TRENTON, N.J. — Twelve Democratic governors have issued a joint statement defending American democracy, vowing that every ballot will be counted in the election after President Donald Trump sowed distrust during the first presidential debate. Trump claimed without evidence Tuesday night that mail voting is ripe for fraud, and he refused to say whether he would accept the results. The governors said Wednesday that efforts to toss ballots or refuse a peaceful transfer of power “are nothing less than an assault on democracy.”

Two Manhattan restaurants that suffered a setback together say the city needs to get a handle on the trash situation; CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis reports.

NEW YORK — Arts and culture museums are just some of the reasons why New York is such a unique place to live. But these jewels were closed to the public in March because of the pandemic. In recent weeks, these institutions have begun reopening their doors, and have changed with the times. Now the Guggenheim is joining the growing list of organizations set to reopen Saturday, Oct. 3. New hours are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Monday.

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — A man found hanging from a tree at a New Jersey park has been determined to be a suicide, Morris County Prosecutors said Wednesday. On June 28, law enforcement found 20-year-old Washington Township man Amanual "Amani" Kildea hanging from a tree just off of a hiking trail at Morristown's Lewis Morris Park after a 911 caller had found him.First responders found Kildea's body in a near seated position at the base of a tree, with a rope wrapped around his neck. The rope was connected to the tree approximately six-and-one-half feet from the ground and Mr. Kildea’s body was partially suspended several inches off the ground, according to authorities.

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, Brooklyn — A man was shot while attending a vigil in Bedford-Stuyvesant, and on Wednesday, police searched for the suspect.It happened on Sept. 23 at around 9:30 p.m. at Gates Avenue near Tompkins Avenue, when a suspect approached a group of people at a vigil and shot a 34-year-old man multiple times in the right arm and chest before fleeing the scene.The man was taken to the hospital and was said to be stable.

MOTT HAVEN, the Bronx — The Human Rights Watch slammed NYPD actions at a Bronx protest as a “planned assault,” according to an investigation released Wednesday.During that June 4 Mott Haven protest, police corralled protesters shortly before the 8 p.m. curfew, instituted by Mayor Bill de Blasio because of looters around the city. Officers beat demonstrators with clubs, police shields and bikes, according to the HRW. Police slammed protesters to the ground and maced them. There were 61 cases of injured protesters, legal observers and bystanders. More than 260 people were taken into custody.

As new wildfires force tens of thousands of people out of their homes, reports are emerging of flaws in emergency alert systems throughout the west."Where I think the false sense of security was, if something really bad is going to happen, we'll get alerted well beforehand," said Vacaville resident, Will Carlson.Carlson and several of his neighbors say they received no warnings as the Hennessey Fire inched closer to their homes. At around midnight, Carlson saw the flames moving quickly down a hill in the distance.

CBS2's Vanessa Murdock has your weather forecast for September 30 at 11 p.m.

Four people face charges after a couple from northern New York was held hostage in the Quebec city of Magog, Canadian authorities said Wednesday.Surete du Quebec Sgt. Stephane Tremblay said James Helm Sr., 76, and Sandra Helm, 70, of the Franklin County town of Moira were found safe Tuesday at a residence in Magog. Four people, aged 36-75, were expected to appear in provincial court in Montreal Wednesday afternoon to face charges of forcible confinement, Tremblay said.

October 1 has been designated as National Pumpkin Spice Day. It’s a day to sip, smell and savor all things pumpkin spice, as if you needed a reason.First things first, what is pumpkin spice? There is typically no pumpkin in pumpkin spice. The name refers to a blend of spices traditionally used in pumpkin pie. This includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.The smell of this blend is nostalgic; bringing back memories of fun fall outings like farms or hayrides, family get togethers, Thanksgiving meals, or cold evenings spent under a warm blanket with a favorite person or pet.

KEARNY, N.J. — Authorities say a New Jersey police officer fired his weapon at the driver of a car reported stolen, but no injuries were reported. The Hudson County prosecutor’s office says a Kearny police officer shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday spotted a car that had been reported stolen and tried to stop the vehicle. But prosecutors say the driver reversed and then drove toward the officer, and one officer discharged his weapon before the vehicle fled.

