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Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith defeated challenger Mike Espy, a Democrat, in the runoff election for the U.S. Senate in Mississippi, CBS News projects. Hyde-Smith was appointed earlier this year by GOP Gov. Phil Bryant after Sen. Thad Cochran, also a Republican, stepped down. Hyde-Smith is the first woman elected to the Senate from Mississippi, and the Republican majority in the Senate will grow to 53-47. Espy, her opponent, is a former congressman and former agriculture secretary. Hyde-Smith and Espy advanced to a run-off because neither won 50 percent of the vote in the general election on Nov. 6. Hyde-Smith won 41.2 percent, compared to Espy's 40.8 percent, and Republican Chris McDaniel picked up 16.5 percent. President Trump endorsed Hyde-Smith, and visited Mississippi on Monday for two rallies supporting her campaign. Nicole Sganga contributed to this report. Follow Mississippi Senate special election live updates as they happened: Hyde-Smith: "Mississippi...

"We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS," Nickelodeon said in a statement. Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the megahit Nickelodeon cartoon series "SpongeBob SquarePants," died on Monday. He was 57. The cause of death was ALS, which Hillenburg revealed he had been diagnosed with in March of last year. "We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS," Nickelodeon said in a statement. "He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family. Steve imbued 'SpongeBob SquarePants' with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere. His utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of im...