National Guard troops dispense gasoline in Queens on Saturday.
Justin Lane / EPA
NBC News

Sandy’s unprecedented devastation, particularly for the North East, shocks Americans as the city that never sleeps and the old Jersey Shore continue to struggle. Is this Al Gore’s inconvenient truth? Think again.

Union heroes saved new-borns from NYU Hospital when its generators went down.

The New York City Marathon, which brought runners from around the world was cancelled. The generators for the event were not donated to disaster victims. Some runners took to the streets to relieve New Yorkers.

McGee was on a rented bike, wearing her orange, long-sleeved official marathon jersey, pushing the pedals in her bright running shoes. She was part of a group of volunteers that had left Brooklyn’s Prospect Park a half-hour ago, on their way to assist any way they could. There were several marathoners among them, their official race numbers taped to Windbreakers and backpacks, months of training now being channeled into something urgent. McGee had witnessed firsthand the efforts after crises before. Katrina. Joplin, Mo. Pitching in on Sunday seemed like an obvious choice. “My frustration is nothing compared to what other people are feeling,” she said.

Volunteers and charities are at work, but there’s still red tape

The Red Cross doesn’t accept individual donations of household goods—these things, it says, need to be cleaned, sorted, and repackaged, and all that takes up more time than they’re worth. It asks for financial donations only. New York Cares requires its volunteers to go through orientation sessions, all of which are full till late November.

Gas tanks from the U.S. military fill the streets this weekend. Getting gas last week was met with long lines, 2-hour waits, and empty stations.

As for November 6th, word came out that New Jersey will be voting via email. Anybody got 3G?