The FBI released hundreds of pages of newly declassified documents Wednesday about its long effort to explore connections between the Saudi government and the Sept. 11 attacks, revealing the scope of a strenuous but ultimately fruitless investigation whose outcome many question to this day. Agents for years investigated support given to several of the hijackers upon their arrival in the U.S., focusing in particular on whether three Saudi nationals — including a Saudi Embassy official in Washington — had advance knowledge of the attacks. Ultimately, investigators found insufficient evidence to charge any of the three with illegally supporting the hijackers, according to an FBI memo from May that closed out the probe and was among the more than 700 pages released Wednesday.

New Jersey’s longtime state Senate president, Democrat Steve Sweeney, has lost reelection, falling to a Republican newcomer who spent less than $200 on the race and leaving his party reeling. Edward Durr, a furniture company truck driver and political newcomer, has defeated Sweeney in New Jersey’s 3rd Legislative District, according to results tallied Thursday. Sweeney’s defeat was unexpected and threw his party’s legislative leadership contest into limbo on Wednesday, when he postponed a meeting set for Thursday. Sweeney had been expected to return as Senate president, but who’ll take over and what margin Democrats will have in the state Legislature is unclear. “It is stunning and shocking and I cannot figure it out,” said Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg said in an interview.

State Senator Simcha came out swinging against NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s vaccine mandate which has caused numerous firehouses to close as firefighter hesitate to get vaccinated. “The Mayor’s vaccine mandate flies in the face of science and restricts perfectly reasonable options, with disastrous consequences,” Senator Felder said. “In the name of public safety, hospital wards and police precincts are understaffed, fire stations are closed, rats are festering in the garbage that is piling up across the city; and they want us to believe that this is in everyone’s best interest!” “The mandate is a punitive policy that punishes people for making individual health decisions.

NEW YORK – Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea announced today that Martin Motta, 74, has been indicted by a Queens grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court, charging him with murder in the second degree for the 1976 killing of an 81-year-old World War I Veteran. District Attorney Katz said, “After 45 years, the alleged killer of a WWI Veteran is being held accountable and brought to justice. We hope the identification of the remains and the indictment in this case will begin to bring peace and closure to his loved ones.

The Gerrer Rosh Yeshiva, Hagaon Rav Shaul Alter, is continuing his historic, whirlwind visit to the United States, visiting various rabbanim and mosdos, and meeting with numerous chasidim eager to be in his presence. Rav Shaul on Tuesday visited Yeshiva Yagdil Torah, the flagship Gerrer yeshiva in Borough Park, where he delivered a shiur and spoke to the yeshiva’s younger talmidim, followed by visits to the elder of the admorim, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe. The Rosh Yeshiva also held meetings with the Bobov-45, Bobov-48, and Kossover Rebbes, and attended a massive kabolas panim event in Borough Park, attended by well over 1,000 people.

Last month, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Kratz, the shamash of 770, and Rabbi Yehuda Pevzner, the director of Mitzvah Tank NYC, parked their tank at a busy street corner in Lower Manhattan for the day, Chabad.info reported. When an elderly priest approached them, they relaxed from their misson of kiruv for a moment and began joking around with him. “The truth is that when we asked him if he was Jewish, it was a joke. Why would we ask a priest, dressed in long flowing white robes, with a huge cross dangling across his chest, if he was Jewish?” said Rabbi Kratz. The priest’s answer was shocking. “Yes, I’m Jewish.” “What do you mean? Was your mother Jewish?” He answered: “My parents were both Jews.” The priest explained that his parents has entrusted him to the church during the Holocaust.

Askanim in Orange County, NY, are accusing the Board of Elections of deliberately withholding the results of the write-in votes in South Blooming Grove’s Ward 4 district election after a major grassroots voter turnout effort and write-in effort by the Chasidic community. As of Wednesday afternoon, the other races in the entire county had already been tabulated and publicized but for the Ward 4 District. A federal civil lawsuit is also reportedly being considered over allegations they say amounts to voter suppression, intimidation, and blatant discrimination by officials in the Board of Elections.

Democrat Alvin Bragg was elected Tuesday as Manhattan’s first Black district attorney, a position that will give him oversight of prosecutions and ongoing investigations involving former President Donald Trump. Bragg, a 48-year-old civil rights lawyer and former federal prosecutor, defeated Republican Thomas Kenniff to join a growing wave of progressive, reform-minded prosecutors across the country. Bragg will take over in January from the current district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr., who is retiring after a final term in which he prosecuted Harvey Weinstein for rape and brought tax evasion charges against the Trump Organization and its longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg.

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey narrowly won reelection in his reliably blue state while a Republican political newcomer delivered a stunning upset in the Virginia governor’s race, sending a warning Wednesday to Democrats that their grip on power in Washington may be in peril. In Virginia, Glenn Youngkin became the first Republican to win statewide office in a dozen years, tapping into culture war fights over schools and race to unite former President Donald Trump’s most fervent supporters with enough suburban voters to notch a victory. Meanwhile, Murphy barely eked out a victory against GOP challenger Jack Ciattarelli, who mounted a surprisingly strong campaign on issues including taxes and opposition to pandemic mask and vaccination mandates.

No injuries were reported Wednesday in an apartment building fire that sent dark smoke billowing over Brooklyn. Firefighters worked for more than an hour on the blaze at 222 Lenox Road in the borough’s East Flatbush neighborhood. The fire department said the blaze on the upper levels of the seven-story apartment building was first reported at around 11 a.m. About 170 firefighters and EMS personnel responded, the fire department said. FDNY urges New Yorkers to NEVER park on a fire hydrant. It is illegal to park within 15 feet of either side of a fire hydrant. See more #FDNYSmart tips at https://t.co/NpwdRdlElY pic.twitter.com/HsE7iCedjp — FDNY (@FDNY) November 3, 2021 (AP)