Friday, November 2, 2012

Live Blog of Sandy and Presidential Race

Breaking Marathon Canceled Not Postponed
New York City Marathon will NOT run on Sunday, officials decide after criticismNew York City Marathon will NOT run on Sunday, officials decide after criticism (NYP) * After Days of Pressure, Marathon Is Off(NYT) * Bloomberg cancels New York Marathon(NYDN) * Why Bloomberg Fought for — and Then Caved on — the Marathon(NY Mag) * Ray Kelly, Howard Wolfson and Patti Harris, " all argued for calling off the event."(NYT)
The Anger of a Couple of  Woman Josephine Prestivino Showed On WNBC TV Yesterday Was Heard By the Pols Who Were Too Busy Congratulating Themselves on What A Great Job They Have Done






Is Staten Island Helping New York to Recover Its Anger Mojo?
Anger Flares as Recovery Inches Ahead(NYT)
Staten Island Anger As the Forgotten Boro Game Changer Was An Anger Video
Power of Local TV, Staten Island Main Topic on Today Show This AM and trending on the internet and the rest of the media
According to the White House, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino will travel to Staten Island today, “to meet with state and local officials and view ongoing response and recovery efforts to Hurricane Sandy.”The people in Seagate Brooklyn witnessing the help Staten Island now want FEMA help for their community also. Even slick master de Blasio was caught off guard.  After he put out a press release supporting the run he heard the Staten Island outrage and changed his mind in supporting the marathon.

Staten Island Was Epicenter of Storm's Casualties(NYT) * Anger Grows Among Storm Victims in Howard Beach(NBC) * Federal Help Finally Arrives on Staten Island(NBC) * Anger Grows Among Storm Victims in Howard Beach (NBC) * Staten Island bore the brunt of the storm’s destruction in New York City as rescue teams searched for casualties(NYT) * Relief fund being created for Staten Island(WSJ) * Bloomberg Diverts Food, Generators from Devastated Staten Island to NYC Marathon  * Pleas For Relief Continue Thursday On Staten Island(NY1) * Sandy relief fund being created for Staten Island(NYP) Queens* Belle Harbor Resident Uses Twine, Electrical Cords To Save Self, Neighbors * New York City borough says help is slow after Sandy(Yahoonews) * Brooklyn Coney Island residents pleading for Post-Sandy assistan (NYDN) * Staten Islanders On Sandy Response: We’ve Been Left FAR Behind (WCBS) * SI Hotel Owner Refuses To Evict Evacuees To Honor Marathon Runners' Reservations(NY1) *'Occupy Sandy' Volunteers Work Where FEMA Doesn't(Huff Post) * James Molinaro: Yelling at the Red Cross Worked(NYO) * Coney Island Residents Complain There’s Not Enough Help(WCBS) * Canarsie Residents Say They Need City's Help To Clean Up From Sandy (NY1)

Staten Island After Sandy: Don’t Forget Us Down Here





2nd Update: Our Right to Vote Is In Danger
Emergency Plan Needed to Save New Yorkers Democracy
BOE Cover Your Ass Plan?

It is clear there will be no electricity in many parts of NYC next Tuesday, election day.  It also clear that many people will be living in friends and family members homes far away from their homes.  We are 70 hours away from voting and the media and elected officials by not demanding a plan are allowing the proven failures at the NYC Board of Elections to come up with solutions to there very serious problems to all but elections lawyers will be representing the next Tuesday's losing candidates contest their clients lost due to the BOE incompetence. While NJ will have Military Trucks at every polling place that has no power on elections day, the NYC Board of Election say they plan to have a super voting site in Queens but have not settled on the site yet.  They say they will have buses at each polling site to take voters to vote.  Katy bar the door. To Quote Nate Silver from the NYT there a 87.6% of a chance of a second election in the flooded and black out areas

