that's keeping the crime down in midtown. ((break 2)) 3 they've stopped armed robberies in progress... and are never far away when gun ssots ring out.it'ssa group called "the midtown bbnefits district."thee use off duty officers and volunteering citizens to patrol late into the night...all on segways.in janice park shows us how this group on wheels is... fighting back. back. in a seccion of the city that neeer seems to sleep... attraction, everythhng's diverse, you nevee knnw what chatter of these diners...is - the sound of segways...wheels pulsingg glittering through the heart of baltimore's midtow: midtown: "it's a really cool feeling ride outside of restaurants, wave at ya, and lap ay &pthanks for being out there" "normally we don't have an issue with one way traffic" traffic""usually we''e looking for trafficc traffic""usually ww're looking for thingssouttof he ordinary" ordinary""whatever's normal, whatever's abnormal" "not yet, it's still early in the evening"so who are thess men on segways?they're ordinarr citizens, a

this is in midtown, manhattan.fighters and other engineers are literally climbing 74 floors to get inside this thing and see if the winds are accelerating. to see if it will compromise the engineering integrity of not only the crane, but the building, to make sure it is intact. >> i think the winds are bad now. tony was just talking about what was going on in atlantic city. i just spoke to my father. it is dead calm. what he is worried about is when the storm comes by, and the wind comes roaring out of the south, we are starting to see 95-mile an hour gusts. it is switching from off went off ocean. neil: what does that mean? >> it means that we will have these powerful gusts in the next six to 10 hours and it will gradually backed down. when hurricane irene came up, the big gusts were up 250 miles to the east of irene. this is going to be in when all the way to harrisburg and producing wind gusts along the coast. we are looking at the biggest tide ever into new york city. that is not produced by nontropical systems

right outside of our offices in midtown.u make of this tentative romney stuff that we are getting? >> i can see. but i will tell you what. i would be out in the west. look, you and i are here in new

that is essentially midtown. of away from downtown new york where the stock exchanges, where the world trade center used to be, where the freedom tower is going up now and go all the way up almost 40 blocks on the side that is the fdr side, the side that faces brooklyn and all points east. underwater were experiencing water problems. now switch over to the west side of town. about another ten blocks north of that, and that is what you're seeing that is being buffeted with this high winds that we are experiencing, and that is this hotsy-totsy building. that has very flimsy flimsy friends that could be falling, and they're trying to figure out what to do with this thing. right now that crane that supports the structure has been sort of there. they build the structure up. the crane is essentially with it along the building process. well, a big chunk of that came off today like a broken arm fell off it. just sort of thing going. we are told that there is no threat of it falling, but for the better part of precaution

that's a live picture out of midtown manhattan. a damaged crane atop a building located on west 57th street in midtown manhattan. all of that as a result of the heavy, heavy winds that are been hitting that area of new york city. we will keep you updated on that particular story. in fact, we have whole team coverage from every angle of this story. todd gross is here with us at battery park city, we have mary thompson from the port of baltimore, brian shactman is on long island. kayla tauche in cape may, new jersey, and we will be navigating the carnage for the next two hours. it is expected to pick up in severity in that time frame. let's start with the big picture from todd gross. todd, where is hurricane sandy although this moment. tell us what comes next. >> less than 100 miles to the southeast of atlantic city. in fact, breaking news for you. the storm is accelerating to the point it's likely to cross the new jersey shoreline by 7:00 tonight. if it does so, it means we may get rid of it a little earlier. it also means the impac

you can just imagine the scene that happened there in midtown manhattan when that happened today. there had to be evacuations in that area because of the danger. just imagine falling debris including the parker meridian hotel. they were evacuated as a precaution and there were no immediate report of injuries there. engineers and inspectors having to hike up 74 flights to get a look. they are going to have to wait to make sure that all of the winds have died down before they can safely go up there and make sure that they have a situation that is safe for them to do an inspection. philadelphia mayor michael nutter is on the phone with us. mr. mayor, good evening. thanks so much for joining us. >> it's great to be with you. thank you. >> tell us what the situation is in your city. >> can you say that one more time in you went in and out. >> can you tell us what the situation is right now in your city? >> in philadelphia we have continued rain. it's been steady to heavy all day long. winds are picking up. we're anticipating the bulk of the storm coming somewhere in the next hour, hour

