BND - Suspicious substances sent to congressional and election offices nationwide

🗞️ Story file #517

Suspicious substances sent to congressional and election offices nationwide

Oct 15, 1 PM ET to Oct 18, 4 PM ET · 3 outlets not rated for lean

39outlets carried it
🫏14 · 8 · 14🐘left · center · right
3.1 dayson the front pages
30front pages at once, at its peak
17 minof TV captions
1radio newscast

👣 How this story traveled: from the front pages that broke it, out through TV, radio and the shows, into what people retold and what fact-checkers examined, and on into the saga it is part of. Everything here is matched to the story by our tools, so a link can be wrong; the trackers' pages say how each is made.

Oct 15, 1 PM ETfirst on a front page: ABC News
Oct 15, 10 PM ETfirst on the radio: ABC News Update
Oct 16, 8 AM ETpeak: on 30 front pages
Oct 17, 6 AM ETfirst on TV: CNN

the front pages that ran it, hour by hour

Front pages carrying it at each hourly run, Oct 15, 1 PM to Oct 18, 4 PM ET (peak 30), by the outlets' lean: left · center · right · not rated

Who carried it and when: each outlet in the order it picked the story up, a bar for each headline from when we first saw it on the front page to when we last did, in the outlet's lean color (dashed: not rated); a dot marks a new headline. Beneath, its captions on TV, the radio newscasts that carried it (bigger: the lead) and when people were found retelling it. Hover for details.

📌 linked by aggregators: Drudge Report Google News Political Wire

💬 quoted: “suspicious substance” 3 “Unknown Substance” 2 “white powder” “suspicious substances” 8 “Suspicious” 9

🗣️ only one side says: 🐘 offices across

✏️ 18 outlets ran more than one headline on it (reworded, or a follow-up)

ABC News (2 wordings): “Feds investigating letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to congressional offices” → “Suspicious letters sent to Congress members: Feds”
BBC (2 wordings): “Letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to US election offices” → “Letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to US senators and election offices”
Breitbart (2 wordings): “Republican and Democrat Lawmakers Report Suspicious Mailings Sent to Offices Across the Nation” → “GOP and Dem Lawmakers Report Suspicious Mailings Sent to Offices Across the Nation”
CNN (2 wordings): “Suspicious substances mailed to dozens of election and congressional offices nationwide” → “Suspicious substances mailed to dozens of election and congressional offices nationwide Law enforcement agencies are investigating suspicious substances mailed to dozens of election and congressional offices nationwide, according to lawmakers and law enforcement officials.”
Fox News (3 wordings): “'Suspicious' mail with DSA-linked return address triggers FBI, Capitol Hill investigation” → “FBI probes suspicious white powder letters sent to Schumer, Dem senators as threat spreads nationwide”
New York Post (3 wordings): “FBI, Capitol Police probing letters ‘containing suspicious substances’ mailed with DSA-linked return address” → “GOP senators join growing list of targets of suspicious ‘white powder’ mailings”
Newsmax (2 wordings): “FBI Probes Suspicious Mail Sent to Election Offices” → “US Postal Service: Ready for Millions of Ballots”
Newsweek (2 wordings): “Where Suspicious Packages Sent to Lawmakers, Officials Across US: Map” → “Suspicious Packages Sent to Lawmakers, Officials Across US”
Punchbowl News (2 wordings): “‘Suspicious’ letters sent to senators, election officials premium Senate” → “‘Suspicious’ letters sent to senators, election officials The U.S. Capitol Police, FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are warning senators and top aides that a number of letters “containing suspicious substances” have been sent to senators’ offices. premium Senate”
Red State (5 wordings): “Letters With 'Suspicious Powder' Sent Nationwide, Including to Congressional Offices” → “Congress More 'Suspicious Substance' Envelopes Arrive at Congressional Offices Across US Becca Lower”
Star Tribune (2 wordings): “Suspicious white powder sent to Minnesota Secretary of State’s office” → “Suspicious substances mailed to Minnesota offices of U.S. senators, secretary of state”
Tampa Bay Times (2 wordings): “Frost, Soto receive ‘suspicious’ mail amid FBI probe of ‘unknown’ substance • News comment” → “Frost, Soto receive ‘suspicious’ mail amid FBI probe of ‘unknown’ substance”
The Hill (2 wordings): “Multiple states report suspicious packages with white powder at election offices” → “More lawmakers report suspicious packages at offices”
The Independent (3 wordings): “FBI investigating after letters with 'suspicious substances' are sent to congressional and election offices” → “White powder at center of FBI probe into letters targeting Democrats ahead of midterms”
The Washington Sun (2 wordings): “Elections Offices Have Received Letters Containing ‘Suspicious Substances’: Feds” → “Election Offices Have Received Letters Containing ‘Suspicious Substances’: Feds”
The Washington Times (2 wordings): “USPS vows to deliver all ballots this year; Trump’s plans put on hold” → “FBI investigating packages containing white powder sent to Senate, state elections officials”
Townhall (2 wordings): “FBI and US Postal Inspection Service Investigating Suspicious Letters Sent to Political Offices” → “FBI FBI and US Postal Inspection Service Investigating Suspicious Letters Sent to Political Offices Amy Curtis”
Washington Examiner (2 wordings): “Suspicious packages sent to election and congressional offices ahead of midterms” → “Suspicious packages sent to election and congressional offices ahead of midterm elections”