City and State Loser of the Week BOE Spinmaster J.C. Polanco
The New York City Board of Elections has a hard enough time running poll sites and counting the votes under normal conditions. Now it’s trying to make sure things run smoothly on Election Day, even though some polling sites are still shut down or without power in the wake of the storm. Polanco, the board’s commissioner, is saying everything will be ready on Tuesday, but the potential for problems could affect the outcome of key races. At least New York isn’t a swing state!  NJ to Use Military Trucks as Polling Places(NBC) * New Jersey Voting Sites May Not Have Power(WSJ) * Board Of Elections Works To Allow Storm-Ravaged Residents To Vote (NY1) * The state Board of Elections has extended the deadline for absentee ballots, while good government groups vowed to be vigilant about communicating information on Election Day, the Times-Union  * As the state extended the absentee ballot deadline to accommodate storm victims, good government advocates pushed for “no excuse” absentee balloting. "we don't run the Board of Elections." Something to be thankful for!* Mayor Bloomberg: City will help NYC Board of Elections with next week's election, but they have to figure out how to make it work.* How to hold an election while the power is out:(NY Mag)  * NYS Board Of Elections: It’s Possible Voting May Be Permitted Beyond Tuesday (WCBS) If Turnout Is Less Than 25% Of Registered Voters, Second Day Could Happen * NYC BOE FTW RT After 25 min wait, got wrong ballot. Live in (Maloney). Got Nadler instead.* Disruption From Hurricane Sandy May Be Felt at the Polls(NYT)
A telephone hot line set up by the New York City Board of Elections to help people find their voting sites was out of service. “Our central phone bank (866 VOTE NYC) is not functioning properly and our Manhattan and Staten Island offices have been closed since Monday due to loss of power,” the board’s Web site said on Friday. 


Mayor Blasts BOE: Nobody in Charge
Mayor Michael Bloomberg slaps around city Board of Elections, saying the panel hasn't provided city with list of needs for Tuesday. *  "Voting is not just a right. It's a symbol of everything that we fight and die for." * Mayor: "It's going to be up to [the Board of Elections] to ensure that everybody has a nearby poll site and knows where it is."  BOE Already Spinning that voters in flooded areas have othere things on their mind besides voting * Mayor Bloomberg wants to know which locations, but says he hasn't received any lists from the problem-plagued agency. Board spokesman John Conklin said all election boards in places affected by the storm are still determining if they’ll be ready by Tuesday.(NYDN) With the presidential election coming Tuesday, the board needs to scramble for supplies such as tents and generators – and should ask the city for help, said City Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan).



A Social Media Revolution
Marathon cancellation speaks not only to power of social media, but what happens when you lose the
New York City Marathon is canceled, Mayor Michael Bloomberg says(Politico)
* Defiant Marathon Runners Vow To Run On Sunday Anyway
PBA prez Pat lynch: "New York City Marathon should be postponed until the city is fully recovered."  
Generators power up marathon tent as rest of city struggles without electricity(NYP) * Marathon is power mad!(NYP Ed) * Marathon Presses On as Backlash Builds(NYT) * NYC Marathon Still Planned For Sunday(NY1) * Mayoral candidates grappled over whether the New York City Marathon should go on as planned this Sunday, Crain’s Insider 
Of the likely mayoral candidates in 2013, Comptroller John Liu and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said yesterday they were in favor of the NYC Marathon going forward this weekend, while 2009 nominee Bill Thompson said he was against the idea. This morning, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer added his voice to the “against” crowd.  

“But New York has experienced a tragedy of historic proportions,” Mr. Stringer said in a statement. “For this reason, and after significant deliberation, I believe we should postpone and re-schedule the New York City Marathon.
 * While millions still in the dark, two massive generators are  being run 24/7 in Central Park to support a media tent for the marathon.* In Shape, but Out of Focus(NYT) * Passionate call to stop NYC Marathon via Tumblr h/t * Decision To Give Marathon Green Light Draws Uproar  * Mayoral candidates on marathon: 2 are pro, 2 are con, 1 non-responsive (guess which one) No response from Council Speaker Christine Quinn. * Scott Stringer Joins Ranks Of Marathon Opponents(NYO) * Marathon Presses On in Face of Growing Opposition(NYT) * "There will be no diversion of resources," says the mayor, of the marathon.* "New York has to show that we are here and that we can recover... something to cheer about" - on the marathon* Wendy Long: Delay The Marathon(YNN)Bloomberg Defends Marathon Decision as Opposition Grows(NYT) *Growing Outcry Over Proceeding With Marathon(NYT) * Assemblyman Calls for Boycott of Marathon Sponsors if Race Isn’t Canceled (NYO)