dramatic fashion, sandy's winds caused a twisted crane to dangle perilously more than 70 floors up over midtown manhattan. look at that. emergency crews worried that it would slice through like a hot knife through butter. >> when i saw is the reports of the firefighters in queens or downtown manhattan i could see in my mind's eye not only the buildings and the planes, but the people. >> it's a lot to get you up to speed on and we are waiting for mayor michael boomberg to speak, and we do want to get the latest from the jersey shore which as we told you took the direct hit from sandy as that storm came

and now the crane situation in midtown manhattan.last sired, that is what it used to look like and on the right side of the screen in the square, that is what it looks like now, it is hanging. all of the streets below are closed and the fire department and nypd was there and the streets are clear and occupants of floors around there have been evacuated to the lower floors and the treaty between 6th and 7th avenue and the cross streets are evacuated. the weather loop indicates this is coming ashore early. what time there is no way to know. but the storm surge is on the way. the thinking now is that the storm surge will happen during daylight hours. we are beyond hopeful that the speed up of this storm may be the boast news of the day. high tide, depending on the shoreline, between 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. if the storm gets in by 5:00 p.m. this region may have dodged a bullet. [ male announcer ] this is sheldo whose long day setting up the news starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain

we're right in midtown man haden, schools, apartment buildings, restaurants, nightclubs, shops.ou name it, it's right here. and nothing is going to change in that area of this building until the weather improves. martin? >> rehema ellis, thank you so much. let's bring in our panel now. from miami, democratic strategist julian epstein and in washington msnbc political analyst professor michael eric dyson. julian, how does the romney/ryan argument of getting rid of government, giving it back to the states, not having a federal emergency management agency, how does that work on a day like today when 60 million americans may be affected by this storm? >> well, first of all, martin, as you indicated at the top of the show, our hearts and prayers go out to the people who are affected by this storm. that's first and foremost. secondly, to the extent politics enters this conversation, this discussion really highlights the difference in philosophies. when there is a crisis in this country, as there was during hurricane katrina in 2005 or the economic crisis in 2008, 2009, republicans bel

earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. and it brought back some great memories. some of you know i went to school here in new york, had a wonderful experience here. [ applause ] >> we used to love walking through central park, loved to go to old yankee stadium, the house that ruth built, although he really did not build that. i hope everybody is aware of that. it has been four years since i was last at the al smith dinner. some things have changed since then. i have heard some people say, barack, you are not as young as you used to be. where is that golden smile? where is that pep in your step? i say, settle down, joe, i'm trying to run a cabinet meeting. [ applause ] >> he doesn't smile when he says it, though. tomorrow, it's back to campaigning. i visit cities and towns across our great country and i hear the same thing everywhere i go, honestly, with he were hoping to see michelle. i have to admit, it can be a grind. sometimes it feels like this race

earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown. romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> we don't even know. looks like some of those jokes were, you know, written and created by the men themselves. have a wonderful weekend. see you back here on monday. "ac 360" starts now.

earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown.vernor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> we don't even know. looks like some of those jokes were, you know, written and created by the men themselves. have a wonderful weekend. see you back here on monday. "ac 360" starts now. >>> we begin tonight keeping them honest with breaking news about who knew what and when they knew it. all that in connection with the attack that killed four americans in benghazi, including america's ambassador to libya. the time line is crucial. both as a simple matter of fact and because it's become a political bone of contention. tonight, there are key new pieces of it. "360" has learned that even as the country was waking up to the fact that four americans were dead, including u.s. ambassador christopher stevens, top white house officials were in frequent contact with senior intelligence officials,

earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown. romney went shopping for some stores in midtown.

