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The Summary A new report describes the dire state of Earth’s snow and ice. Among other findings, it warns that several key climate tipping points appear more likely to be reached than previously thought. They include ice melt that could cause severe sea-level rise and the collapse of a crucial ocean current that governs how heat cycles in the Atlantic Ocean. Venezuela lost its final glacier this year. The Greenland Ice Sheet is losing, on average, 30 million tons of ice per hour. Ice loss from the Thwaites Glacier, also known as the “Doomsday” glacier because its collapse could precipitate rapid Antarctic ice loss, may be unstoppable. These are just a few of the stark findings from more than 50 leading snow and ice scientists, which are detailed in a new report from ...

WASHINGTON — A looming battle among Senate Republicans over whom to pick as their next majority leader is turning into an early test of how much power President-elect Donald Trump's MAGA movement will exert in his second term. The three-way fight to replace outgoing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, pits Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota against John Cornyn of Texas, a former McConnell deputy, and underdog candidate Rick Scott of Florida. The battle will gauge the staying power of long-serving senior Republicans grounded in an institutionalist view of the Senate, like Thune and Cornyn, against an emboldened pro-Trump wing looking to smash any vestiges of the old GOP as he returns to power. Scott, who's seeking to claim the latter mantle, said in an inter...

Former President Donald Trump has clinched a second term in the White House, and his Republican Party has won control of the Senate. But control of the House of Representatives is still up for grabs, as is the size of the incoming Senate majority. In the fight for the House, Democrats are facing an uphill climb to net the four seats needed to flip the chamber, while Republicans only need to win a handful more competitive races to hold onto the majority. With more than a dozen House races still uncalled and many looking close, Democrats would need to hang onto all of their competitive seats and flip a few Republican-held seats to get to the 218 seats needed for the majority. With votes still being counted, here's a look at the key races that remain uncalled by the NBC News Decision De...

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as secretary of state for his administration in the coming days, according to three sources familiar with the selection process. Trump could still change his mind, the sources cautioned, noting that the decision wouldn't be finalized until the president-elect makes a formal announcement. The New York Times first reported Trump's plans to name Rubio as the nation's top diplomat. Foreign policy is one of the few areas where there is a deep philosophical disagreement among Trump's base. A main pitch from Trump during the campaign was that he would implement “America First” policies, a doctrine that emphasizes less foreign aid, trying to curtail U.S. involvement in current foreign conf...

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as secretary of state for his administration in the coming days, according to three sources familiar with the selection process. Trump could still change his mind, the sources cautioned, noting that the decision wouldn't be finalized until the president-elect makes a formal announcement. The New York Times first reported Trump's plans to name Rubio as the nation's top diplomat. Foreign policy is one of the few areas where there is a deep philosophical disagreement among Trump's base. A main pitch from Trump during the campaign was that he would implement “America First” policies, a doctrine that emphasizes less foreign aid, trying to curtail U.S. involvement in current foreign conf...

CHURCH CREEK, Md. — Revered abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who was the first woman to oversee an American military action during a time of war, was posthumously awarded the rank of general on Monday. Dozens gathered on Veterans Day at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Maryland’s Dorchester County for a formal ceremony making Tubman a one-star brigadier general in the state’s National Guard. Gov. Wes Moore called the occasion not just a great day for Tubman’s home state but for all of the U.S. “Today, we celebrate a soldier and a person who earned the title of veteran,” Moore said. “Today we celebrate one of the greatest authors of the American story.” Tubman escaped slavery herself in 1849 and settled in Philadelphia. Intent on helping others achieve freedom, ...

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as secretary of state for his administration in the coming days, according to three sources familiar with the selection process. Trump could still change his mind, the sources cautioned, noting that the decision wouldn't be finalized until the president-elect makes a formal announcement. The New York Times first reported Trump's plans to name Rubio as the nation's top diplomat. Trump had previously considered Rubio as a running mate before ultimately choosing Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio. Trump has made a series of other staffing announcements in recent days. On Monday, he announced plans to nominate former Rep. Lee Zeldin , R-N.Y., as the Environmental Protection Agency's top admi...

Firefighters on both coasts were battling wildland blazes Monday after thousands of acres burned in New Jersey amid a historic drought and after strong winds last week sent a blaze howling through Ventura County, California. The late-season fires, which come just a few weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, are a reminder that wildfires are quickly becoming a year-round hazard in the U.S. In California, the so-called Mountain Fire in Ventura County has grown to 20,630 acres, or 32 square miles, and was only 36% contained Monday evening, according to CAL Fire, the state agency responsible for fire protection . About 2,800 people were working to contain the blaze, which has damaged or destroyed nearly 250 structures since it started Wednesday. Ventura County Fire Capt. Tony M...

Actor Megan Fox revealed that she is pregnant in an Instagram photo that is simply dripping with intrigue. In the image, Fox, 38, is cradling her belly while kneeling in what looks like a puddle of black paint oozing from her skin. She stares into the camera wearing an expression that may be proud, or defiant, or both. And just in case there is any doubt about the message of the photo, Fox included a second image gripping a pregnancy test that reads “YES+.” The post went live Monday and had more than 800,000 likes within an hour. Fox shares three children — Noah , Bodhi and Journey , — with ex-husband Brian Austin Green. The pair filed for divorce in 2020, the same year that Fox began her passionate partnership with Machine Gun Kelly. Thou...

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to be his national security adviser, according to four sources familiar with the decision. Waltz is a Green Beret veteran who served in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa. Since 2019, he has represented a congressional district in the House, where he's a member of the Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees. The Wall Street Journal first reported Trump’s pick. Waltz’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Waltz is a particularly hawkish member of Congress when it comes to China. He's a member of the House’s China Task Force and has argued that the U.S. is underprepared if there is a conflict in the region. Like many congressional Republicans, Wal...