 


 Mr. de Blasio said listening to the people of Staten Island helped change his mind on holding the marathon
I was for the Marathon until I was against it
Mayoral Candidates Flip Flop on NYC Marathon(NYO)
On Wednesday, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio sent out a press release entitled, “DE BLASIO APPLAUDS CITY’S DECISION TO HOLD MARATHON AS SCHEDULED.” Moments ago, however, Mr. de Blasio fired off a second one: “DE BLASIO: NEEDS REMAIN TOO GREAT TO DIVERT RESOURCES, MARATHON MUST BE POSTPONED.”*
Met with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and SI officials today to discuss relief efforts.* and Comptroller John Liu switch also (changed their minds).



No Hospital Bill Rudin Makes Sure The Race Goes On

Bill Rudin was interviewed on CNBC on Halloween. The reporter asked Mr. Rudin what he was doing to contribute to hurricane recovery, but the reporter stopped short about asking about neither the emergency hospital evacuations of NYU Langone and Bellevue Hospitals nor the controversial luxury condo conversion of St. Vincent's Hospital made possible by New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.* Residents in areas hard-hit by Sandy – particularly on Staten Island, which is where the race begins – feel differently.* Bill Rudin gets an earfull for closing a St Vincents Hospital (Artist)


In the Post, E.J. McMahon, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, believes the recovery costs from the hurricane will present a unique challenge for the state and federal government
 
The rebuilding bill(NYP) Focus on basics & accountability. Sooner or later, New York will recover from the physical effects of this week’s super-storm, just as it did from the cataclysm of 9/11. But as the focus shifts from emergency response to long-term recovery, state and local officials will find themselves grappling with budgetary challenges in some ways even more daunting and complex than those created by the destruction of the World Trade Center.The storm also came just days after Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli warned that New York’s state tax collections “continue to lag behind expectations” and “financial risks remain.” The city’s own budget on the eve of Sandy was tenuously balanced in the short run, but with long-term gaps projected at more than $3 billion by fiscal 2014.* Economic Loss Estimate Is Now Up to $50 Billion(NYT) An estimate of the total economic damages incurred by Hurricane Sandy have doubled to roughly $50 billion, with New York carrying a heavy load with 34 percent of the damage, the Times writes * Cuomo said that he expects the federal government to pick up as much as 90 percent of the recovery costs for New York State, while the MTA has lost as much as $18 million per day in revenue, the News reports:  * Staten Islanders wait for hours for gas; experts caution(SI Advance) * The unemployment rate is 7.9 percent – up one percent from the revised 7.8 rate percent last month. The economy added 171,000 jobs last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Let the spin begin.* Federal Relief Costs Likely to Be Big, and Contested(NYT) * Sandy may prevent NYC from breaking 2011 records for tourist spending/visits if recovery continues into the holidays


Sandy-Starved New Yorkers Dumpster Dive(NBC) * Dumpster diving downtown, and lack of awareness uptown.






A gas shortage raised tensions in New York and New Jersey as commuters crowded gas stations and fights broke out
Breaking: Breaking News: U.S. Military to Truck Fuel to Region Hit by Hurricane Sandy* Military to Deliver Fuel to Storm Region(NYT)
 Gas
 NYC’s battle stations(NYP)


