Nov 18, 2018

5. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race to Rick Scott

Axios

Bill Nelson and Rick Scott. Photos: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson conceded the highly contested Florida Senate race to Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott, according to a statement from Scott. After rounds of recounts in the state, Scott maintained a lead of about 10,000 votes.

Why it matters: Nelson was one of 10 Senate Democrats running for re-election in a state Donald Trump won in 2016. His defeat at the hands of Scott, a two-term governor, will help Republicans consolidate their Senate majority. The bitter and expensive race comes to an end after two rounds of mandatory recounts and a series of dueling lawsuits and unfounded accusations of voter fraud from the Scott camp.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 11 a.m. ET: 883,225 — Total deaths: 44,156 — Total recoveries: 185,377 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 11 a.m. ET: 189,753 — Total deaths: 4,090 — Total recoveries: 7,141 — Map.
  3. Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index: It's "a tale of two Americas" as the rich are more likely to work from home and the poor are more likely to report to work.
  4. Federal government latest: President Trump said the next two weeks would be "very painful," with projections indicating the virus could kill 100,000–240,000 Americans.
  5. State updates: Washington and California appear to have slowed their surges of new cases — Florida cases have been doubling the past four days, approaching 7,000.
  6. NYPD: Reported 1,400 of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
  7. What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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