This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 31–November 6, 2026

Researchers studying the properties of earwax found evidence that the substance found inside the ear canals of most mammals has at least one very important purpose. A team of bioengineers determined that the sticky stuff acts as a natural insect repellent, keeping small arthropods from getting inside our ears. One experiment showed that normally agile and determined ants are unable to climb across earwax, which is slippery but also sticks to their feet.

A new study shows that "jet lag" can affect birds as they fly between time zones. Researchers observed that the Manx shearwater, a seabird that travels hundreds of miles in search of fish and squid, can become disoriented during these long flights. They concluded that this happens when the bird's circadian rhythm is thrown off by the position of the sun, which they use to navigate. With their body clocks slightly out of sync, shearwaters tend to veer off course by a few degrees.

Hackers leaked a database containing personal information of more than 40,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) workers. Those affected by the hack included clandestine employees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The exposure of real names and other details of undercover agents was called an "unprecedented" security breach. The hackers said that they were retaliating against DHS's use of private data, including Medicaid records, for immigration enforcement.

A century after a traveling linguist recorded a woman speaking Louisiana’s creole language, that recording was analyzed and shared publicly for the first time. The language, known as Louisiana Creole or Kouri-Vini, was once widely used across the state but is spoken by fewer than 5,000 people today. It emerged in the 18th century as a mix of West African and French vocabulary and grammatical structures, along with Native American words for local flora and fauna.

Andreas Almgren of Sweden ran his first New York City Marathon on November 1, making his debut after a career spent running half-marathons. Almgren beat Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa by 13 seconds, finishing first in two hours, six minutes, and one second. It's been 16 years since a first-time participant won the race, and Almgren was the third-fastest winner in the Marathon's 50-year history. Debut is from the French débuter, "make the first stroke at billiards."

A cruise ship suspended its around-the-world trip due to increasingly high fuel costs. The MV Odyssey initially tried to save fuel by adjusting its itinerary, visiting fewer ports than scheduled. More than 200 passengers, who had paid over $200,000 for "lifetime" suites on the ship, were forced to disembark in Cambodia. The original travel plan included stops in 147 countries, including all seven continents. The Latin root of itinerary is itineris, "journey."

Cybercriminals plundered $6.3 billion during a hack of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. The FBI said North Korea was behind the attack. It took hackers 20 minutes to access investor accounts and steal massive amounts of Bitcoin and other digital assets. One expert called it "the largest bank robbery in history." Plunder, originally "to take away household furniture," is from a root meaning "household goods."

Another hot, dry summer in Europe has increased worries about the future of Italy's rare white truffle. The prized fungus is most abundant in the town of Alba, known as "the truffle capital of the world," where it grows underground. These delicacies, with their distinctive earthy umami flavor, can't be cultivated; they only sprout in the wild, from spores where previous truffles grew. They also require cool temperatures and sufficient moisture to thrive.

After years of unpredictable weather, including unseasonably hot summers, Japan just had its best potato harvest in years. Cooler temperatures and average rainfall contributed to a bumper crop of the popular tubers. Farmers in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido dug up enough spuds this fall that Japan's largest potato chip brand expects to buy 250,000 tons of local potatoes. The Latin tuber means "edible root."

The midterm elections brought major wins for Democrats, and with about 49% of eligible voters casting ballots, it was the second-highest midterm turnout in over a century. Large numbers of people voted early, including groups that statistically favor Democratic candidates, like younger people and Black voters. Polls showed that a majority of Americans felt dissatisfied with the country's current direction, giving Democrats wins in key swing states and majorities in the House and Senate.