new york live look of city in midtown, one of the hit areas. here you see a crane which was dangling high above the city. you, washington. we have been looking for the best photos out there. take a look at this picture -- this is the hoboken path station. you can see the water is just through an elevator shaft into the path station. is the metro station in hoboken. many more photos just like that share throughout the morning. they have to figure what to do with that crane. those winds are stronger when up and elevation. they are thankful that no one was injured. was any falling debris that high, ited have killed someone. we are about one hour away from sunrise in new york city. >> they got the brunt of the storm. got a pretty easy here. we definitely have some problems of our own. we have about 300,000 people up without power so that folks in the dark. is also a lot of cleanup. the good news is that the brunt of the storm is over but the continues. we are still a little testy with wind advisers remain in willt but the winds by this afternoon. t

earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown. went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> we don't even know. looks like some of those jokes were, you know, written and created by the men themselves. have a wonderful weekend. >>> tonight, with days to go until the final debate, can president obama garner the same support he had in 2008. i will ask one of his biggest backers what does he think now? >> it took eight to 12 years to get us in this situation. what is four years to get us out? >> tyler perry is not just an extraordinarily successful writer, director and actor. >> she told me you were the best interviewer in the world. very, very worried. >> he's an entrepreneur with his own movie studio. a man whose films have grossed over $600 million and a man who

one of the things that we're watching, also that continuing dangerous situation in midtown manhattana crane has been dangling. high gust of wind seemed to look like it was going to topple and there were some things that actually were falling off that 74-story building. we are keeping our eye on that. we're going to take a break but throughout this morning as we continue to move forward meteorologist bill karins is here. we will talk to him and the political implications of this storm now on the east coast, one week from election day. >>> we w reports that perhaps some of the new york city airports might be open tomorrow. all of them are officially closed. now, this is rare. airports often don't fly because the airlines decide not to fly because of weather or something else. but airports in new york city, the major ones, of course, being jfk, laguardia and newark all closed tomorrow, which will have a tremendous ripple effect not just here in the states but abroad. now, one of the ways to watch the storms' realtime response is in "national journal's" largest city. you just have to fol

obviously, in midtown manhattan. that buildings as far inland in new york city will be at risk of major flooding from the -- because they're obviously not on the coastal areas but 375,000 people from the low-lying coastal areas, south of that building right there, have been ordered to evacuate. we're about 20 blocks north in columbus circle in central park where we're watching what's happening as well as we expect hurricane sandy to make landfall some time this evening. we have interesting picture to show you what's happening all around new york city. the subways are shut down completely. these are incredible photographs of subway and commuter rail systems. very unusual to see them absolutely empty. there are something like a little over 8 million people who ride the subways and commuter trains. nowhere to be seen, nowhere to be found. the platform is empty. they were shut down yesterday at 7 p.m. they told everyone they would shut down at 7 p.m. >> good morning to you, soledad. mindful of the potential impact of hur

. >> we're learning of a partial crane collapse in midtown manhattan. tropical storm conditions have moved in with high winds and heavy rain. conditions are going downhill from here. times square, it looks like time is standing still there this afternoon. the normally busy tourist hub is more of a ghost town because sandy is in town. parts of lower manhattan brace for an 11-foot storm surge at high tide tonight. widespread flooding is on a concern on the streets and xwrur underground and prompted a complete shutdown of mass transit. bloomberg and chris christie is reiterating why it's like nothing we've seen before. >> this is a massive storm. >> when it comes in tonight, we can't come in and rescue you. it's going to be dark, electricity most likely will be out if it's not already. >> i'm krystal ball. it's not just mere in the tri-state area. capitol hill is shut down as washington weathers the storm. president obama is tracking developments from the white house where he spoke this afternoon. >> please listen to what your state and local officials are

