What to Know
- With a week until Election Day, the FBI is in the spotlight as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump take to the battleground states
- A school bus strike has been averted in New York City after a deal was reached
- The price of gas rise significantly in New Jersey as a new gas tax hike goes into effect
Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.
FBI Center Stage for Election's Final Week
Hillary Clinton forcefully challenged the FBI's new email inquiry, declaring, "There's no case here” at a rally in the battleground state of Ohio. It was Clinton’s most pointed comment yet on the subject and underscored her campaign’s decision to fight back against FBI Director James Comey. Although Donald Trump was emboldened by the recent discovery of more emails, law enforcement and intelligence sources told NBC News on Monday that the FBI has been conducting a preliminary inquiry into Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort's business connections to Russia. With just a week to go until Election Day, a new NBC News|Surveymonkey has found that Hillary Clinton is leading Donald Trump 47-41 in a four-way general match-up among likely voters.
Comey Against Naming Russia
Less than a month after the Department of Homeland Security and The Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a statement blaming Russia for meddling in the U.S. presidential race, a former FBI official told CNBC that FBI Director James Comey privately argued that it was too close to Election Day for such a disclosure. Government insiders are perplexed as to why Comey would have election timing concerns with the Russian disclosure but not with the Huma Abedin email discovery disclosure he made Friday.
School Bus Strike Averted in NYC
Local
A bus strike was averted in New York City after the city and two of the largest school bus companies reached a deal before a midnight deadline, the mayor’s office said. Now that a deal has been reached, transportation for 12,000 public school students and 2,500 private school students in Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island will go on as normal Tuesday. Meanwhile in Philadelphia, about 4,700 Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority workers went on strike early Tuesday, shutting down bus, trolley and subways that provide about 900,000 rides a day and raising fears a prolonged walkout could keep some voters from the polls on Election Day.
1st Gas Tax Hike in NJ Since 1988
A gas tax hike goes into effect in New Jersey on Tuesday, the state’s first increase in the tax on gas since 1988. The increase puts the price of a gallon of gas well over $2. New Jersey now has the sixth highest gas taxes in the nation – it used to have the second lowest, after Alaska. The increase will provide a much needed investment in the state's transportation infrastructure.
NYC Celebrates Halloween
New York City came alive with the sights of zombies, witches and super heroes as the city kicked off the 43rd annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade on Sixth Avenue Monday night. There were plenty of one-of-a-kind costumes, with two paradegoers dressed up as JFK and LaGuardia airports – “What’s scarier than LaGuardia and JFK?” they said.
Lane-Closing Trial in the Hands of Jurors
Testimony in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing trial began last month with descriptions of profane tirades and moved swiftly through accounts of physical threats, petty infighting and an often stunning disregard for ethical boundaries. The trial has done little to help the poor image of New Jersey politics. Jurors were given the case late Monday afternoon and left for the day after brief deliberations. They are scheduled to resume Tuesday.