Every outlet's first headline (39), left to right by AllSides rating

HuffPost 4 Democratic Congressmen Say They Received Suspicious Packages Oct 16, 8 PM ET
Raw Story Senate on high alert as mystery letters with unknown substance target Congress Oct 15, 2 PM ET
The Guardian FBI investigates letters with ‘unknown substance’ sent to US election officials Oct 15, 2 PM ET
The New Republic More Than 100 Suspicious Letters Sent to Election Officials Nationwide Oct 15, 5 PM ET
ABC News Feds investigating letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to congressional offices Oct 15, 1 PM ET
CBS News Feds probing suspicious letters to election officials, lawmakers Oct 15, 1 PM ET
CNN Suspicious substances mailed to dozens of election and congressional offices nationwide Oct 16, 11 PM ET
Mediaite FBI Probes Letters With ‘Suspicious Substances’ Sent to Congressional, Election Offices: Report Oct 15, 1 PM ET
NBC News Federal investigation of letters with suspicious substances widens Oct 16, 6 PM ET
NPR Suspicious mailings to election officials, congressional offices under investigation Oct 15, 5 PM ET
Star Tribune Suspicious white powder sent to Minnesota Secretary of State’s office Oct 16, 3 PM ET
The Independent FBI investigating after letters with 'suspicious substances' are sent to congressional and election offices Oct 15, 12 PM ET
USA Today Suspicious letters sent to election offices, FBI investigating Oct 15, 1 PM ET
Yahoo News Suspicious letters sent to Senate and election offices prompt nationwide probe Oct 15, 2 PM ET
BBC Letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to US election offices Oct 15, 4 PM ET
Bloomberg USPS Probes Suspicious Mail While Vowing to Deliver Ballots Oct 15, 4 PM ET
Forbes Feds Investigating Suspicious Letters Mailed To Capitol Hill, Election Offices Nationwide Oct 15, 12 PM ET
Newsweek Where Suspicious Packages Sent to Lawmakers, Officials Across US: Map Oct 16, 8 AM ET
Scripps News U.S. News Letters with 'suspicious substances' sent to congressional, election offices Scripps News Group Oct 15, 1 PM ET
Tampa Bay Times Frost, Soto receive ‘suspicious’ mail amid FBI probe of ‘unknown’ substance • News comment Oct 16, 6 PM ET
The Hill Multiple states report suspicious packages with white powder at election offices Oct 15, 12 PM ET
WSJ FBI Investigates Mailings with ‘Unknown Substance’ Sent to Election Offices Oct 15, 4 PM ET
Just the News 'Suspicious' mail sent around country with return addresses linked to the DSA triggers investigation Oct 15, 1 PM ET
The Epoch Times Federal Authorities Investigate Suspicious Letters, White Powder Sent to Election Officials Oct 15, 7 PM ET
The Washington Times USPS vows to deliver all ballots this year; Trump’s plans put on hold Oct 15, 2 PM ET
Washington Examiner Suspicious packages sent to election and congressional offices ahead of midterms Oct 15, 2 PM ET
Breitbart Republican and Democrat Lawmakers Report Suspicious Mailings Sent to Offices Across the Nation Oct 17, 2 PM ET
Fox News 'Suspicious' mail with DSA-linked return address triggers FBI, Capitol Hill investigation Oct 15, 1 PM ET
IJR Authorities Investigate Nationwide Election Mail Threats Oct 16, 5 PM ET
New York Post FBI, Capitol Police probing letters ‘containing suspicious substances’ mailed with DSA-linked return address Oct 15, 11 AM ET
Newsmax FBI Probes Suspicious Mail Sent to Election Offices Oct 15, 1 PM ET
Red State Letters With 'Suspicious Powder' Sent Nationwide, Including to Congressional Offices Oct 15, 1 PM ET
The Blaze Top Democrats were sent letter with 'suspicious substance' — at least a dozen others targeted, feds say Oct 16, 8 PM ET
The Gateway Pundit HERE WE GO: Suspicious Letters Containing White Powdery Substance Sent to Election Offices Ahead of Midterms Oct 15, 2 PM ET
The Western Journal 'Suspicious Mailings' Containing 'Unknown Substance' Sent to Offices of Marco Rubio and Other Politicians: FBI Oct 15, 9 PM ET
Townhall FBI and US Postal Inspection Service Investigating Suspicious Letters Sent to Political Offices Oct 15, 1 PM ET
Crooks and Liars Election Offices In Multiple States Received Suspicious Packages With White Powder Oct 16, 1 PM ET
Punchbowl News ‘Suspicious’ letters sent to senators, election officials premium Senate Oct 15, 2 PM ET
The Washington Sun Elections Offices Have Received Letters Containing ‘Suspicious Substances’: Feds Oct 15, 1 PM ET

