"A 59-year-old man who received a suspicious letter with amorous writings and women's lace panties turned it over to sheriff's deputies, who stored it in a biohazard barrel before determining it didn't come from a terrorist.
The Fallon (Nev.) man said he became concerned about the threat of anthrax contamination because the unsigned letter was mailed from Reno in a yellow envelope with no return address. Neatly printed on two pages, the sexually suggestive message and black thong panties arrived Thursday.
The man said he had been worried about anthrax exposure because he sniffed the contents to determine whether perfume was on the letter or the underwear."
Associated Press, 10/18/01
A nationwide campaign is underway to honor postal workers who are on the front lines daily. In support of our nation's carriers, clerks, mailhandlers, drivers and all those in-between, everyone is being asked to tie navy blue ribbons around their mailbox poles.
This is a wonderful opportunity to honor postal employees, and share our commitment to keep our nation united by keeping the mail moving. Please tie a blue ribbon around your mailbox pole and spread the word!
PLEASE PROTECT YOURSELVES!
This past weekend, I was doing some baking. It was getting late---I was tired so I decided to leave the cleanup mess until morning. The next morning, I was getting my coffee, and I noticed thousands of little tiny footprints in the flour on the countertop. Needless to say, I wasted no time calling the FBI.
They confirmed that I did in fact have AntTracks. Damn terrorists!
"CBS News finally received anthrax in the mail. As usual, we're number three." -David Letterman
"The FBI is urging all Americans to beware of any letters or packages that have badly misspelled words. Man, this is going to be terrible news for the rap industry." -Jay Leno
"Do you remember the good ol' days when Congress was only unsafe if you were an intern." -David Letterman
"Things have really changed here in Hollywood. Used to be people in this town couldn't wait to get an envelope full of white powder." -Jay Leno
"Postal inspectors have been given advanced warning that Publishers Clearinghouse is sending packets of laundry detergent that could be mistaken for anthrax. Oh, good timing. What genius came up with this promotion? What's next - a ticking alarm clock? Let's put that in a box." - Jay Leno
"Eleven members of the Washington Redskins Monday were exposed to a mysterious white powder they had never seen before - the end zone." -Jay Leno
They say that with this anthrax scare, we shouldn't open mail from people we don't know. Well, I tell you, I don't know a single person at this "Internal Revenue Service" place. (Joe C.)
Scientist Steven Hatfill , who insists he had nothing to do with last year's anthrax attacks, has become the country's No. 1 "person of interest." What does that phrase mean and where did it come from?
According to various law professors and former prosecutors, it doesn't have any commonly accepted definition or legal weight. It can be used as a euphemism for "suspect," but there can be a difference. When the government uses "person of interest," says Robert Weisberg, a criminal law professor at Stanford, "it's essentially acknowledging that it can't do anything to you yet; that it has no power to arrest you."
The FBI says that it doesn't use the phrase. (Indeed, the Department of Justice's Code of Conduct guidebook discourages agents from "identifying uncharged third-parties.") But the first time "person of interest" appeared in connection to Hatfill?in a June 25 dispatch from ABC News?it was attributed to G-men: "Today the FBI searched the apartment of a former government scientist. [T]hey don't call him a suspect. They call him a person of interest."
In fact, the bureau has used the term before the anthrax case. A May 7 Associated Press dispatch about a series of pipe bombings quoted FBI agent Jim Bogner as saying, "Luke Helder is a person of interest that we would like to question." Helder was later charged with the bombings.
Next question?
Explainer thanks Professor Laurie Levenson of Loyola Law School, Professor Robert Weisberg of Stanford Law School, defense attorney Gerry Chaleff, and Department of Justice spokesman Bryan Sierra.