WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats and CNN (all times local):
8:30 a.m.
A law enforcement official says a package addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden appears similar to packages containing bombs sent to prominent Democrats and has been intercepted at a Delaware mail facility.
The official wasn’t authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on the condition of anonymity.
The FBI confirms there is law enforcement activity at the U.S. mail facility in New Castle, Delaware. It says federal agents and New Castle County Police are responding to the facility.
Several packages containing pipe bombs packed with shards of glass have been intercepted in the last few days. They targeted Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, CNN and others. A New York City police bomb squad has recovered a suspicious package addressed to Robert De Niro.
None of the bombs detonated, and nobody was hurt.
—By Eric Tucker and Michael Balsamo
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7:45 a.m.
President Donald Trump has claimed much of the “Anger” in society is “caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media.”
Trump’s tweet Thursday came as law enforcement was investigating pipe bombs and other suspicious packages addressed to prominent Democrats including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and to CNN.
Without referring specifically to the rash of explosive devices, Trump said: “A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News.” Trump frequently labels stories he doesn’t like as “fake news.”
The president says what he calls “fake news” has gotten bad and the mainstream media must “clean up its act, FAST.”
An explosive sent to CNN prompted the evacuation of the Time Warner Center in New York, but no one was hurt.
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7:40 a.m.
A New York City police bomb squad has recovered a suspicious package addressed to Robert DeNiro, and investigators say it may contain a device similar to others sent to Democratic figures, a law enforcement official tells The Associated Press.
Security personnel at Tribeca Productions summoned police at around 5 a.m. on Thursday.
The bomb squad removed the package and took it to a police facility in the Bronx at around 6:30 a.m.
Investigators say it appears to be from the same sender.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly.
By Michael R. Sisak
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7:10 a.m.
A New York City police bomb squad has removed a suspicious package from a Manhattan building associated with Robert DeNiro.
A law enforcement source tell The Associated Press that the device found Thursday appeared to be linked to the others sent to Democratic figures and CNN’s New York City hub. The package looked similar to the others and had a similar device inside, the source said.
The NYPD says the device was taken from 375 Greenwich Street in the Tribeca neighborhood around 6:30 a.m. Thursday.
A spokesman said police were called for a report of a suspicious package at the location around 5 a.m.
By Michael R. Sisak in New York
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6:40 a.m.
New York police say they’re responding to reports of a suspicious package.
It’s unclear if the report is related to pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
The New York Police Department says Thursday’s report involves the Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan. A bomb squad unit on Thursday morning drove in a caravan through the city after leaving the neighborhood.
Authorities said on Wednesday the pipe bombs were packed with shards of glass and were intercepted. None of the seven bombs detonated, and nobody was hurt as authorities in New York, Washington, D.C., Florida and California seized the suspicious packages.
One of the explosives was sent to CNN, which prompted the evacuation of the Time Warner Center in Manhattan, where CNN has offices.
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1 a.m.
A series of pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has deepened political tensions and fears two weeks before national midterm elections.
The pipe bombs were packed with shards of glass and were intercepted. None of the seven bombs detonated, and nobody was hurt as authorities in New York, Washington, D.C., Florida and California seized the suspicious packages.
One of the explosives was sent to CNN, which prompted the evacuation of the Time Warner Center in Manhattan, where CNN has offices.
The targets of the bombs were some of the figures most frequently criticized by President Donald Trump, who still assails Clinton at rallies while supporters chant “lock her up.” Trump also often singles out CNN as he rails against the “fake news” media.
Trump took a softer tone at a rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday, saying, “Let’s get along.”