5 PM ET: Menendez’s alleged gold bar bribery, GOP debates, UAW strike & more

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife have been accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes - the second allegation of corruption against him in just a decade. The second GOP presidential debate is set for next week, as some candidates are starting to weigh their options. New reporting shows Justice Clarence Thomas attended conservative donor events, once again casting doubt on his ethics. United Auto Workers announced it would ramp up its strike against two of the Big Three automakers, as the third meets it at the negotiating table. And, the Federal Reserve is making rare cutbacks, even as it tries to reassure Americans about the health of the economy.

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