President Donald Trump is suing the IRS for $10 billion over the alleged illegal disclosure of his tax information by a "rogue, politically motivated" employee to news organizations. ... Read full Story
Hunter Biden's lawyers dismiss motion in legal filing, arguing he has no obligation to maintain relationship with 7-year-old daughter Navy Joan Roberts. ... Read full Story
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DHS lodges detainer for illegal immigrant accused of raping autistic teen in California sanctuary state. Officials call it "most heinous" case involving vulnerable victim. ... Read full Story
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Fox News poll shows Democrats leading Republicans 52% to 46% in generic congressional ballot for midterm elections, highest Democratic support recorded. ... Read full Story
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged fellow mayors to resist the Trump administration's federal immigration enforcement operations, claiming agents make the city "less safe." ... Read full Story
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Trump allies are highlighting the president’s Supreme Court win rate, even as critics argue the numbers don’t tell the full legal story. ... Read full Story
Virginia Democrats proposed new taxes on dog walking, gym memberships, and deliveries despite campaigning on affordability promises under Gov. Spanberger. ... Read full Story
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) press office on Wednesday mocked President Trump after he fired off almost 60 social media posts in one hour, with the press office commenting, "Deep breaths, everyone." "Just to clarify: Walmart’s 303 stores in California are open. The AI robot is lying. Governor Newsom is not Pablo Escobar," Newsom's press... ... Read full Story
First lady Melania Trump’s documentary is not making it to theaters in South Africa, according to a local distributor. "Melania," which opens Friday, outlines the run-up to her husband’s second term. The first lady was an executive producer on the film. “Based on recent developments, we’ve taken the decision to not go ahead with a... ... Read full Story
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) on Wednesday said the country needs a national conversation about immigrants lacking permanent legal status who “obey the law,” as public opinion sours on the Trump administration's deportation sweeps. “We need a national conversation about what we're going to do, about people who've come here, some of them 20... ... Read full Story
President Trump’s approval rating is slipping, with more than one-third of Americans saying they disapprove of how the president is handling his job, according to a new Pew Research Center poll. The poll, released Thursday, found that Trump’s approval rating fell 3 percentage points from last fall and now stands at 37 percent. Trump’s support... ... Read full Story
A majority of Americans think President Trump’s rhetoric and language when discussing China and relations with Beijing “negatively impacts” how people of Chinese descent are treated in the U.S., according to a new survey. Fifty-four percent of respondents said Trump’s rhetoric has a negative impact on people of Chinese descent, 41 percent reported neither a... ... Read full Story
FEMA announced $2.2 billion in disaster relief funding as a deadly winter storm batters the U.S., leaving hundreds of thousands without power nationwide. ... Read full Story
The Trump administration is bypassing California permitting delays to unlock $3.2 billion in disaster relief for wildfire survivors waiting to rebuild their homes. ... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2026 is:
short shrift \SHORT-SHRIFT\ noun
Short shrift means “little or no attention or thought” or “quick work.” In religious use it refers to barely adequate time for confession before execution.
// Certain neighborhoods have received short shrift from the city government.
“[Charlie] Caplinger echoed the concerns of many speakers at the meeting, with charter captains saying the recreational fishing industry’s economic contributions were being given short shrift.” — Mike Smith, NOLA.com (New Orleans, Louisiana), 6 Nov. 2025
Did you know?
We’ve got a confession to make, but we’ll keep it brief: while it’s technically possible to make “long shrift” of something, you’re unlikely to find long shrift in our dictionary anytime soon. Short shrift, on the other hand, has been keeping it real—real terse, that is—for centuries. The earliest known use of the phrase comes from Shakespeare’s play Richard III, in which Lord Hastings, who has been condemned by King Richard to be beheaded, is told by Sir Richard Ratcliffe to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.” Although now archaic, the noun shrift was understood in Shakespeare’s time to refer to the confession or absolution of sins, so “make a short shrift” meant, quite literally, “keep your confession short.” However, since at least the 19th century the phrase has been used figuratively to refer to a small or inadequate amount of time or attention given to something.