Ripped from the Headlines: February 2022: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 12–February 18, 2022

On February 12, the United States suspended avocado imports from Mexico. The buttery fruit, a crucial ingredient in guacamole and avocado toast, had already hit record high prices, costing nearly twice what they did a year ago. The surprise suspension gave consumers, grocers, and restaurants no time to find alternate sources for the fruit. Even though the suspension is temporary, it is sure to result in severe avocado shortages until imports resume.

Following a successful 2021 trial of a new bionic eye in sheep, researchers announced they will test the engineered devices in humans. The prosthetic eyes are expected to help people who are blind gain some amount of vision. Once implanted, they work by wirelessly communicating with a special pair of glasses and stimulating the patient's retina. Bionic comes from bio-, or "life," with the -ic suffix borrowed from electronic.

A week-long blockade of the Ambassador Bridge, which links the U.S. and Canada, came to an end late on February 13. Canadian police issued tickets, towed vehicles, and arrested at least one of the anti-government protesters who had gathered to obstruct traffic and prevent the movement of goods. About 8,000 trucks typically cross the bridge daily, carrying cargo that comprises a quarter of all trade between the two countries.

Researchers have determined that the more clutter a person has in their home, the more they tend to procrastinate. In older adults, having more chaotic collections of objects around is also strongly correlated with high stress levels and dissatisfaction with life. A study found higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in people who perceived their homes as being cluttered and disorganized. Clutter was originally a verb, meaning "collect in heaps."

For the second year in a row, First Lady Jill Biden adorned the White House lawn and the East Wing in honor of Valentine's Day. Biden's heart-shaped decorations included cardboard cutouts of family pets Willow and Commander as well as 42 hearts embellished by a Washington, D.C. second-grade class. The decorations were intended to communicate "a little joy, a little hope," Biden said. The Latin root of decoration is decorare, "to beautify."

Despite testing positive for a banned substance, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was cleared on February 15 to continue competing in the Winter Olympics. Her eligibility remains in question, and any medals she wins will be withheld until her case is resolved. Though many skating experts objected, saying the result made Valieva unqualified to compete, officials emphasized the need for a full investigation. Eligibility derives from a word meaning "fit to be chosen."

Two years after they were removed from federal protection, gray wolves are back on the endangered species list. During the time they spent unprotected, wolf hunting in the U.S. increased sharply; in 2021, over 200 wolves were killed in just 60 hours in the state of Wisconsin. Because they threaten livestock, protection of at-risk wolves has been controversial since they were first declared endangered in 1973.

A new study of a diplodocid fossil has revealed the first evidence of a dinosaur suffering from a respiratory infection. Scientists found irregular, bony protrusions in the fossilized neck bones indicating an infection in the animal's air sacs, which were connected to its lungs and aided in breathing. The rock-like remains of the dinosaur vertebrae also suggest that she was about 60 feet long and lived 15 or 20 years. Fossil originally meant "anything dug up."

The Los Angeles Rams' iconoclastic approach to building their team led to their 23–30 Super Bowl victory over the Bengals on February 13. Widely criticized as radical and overly aggressive, the Rams' technique included hiring the youngest-ever NFL coach and trading a quarterback with Super Bowl experience for a veteran who had no prior playoff wins. It was the first Super Bowl win for the Rams in over 20 years. The root of iconoclastic means "breaker of images."

In honor of Valentine's Day, the Bronx Zoo encouraged people to name an insect — a Madagascar hissing cockroach, to be exact — after a loved one. It was the eleventh year of the zoo's popular Name a Roach event, which benefits the Wildlife Conservation Society. For $15, the zoo offered the chance to bestow one of its two-to-four-inch roaches with a special person's name, or to have a virtual "meet and greet" with one of the impressive bugs.

Even when human-made warning systems fail to alert people of imminent earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes, animals often seem to know these events are coming. In the hopes of better protecting people from natural disasters, scientists are now studying this animal intuition. Buffalo, elephants, dogs, and birds have all been observed fleeing for higher ground long before a disaster struck. Researchers are currently focusing on electromagnetic waves as a possible source of this instinct.

A recent report suggests that chimps are using a kind of primitive medicine when they apply insects to each other's wounds. Researchers studying a group of 45 chimpanzees in Gabon observed them catching an insect, squeezing it in their mouths, and then placing it on an open wound. Often the chimps would repeat this process, moving the bug around the sore with their fingers. While the scientists don't know if the insects have healing properties, the intention seems to be therapeutic.

As the tense standoff on the border of Ukraine and Russia continues, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is attempting to maintain his customary optimism. Keeping a positive, sunny outlook comes naturally to Zelensky, who was a stand-up comedian before being elected president in 2019. Even as the likelihood of military conflict increases, Zelensky continues to insist that diplomacy is still on the table. Optimistic is derived from the Latin optimus, "the best."

Indian workers who grow and process cotton say that much of what is labeled as organic is actually grown conventionally, using pesticides. The market for cotton that has been produced without chemicals or pollutants is increasing, and a large quantity of the popular textile comes from India. Insiders there say that at least half of "organically grown cotton" is not actually organic, due to corrupt inspection agencies and the higher cost of chemical-free farming methods.

On February 14, the Senate began debating a new bill that would overhaul the U.S. Postal Service. The legislation has widespread bipartisan support and passed easily in the House. The Postal Service Reform Act would restructure the way the agency covers the health care costs of retired employees and modernize its website, providing delivery time data on an online dashboard. Today's meaning of overhaul comes from a nautical sense of "pull rigging apart to examine it."

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, pedestrian deaths have increased in most of the United States, with an especially sharp rise in the Southwest region. Authorities say the increasing cases of people being hit by cars as they cross streets and walk near roadways are partly due to driver anxiety and larger vehicles. At the heart of pedestrian is the Latin pedis, or "foot."

In an interview on February 13, President Biden said that although he sympathizes with those who feel frustrated about continuing pandemic-related restrictions, he believes ending mask mandates is premature. During the past week, many states have acted to end indoor mask rules. Biden cited experts who warn that lifting the mandates too early could jeopardize recent progress, as Covid cases have declined. Premature derives from roots meaning "before it's ripe."

A rare solar storm has knocked 40 orbiting SpaceX satellites out of commission. The satellites, which are used in high-speed internet service, were thrown off course after bursts of energy emitted by the sun caused the geomagnetic storm. They will burn up as they re-enter Earth's atmosphere. Solar comes from the Latin word solaris, "of the sun," and its root, sol, "sun."

A valuation of a drawing purchased for $30 at a 2017 yard sale has determined that it was drawn by the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, and estimated its worth at more than $10 million. The previously unknown work, now titled The Virgin and Child, was evaluated by scholars at the British Museum and examined using technical age analysis. Completed around 1503, the drawing is considered a rare example of a lost masterpiece.

A new CDC report shows that the effectiveness of Covid-19 booster shots begins to wane after about four months. Researchers studied patients in ten states, estimating how well boosters worked to keep them out of the hospital. They found that after two months, people were 91 percent protected against hospitalization, a rate that had fallen to 78 percent by the fourth month. Despite this reduction, the study showed that vaccines continue to offer strong protection against serious illness.