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Mueller to Take Center Stage at Russia Probe Hearings
Former Trump-Russia special counsel Robert Mueller finally faces congressional interrogators on Wednesday, testifying in televised hearings that Democrats hope will weaken President Donald Trump's reelection prospects in ways that Mueller's book-length report did not. Republicans are ready to defend Trump and turn their fire on Mueller and his team instead. Back-to-back Capitol Hill appearances, Mueller's first since wrapping his two-year Russia probe last spring, carry the extraordinary spectacle of a prosecutor discussing in public a criminal investigation he conducted into a sitting U.S. president. Mueller, known for his taciturn nature, has warned that he will not stray beyond what's already been revealed in his report. And the Justice Department has instructed him to stay strictly within those parameters — giving Mueller a formal directive to point to if he faces questions he does not want to answer.
New Jersey Gov. Murphy Meets With Utility Company as Thousands Go Without Power
Gov. Murphy will meet with Jersey Central Power & Light officials in Oceanport Wednesday morning as nearly 70,000 customers go without power following a severe storm that plagued the tri-state area for a few days. Authorities warned restoration efforts could last into the weekend. Wild weather tore through the entire tri-state Monday into Tuesday, throttling the region for more than 12 hours as hundreds of thousands of people grappled with flooding conditions, nightmare commutes and lack of electricity — but the power outages were most prominent in the Garden State. At the peak of the storms, the total number of statewide outages soared above 300,000, with most of the affect customers in Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington counties.
Local
Funeral Service for 200th FDNY Member Who Died From 9/11-Related Illness
Last week, the FDNY announced that the 200th member of the department died as a result of 9/11-related illness. Richard Driscoll was a member of the FDNY for 32 years and retired in 2002 from Engine 91 in East Harlem. A funeral mass will be held for him Wednesday at Sacred Heart Church in Monroe, New York.
Local Reports Say Puerto Rico's Governor May Resign Wednesday
Speculation is growing that Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló will announce his resignation amid new reports from Puerto Rican media. The island's largest newspaper El Nuevo Día reported Rosselló will release a video statement by noon Wednesday. The paper cited unnamed sources, and the resignation is still unconfirmed by NBC News. A spokesman for the Oversight and Management Board had "no comment" on the rumors of his resignation.
