Ripped from the Headlines: March 2024: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 16–March 22, 2024

New York state authorities seized an alligator that had been a pet in a Buffalo home for 34 years. The 750-pound reptile, named Albert Edward, lived in an indoor swimming pool. State law forbids owning an alligator without a license, and then only for educational or scientific purposes. Albert Edward's owner had allowed people to be photographed in the pool with the huge animal. Alligator is from the Spanish el lagarto de Indias, "the lizard of the Indies."

A researcher found Arabic and Hebrew markings on an ancient astrolabe, evidence that medieval Muslims and Jews were living and working together. The 11th-century map of the universe has flat brass plates marked with the different languages, clues that suggest it was first used to calculate Islamic prayer times and later in several Jewish households. Astrolabe derives from the Greek astrolabos organon, which means "star-taking instrument."

Wildlife workers caring for a newborn, orphaned fox worried that the animal's strong bonding instinct would cause it to imprint on humans, making it unable to survive in the wild. In order to keep the fox's emotional connection from forming with a person, staff at the Richmond Wildlife Center disguised themselves, covering their faces with a furry fox masks. They also kept human speech to a minimum and gave the kit a furry stuffed animal to cuddle with.

Housing prices may fall after a real estate group settled a lawsuit accusing it of artificially inflating broker commissions. New rules will mean people selling homes aren't pressured to pay fees to both their own real estate agent and the agent who represents the person buying the house. In many states, it's been common for the two brokers to split a commission of about six percent of the selling price. Realtors will now be required to sign an agreement specifying their fees.

In an attempt to calm the city's normally rowdy spring break, Miami Beach set a weekend curfew. The rule required everyone in the South Beach area to clear the streets and be indoors by midnight. Authorities hoped to avoid the enormous crowds of tourists and college students that regularly overwhelm Miami Beach, sometimes resulting in violence. A curfew was originally a bell that rang in the evening as a signal to extinguish fires, and the word's root means "cover fire."

In a rare display of dissent, crowds of Russians staged a protest against the reelection of Vladimir Putin. Protestors in different cities simultaneously formed long lines to vote against the president, whose authoritarian hold on power has lasted through five terms. A month after opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in a Russian prison, his followers showed their solidarity with the "Noon against Putin" demonstration. The Latin root of dissent means "think differently."

An investigation found that AI-powered mushroom identification apps gave inaccurate information, frequently identifying poisonous mushrooms as being edible. Human expertise in identifying fungi that are safe to eat far outperforms technological tools, according to consumer advocacy experts. Artificial intelligence is not yet capable of distinguishing toxic mushrooms from the varieties that can be consumed. The Latin edere, "to eat," is the root of edible.

Niger's ruling junta announced it would end its relationship with the United States. The military government, which seized power after overthrowing the country's democratically elected president, had been a major U.S. ally in West Africa before the announcement. A spokesman for the junta said, "The American presence on Niger’s territory is illegal." About 1,000 U.S. soldiers are currently stationed in the country, where the U.S. has been pressing for democratic elections.

After a Massachusetts family found looted Japanese artifacts in their attic and returned them to their country of origin, Japan held a formal repatriation ceremony. The children of a World War II veteran discovered 22 pieces of antique Okinawan art that had been stolen during the war. The culturally meaningful items included a map, portraits, and ceramics. Repatriation is from the Latin repatriare, "return to one's own country."

No commercial passengers have flown on a supersonic jet since the Concorde's final flight in 2003. But now several companies are working to bring back civilian airplanes that can travel faster than the speed of sound. They say these flights will not only be impressively speedy, but also more affordable, cleaner, and quieter than past supersonic jets. The Latin roots of supersonic are super-, "over or above," and sonus, "sound."

More than 200 years after the United States signed an agreement that guaranteed 2.5 million acres of land to the Onondaga Nation, the tribe is asking an international commission for help. They filed a claim with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, asking the group to find that the U.S. violated a 1794 treaty and illegally seized the tribe's territory in New York state. The Onodaga wants a voice in environmental decisions and a tract of unspoiled land for fishing and hunting.

Social and political turmoil in Haiti is disrupting the lives of its 11 million citizens. The prime minister resigned after violent gangs seized power and chaos overtook both the streets and the government. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians have lost their homes and are going hungry, and thousands have been killed. Turmoil may be an alteration of the French tremouille, "mill hopper," in reference to the hopper's constant back-and-forth motion.