Morning Brief: Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026

Featured: Sports

Sports Jaguars Visit Baltimore on Thursday Night With the Ravens Down to Their No. 3 Quarterback
Jacksonville (5-2) plays at Baltimore (4-4) at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video. Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley are out; undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano is set to start.

Local (Miami-Dade) · Crime & War One Dead, Two Hurt After a Helicopter Crashes in Biscayne Bay Off Key Biscayne
Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office marine units and CBP pulled three men from the water after a mayday about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. The NTSB and FAA are investigating.

State · Election Five Florida U.S. House Races Still Uncalled Overnight; AP Has Democrats at 240 House Seats
Districts 7, 9, 13, 26 and 27 remain without an AP call at 6:12 a.m. Thursday. Nationally, 48 House races and two Senate races are still to be called.
State · Weather St. Johns River Flood Warnings Hold at Astor and DeLand as Upstream Water Keeps Moving North
NWS Melbourne says moderate flooding continues near Astor and minor flooding near DeLand, with rises possible into next week.

National Trump Publicly Backs Pete Hegseth While Allies Say He's Sounding Out Replacements
CBS and NBC report private talks about the defense secretary's future. On camera, Trump said Hegseth is doing "a very good job."
National · Weather Flash Flood Emergency in McCaysville, GA, After Overnight Storms; At Least 30 Rescued
NWS called it a particularly dangerous situation. The city declared a state of emergency and closed public access on key roads.

State · Election Five Florida U.S. House Races Still Too Close to Call; Democrats Win Seats in Tampa, Broward and Palm Beach
AP still hasn't called Districts 7, 9, 13, 26 or 27 at 6:12 a.m. Thursday; unofficial state totals unchanged overnight. Updated 7:15 AM.
State · Weather DeSantis Expands Flood Emergency to 14 Counties as the St. Johns River Rises; Palm Bay Names 2 Who Died
EO 26-228 still in effect. Overnight NWS warnings hold at Astor (moderate) and DeLand (minor) as the river keeps taking upstream water. Updated 7:15 AM.

Nation · Election Democrats Win Control of Both the U.S. House and Senate, AP Projects
AP's 6:12 a.m. Thursday tally: Democrats 240 House seats, Republicans 147, with 48 still to be called. Senate unchanged at 54-44 with two uncalled. Updated 7:15 AM.

Local (Pinellas) · Election Charlie Crist Beats Ken Welch to Become St. Petersburg's Next Mayor
The former governor won about 62% to 38% in unofficial results.

State · Crime & War NTSB Finds Part of the Learjet's Tail Miles From the Greenacres Crash Site as Crews Reach the Crater
Investigators recovered an elevator from the Learjet miles from the crash site.
State · Tourism Coast Guard Detains MSC Poesia at PortMiami, and an 11-Night Caribbean Cruise Is Canceled
The Coast Guard detained the ship at PortMiami; an 11-night Caribbean cruise was canceled.
State · Election · Money DeSantis Says a Special Session Will Put Amendment 3's Property Tax Cut in Place by Jan. 1
The governor says lawmakers will schedule a special session on the homestead exemption increase.
State · Election Florida Election Results: Donalds Wins Governor, Moody Keeps Senate Seat, Republicans Sweep the Cabinet
AP called Florida's statewide races for Republicans, including Byron Donalds for governor.

Nation · Election Johnson Won't Seek GOP Leader Post as Jeffries Launches Bid to Become Speaker
Speaker Mike Johnson said he won't run for Republican leader; Hakeem Jeffries is seeking the speakership.
Nation · Election Democrats Win a Majority of Governorships for the First Time Since 2010, Flipping Texas, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Nevada
AP's tally shows 28 Democratic governors to 20 Republicans, with two still uncalled.
Nation · Election Trump Says He's 'A Little Bit Surprised' by Midterm Losses and Vows Vetoes; Vance Blames the Iran War
The president promised vetoes; Vance wrote that "the reason we lost is the war."

Money · Election Dow Jumps 1,500 Points and Oil Drops 8% After Democrats Win Congress
Markets rallied Wednesday as oil fell after Democrats won both chambers.

Five Florida House races and dozens of national contests are still open. We'll keep updating as AP calls them and as the St. Johns River crests.