this is in the heart of midtown manhattan. it's still dangling there this morning after a storm that brought 100-mile-per-hour winds. >>> in connecticut, heavy flooding trapped thousands of residents there. the governor calls it the worst water event in state history. >>> in west virginia sandy brought snow and a lot more is on the way. sandy could bring more than two feet there and a foot to north carolina. >>> the flooding trouble along the east coast is now a threat to places like upstate new york where they are sandbagging near lake on it as sandy's rath ends inland. nbc meteorologist bill karins has the latest. >> about 95% of the worst is over. that's the amount of damage that's been done. probably about 5% to go. i think the most extreme damage was done last night at that high tide cycle from atlantic city up the jersey shore and into the greater new york city area and out onto long island. the midnight high tide cycle along coastal connecticut. the size of this storm is so immense. it was only a category 1. typically a

it's dangling over the streets of midtown manhattan. nbc's rheama ellis is live. >> reporter: authorities are trying to get them up in the construction site to see if there is anything that they can do to fix the crane that is dangling over 57th street. police at this time have blocked off the area nool what they have created they call a collapse zone. no pedestrians, no cars. they evacuated the apartment buildings, the commercial buildings, even the park meridian hotel has been evacuated and the hotel guests have been moved to other hotels. authorities are very concerned that if this partially collapsed crane starts to swing because of these gusting winds, it could go flying into another building and no one knows what that would create before it comes crashing down to the ground. whether or not they can secure it under these conditions is absolutely unclear. they may have to wait for the storm to pass before they can do anything. reverend? >> wouldn't it seem with 80-mile-an-hour winds very, very difficult, at best, to try to do anythi

. >> earlier today i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> reporter: monday's debate will be voters' last chance to compare the candidates side by side before election day. polls in those all important battleground states show the race is tightening. tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >>> well, no matter who you're voting for in november, if you have not registered, you're running out of time. today is the deadline to register in the district. you can only register in person at the city's board of elections office. deadlines in register in maryland and virginia have passed. we have more on voter registration on our website, wusa9.com. click on campaign 2012. >>> closing arguments are expected today in the case against two prince george's county police officers accused in the 2010 beating of a university of maryland student. reginald baker and james harrison have been charged with second degree assault and misconduct. the beating was caught on tape as sunts -- stude

. >> i went shopping at stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> reporter: a white tie catholic charity fundraiser. >> it's nice to relax and wear what ann and i wear around the house. >> mitt is his middle name. i wish i could use my middle name. >> reporter: the al smith dinner has been a traditional stop for presidential candidates since the end of world war ii. both candidates got laughs. >> of course i'm pleased that the president is here. we were chatting pleasantly this evening as if tuesday night never happened. >> i had a lot more energy in our second debate. i felt really well rested after the nice long nap i had in the first debate. >> reporter: smiles and laughter will likely be in shorter supply the next time the candidates shirt same room. their final debate is monday night. >> you can watch the final presidential debate live right here on cbs 5 next monday. >> investigators are trying to unravel a suspicious death and fire. it appears an axel rant was used to s

back to the dramatic picture in midtown manhattan, a construction hanging from a skyscraper. robert frank is live in new york city with more on that. robert? >> reporter: thanks, guys. well, i'm standing on 57th and 8th, just a couple of blocks from where this crane is hanging like a giant sword over midtown manhattan. here's what we know so far. at approximately 2:45 today the boom of that crane was blown over the cab, over the top and is now hanging over the building. the mayor has evacuated this entire area, all of the buildings directly surrounding 157, have been evacuated and including a hotel. the d.o.b. and the fire department has sent personnel up into that building, but as winds and rain get even worse here in midtown, it's unclear that there's any kind of temporary fix. for now, everybody is just waiting and hoping that this crane does not fall. now, this, of course, was already one of the most high-profile buildings in new york city, the tallest residential tower in manhattan, penthouses in this building selling for more than $90 million. the construction contracto

