Ripped from the Headlines: November 2023: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 11–November 17, 2023

Shetland Wool Week brought knitters from around the world to the Shetland Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Scotland. The festival drew hundreds to the remote cluster of islands, eager to see the Shetland sheep that produce a well-known wool used in knitwear. Archipelago is from the Italian arcipelago, "the Aegean Sea," and its Greek root, which means "first sea." Because the Aegean is full of island chains, the word came to be used for any groups of islands.

The IRS announced new tax brackets for next year, with bigger standard deductions. The changes mean that most single Americans will deduct $14,600 from their 2024 income before it's taxed, meaning they'll have to pay less in taxes in 2025. Higher thresholds for tax brackets mean that a taxpayer would have to make more than $609,350 annually to be taxed at the highest rate.

Researchers studying a group of cats found they displayed at least 276 distinct facial expressions. Close study of 150 hours of video revealed subtle changes in the cats' faces that clearly communicated different moods. The felines expressed pleasure, relaxation, and anger using ear movements, wrinkled noses, blinking, and open mouths. About 46 percent of the expressions were friendly, while 37 percent were aggressive.

A world record was set on Diwali when 2.2 million oil lamps were lit in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. South Asians celebrated the Hindu festival of lights on November 12, setting off fireworks and holding sparklers, candles, and lamps. The festivities went on despite a warning from Indian officials about poor air quality. Festival is from an Old French word meaning "suitable for a feast," and its Latin root, festus, "of a feast."

During the 2022-2023 academic year, the number of international students at U.S. colleges grew at the fastest rate in more than four decades. A new report found that there were 1,057,188 students from other countries enrolled at American universities last year, 12 percent more than the previous year. Chinese and Indian students make up the largest portion of foreign-born U.S. college populations. The roots of international mean "between countries."

Neuroscientists say they're starting to understand how human skin senses a specific type of touch, a light scratching used by parents around the world to soothe their children. A study of the connections between nerve cells in skin and specific regions of the brain has revealed a complex system that can create peaceful, calm feelings from sensations of gentle touch. The Greek neura, "nerve," is a root of neuroscientist.

Two recent search-and-rescue missions saved Canadian hikers who became lost after following the same nonexistent trail on Google Maps. The helicopter rescues took part on Vancouver's Mount Fromme, where people who had relied on the mapping app were stranded, one of them at the edge of a dangerous cliff. Google removed the fictional trail after the second rescue mission. Experts recommend using apps specifically designed for wilderness hiking, rather than Google Maps.

A 1918 postage stamp sold for $2 million to a New York man who has collected stamps since he was a child. He acquired the rare stamp, known as an "Inverted Jenny," after coveting it for his whole life. Commemorating the first time an airmail flight delivered letters by plane, one batch of stamps was accidentally printed with the "Jenny" plane upside down. Postage is from post, a reference to the way letters once traveled, between horses posted along the route.

Mattel's Ken doll was snubbed by the National Toy Hall of Fame. Ken was chosen as one of 12 nominees, but he was rebuffed in favor of Cabbage Patch Kids, the Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Nerf, and baseball cards. Although Barbie's flat-footed companion has had a surge in popularity since the movie Barbie came out, Ken was passed up yet again for an illustrious place among the most famous toys. Snub has a Scandinavian root that also means "snip."

The fourth sinking of a boat by orcas in the last two years unnerved sailors near the Iberian Peninsula. Last week, a pod of killer whales teamed up and slammed their bodies into a yacht's rudder for 45 minutes, causing a leak that ultimately sank the vessel. Sailors in the Mediterranean say they're disconcerted by the behavior and worried about their safety. Unnerve is from un-, "the opposite of," and an old meaning of nerve, "give strength or vigor to."

During a Veteran's Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, President Biden promised to expand healthcare for people who have served in the U.S. military. Among other efforts, the Department of Veterans Affairs will provide free medical care to former military members who live in nursing homes and cover the cost of treatment for Parkinson's disease. The Latin root of veteran is veteranus, "old, aged, or advanced in years."

According to meteorologists, Iceland is on the brink of a volcanic eruption. Scientists have pointed out several signs: magma is rising close to the ground's surface, there's an increase of sulfur dioxide in the air and hundreds of small daily earthquakes have occurred. Iceland has a population of 400,000 and about 130 active volcanoes. Volcanic comes from the Italian vulcano, "burning mountain," and its Latin root, Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.