A Polar "Vortex" and a "Mercurial" Basketball Star: Ten Words in the News You Need to Know

With much of the U.S. braving record-breaking cold weather, the U.S. government launched a new investigation into fraudulent bond sales by some of Wall Street's largest and most prestigious banks, and Dennis Rodman organized an exhibition game for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's birthday celebration.

To fully understand these unfolding news stories, learn ten key words taken from this week's New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post coverage with A Polar "Vortex" and a "Mercurial" Basketball Star: Ten Words in the News You Need to Know.

Social Studies teachers: Looking for more words from current events and historical sources? Check out our collection of news-based vocabulary lists or page through the historical documents and speeches categories in our featured lists.