just so you know we are in a 44 story high rise in midtown it, manhattan.n what is known as rockefeller center. we are one of the buildings of rockefeller center. our generators allow us to keep these huge monitors open. this is a picture from times square. no, warwick hotel. this is right outside our building where and sixth avenue. and that is 50th street that's crossing. and apparently there is some action in the city streets there. as you can see, the lights have come back on in our studio and can i show you, times square over here as well. so the lights are back on in much of midtown it seems we just took a power surge. there is the camera that you often see. that's the one you would see on new year's eve. would you look at times square. two lone people crossing the street and a couple of vehicles. new york city is at a virtual stand still tonight. i have just gotten a couple updates. the building collapsed on 8th avenue and 14th street in the heart of new york city in the chelsey neighborhood. i have just gotten word that there are no injuries in this

. >> earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> we're down to the final months of the president's term, as president. as president obama surveys the waldorf banquet room, you have to wonder what he's thinking. so little time. so much to redistribute. >> the candidates appeared at the alfred e. smith memorial dinner, a white tie catholic charity fund-raiser. >> nice to final relax and to wear what ann and i wear around the house. >> actually, mitt is his middle name. i wish i could use my middle name. >> reporter: the dinner has been a traditional stop for presidential candidates for more than half a century. alfred smith was the first catholic presidential candidate and a former governor of new york. tonight, both candidates got laughs talking about their first two debates. >> i'm glad to be able to join in this venable tradition. of course, i'm pleased that the president is here. we were chatting pleasantly this evening, as if tuesday night never happened. >

earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown.went shopping for some stores in midtown. in monday's debate, a little bit different, the topic is foreign policy. spoiler alert -- we got bin laden. >> oh. >> good stuff, right. >> their writers are good. >> their writers are good. >> for a lot of women out there that maybe, that last debate was a little uncomfortable at times. nice to see them at least on the stage. put our difference as side for a good cause. all the money goes to catholic charities in new york, tradition dating back to world war ii. >> funny, democrat, republican, even obama, the target of a lot of the jokes was biden. doesn't matter who is doing it. if you say a joke about biden, everybody laughs. >> that was good to see. we won't see that monday night in florida. >> i don't think so. >> up next, our friday morning edition of "insomniac theater." >> a look at two more movies "the sessions" helen hunt and, "paranormal activity" you're watching "world news now." >>> it is friday morning with the weekend's new movies

also, in midtown manhattan, a dangling crane, something else entirely, a dagger pointing 90 stories down. still thousands in a nearby hotel and apartments have been evacuated. they were evacuated yesterday and today, anyone in that area paused for a long time and looked skyward wondering what might happen should that crane dangling over the street. local airports flooded. three quarters of a million new yorkers are without power tonight. but even that staggering figure and all the damage to america's biggest city is simply dwarfed by what sandy has done and is still doing, we should point out, to the lives of tens of millions of people in the thousand mile path of this storm. entire neighborhoods in new jersey, new jersey, the hardest hit state, simply do not exist anymore. they have been washed away. others, flooded. president obama and new jersey's governor chris christie will tour the damage tomorrow. we learned that earlier today. what they will be seeing and what we'll be showing you tonight, it covers an awful lot of ground, a lot of cold, wet ground. here's jason carroll. >> repor

. >> earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> reporter: so for one night the election took a lighter tone. today it's back to battleground state campaigning. president obama goes to virginia and mitt romney heads to florida. in washington, i am tory dunnan now back to you. >> and as a reminder, the election is november 6th. >>> there's a fun free event this weekend with activities for the entire family and tomorrow you can take part in the 5th annual harvest fest at the west shore park in baltimore. there's

