Deadly poison sent to Sen. Wicker (Update: & Obama-see comments)

By artappraiser on Wed, 04/17/2013 - 4:30am |

By Jordy Yager and Jeremy Herb, The Hill, April 16, 2013

A letter addressed to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) tested positive for ricin on Tuesday, according to U.S. Capitol Police.

Capitol Police intercepted a letter at an off-site postal screening center Tuesday morning and advised senators in an evening briefing that none of their offices were in danger, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said. [....]

The Senate offsite mail facility will be closed for the next few days for further testing and investigation by Capitol Police and the FBI, Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance W. Gainer said in a statement. Gainer said exterior markings on the envelope were not suspicious, adding that it was postmarked from Memphis, Tenn., and had no return address. [....]

URL:

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/294303-ricin-letter-sent-to-gop-sen-wicker

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FBI: suspicious letter addressed to Barack Obama may contain ricin
Associated Press, April 17, 2013

Secret Services stops letter with 'suspicious substance' a day after ricin-tainted envelope is sent to senator Roger Wicker

by artappraiser on Wed, 04/17/2013 - 12:58pm

Letter sent to Obama tests positive for ricin, officials say
By Pete Williams, Kristen Welker and Erin McClam, NBC News, April 17, 2013

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.

Federal officials told NBC News that they believe they know who sent the letters, but no arrest was made because authorities were waiting for further test results [....]

Secret Service Cites Suspicious Material in Letter to Obama
By Mark Landler and Ashley Parker, New York Times, April 17, 2013

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday that a letter addressed to President Obama appeared to contain the poison ricin.

The letter was intercepted at a screening facility outside the White House, the Secret Service said.

It was received on Tuesday — similar timing to a letter addressed to Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, that tested positive for ricin. The letter addressed to the president had similar markings and was similar in appearance to the one addressed to Mr. Wicker, according to a law enforcement official [....]

by artappraiser on Wed, 04/17/2013 - 1:03pm

Looks like, sounds like panic:

Ricin Scare: Senate Offices Evacuated, Obama Mail Intercepted
By Steven Nelson, US News, April 17, 2013

Washington, D.C., was sent into a frenzy Wednesday with news that a "suspicious substance" mailed to President Barack Obama was intercepted - one day after Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., was mailed a letter laced with ricin - and a "suspicious package" caused the evacuation of Senate office buildings.

"The U.S. Capitol Police are responding to a suspicious package on the Atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building. All staff and other personnel are directed to avoid this area until further notice," a Senate alert quoted by the Weekly Standard said.

"The U.S. Capitol Police are responding to a suspicious package on the Atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building. All staff and other personnel are directed to avoid this area until further notice," a Senate alert quoted by the Weekly Standard said.

Politico tweeted, "Bomb squad on the scene at Hart and Russell Senate office buildings."

In a breaking news banner pinned to the top of its website around noon Wednesday, CNN reported, "Suspicious package delivered to [Alabama] Sen. Richard Shelby's office is being investigated, Shelby spokesman says." [.....]

by artappraiser on Wed, 04/17/2013 - 1:25pm

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