Nov 5, 2018

New poll has Andrew Gillum up by 4 in Florida governor's race

Debate between Ron DeSantis (L) and Andrew Gillum (R). Photo: Chris O'Meara-Pool via Getty Images

Democratic nominee for Florida governor Andrew Gillum is up 4 points on Republican opponent Ron DeSantis in a new NBC News/Marist poll, within the 5-point margin of error.

Why it matters: Race has played an increasingly large role in the high-stakes Florida gubernatorial campaign, with Gillum — who could be the state's first black governor — among several candidates this cycle to be targeted by racist robocalls. Gillum led DeSantis by 5 points in September's NBC News/Marist poll, also within the margin of error.

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Axios

House warned of Russian effort to re-elect Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Trump meet at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, last June. Photo: Susan Walsh/AP

The nation's top election-security official warned the House Intelligence Committee last week that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election to help President Trump get re-elected, continuing to attempt to sow discord among the American electorate, the AP reports.

Why it matters: The warning raises questions about the integrity of the presidential campaign and whether Trump's administration is taking the proper steps to combat the kind of interference that the U.S. saw in 2016.

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Rashaan Ayesh

U.S. and Taliban announce first step in Afghanistan peace process

Photo: Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images

The State Department confirmed Friday morning the U.S. and Taliban have "reached an understanding" that starts a 7-day "reduction of violence" to be followed by a signed U.S.-Taliban agreement.

Why it matters: The Afghanistan war is the longest war in U.S. history. President Trump has previously pulled out of talks at the last minute, only to restart them.

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Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, Margaret Talev

Bloomberg's debate backfire could boost Bernie

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Mike Bloomberg got into the 2020 race to stop Bernie Sanders and socialism. If he doesn't bounce back from this week's debate, he may seal the deal for both.

Why it matters: Bloomberg’s own campaign has warned that Sanders could lock up the nomination in mere weeks, thanks to rivals spitting the opposition vote. But Bloomberg’s own spending makes it harder for other rivals to cut through — and virtually assures he sucks up significant delegates.

Go deeper49 mins ago - Politics & Policy