HARRISON, N.J. — Port Authority police units were continuing a week-long training for active shooters on PATH and buses Wednesday.They include officers who responded to September 11 and those who saw active fire last year when terrorists took control of a kosher deli in Jersey City.“Today we’re practicing for the worst case scenario,” said Port Authority Police Capt. Chris Zimmerman.Taking fire inside a PATH train, officers used real guns firing fake bullets — that still make noise and hurt. Those taking impact described it like a paintball gun.

The World Health Organization announced Wednesday that a coalition of nations and organizations are contributing $1 billion to assist poorer nations fight the coronavirus.The two biggest contributors were the United Kingdom and Canada.The WHO says the “ACT-Accelerator, which was launched just five months ago, is an unprecedented global collaboration of the world’s top international health organizations working together to accelerate the development, production, and equitable delivery of COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.”

NEW YORK — New Yorkers took seats inside city restaurants Wednesday for the first time in months, but Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would stick with outdoor dining while the weather permits. Restaurant capacity is limited at 25 percent for indoor dining as of Wednesday. Throughout the rest of the state, restaurants have been allowed to seat diners indoors at 50 percent capacity."What I'm going to do, for sure, in the coming days is continue, as I have, to enjoy outdoor dining first while the weather's still good," de Blasio said "My outdoor dining experiences have been amazing. I'm going to keep doing that for the foreseeable future."

A chemical production company will pay $11.3 million for the cleanup of a Superfund site in Gloucester County, New Jersey, under a consent decree reached in federal court with the state and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Hercules Inc. will implement a 2018 EPA plan to excavate four feet of contaminated soil to be treated with microorganisms, treat deeper soil with microorganisms and fill the area with clean soil, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The agency will oversee the work.

After a night of insults and interruptions, changes are ahead for the next presidential debate. President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden were back on the campaign trail after Tuesday's debate; CBS2's Dick Brennan reports.

September is National Hispanic Heritage Month, and we're shining a light on a rising star in the fashion world. Cenia Paredes is putting her best fashion foot forward and recently debuted her new line at the Times Square Fashion Show; CBS2's Lisa Rozner reports.

A Louisiana man and a Florida man allegedly gained access to professional athletes’ social media accounts and either sold the information or used it to extort payments, according to federal criminal complaints released Wednesday.Trevontae Washington and Ronnie Magrehbi each face wire fraud conspiracy and computer fraud conspiracy counts filed by the U.S. attorney’s office in New Jersey.The 21-year-old Washington, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, allegedly obtained usernames and passwords for multiple NFL and NBA players and sold access to the information.

MILWAUKEE -- Seven people were shot at the Serenity Funeral Home in Milwaukee Wednesday afternoon, police say. Acting Police Chief Michael Brunson said all seven victims are in stable condition. They are male and female and range between 24 and 48 years old.There's no word yet on what caused the shooting, and the exact circumstances that led up to it are still under investigation. Brunson said his officers continue to search for an unknown suspect.

A wife and mother of three lost her life to a single stray bullet inside her Queens home Wednesday; CBS2's Cory James reports.

The airline industry is bracing for tens of thousands of layoffs and furloughs.

STATEN ISLAND — Someone in a grey sedan pelted pedestrians with paintball pellets in a series of drive-by Staten Island shootings, police said Wednesday. The shooter first struck Friday night on Lander Avenue near Hirsch Street, officials said. A 37-year old was repeatedly struck. He suffered pain and bruising but refused medical attention at the scene.Just a few minutes later, the shooter fired paintball pellets at a 56-year-old man on Forest Avenue near Burnside Avenue, police said. The victim suffered pain and bruising but refused medical attention at the scene.

Debate is part of life in DC. Right now, that debate includes the highest court in the land and how to replace one of its iconic members.“Well obviously, it’s a very contentious situation,” said Patrick Wohlfarth, a professor at the University of Maryland who studies the history of the Supreme Court.“When Trump nominates someone and the Republican Party in the Senate is able to confirm, to successfully confirm that nominee, it stands to assume that, that is going to shift the court to the right and perhaps significantly so,” said Wohlfarth.

NEW YORK CITY — The head of the teachers union said Wednesday he's calling for schools to be shut down in areas seeing an uptick in coronavirus cases.President Michael Mulgrew said he had a conversation with Mayor Bill de Blasio about making the aggressice move to shut down schools now in at least 9 ZIP codes.The test and trace team has been in those ZIP codes of late, urging the community to get tested and take precautions from spreading the virus.