National News at a Glance

Florida Braces for Vote Recounts in Senate and Governor’s Races

Florida began the first full, statewide vote recount in its history on Saturday after state authorities found that tallies submitted by the state’s 67 counties left the contests for Senate, governor and agriculture commissioner too close to call. Gov. Rick Scott’s edge in the race for the Senate slipped to just 12,600 votes over the Democratic incumbent, Bill Nelson. Andrew Gillum, the Democratic Tallahassee mayor who on election night had conceded his loss in the governor’s race to Ron DeSantis, rose to within 33,600 votes, and retracted his earlier concession.

California Fires Devastate Communities and Threaten Others

Fires continue to rage on both ends of California, spreading with breakneck speed and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. At least nine are dead in the Camp Fire, about 100 miles north of Sacramento, and two others have died in fires near Los Angeles. Paradise, in Butte County just west of the city of Chico, bore the brunt of the devastation. In what fire officials said was an unstoppable stormfront fire, beginning early Thursday morning, the Camp Fire has exploded across 100,000 acres and destroyed more than 6,700 homes and commercial buildings. The Camp Fire is 20 percent contained.

Trump to Give First Medals of Freedom

President Donald Trump will bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, this week on luminaries including Elvis Presley and Babe Ruth. Among those to be recognized at a ceremony Friday are Miriam Adelson, the Las Vegas physician and Republican donor; Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the longest-serving Senate Republican; and Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative pillar of the Supreme Court who died in 2016. Alan C. Page, a Hall of Fame defensive tackle who became the first black judge on Minnesota’s Supreme Court, and Roger Staubach, a Hall of Fame quarterback and Vietnam veteran, will also be honored.

Democrat Slides Into Lead in Arizona Senate Race

The battle for the seat being vacated by Sen. Jeff Flake is just getting started. Arizona’s election officials say it could take days for a winner to emerge as they count hundreds of thousands of ballots after a surge in turnout. Kyrsten Sinema, 42, a Democrat, started out as a liberal but moved hard to the middle after winning a seat in the House of Representatives in 2012. Some liberal Democrats were left aghast by such positioning, but it seems to be working for Sinema, who is ahead of her rival, Martha McSally, 52, a congresswoman, by about 20,000 votes.

Democrats Find No Map in 2018 To a Sure 2020

For Democrats, Tuesday’s results have intensified a debate about how to retake the White House, with moderates arguing they must find a candidate who can appeal to President Donald Trump’s supporters and historically Republican suburbanites, and progressives claiming they need someone with the authenticity to electrify the grassroots. Rather than clarifying what strategy to adopt for 2020, the patchwork of outcomes has only deepened the party’s disagreements. At the center of the dispute is Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas, who has not even said he would consider a 2020 bid but whose competitive campaign against Sen. Ted Cruz galvanized Democrats.

Set for ‘Westworld’ and Other Shows Destroyed in California Fire

The famed Paramount Ranch, which served as a set for numerous Hollywood television shows and films, was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire in California, the National Park Service, which operates the site, said Friday. The 2,700-acre site was a shooting location for the first two seasons of the HBO show “Westworld.” "'Westworld’ is not currently in production, and as the area has been evacuated, we do not yet know the extent of the damage to any structures remaining there. Most importantly, our thoughts go out to all those affected by these horrible fires,” the network said in a statement.

In Nation Torn by Race, Minorities Win Elections

Joe Neguse, who won the election this past week in a House district that is more than 90 percent white and became Colorado’s first black congressman, stands among a slate of minorities around the country, mostly Democrats, who won congressional seats in predominantly white communities. The reality is the country remains deeply divided on race. Nearly 3 out of 4 midterm voters said that electing racial and ethnic minorities was important, according to CNN exit polls. On the other hand, there was massive turnout and enthusiasm among a Republican base motivated by a campaign that included racist attacks.