News Wrap: Supreme Court lets Lisa Cook stay in her role at Federal Reserve for now

Amna Nawaz:

Meanwhile, back here in the U.S., the Supreme Court is letting Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook stay in her role for now. The justices declined to act on a Trump administration pushed to remove her from the Central Bank's board immediately and instead said they will hear arguments on the case in January.

President Trump has accused Cook of mortgage fraud, which she denies. The decision is a setback for the president's efforts to exert more control over the Fed, which has long enjoyed independence from political interference.

The White House says it will name a new nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics — quote — "very soon" after pulling its initial choice last night. Officials acknowledged today that President Trump's picks, conservative economist E.J. Antoni, lacked the votes needed to win Senate approval.

As chief economist at The Heritage Foundation, he was widely seen as too partisan for the role. The BLS is responsible for vital economic data, including reports on jobs and inflation. Its previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, was fired by Trump in August after a report showing a sharp fall in hiring.

In New York City, residents of a Bronx apartment building were unharmed after an explosion this morning caused part of the high-rise to collapse. This massive gash on the side of the building used to be a chimney that ran 20 stories up from the boiler room. Bricks plummeted to the sidewalk below, hitting a playground, but amazingly and thankfully, no one was injured.

Officials are now assessing the overall condition of the building and residents are demanding answers.

Zach Iscol, Commissioner, New York City Emergency Management:

The safety of the residents is of paramount importance, and that's the number one concern. We have building inspectors that are inspecting the foundation of the building and inspecting all of the apartments in the affected areas to make sure that the building is structurally sound for people that live in those wings.

Woman:

This could have been a tragedy. This could have been something a lot worse.

Amna Nawaz:

All this comes amid citywide concerns over aging buildings, where issues like mold and a lack of heat are common complaints.

Hurricane Imelda is heading straight towards Bermuda tonight, where authorities have shut schools and government offices. The British territory had already been lashed with wind and rains formed by another storm, Humberto, with the two storms churning almost side by side over the Atlantic. Imelda is due to hit Bermuda as a Category 2 storm, bringing heavy rain and a dangerous storm surge.

The U.S. was spared a direct hit, but dangerous surf conditions along the Carolina coast hammered homes there. Eyewitness video caught at least six houses collapsing into the water. They were all unoccupied.

In the Philippines, rescuers are using heavy machinery, sniffer dogs, and even their bare hands to search for survivors a day after an earthquake killed at least 69 people and injured hundreds more. The 6.9-magnitude quake struck last night around 10:00 p.m. local time off the coast of the central province of Cebu.

Bad weather is complicating search-and-rescue efforts, and officials have reported more than 600 aftershocks. More are expected in the coming days, leaving residents on edge.

Mark Ochea, Bogo City, Philippines Resident (through interpreter):

We are still anxious. Now we have even lost count of the number of aftershocks we have experienced, because there are a lot of them, and it's been like that since last night. I haven't even managed to get any rest yet.

Amna Nawaz:

Officials say the death toll is expected to rise as many people remain trapped in collapsed buildings.

On Wall Street today, stocks climbed higher as investors once again brushed aside concerns about the government shutdown. The Dow Jones industrial average added around 40 points for a modest gain. The Nasdaq rose nearly 100 points on the day. The S&P 500 also ended in positive territory.

And a 1,200-pound brown bear has been crowned the winner of this year's Fat Bear Week competition. That is despite suffering from a broken jaw. It's the first win for Bear 32, known simply as Chunk, after finishing in second place three years in a row. The bracket-style contest allows viewers to watch a livestream from Katmai National Park and preserve in Alaska, as a dozen bears work to bulk up for their winter hibernation.

This year's competition attracted more than 1.5 million votes.

Still to come on the "News Hour": our new poll shows a striking change in Americans' views on political violence; how immigrant labor has become crucial to U.S. meat production; and a look at the life and legacy of the legendary Jane Goodall.