 Map of gas stations selling today in metro area   * Gasoline Runs Short, Adding Woes to Storm Recovery(NYT) * Region's Gas-Station Crunch to Linger for Days(WSJ)* Hamill: No gasoline to sell(NYDN) * Get And Share Information On Where To Get Gas(WCBS) * Frustration at the pump reaches dangerous levels(Fox 5) * Cuomo: Now, with the harbor open for some traffic, "Gasoline should get better." * The city's DEP is easing biodiesel requirements for home heating oil for one month due to shortage.* Man Accused Of Pulling Gun In Gas Line(Huff Post) * - "I want accountability and I want performance" from utilities. Gov. Cuomo: About 1 million New York state homes are still without power; at height of storm it was 2 million.* , concerned about gasoline shortage, has signed executive order to expedite unloading of fuel tankers by waiving tax* Cuomo says containers blown of ships in NY harbor slowed fuel vessels from arriving* Cuomo Urges Patience On Gasoline Lines, Sets Aside $100M For Home Recovery * Gasoline Runs Short, Adding Woes to Storm Recovery(NYT) * Bloomberg on gas shortage: "The entire supply chain has been bottle-necked." New gas is supposed to reach the city by tonight.* Lines. Sunday’s Race Is Still On(NYT) * 15-block line for gas in Harlem(NYDN) * Gasoline Runs Short, Adding Woes to Storm Recovery(NYT) * Con Edison Making Progress In Tackling Manhattan Power(WCBS) * Obama orders fuel to be sent to NY and NJ in wake of Sandy(NYP)
* Obama orders fuel to be sent to areas hit by Sandy(Fox 5) * Frayed nerves at Staten Island gas stations lead to violence,(SI Advance) * Tempers flare at long lines for gas on Manhattan's west side | WATCH: *Cuomo Waives a Tax to Allow Docking Tankers to Unload Their Fuel More Quickly(NYT) * Survey Finds No Gas at Two-Thirds of Stations in Region (NYT)
 


Lights on for almost 100K in East Village, LES & Chelsea; 131,500 in Manhattan dark(NYP)Now the lights are on at Stuy Town and half of PCV, and the area from Fifth Ave to the East River between 30th/31st Streets and 14th Street! 

 The East Village, Power hopes to restore power to most of Manhattan by midnight tonight.
Adding insult to injury, ConEd falsely robocalled Lower Manhattan residents about power restoration that actually isn’t happening until tomorrow night.* . Lights Go On and New Yorkers Learn a Geography of Power(NYT) * Glimmers of Light in a Darkened City(NTR) * Relief, for some: Power back on for in 133,270 Manhattan, (NYP) * As Power Is Restored for Some, Others Face Grim Outlook(NYT)
* Cellphone Users Steaming at Hit-or-Miss Service(NYT)



Electric
Con Ed hope for downtown ‘tomorrow’(NYP) * Some Without Power May Have a Long Wait(NYT) * Above 40th Street, the Powerless Go to Recharge (NYT) * Wait for Power May Linger for Some(NYT) * Millions Are Stuck in Dark, Cold(WSJ) * The power haves and have-notes in NYC. The dividing line is around 40th Street in Manhattan.* In a rare airlift, the Defense Department is flying 17 aircraft from California to New York loaded with power generation equipment and crews to help restore electricity to the millions of homes and businesses.


Bus Bridge Lines Much Shorter Today
Update BREAKING: expected to announce shortly "most" subway service back by end of the weekend
Traffic and Mass Transit
‘Abridged too far’: Drivers (NYP) High-occupancy vehicle restrictions and the return of mass transit created a fresh nightmare for the flood of commuters trying to cram into Manhattan yesterday — backing up traffic for miles and causing long lines squeezing to get on shuttle buses....
To Avoid Traffic in Brooklyn, Riding a Bike(NYT) * In Early Hours, Brisk Lines at Barclays Center(NYT) *Long Lines Plague Commuters as a Transit System Slowly Recuperates(NYT) * Hard Road for Drivers(WSJ) * Update On Mass Transit Services For Friday(NY1) * Subway Revival Awaits Power  * A Changed Commute, But Still a Frustrating One(WSJ) * Cuomo: Two Subway Tunnels Cleared, Electricity Needed (WSJ) * Novice Cyclists Dust Off Their Bikes After the Storm (WSJ) * Commuters packed into subway cars on Thursday as some service resumed, but with extremely long waits, the Post * Tunnels Remain Flooded; FEMA Meals Arrive (NY1) * uses are harder to board after hurricane(NYDN) * After Sandy: Two-Wheeled Commute(NYT) * Day 2 Of Carpooling Restrictions For Vehicles Entering  (WABC) * New Yorkers Navigate Limited Transit Service As Calls For(NY1) * The lack of power is holding up the restoration of some subway service.*Updated Subway Map available here: . Bus service is still the only route from BK to Manhattan, for the time being. * pledging $100M in state funds for helping recovery. Also fed teams deployed next wk to 30 key areas & FEMA $ in place.* Staten Island Ferry Resumes Service(Daily Beast) * Police called to Brooklyn shuttle bus waiting area over 'line-cutters'(NYP) * JFK, Newark airports operating at full service; LaGuardia to increase flights throughout day(NYP)* HOV restrictions will end at 5 PM today. No HOV restrictions this weekend.* Bloomberg: Holland Tunnel opening for buses and commercial vehicles.* MTA officially says fares come back tonight after midnight.* Gov. Cuomo says more subway service possible pending Con Ed power restoration(NYP) * Cuomo: Metro-North upper Hudson line open Saturday(Fox 5) * Big Blue Outlines Storm-Related Travel Options For Fans(NY1) * New South Ferry Subway Station Still Deep Under Water(NYT) * Where Ferry Riders Met Subway, the Hudson and Debris Now Block the Way(NYT)


