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According to new statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics' most recent survey of adult abilities, the proportion of adults having literacy skills at the lowest measurable levels rose significantly as the gap between the high-skilled and low-skilled in the US widens. When the study was last conducted in 2017, 19% of American adults were classified as having the lowest literacy skills. That percentage rose to 28% in 2023, a shift that NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr described as significant during a press conference on Monday to announce the poll. In particular, literacy is a really consistent notion, and it is larger than what we would often see in an international evaluation, she added.Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers a...

Overnight, a wildfire in Malibu, California, spread to over 2,000 acres, forcing Pepperdine University to implement shelter-in-place procedures and evacuate its students. The Los Angeles County Fire Department reports that the Franklin Fire started in the Malibu Canyon region at approximately 11 p.m. local time on Monday night (2 a.m. ET on Tuesday). The fire breaks out while a number of Southern California regions are under red flag warnings due to low humidity, strong Santa Ana winds, and dry vegetation that makes them vulnerable to severe wildfires. The fire was 0% contained and had spread to 2,200 acres at 7 a.m. local time. At 3 a.m. local time, the City of Malibu reported that the fire had expanded south down the Pacific Coast Highway (also called Highway 1) in the direction of the M...

Washington Mehmet Oz is being questioned by prominent Democratic senators on his "previous advocacy for Medicare privatization," which refers to his 2020 proposal to enroll all seniors in private insurance plans under Medicare Advantage. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led a letter on Tuesday asking the doctor and television personality known as "Dr. Oz" for clarification after President-elect Donald Trump appointed him to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). "In the wake of that nomination, we write regarding our concerns about your advocacy for the elimination of Traditional Medicare and your deep financial ties to private health insurers," the letter, which NBC News first received, said. Five other members of Congress, including Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who is exp...

As the president-elect's other Cabinet candidates returned to the Capitol for more senatorial questioning, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick to serve as the nation's top intelligence official, started meeting with influential lawmakers this week. For her support of Russia and Syria's recently exiled ruler, Bashar al-Assad, Gabbard, one of Trump's most divisive nominees, is under fire from senators for her appointment as director of national intelligence. Other troubled choices, such as Trump's selection of Pete Hegseth to head the Defense Department, have mostly eclipsed Gabbard's bid. Trump reiterated his support for Hegseth in an interview with NBC News on Friday. Due to accusations regarding his treatment of women and alcohol use, Hegseth presently does not have enough votes to be approved in...

Washington Mehmet Oz is being questioned by prominent Democratic senators on his "previous advocacy for Medicare privatization," which refers to his 2020 proposal to enroll all seniors in private insurance plans under Medicare Advantage. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led a letter on Tuesday asking the doctor and television personality known as "Dr. Oz" for clarification after President-elect Donald Trump appointed him to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "In the wake of that nomination, we write regarding our concerns about your advocacy for the elimination of Traditional Medicare and your deep financial ties to private health insurers," the letter, which NBC News first received, said. Five other members of Congress, including Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who is expected ...

Syria is celebrating the overthrow of its long-standing dictator, but it is also facing a fresh ground invasion and a barrage of Israeli airstrikes that have drawn increasing international censure and alarm on Tuesday. While Israeli ground forces advanced into Syrian territory, explosions shook Damascus overnight, smoke rose from a research facility north of the capital, and wrecked naval ships waited in the western port of Latakia. As Israeli soldiers take over the demilitarized and U.N.-patrolled buffer zone, which was created under a 1974 ceasefire deal, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that he had ordered the military to create a "sterile defense zone" in southern Syria. Israel claims that the goal of its airstrikes and ground operations is to keep Assad's rocket an...

The atrocities of Syria's grueling civil war seemed to go on forever for a large portion of its 13 years. After just 11 days, President Bashar al-Assad's regime has fallen, with the despot escaping his nation amid a dramatic rebel force advance. A lot of Syrians are celebrating. Assad used torture, murder, and domestic repression to hold onto power. In 2011, he used a combination of chemical weapons and lethal support from Russia and Iran to put down an uprising. His family's iron-fist empire, which started in 1971, appears to be over. For live coverage, follow along. This is by no means a quick and easy solution, though. The group in charge of the rebels that overthrew Assad is considered a terrorist organization by the US and other countries. Additionally, they retake a Syria that has be...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was referred to as the "governor" of the "Great State of Canada" by President-elect Donald Trump overnight after he recently threatened to impose taxes on the nation. "It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada," Trump tweeted just after midnight on Tuesday in a post on his Truth Social account. "I look forward to seeing the Governor again soon so that we may continue our in depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all!" Requests for response were not immediately answered by Trudeau's office or the Trump transition team. According to Fox News, which cited two diners who overheard the conversation, Trump recently joked that Canada ought to become the 51st...

Etsy, TikTok Shop, eBay, and Redbubble are just a few of the e-commerce sites where vendors are selling goods with designs influenced by the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Following the discovery of bullet shell casings bearing the words "Deny," "Defend," and "Depose" at the crime scene, NBC News examined more than 100 item listings for T-shirts, hoodies, stickers, mugs, and even fake bullets and Christmas ornaments bearing those words (the police later clarified that the word "Defend" actually meant "Delay"). Drawings or photos of the shooter from the original footage of the incident are featured on some of the items. Luigi Mangione, a suspect, was accused of murder.Monday. The incident has generated a lot of internet hype, with many individuals mocking or even che...

At Pepperdine University, evacuations and shelter-in-place procedures were implemented after the Franklin Fire in Malibu Canyon burst to over 2,000 acres overnight while a large portion of Southern California was under red flag warnings and there was a significant possibility of the fire spreading dangerously. The Los Angeles County Fire Department reports that the brush fire started at approximately 11 p.m. local time on Monday night (2 a.m. ET on Tuesday) at Malibu Canyon Road and Station Boundary. It has expanded to 1,822 acres with no containment as of 3:47 a.m. local time (6:47 a.m. ET), crossing the Pacific Coast Highway and causing damage to buildings. Due to Santa Ana winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation, which create an ideal environment for very dangerous wildfire growth, 12 m...