Ripped from the Headlines: September 2024: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 31–September 6, 2024

More than 25 years after a cargo ship nearly capsized, spilling five million Lego pieces into the North Sea, they're still washing up on European beaches. Experts called the 1997 spill the largest "toy-related environmental disaster" as 62 shipping containers tumbled into the sea during a storm. Adults who collected Lego sharks and dragons from beaches in England and Belgium as children still find them today. Cargo is from the Late Latin carricare, "to load a wagon."

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani's dog "threw out" the ceremonial first pitch at a game against the Baltimore Orioles. Decoy, a Dutch Kooikerhondje, was carried to the pitcher's mound wearing a dog-sized Dodgers jersey. Decoy then picked up the ball in his mouth and ran with it to home plate, where Ohtani stood. The longstanding baseball ritual of a special guest throwing the first pitch dates to the 1890s — but until now, the tradition has always been carried out by a human.

Scientists say the world just experienced its most humid summer ever. The record-breaking amount of moisture in the air made already high temperatures feel dangerously hot and increased rainfall amounts. The rise in humidity is part of a long-term trend caused by climate change: warmer air is able to hold more water vapor than cool air. The Latin root of humid is humidus, which means "moist or wet."

The investors who helped Elon Musk buy Twitter in 2022 have lost billions in value. Two years later, the company is worth about half of the $44 billion Musk paid, and the stock held by those whose investments were part of the original purchase has similarly plummeted. Saudi and Qatari royalty, venture capitalists from Silicon Valley, and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey are among Twitter's investors.

Governor Tim Walz was not injured when several cars in his motorcade crashed in Wisconsin on September 2. The line of vehicles was traveling together to a Labor Day speech in Milwaukee when cars at the rear, which carried members of the press, were struck from behind. At least one minor injury was reported. Motorcade was coined in 1909, modeled on cavalcade, "a procession of carriages or horses."

Israel erupted in protests over the government response to the continuing captivity of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas. After six captives were found dead on September 1, thousands of Israelis took to the streets to express their anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to use military force rather than negotiation. Protestors said that the military presence on the Gaza-Egypt border is hampering an agreement with Hamas that could immediately free the remaining hostages.

A national pickleball organization is bringing the sport to U.S. prisons. It's part of an effort to rehabilitate incarcerated people by treating them with empathy, motivating them to feel hopeful, and helping them transition back into society after their release. Volunteer coaches from the Pickleball for Incarcerated Communities League teach inmates to play the tennis-like paddle game. Participating prisons report that the program has reduced stress and violent incidents.

James Bjorken, a theoretical physicist who helped prove the existence of quarks, died at age 90. Using Bjorken's groundbreaking research, other scientists were able to confirm that there were charged particles even smaller than protons and neutrons — later identified as quarks. U.S. physicist Murray Gell-Mann coined the term, from a nonsense word in James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese set a new WNBA single-season rebound record on September 1. In a game against the Minnesota Lynx, Reese caught the ball 19 times after various players' unsuccessful attempts at making a basket — making her season total for rebounds 418 so far. With eight games remaining, Reese is set to far surpass the previous record of 404. The Old French rebondir, "to leap back," is the root of rebound.

Researchers recorded underground sounds and compared the acoustics in various locations. The noises made by subterranean organisms that live in the soil — including ants, worms, and other invertebrates — were much louder in lush woodland areas than in deforested plots of land. The study concluded that ecological diversity, above and below ground, resulted in more complex sounds. The Latin roots of subterranean are sub, "under," and terra, "ground or earth."

Venezuela ordered the arrest of Edmundo Gonzalez, an opposition candidate who claimed victory in July's presidential election, accusing him of usurpation. Other governments, including the United States, have confirmed that Gonzalez beat Nicolás Maduro in a landslide. The authoritarian Maduro government disagrees, alleging that Gonzales is attempting to steal the election by force.

Venomous sea worms have been washing up on Texas beaches. Experts say the poison-filled sting of the Amphinome rostrata, or bristle worm, leaves its victim feeling like their skin is on fire. The marine creatures are covered with bristly spikes that release venom when they become embedded in skin, often by being stepped on. The Latin root of venomous is venenum, "poison."