Health Care Bellevue Closed
At Bellevue, a Desperate Fight to Ensure the Patients’ Safety(NYT) Health care workers and patients were confronted by a new kind of disarray.  * Sandy Strains Hospital Care(WSJ) * Beth Israel, Mount Sinai Accept Extra Patients (WSJ)








Wave of Fear Sandy Muggers and Looters
Flood of crime(NYP)Since the devastating storm walloped the Big Apple beginning Monday night, the hardest-hit areas have been plagued with burglaries, street muggings and a crime wave that has residents and business owners living in fear, law-enforcement sources said. Cops on the blacked-out Lower East Side are even warning residents not to use flashlight apps on their smartphones because of all the thieves lurking about. Law-enforcement sources told The Post that people in lower Manhattan were getting mugged at ATMs while they were getting emergency cash right as the storm hit. *

George Dresch and his 13-year-old daughter Angela Died Because George Was Afraid to Be Looted Again
Father and daughter die after refusing to evacuate for Sandy ... because their house was robbed last year during Irene * Grim Fear Engulfs Areas Lacking Light(WSJ) With floodlights, police patrols and power outlets, authorities in and around New York sought to deter looters and calm nerves in swaths of the region where the lights remained off.* Police Patrol Far Rockaway as Locals Feel Fearful(WSJ) * Hurricane Sandy Aftermath: Scattered reports of looting in areas of New York, New Jersey(CBS) * Looters Prey On Sandy's Hardest Hit (ABC) * Three nabbed trying to steal safe in Coney Island(NYDN) * Staten Island men accused of aiding a gunpoint mugging(SI Advance) * Assemblyman Brook-Krasny Calls for the National Guard in Coney Island (WCBS) * Comptroller DiNapoli says economic damages of will be $15 B to $18B. Tax revenue impact projections to come next week.* DiNapoli: Storm Could Cost $18B In Economic Activity(YNN) * "We are seeing a lot of push-in robberies because people are so desperate for food."(Capital) * 11 busted looting Key Foods in Coney Island(NYDN) * n New York's Public Housing, Fear Creeps in With the Dark (NYT) * A Rise in Burglary Reports Follows Storm(NYT) * NYPD being stretched among many roles in Sandy storm recovery

Bloomberg says no to National Guard request because they carry guns(Queens Carp)

From The Brooklyn Paper:
Mayor Bloomberg has snubbed Borough President Markowitz’s impassioned plea to bring the National Guard to Hurricane Sandy-scarred Brooklyn — arguing that approving the Beep’s request would be a waste of federal manpower and turn the borough into a police state. “We don’t need it,” Mayor Bloomberg said on Wednesday during a press update on the city’s ongoing Hurricane Sandy cleanup. “The NYPD is the only people we want on the street with guns.” Markowitz demanded the National Guard’s help just an hour before Bloomberg’s press conference, claiming that the NYPD and FDNY are “brave — but overwhelmed” by all the challenges Sandy brought when it visited the borough on Monday night: flooding, power outages, and looting.


