Letter containing ricin sent to the President

[larig]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/17/17794663-letter-sent-to-obama-tests-positive-for-ricin-officials-say?lite


A letter addressed to President Barack Obama tested positive for the poison ricin and was from the same sender who mailed a letter to a senator that also tested positive, officials told NBC News on Wednesday.

The letter to Obama was intercepted at an off-site White House mail facility and was being tested further, the FBI said. A federal law enforcement official said that the letter was “very similar” to one addressed to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

Apparently not related to the Boston Marathon tragedy. I'm so tired of this stuff.

[ahisma]

Senator Levin (MI) also received a suspicious letter today. It was sent to his MI office though - not the DC office.

[baymom]

I just heard this on NPR....while reading more about Boston in today's WSJ. Just so sad about all of this.

[janine]

Remember the Anthrax scare after 9/11...there will be idiot "copy cats' trying to get attention. It's sad but I don't think it's concerning yet especially since it's all been intercepted. At least so far.

[AnnieW625]

:yeahthat:

[wellyes]

Roger Wicker (R-MS) got one yesterday. He has been in the news for voting to end the gun control filibuster (to bring the issue to the floor, he is an "A+" NRA supporter, but still).

[mommylamb]

And today they've had to clear parts of two of the Senate office buildings because of suspicious packages of some sort.

[lyt202]

And today they've had to clear parts of two of the Senate office buildings because of suspicious packages of some sort.

The buildings were not evacuated. They asked people to not go to the areas with the suspicious packages but otherwise people were free to move around the building. It is not uncommon to have this happen but people are jumpier today for obvious reasons.

[westwoodmom04]

Ever since the anthrax attacks, sll mail sent to any federal government agency is processed in an off-site facility, and I mean processed. When I worked for a federal agency we use to joke about the mail because it was often barely legible and intact by the time it arrived at your office. Some idiot is out to prove that is a necessary precaution. I guess he finally figured out the sending poison letters through the mail wasn't likely to cause any harm. Luckily no one has been hurt, and they are allegedly have a suspect.

[KpbS]

Holy cow! What a crazy news day! Yikes!!

[mommylamb]

The buildings were not evacuated. They asked people to not go to the areas with the suspicious packages but otherwise people were free to move around the building. It is not uncommon to have this happen but people are jumpier today for obvious reasons.


I know they didn't evacuate the entire buildings. This is what CNN was reporting. It's common for there to be suspicious packages in the area (I know because my office is a 2 minute walk from the Senate office buildings, so we get notifications whenever there are suspicious packages in the area), but if they did really clear parts of the buildings, that is not usual.


Parts of the U.S. Capitol are being cleared after authorities announced suspicious packages on the first and third floors of the Hart Senate Office Building and a suspicious envelope in the Russell Senate Office Building at the office of Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama.

Capitol Hill Police are questioning a man with a backpack in the area of the Hart office building. The man raised suspicion with the content of his backpack and how he responded to police questions, two Capitol Hill police officers said. The man's backpack contained more sealed envelopes, one of the officers said.

[lyt202]

I know they didn't evacuate the entire buildings. This is what CNN was reporting. It's common for there to be suspicious packages in the area (I know because my office is a 2 minute walk from the Senate office buildings, so we get notifications whenever there are suspicious packages in the area), but if they did really clear parts of the buildings, that is not usual.

Yeah, the CNN reporting on this and whether the Boston bombing suspect was arrested has been pretty shoddy. As someone who is in the building, it took a little longer to resolve than usual but we are always getting announcements about suspicious packages with Capitol Police asking people to stay away from the area. They didn't even ask people to shelter in place, which they have done in the past.