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Daily Briefing: Nicole makes a rare November landfall


Nicole made landfall as a rare November hurricane on Florida's east coast. Also in the news: The balance of power in Congress is still up for grabs. A Powerball plot twist involves a much-loved NFL player.

šŸ™‹šŸ¼‍ā™€ļø I'm Nicole, no, not the hurricane, your Daily Briefing author. Ever wonder what an 11-billion-year-old exploding star looks like?

Let's go with Thursday's headlines.

A rare November hurricane for storm-weary Florida

More than 200,000 homes and businesses across Florida's central east coast were without power Thursday as Hurricane Nicole, downgraded to a tropical storm, slammed the region with powerful winds and heavy rain. It was the first hurricane to make landfall so late in the year on the east coast of Florida.The National Hurricane Center warned that Nicole would bring heavy downpours, strong winds, dangerous storm surge and flooding across a swath of the Southeast over the next couple days.. Read more

GOP nudges closer to House win; Senate could hinge on runoff

Republicans inched closer to a narrow House majority while control of the Senate hinges on tight Arizona, Nevada and Georgia races. The midterm election defied expectations of sweeping conservative victories driven by frustration over inflation and President Joe Biden’s leadership. Republicans were poised to get the 218 House seats they needed, but why are Democrats so relieved?

One thing to know: For the second time in two years, the Senate majority could come down to a runoff in Georgia next month, with Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker failing to earn enough votes to win outright.

šŸ‘‰ Keeping up with the midterms? Check out Paste BN's live results tracker.

More news to know now

🌤 What's the weather? Check your local forecast here.

Women, suburban voters and Latinos help drive 2022 election

The anticipated “red wave” barely registered as a ripple in Tuesday’s midterm elections, with Democrats defying dismal projections and perhaps underscoring President Joe Biden’s characterization of the day as a battle for democracy and preservation of abortion rights despite voters’ ongoing economic pains. And while it remains unclear whether Republicans or Democrats will have control of Congress in January, other analysts credited additional demographic forces and trends – namely women and suburban voters – for influencing Democrats' strong showings in swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia. Read more

Russia announces retreat from Kherson; Ukraine remains skeptical

The commander of Russian forces in Ukraine said Wednesday that his troops will withdraw from the crucial port city of Kherson in the south, a major setback reflecting the Kremlin's increasing struggles to turn back a counteroffensive that has returned hundreds of square miles of seized land to Ukrainian control. The announcement was met with skepticism by Ukrainian officials, who have been wary their troops may be lured into a trap by Russian forces. Read more

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Powerball plot twist

The owner of a California gas station where the $2 billion Powerball ticket was purchased is the father-in-law of former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle and fan favorite Domata Peko, according to multiple reports. Joe Chahayed owns Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California. He is expected to receive about $1 million. Peko played for the Bengals from 2006 to 2016. He also played for the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals before retiring after the 2020 NFL season. Read more

šŸ“· Photo of the day: 2022 CMA Awards šŸ“·

Luke Combs was crowned entertainer of the year at Wednesday's Country Music Association Awards, the second year in a row that he's taken home the night's top honor. The awards show at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena was co-hosted by Luke Bryan and NFL legend Peyton Manning and opened on a somber but celebratory tribute to the late country queen Loretta Lynn. Read more

Click here to see more photos from the 2022 CMA Awards.

One more thing

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note, shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to Paste BN here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.