Former Miss Venezuela Carmen Maria Montiel, now a Republican congressional candidate, blames socialism for her country's decline from oil-rich prosperity to poverty. ... Read full Story
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on Saturday confirmed his apology to President Trump earlier this week after an ad aired in Ontario that was critical of Trump's tariffs and used comments from former President Reagan to argue against the trade policy. "I did apologize to the president," Carney, who added that he tried to steer... ... Read full Story
President Trump floating Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a potential presidential ticket is fueling questions about their working relationship and political futures as chatter about who will lead the 2028 Republican ticket intensifies. Vance and Rubio have a history of teaming up during their tenures in the Senate, but talk... ... Read full Story
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pressed lawmakers to reopen the government late Friday as major airports across the U.S. experience flight delays and cancellations due staffing shortages amid the lapse in funding. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers are among the federal workers that are deemed essential and have been... ... Read full Story
President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, agreeing to cut tariffs by 10%. He said he did so because China agreed to help address the fentanyl crisis. ... Read full Story
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North Carolina Democrat lawmaker Cecil Brockman resigned after facing felony charges for alleged sexual conduct with a minor, ending calls for his removal. ... Read full Story
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Far-right activist Laura Loomer on Friday slammed the Heritage Foundation after its president, Kevin Roberts, spoke out in support of Tucker Carlson’s interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Loomer called out Roberts as a “hypocrite” after his recent interview with host Dana Loesch, where he indirectly condemned comments made by Carlson and Fuentes, and following... ... Read full Story
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A bipartisan pair of senators demand Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth provide military orders for the Caribbean boat strikes targeting alleged narco-terrorists. ... Read full Story
President Trump's fresh push for Republicans to abandon the Senate filibuster is showing little sign of success, even as lawmakers struggle to find a way out of the ongoing government shutdown. Trump’s call for Senate Republicans to use the “nuclear option” underscores his growing frustration with the government shutdown as it enters its second month. But... ... Read full Story
As the shutdown enters its second month, Democrats dodged questions on whether their hardline stance on extending Obamacare subsidies is worth keeping federal workers without pay. ... Read full Story
Illinois lawmakers passed a bill blocking federal immigration arrests near courthouses and allowing civil lawsuits for constitutional rights violations. ... Read full Story
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Trump is seeking a court ruling on SNAP payments during the government shutdown as 42 million Americans face uncertainty over November food stamp benefits. ... Read full Story
In on the joke, Vice President Vance on Friday shared a photo of himself wearing a wig, resembling the viral online meme where he is depicted as bloated and smiling. The photo, shared in a post on the vice president's profile on X, is a close-up of Vance's face, with curly brown locks around his... ... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 2, 2025 is:
arbitrary \AHR-buh-trair-ee\ adjective
Arbitrary describes something that is not planned or chosen for a particular reason, is not based on reason or evidence, or is done without concern for what is fair or right.
// Because the committee wasn’t transparent about the selection process, the results of the process appeared to be wholly arbitrary.
// An arbitrary number will be assigned to each participant.
“The authority of the crown, contemporaries believed, was instituted by God to rule the kingdom and its people. England’s sovereign was required to be both a warrior and a judge, to protect the realm from external attack and internal anarchy. To depose the king, therefore, was to risk everything—worldly security and immortal soul—by challenging the order of God’s creation. Such devastatingly radical action could never be justified unless kingship became tyranny: rule by arbitrary will rather than law, threatening the interests of kingdom and people instead of defending them.” — Helen Castor, The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV, 2024
Did you know?
Donning black robes and a powdered wig to learn about arbitrary might seem to be an arbitrary—that is, random or capricious—choice, but it would in fact jibe with the word’s etymology. Arbitrary comes from the Latin noun arbiter, which means “judge” and is the source of the English word arbiter, also meaning “judge.” In English, arbitrary first meant “depending upon choice or discretion” and was specifically used to indicate the sort of decision (as for punishment) left up to the expert determination of a judge rather than defined by law. Today, it can also be used for anything determined by or as if by chance or whim.