as the storm approached, high winds caused a crane to collapse, 74 floors up a top a highrise in midtown manhattan. forecasters say the gusty winds that high at that time could have reached 95 miles an hour. in new jersey, much of atlantic city is now underwater. part of the city's historic boardwalk was washed away by the storm. the state's governor chris christie saying any rescue operations will have to wait until sunrise. people along delaware's coastline have filled emergency shelters after the state's governor, jack markil asking for evaluation. firefighters say four unoccupied buildings have collapsed. no one was injured. at least 2 million people have lost power. five deaths have been report in new york state with deaths reported in new jersey, pennsylvania, connecticut, maryland and west virginia. trains, subways and bridges shut down. at least two major commuter tunnels and some subway tracks have been flooded. airlines have cancelled so far, at least 12,000 flights because of sandy. this afternoon, president obama said officials would be ready to help after the storm passes. >

earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown.nderstand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> good stuff, right? >> i love self-dca

. >> earlier tonight i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> our president has had some very fine and gracious moments. don't tell anyone i said so, but our 44th president has many gifts and a beautiful family that would make any man proud. >> i particularly want to thank governor romney for joining me because i admire him very much as a family man and a loving father. and those are two titles that will always matter more than any political ones. >>> well, they were both funny and gracious tonight. maybe the last time we'll hear gracious until the victory and concession speeches on november 6. >> it was quite refreshing. thank you, gary. >>> both president obama and mitt romney will be campaigning in virginia tomorrow. it is, of course, a key battleground state in this election. the president will be at george mason university in fairfax county tomorrow morning. doors open at 8:30 a.m. romney will be campaigning in avonden. >> speaking of the two candidates, the u.s. sena

. >> i went shopping at some stores in midtown. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. sometimes it feels like this race has dragged on forever. but paul ryan assured me that we've only been running for two hours and 50-something minutes. >> don't be surprised if the president mentions this evening the monthly jobs report where there was a slight improvement in the numbers. >> the unemployment rate is at its lowest level since i took office. i don't have a joke here. i just thought it would be useful to remind everybody. >> president obama and i are each very lucky to have one person who is always in our corner. someone who is a comforting presence without whom we wouldn't be able to go into the day. i have my beautiful wife, ann. he has bill clinton. >> spoiler alert, we got bin laden. >> actually it was mostly a pillow fight, especially by the president. >>> now the big debate, not the presidential one. earlier this week i showed you part of my encounter with bill o'reilly for jon stewart's autism

it was left dangling over midtown, forcing the evacuation of several buildings. and new york university medical center was evacuated after its backup generator failed. dozens of ambulances took patients to other hospitals. sandy is combining with the winter storm and will continue to cause trouble and damage for days. >> there's been extraordinarily close coordination between state, local and federal governments, and so we're confident that the assets are positioned for an effective response in the aftermath of the storm. >> reporter: with sandy expected to affect the northeast through thursday, that response could take some time. and there are also reports of fatalities from sandy. at least five people, from falling tree limbs. >>> here is even more proof of sandy's power. a dock house in massachusetts is no more, thanks to big, strong waves. off the waters of north carolina, the coast guard rescued more than a dozen people after sandy sunk their ship. one other crew member was found unresponsive and the ship's captain remains missing. the hms bounty was a repli

earlier today, i went shopping at some stores in midtown.nderstand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> good stuff, right? >> i love self-deprecation. >>> that's what's making news in america this morning.

. >>> and further north in midtown manhattan, that massive construction crane that was taken down by sandy's wind has now been secured. the street below has been closed off. a wide area closed beneath that crane just in case the worst happens. on top of that, gas and steam lines in the area have been turned off, as well. unfortunately, the crane has gained a measure of infamy, you could say, with plenty of tourists stopping to take photos nearby. a little disaster tourism here in the big apple. >>> and believe it or not, it looks like the race will go on for the new york marathon on sunday. >> organizers say the route mostly avoids the hard-hit areas of the city. before hurricane sandy, 50,000 runners were expected for the big day. but airport closures and of course the mass transit shutdowns that have paralyzed new york could drastically reduce that number. but this is new york. the race and the show always go on, right? >>> and the financial markets are resuming normal operations this morning after being closed for two days because of the hurricane. individual firms, though, still