Pols Using the Media and Social Media to Both Inform the Public and Brand Their Image for Future Elections
In Crisis, Public Officials Embrace Social Media(NYT) Elected officials have spent the week helping constituents and tweeting about relief efforts but the scope of Hurricane Sandy’s wake has simply overwhelmed them as residents begged for federal aid to arrive in their ravaged shoreline neighborhoods.(City and State)





Age-old story of kindness(NYP) * Angel of the water(NYP) * Truly love thy neighbor(NYP) * Enduring the Storm for Homebound Patients(NYT) * Lessons Gleaned in the Glow of a Giant Night Light(NYT)
* TV Medium Is Planning Storm Relief by Telethon(NYT)  *Boss to Lead Telethon * The Pumps That Are Saving New York(WSJ) * Scramble for Cash In Sandy's Wake(WSJ) * Many Affected by Sandy Lacked Flood Coverage(WSJ) * Few FEMA Generators Humming(WSJ) * Sandy stings Brooklyn beekeeper(NYDN) * Stuy Town seniors struggle post-Sandy(NYDN) * The News praises the various heroes of Hurricane Sandy, from transportation workers to law enforcement to medical personnel(NYDN)  * 9/11 museum filled with at least seven feet of water, upsetting construction plans: (NYT) * A NYC Council aide compared Far Rockaway to New Orleans’ ninth ward after Katrina.* 311 Operators Receiving Record Number Of Calls(NY1) * New York City Deaths Now At 41 * Anger Grows at Response by Red Cross(NYT) * Relief Efforts of All Sizes and Forms Spring Up Across New York(NYT)







 Rabbi promises to repair storm-damaged Torah(NYDN) * New York's courts begin running again(NYDN) * The NY Post says it’s wrong to blame Sandy on global warming, as Bloomberg has done.*
Never again. (MTA/Flickr)Governor Cuomo Wants Big Infrastructure Investments to Protect Against Future Disasters(NYO) * Evacuated Manhattan inmates moved to upstate prisons(NYP) * Bloomberg cites donors to relief fund(NYT) * Bloomberg calls my question about whether he should have turned Down FEMA help Saturday "unfair" at latest briefing



The Unacceptable Pain
 S.I. mother’s flood of tears (NYP) The nightmare that began when raging storm waters ripped two little Staten Island boys from their mother’s arms reached its tragic conclusion yesterday when their bodies were found in marshlands close to where they disappeared. * Broad Channel Residents Mourn Loss of Memories (NBC)* Feeling Forgotten After the Storm(WSJ) * Bodies of Two Boys Found in a Marsh(WSJ) * Bodies of Two Boys Found in a Marsh(WSJ) * Staten Island weeps at discovery of 2 little bodies(SI Advance) * Bodies of Missing S.I. Boys Found in Marsh: NYPD(NYDN)

Some Celebs Party Others Raise Funds for Those Suffering
Celebs party in the city while NYers suffer(NYP) Let them eat moldy pastry! Celebrity twit Debra Messing and various heartless other stars proved beyond doubt that some fabulous New Yorkers don’t have hearts beating in their cold, dead chests.


Flood Telethon

NBC Plans Star-Studded Sandy Benefit * NBC To Air Hurricane Sandy Telethon Hosted By Lauer, Starring Springsteen, Billy Joel, And More * Star-studded benefit concert planned for Hurricane vict NYDN) * Bruce Springsteen pays tribute to storm-damaged NJ coas(NYP)




Schools Opening 
Schools, Some Relocated, Will Reopen Monday(NYT) * New York City Schools to Reopen on Monday(WSJ) * Eight Public High Schools Expected To Hold Classes, Evacuees On Monday(NY1) * New York City Schools, Some Relocated, Are to Reopen Monday(NYT) * The heads of the state Legislature’s education committees expect to alleviate schools’ requirement to have classes for 180 days because of Sandy.* teachers relocated to schools not damaged (12BX) * ": Mayor: will reopen on Monday. Depending on power, expect about 40 school bldgs will not be able to reopen." * 40,000 kids at storm-damaged schools won't attend classes Monday(NYP)

NYC schools opening on Monday - and kids may be sharing classrooms with evacuated mental patients





Parks Opening 
Despite Battering, Most City Parks Will Reopen on Saturday(NYT)


Media Limits Crane Cover to Removal, Could Care Less Why It Happened Again
The Same Company Responsible for the Crane Bovis Lend Lease Got Off With A Fine When A Deutsche Bank Fire Killed Two New York City Fireman and Not One Newspaper is Asking Questions

Rescue Plan for Crane(WSJ) * One57 Crane Repairs Will Begin Tomorrow, Block Could Open Monday Night(NYO)

Flashback * Bovis Land Lease, same company in charge of 57th crane collapse, has history of trouble including Duetchebank tragedy. (WNYC) * Bovis Lend Lease's cheating ways * Lend Lease admits US fraud, faces $US56m payout | The Australian * Bovis Lend Lease Admits Overbilling Millions on Major New York City ...




