10 things you need to know today: November 19, 2018

1. Democrat Bill Nelson concedes to Republican Rick Scott in Florida Senate race

Outgoing Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, was declared the winner of Florida's Senate race on Sunday after a manual recount. Scott held onto a razor-thin lead over the incumbent, three-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who conceded after a machine recount and then a manual review of ballots. In the end, Scott beat Nelson by 10,033 votes out of 8.19 million cast, Florida election officials said. Nelson, first elected in 2000, was the latest of four Democrats to lose in midterm elections that resulted in a widened Senate majority for the GOP, although Democrats trounced Republicans to take control of the House. Nelson's concession came shortly after fellow Democrat Andrew Gillum conceded to Republican Ron DeSantis in Florida's tight governor's race.

Reuters

2. Trump talks Cabinet shake-ups, Khashoggi killing, and more in Fox interview

President Trump said in a Fox News Sunday interview that he was considering several changes to his Cabinet. Trump also discussed the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and more in the interview with host Chris Wallace. "I have three or four or five positions that I'm thinking about [changing]," Trump said of his Cabinet lineup. "Of that, maybe it's going to end up being two. But I need flexibility." He suggested dissatisfaction with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in particular. On Khashoggi's death, Trump maintained skepticism despite Friday's report that the CIA has concluded Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the murder. Asked by Wallace to grade his own presidency, Trump gave himself an A+.

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Fox News The Hill

3. McRaven repeats criticism after Trump dismisses him as 'Hillary Clinton backer'

Retired Adm. Bill McRaven — the Navy SEAL who oversaw the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden — on Sunday stood by his August statement that President Trump's attacks on the news media represent "the greatest threat to democracy." McRaven's comment came after Trump on Fox News Sunday dismissed McRaven as a "Hillary Clinton backer," adding that it would "have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner." McRaven denied he was being partisan. "I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else," he told CNN. "I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office."

CNN

4. Rain could help firefighters contain Camp Fire

Search crews stepped up efforts to comb through ash and debris from California's deadly Camp Fire on Sunday ahead of rains forecast this week. The expected downpours could help firefighters contain the wildfire, which has killed at least 77 people and is the deadliest blaze in state history. More than 900 other people remain unaccounted for. Heavy rains also could present new dangers in mountainous areas that have lost their plant cover to the fire. "It'll bring much-needed relief to the firefighters and to the air quality," Patrick Burke of the National Weather Service told Reuters, "but there's a potential for dangerous mudslides wherever vegetation is burned away on slopes and hills."

The Associated Press Reuters

5. Protesters call for Central American migrants to leave Tijuana

Hundreds of people in Tijuana, a Mexican city on the U.S. border south of California, on Sunday protested the arrival of thousands Central American migrants trying to get into the U.S. "We don't want them in Tijuana," some of the protesters shouted. About 3,000 of the migrants from a controversial caravan arrived in Tijuana in recent days after a month on the road. President Trump repeatedly vowed to stop the caravan in what was widely interpreted as a bid to rally the conservative base ahead of the midterm elections two weeks ago. Protesters echoed Trump's attacks on the caravan as an "invasion."

The Associated Press The Asahi Shimbun

6. Broward elections supervisor reportedly submits resignation after recount

Hours after the end of recounts in Florida's Senate and gubernatorial elections, Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes submitted her resignation, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reported Sunday. During the recount, outgoing Gov. Rick Scott (R), who narrowly led incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, accused Snipes of incompetence and asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate possible "rampant fraud" in heavily Democratic Broward County, where Nelson picked up votes to narrow the gap after Election Day. Scott never offered any evidence of fraud committed by Snipes or anybody else. Snipes, 75, has served as Broward's top election official for 15 years.

Sun-Sentinel

7. Nissan moves to fire Ghosn over financial misconduct allegations

Nissan said Monday it was taking steps to remove Carlos Ghosn, chairman of Nissan, for allegedly violating Japanese financial law. The Japanese auto maker said Ghosn and board director Greg Kelly had been under-reporting compensation amounts to the Tokyo Stock Exchange securities report for years. Nissan said "numerous other significant acts" by Ghosn had been uncovered, "such as personal use of company assets." Trading of Nissan shares had already ended by the time the news broke, but shares of French auto maker Renault, also led by Ghosn, dropped by 13 percent, hitting their lowest level in three years. Japanese media reported Monday that Ghosn had been arrested.

Reuters The Asahi Shimbun

8. New drug shows promise curbing peanut allergy effects

A year-long clinical trial of an oral immunotherapy regimen for controlling peanut allergies offered hope for reducing the severity of reactions in some people, according to the results of a study announced Sunday during the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology conference in Seattle. Two-thirds of the young participants who received gradual exposure to peanut proteins over six months were able to ingest the equivalent of two peanuts a day without any adverse reactions. Twenty percent of the children did not benefit and had to leave the trial. The treatment is intended to reduce sensitivity to peanuts to prevent a major reaction. The treatment is being developed by Aimmune Therapeutics. The study will be published Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The New York Times

9. Bloomberg gives Johns Hopkins $1.8 billion for financial aid

Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Sunday that he was making a record gift of $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins University for financial aid. Bloomberg's donation, the largest such higher-education contribution in modern times, helped strengthen a movement at elite universities to broaden access for lower-income students. The gift will let Johns Hopkins in Baltimore do away with loans from financial aid packages starting with students enrolling next fall. Hopkins President Ronald J. Daniels said Bloomberg's "extraordinary gift" will "substantially enrich the level of direct assistance" to undergraduate students. Bloomberg, a 1964 graduate, said "finances will never again factor into decisions" on who attends the school.

The Washington Post

10. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald leads weekend box office

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald led the weekend box office with a $62.2 million North America opening, according to studio estimates. The film's haul came in behind the $74 million debut of the first Fantastic Beasts film, a new series in the Harry Potter world of wizardry and adventure. As with all of the Harry Potter films, the new Fantastic Beasts attracted big audiences all over the world, adding $191 million to its debut abroad. "Clearly it's a huge phenomenon globally," said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. Dr. Seuss' The Grinch came in second this weekend with $38.1 million in North America, followed by the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody with $15.7 million.

The Associated Press