Ripped from the Headlines: August 2021: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 14–August 20, 2021

On August 16, the Biden administration announced that food stamp benefits will rise an average of more than 25 percent. Over 40 million Americans will receive additional food aid under the increase, the largest in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's history. The benefits help people buy extra groceries for themselves and their families. Benefit has a Latin root meaning "good deed."

White House officials advised Americans to get a booster eight months after their first Covid vaccination. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the protection offered by the initial shot declines over time, an effect that's exacerbated by the Delta variant. Booster shots work by stimulating the immune system, making it better able to recognize and fight off coronavirus. Health care workers and nursing home residents will receive the first boosters in September.

Scientists have discovered that an innocent-looking wildflower native to Pacific Northwest wetlands is carnivorous. The Western false asphodel is tall and leafless, topped by pale flowers. Researchers found that it uses its long, sticky stem to trap flies and beetles, then releases an enzyme to digest their bodies. It’s the only carnivorous plant known to use its stem this way. Carnivorous derives from Latin roots meaning "flesh" and "to devour."

The earliest reports from the 2020 census show a large spike in the number of people who identify as multiracial. The number of Americans describing themselves this way increased more than 125 percent over the past decade. Notably, the latest census allowed much more nuance and detail in answers to questions about racial identity.

The International Dark Sky Association certified Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border, as an International Dark Sky Park. The certification was granted thanks to efforts the park took to reduce light pollution, including the installation of LED streetlights. As an official Dark Sky Park, the Peace Park will be a destination for amateur astronomers. Reducing artificial light at night also protects nocturnal animals and cuts energy use.

The grandson of iconic boxer Muhammad Ali prevailed in his professional boxing debut on August 14. Nico Ali Walsh wore a pair of his grandfather's boxing trunks during his very first middleweight bout, which took place in Oklahoma. Walsh won against Jordan Weeks with a first-round knockout. Debut comes from the French débuter, "make the first stroke at billiards."

Demonstrations in two Afghan cities on August 18 were met with force by the Taliban. The protests continued on Thursday, spreading to the capital city of Kabul, where demonstrators carrying Afghan Republic flags marched near the presidential palace in opposition to the militant group's takeover of the country. Taliban soldiers responded with attacks on protesters and journalists.

On the morning of August 14, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. The violent quake could be felt 200 miles away in Jamaica, and at least 1,900 people died as a result of its destruction. Buildings shook and crumbled to the ground in the southern cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie, with the worst damage in the epicenter of Petit Trou de Nippes. Haiti is still struggling to recover from 2010's earthquake, which claimed as many as 300,000 lives.

Thousands of Western aid workers and diplomats — and several hundred Afghans — were evacuated this week following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. There was a chaotic scramble to board planes at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, with desperate Afghan civilians clinging to departing aircraft. Foreign civilian workers were flown to safety on military planes. Britain continues to evacuate 1,000 people daily, and the U.S. aims to get up to 9,000 people out each day.

The anonymous graffiti artist Banksy took credit for several recent artworks that have appeared in British coastal towns, including Great Yarmouth, Gorleston, and Lowestoft. Banksy released an Instagram video that titled the ten works of spray-painted art A Great British Spraycation and showed him driving from town to town in a camper and stopping to paint his iconic stenciled murals on seawalls, buildings, and bus shelters. The root of graffiti means "to scribble."

Animal shelters around the U.S. are predicting an enormous influx of animals over the coming months, as eviction moratoriums end and people have to give up their pets. Millions of families could potentially lose their homes, making it difficult or impossible for them to keep their dogs and cats. Shelters, which are already full, may be forced to euthanize animals if they face an overwhelming rush of surrendered pets. The Latin root of influx means "a flowing in."

A new interactive museum in New York honoring the history of the city’s famous theater district is slated to open in the summer of 2022. The Museum of Broadway is being described by its designers as experiential, allowing patrons to become fully immersed in its exhibits, which include a stage door and backstage area that breaks down behind-the-scenes details of what goes into making a Broadway show.

Scientists successfully mapped the 28-year journey of a 4,000-year-old woolly mammoth by analyzing chemicals found in its tusks. The enormous animals, weighing nearly six tons, wandered widely as they grazed, seeking fresh patches of grass. Using samples from different sections of the mammoth's tusk, researchers examined isotopes, or element signatures, that pinpointed where it had been eating or drinking water.

Country music star and philanthropist Dolly Parton announced that she's written her first novel. The book, Run, Rose, Run, is co-authored with bestselling writer James Patterson and will be released in March of 2022. It tells the fictional story of a young woman with a difficult past who pursues her dream of becoming a musician. The novel will be accompanied by an album of songs. Novel comes from the Italian novella, which originally meant "new story."

Opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema’s decisive victory in Zambia’s presidential election was announced on August 16. Hichilema defeated Edgar Lungu, who has led the country since 2015. The outcome was influenced by Zambia’s economic problems, as well as the government's increasingly repressive tactics and eroding democracy. Hichilema's United Party for National Development has promised to end corruption and expand civic freedoms.

After Teslas were involved in 11 crashes with parked emergency vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a probe of the company's autopilot system. The investigation will include 765,000 Teslas sold since 2014. Regulators have been cautious about restraining innovation until now, and industry insiders see this probe as a sign of new willingness to regulate self-driving automobiles. The Latin root of probe is probare, "inspect."

When the 2020 Paralympic Games begin next week, there will be no spectators. Officials cited Tokyo's current state of emergency due to rising cases of Covid-19, and they urged fans to stay away from road events as well. Nearly every event at the Summer Games earlier this month also occurred without spectators; athletes competed in front of empty stands. The Paralympic Games, an international competition for athletes with disabilities, will run from August 24 to September 5.

Tennis star Roger Federer will undergo knee surgery, causing him to miss the U.S. Open later this month. The operation will require him to use crutches at least through the late fall. Federer, who had surgery twice in 2020, said he reinjured the previously damaged knee at Wimbledon. The 40-year-old athlete has achieved 20 grand slams in his career. The Greek root of surgery, kheirourgia, means "done by hand."

Struggling transit agencies around the country hope to use funds from the Senate's recently-passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan to upgrade buses and trains. If the bill makes it through the House, the record investment could bolster aging subways and allow transit systems to modernize by adding light rail, electric buses, mobile payment plans, and other improvements. Cities including Chicago and Denver plan to use the funds to replace decrepit buses with new zero-emission vehicles.

On August 16, the Atlanta Falcons announced that they are the first NFL team to reach a 100% vaccination rate. Now that they're inoculated against Covid-19, players will no longer be required to wear masks, take daily coronavirus tests, or quarantine after contact with people who have tested positive. Last month, NFL officials urged players to get vaccinated, warning that teams will be required to forfeit any games that are rescheduled or canceled because of Covid outbreaks.