Sandy in Coney: Storm puts dunes on Boardwalk(Brooklynpaper)

The Times’ Jim Dwyer encourages a healthy debate over what to do about climate change in New York, highlighting a disagreement between Cuomo and Bloomberg over the construction of a sea gate:

Aquarium May Need To Evacuate 12,000 Animals(Huff Post) * NY Aquarium loses part of fish collection to storm(Fox 5)



 Jersey Shore’s ride to ruin(NYP) A wrecked roller coaster that once sat on the Funtown Pier


Campaign 2012 Among Carl Paladino‘s contributions is $2,644 to GOP assembly candidate in Brooklyn, Joseph Hayon.* Good News For Dems (And Jeff Klein?) In 2 Of 3 Siena Senate Polls* State Sen. Joe Addabbo and Councilmember Eric Ulrich suspended campaigning to aid in the Hurricane Sandy relief effort




‘Sex’ sen. foe: Bare all(NYP)



The Making of A President 2012
The Longest Weekend 
Campaigns Brace to Sue for Votes in Crucial States(NYT) * Bloomberg Backs Obama, Citing Fallout From Storm(NYT) * Why candidates' spin can't tell the whole story(CBS) * In Shift, Romney Campaign Approaches Pennsylvania(NYT)* The Blackmail Caucus(Krugman, NYT) There’s something wrong with the argument that it’s better to vote for Mitt Romney because he can better navigate Washington’s “partisan gridlock.”* For Business, Vote Holds High Stakes(WSJ) * Bloomberg Endorses Obama for President(WSJ) * In Bloomberg News, Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorses Barack Obama’s re-election, citing the president’s commitment to fighting climate change * Ben Smith parses Bloomberg’s last-minute endorsement of President Obama, which is really more about setting Bloomberg up for his “next act” than an attempt to actually move voters.*  ABCWASHPOST: O 48.56% R 48.49%...
Obama, Romney Make Last Mad Dash - Rucker & Markon, Washington Post
Mitt's Pennsylvania Play: Strength or Weakness? - Jeremy Peters, NYT
How Far Obama Has Fallen - Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal
 

Why Obama Must Be Re-elected - E.J. Dionne, Time
The Most Important Election Since 1980 - Charles Krauthammer, Wash Post
Bloomberg's 'Warm Hug' Boosts Obama - John Farrell, National Journal
Butler County, OH May Decide Romney's Fate - Robert Stacy McCain, TAS
Early Negative Ads Provide Obama's Edge - Charlie Cook, National Journal
Why Romney Is Likely to Win - Jay Cost, Weekly Standard
Obama's Electoral College 'Firewall' Holding - Nate Silver, New York Times
Don't Be Surprised When Obama Loses - Dan McLaughlin, Red State
2012 & The Long-Dormant 'Incumbent Rule' - Mark Blumenthal, Huff Post
No Backup Requested in Benghazi Attack - Eli Lake, The Daily Beast
Key Task Force Not Convened During Assault - Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News
The GOP's Protection-Racket Politics - Paul Krugman, New York Times
Who Can Fix D.C. Gridlock? Poll Favors Romney - Connie Cass, Boston Globe
A Tight Election & Its Uncertain Aftermath - Lou Cannon, RealClearPolitics
Election 2012: Obama 201, Romney 191 | Obama 47.4, Romney 47.3

