wnbc's jonathan dienst has details. >> reporter: this is the face of suspected bomber quazi mohammad nafis, and this was his alleged target, the federal reserve bank. he was arrested after he allegedly parked a van packed with what he thought was 1,000 pounds of explosives, trying to kill hundreds of innocent new yorkers during the morning rush. >> he clearly had the intent of creating mayhem here. >> reporter: it was a sting operation and nafis was under intense surveillance for months by the fbi, nypd, and homeland security agents. the undercovers even provided some of the fake bomb parts. but they say it was nafis who picked his target, helped build the bomb, and they only got on to him after he approached an informant about wanting to carry out a major attack. "targeting america's economy is the most efficient way to draw the path of obliteration to america," he allegedly said. officials say his initial plot was supposed to be a suicide mission to bomb the new york stock exchange but tight security there had him change his target to the new york fed. last week, investigators say

wnbc's jonathan dienst is the chief investigative reporter and has the latest for us. jonathan. >> reporter: almost 24 hours after his arrest mohammed nafis remains behind bars without bail on the terror conspiracy counts, investigators say he tried to drive that van here to the federal reserve bank in lower manhattan and tried to set off a 1,000-pound bomb by remote control. but all along fbi, nypd and homeland security officials say they were on to him monitoring his every move and even provided through informants, some of the components for the bomb that were inert and that's why this part did not work, they say. they arrested him earlier this morning after they say he made a jihadist video claiming al qaeda had won, then he apparently left the van and went and tried to set off that explosion. investigators say they are looking into other soeblts, other people he was in contact with here in new york, in missouri where he went to school and also out in san diego. they say he had been trying to recruit others to join him in this terror plot. but they said ultimately he

. >> jonathan dienst, our colleague at wnbc on the scene for us. >>> coming up, that dreaded deadlock. what happens in the cales of an electoral college tie? folks, this is a real possibility this year. scarily so. >>> plus, democratic congressman chris van hollen will be here in our studio. just 19 days left for the president to convince voters that he does have a vision and deserves a second term. >>> oh -- and there's that little matter of the looming fiscal cliff. he's a budget guy. we'll talk him to about that. >>> paul ryan fumbles a visit to the cleveland browns practice. browns are kind of used to fumbles. anyway, condoleezza rice, grabbed the ball, tried to help him out. but first, a look ahead at the schedules of president obama and mitt romney today. mitt romney kind of having a down day before the dinner. the president using the excuse of new york to sneak up to new hampshire. and i bet you this could be his last new hampshire stop before november. that's just a guess. >>> you're watching "the daily rundown," only on msnbc. [ male announcer ] it's simple physics... a body