can make gymnasts lose the ability to sense where their body is in the air — including whether they're upside down or not. The third-place award, her seventh Olympic medal, was a triumph for Biles, who performed a nearly perfect routine.

Run, an illustrated memoir by the late congressman John Lewis, was released on August 3. The autobiographical work of graphic nonfiction focuses on Lewis's experiences with the civil rights movement during 1965 — from the "Bloody Sunday" march he led in Selma, Alabama through the signing of the Voting Rights Act. Congressman Lewis died of pancreatic cancer in 2020.

New research published this month focuses on the genetic secrets of a desert plant that can live for more than a millennium. Welwitschia —or tweeblaarkanniedood, "two leaves that cannot die" in Afrikaans — is found in the Namib Desert. It does, in fact, have just two leaves, and the oldest known specimens are thought to be 3,000 years old. As the earth warms, scientists hope to glean useful data from a plant that survives over a thousand years in the world's driest environment.

Many animals navigate by starlight, and research shows that increasing light pollution is causing them to become disoriented. A team of animal biologists studying dung beetles confirmed that the brighter the night sky, the more confused the insects became. Other studies proved that seals steer based on the position of the stars and migrating indigo buntings are guided by several northern constellations when they travel at night. Artificial light can throw these animals sharply off course.

After an e. coli outbreak, the CDC is warning consumers not to eat raw cake batter. A sudden, sharp rise in cases of the dangerous bacterial infection led to an investigation which found that at least 75% of patients with e. coli had eaten unbaked batter made from a cake mix. Health officials say any uncooked flour can cause food poisoning, and people should avoid consuming it.

The U.S. women's soccer team lost their chance to win Olympic gold when Canada prevailed in a semifinal match August 2. Alyssa Naeher, the U.S. goalkeeper, was sidelined by a knee injury in the first half hour of the match, and Canada won with an expert penalty kick by Jessie Fleming. Team USA did, however, prevail in their next match against Australia, earning a bronze medal. The Latin root of prevail means "have greater power."

The State Department is offering potential refugee status to many Afghans who worked for news outlets and NGOs during the war. People who weren't eligible for an earlier visa program but are in danger of Taliban retribution because of their U.S. affiliation can now apply for protection and possible relocation to the United States. The application process for refugee status often takes a year or more. Refugee comes from an Old French word meaning "hiding place."

Scientists seeking to understand the diets of ancient humans can now find clues in pottery shards. For decades, archaeologists have examined the digestive contents of preserved bodies to identify what our ancestors ate. More recently, broken bits of vessels have offered extra hints. Ancient molecules of food clinging to fragments of clay cooking pots can now be accurately identified, thanks to the technique of mass spectrometry, which identifies specific foods based on mass.

A recently enacted animal welfare law in California might make it harder for restaurants to serve bacon and other pork products. The new rules require more humane treatment for pigs, chickens, and veal calves, with significantly larger enclosures. Animal welfare advocates say many traditional pens are cruel, not providing even enough space for animals to turn around. Only four percent of pork producers currently comply with the new standards.