TV, radio, and the shows that talked about it

📺 On TV

CNN16 min

Fox News53 s

MSNOW5 s

SUSPICIOUS SUBSTANCES SENT TO ELECTION & CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES CNN, 5 min
SUSPICIOUS LETTERS SENT TO LAWMAKERS, ELECTION OFFICES CNN, 5 min
FEDS PROBE SUSPICIOUS SUBSTANCES MAILED TO DOZENS OF ELECTION AND CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES NATIONWIDE CNN, 3 min
AT LEAST 36 LAWMAKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY REPORT OFFICES RECEIVING SUSPICIOUS LETTERS IN THE MAIL CNN, 79 s
SUSPICIOUS LETTERS CONTAINING WHITE POWDERY SUBSTANCE. PROMPT EVACUATIONS, LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE CNN, 66 s
SUSPICIOUS LETTERS SENT TO LAWMAKERS, ELECTION OFFICES. Adrian Fontes | (D) Arizona Secretary of State CNN, 48 s
SUSPICIOUS POWDER MAILED TO LAWMAKERS, ELECTION OFFICES CNN, 42 s
FEDS EXPAND PROBE AS LAWMAKERS RECEIVE LETTERS CONTAINING MYSTERIOUS SUBSTANCES Fox News, 31 s

📻 On the radio

ABC News Update, Oct 15, 10:32 PM ET: story 2 of 2

what people online made of it

🦗 Nobody's retelling it online yet, as far as the daily reports of the last week can tell.

🗣️ names in it: Federal Bureau of Investigation Capitol Hill United States Congress Election officials

what the fact-checkers looked into

🧐 No fact-checker has taken it on yet.

the running story it belongs to

🌱 A story of its own so far: no saga yet.

Suspicious substances sent to congressional and election offices nationwide

📰 Spread

📡 Broadcast

📺 On TV

📻 On the radio

🧶 Retelling

🔎 Checking

🧵 Persistence