The Romney Turnaround - Wall Street Journal
We Endorse Obama, Who Still Has Promises to Keep - Philly Daily News
Benghazi Blunder: Obama Unworthy Commander-in-Chief - LVRJ
Romney Versus the Automakers - New York Times 
The most successful tweets from Obama and Romney(Wash Post)
Joe Biden Reveals 'Top 10 Good Things About Voting Early' On Letterman (VIDEO)
RASMUSSEN FRIDAY: O 48% R 48%... 
Obama touts jobs report: Real progress (Wash Post)
MSNBC Had More Negative Coverage Of Romney Than Fox Did Of Obama, Says Pew 
Ethnic Mix of Electorate Will Determine Winner - Niall Stanage, The Hill
In a Twist, Obama Now Depending on Ohio - Ron Brownstein, National Jrnl
Will Independents Decide the Election? - Leigh Ann Caldwell, CBS News
Obama Set to Scrape Out a Victory - John Cassidy, The New Yorker
Everybody's Ending the Campaign in Blue States - Jim Geraghty, NRO

Mitt Romney's Kamikaze Strategy - Greg Sargent, Washington Post
Three Keys to a Romney Win - Chris Stirewalt, FOX News
Candidates Clash Over Jobs in Campaign's Final Days - Tom Cohen, CNN
How Would Mitt Romney Really Govern? - Ezra Klein, Bloomberg
Romney's Victory Message - Ken Khachigian, Politico
2012 Election Maps: Electoral College | Senate | House | Governor Races 
How Cable News Outlets Select Undecided Voters(Huff Post)
Dick Morris: "Until its waves crashed into the New Jersey shore, the election was well in hand for the Romney campaign."
Sandy could have a negative impact on the popular vote for President Obama.
Barbra Streisand taped a new TV ad urging Jewish voters to vote for President Obama.
After a $1.1 billion (and counting) campaign, the Republicans appear likely to retain the majority in the House.
US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid warns the Democrats would try to block Mitt Romney’s agenda next year if he wins.
Republicans immediately pounced after Obama said that voting is the “best revenge” at a rally in Ohio.
Axelrod: Obama’s Closing Argument ‘Coming from His Loins’(ABC)
Ethnic Mix of Electorate Will Determine Winner - Niall Stanage, The Hill
In a Twist, Obama Now Depending on Ohio - Ron Brownstein, National Jrnl
Will Independents Decide the Election? - Leigh Ann Caldwell, CBS News
Obama Set to Scrape Out a Victory - John Cassidy, The New Yorker
Everybody's Ending the Campaign in Blue States - Jim Geraghty, NRO
Mitt Romney's Kamikaze Strategy - Greg Sargent, Washington Post
Three Keys to a Romney Win - Chris Stirewalt, FOX News
Outside Columbus, Obama & Romney Trade Charges - Erin McPike, RCP
How Would Mitt Romney Really Govern? - Ezra Klein, Bloomberg
Romney's Victory Message - Ken Khachigian, Politico
2012 Election Maps: Electoral College | Senate | House | Governor Races
Romney launches final election push with massive Ohio rally (NBC)


Conundrum---Bob Schrum says Obama will win, Dick Morris says Romney will win--both are ALWAYS wrong---how can BOTH be wrong
 


Chris Christie — leader(NYP)A ‘greatest hits’ of misleading Obama claims (Wash Post) * The NY Post praises NJ Gov. Chris Christie for being “a politician who wears his heart on his sleeve while giving not a tinker’s damn what people think about it.”* Rupert Murdoch Warns Gov. Christie 'Must Re-Declare For Romney Or Take Blame For Next Four Dire Years



Jon Stewart: Hurricane May Have Devastated East Coast, But At Least We’re Not In ‘Swing State Hell’






C.I.A. Had Pivotal Part Fighting Attackers in Libya(NYP) * CIA Takes Heat for Role in Libya(WSJ) * Geraldo And Eric Bolling In Screaming Match Over Attempts To Blame Obama Admin. For Benghazi Deaths




NYT Spins Blame Away From Their New CEO Thompson

Shield of Celebrity Let BBC Host Escape Scrutiny(NYT) * Don’t Get Found Out(NYT) The 11th commandment at the heart of the BBC scandal: you’re not doing anything wrong if the only people who know are you, the person you’re doing it to and the people you’re doing it with.* BBC producers 'had doubts about Jimmy Savile in the 1960s'(Daily Mail) * Jimmy Savile: BBC, hospitals and star's estate face at least 50 damages claims (The Guardian)



Law And Order
'Killer nanny' suspect tells cops she was angry about housework before massacre of 2 kids(NYP) * Nanny Accused of Stabbing Children Describes Issues With Family(NY Mag)