It's a commuter's nightmare.

Cars and buses are back on the road in New York City and New Jersey, but workers are still trying to put the subway system and commuter trains back in operation after the devastating effect of Superstorm Sandy. It's a process that could take days or weeks to complete.

The impact on the country's most densely populated metropolitan area has been extensive. Here's a look at what is, and mostly what isn't, working:

NEW YORK CITY:

Yes, we already made one child cry. In that spirit, here's more bad news for the shorter demographic: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has signed an executive order postponing Halloween until Nov. 5.

Coming from any other governor, the decision would have immediately been met with sensible nods. But Christie has made his name by being tough and blunt.

Vampires and monsters will be out in force tonight, but some of the darkest creatures out there might be your little angels inside those Halloween costumes.

Teachers unions in Ohio are supporting President Obama in the race for the White House. But way down the ballot, in races for the state Legislature, it's teachers themselves who want some support on Nov. 6.

A recent Associated Press poll suggests that racial prejudice against African-Americans and Hispanics has increased since 2008. Host Michel Martin and NPR Science Correspondent Shankar Vedantam take a closer look at the numbers and what's behind them.

Superstorm Sandy pounded Haiti for four straight days, dumping record amounts of rain and killing at least 50 people. More than 370,000 Haitians have been living in temporary camps, since the catastrophic 2010 earthquake. Host Michel Martin discusses Sandy's effects on Haiti with Miami Herald Caribbean Correspondent Jacqueline Charles.