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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2018/oct/25/pipe-bombs-suspicous-packages-robert-de-niro-latest-live-updates-explosive-devices
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| Suspicious package addressed to Biden discovered following explosive sent to De Niro – live | Suspicious package addressed to Biden discovered following explosive sent to De Niro – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) just confirmed one package was addressed to Robert De Niro and two were sent to former vice president Joe Biden. | |
| The #FBI has confirmed three additional packages, similar in appearance to the others – one in New York addressed to Robert DeNiro, and two in Delaware addressed to former Vice President Joseph Biden. | |
| The Associated Press said the suspected explosive device sent to Robert De Niro may have been sitting in the mailroom of his building for a day or more before it was discovered, according to two law enforcement officials the AP spoke with. | |
| The officials told the AP a person affiliated with the Tribeca Film Center, where the package was addressed, saw news coverage of the other mail bombs and remembered seeing a similar package in the center’s mailroom, then reported it to police. | |
| The Guardian’s Washington DC bureau chief, David Smith, wrote last night on how Trump has “has helped shatter norms and put violence in the political bloodstream”. | |
| But Trump’s rhetoric increasingly produces shrugs and seeps into the public consciousness and others are bound to take their cue. In a midterm election campaign video, Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Scott Wagner, warns his opponent: “You better put a catcher’s mask on your face because I’m going to stomp all over your face with golf spikes because I’m going to win this for the state of Pennsylvania.” | |
| White House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended Trump’s attacks on the media and declined to say he would tone down his personal insults against opponents. | |
| At a rally in Wisconsin Wednesday night, Trump said that after the attempted bomb attacks it was time to “stop treating political opponents as being morally defective”. | |
| But he was quickly back to attacking the media, and has branded his own political opponents stupid or evil. | |
| “Day in, day out, there is a negative tone,” Sanders told reporters outside the White House. “You guys continue to focus only on the negative and there is a role to play.” | |
| Sanders said that the “very first thing the president did” after the bombs were found was to condemn violence. “The very first thing your network did was come out and accuse the president of being responsible for it,” Sanders told a reporter for CNN, which received one of the bombs. | |
| In fact, CNN spent hours reporting the news of the attacks from the street after their New York offices were evacuated. Network president Jeff Zucker later released a statement criticizing Trump’s anti-press rhetoric. | |
| Asked if Trump would follow his own advice and stop personal attacks against opponents, Sanders gave no suggestion that he would. | |
| “The president has condemned violence in all forms, has done so since day one, will continue to do that, but certainly feels that everyone has a role to play,” she said. | |
| “The president’s going to continue to lay out the contrasts between Democrats and Republicans,” she said. “Americans have a choice to make.” | |
| Robert De Niro’s spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, told CNN the bomb sending spree was “extremely disturbing and frightening. It seems that all the people that were targeted have one thing in common, and that is their political beliefs. That is the only thing I can conclude at this point.” | Robert De Niro’s spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, told CNN the bomb sending spree was “extremely disturbing and frightening. It seems that all the people that were targeted have one thing in common, and that is their political beliefs. That is the only thing I can conclude at this point.” |
| Lou Dobbs, a Trump-friendly Fox Business Network host, has joined in the online speculation that the bombs could have been a hoax. | Lou Dobbs, a Trump-friendly Fox Business Network host, has joined in the online speculation that the bombs could have been a hoax. |
| Fake News--Fake BombsWho could possibly benefit by so much fakery?#MAGA #AmericaFirst #Dobbs | Fake News--Fake BombsWho could possibly benefit by so much fakery?#MAGA #AmericaFirst #Dobbs |
| Former CIA director John Brennan, one of the intended recipients of the pipe bombs, called Trump’s encouragement of violence “disgraceful”. | Former CIA director John Brennan, one of the intended recipients of the pipe bombs, called Trump’s encouragement of violence “disgraceful”. |
| Brennan responded after Trump tweeted a new attack on the media Thursday morning, even as additional explosive devices were being discovered. | Brennan responded after Trump tweeted a new attack on the media Thursday morning, even as additional explosive devices were being discovered. |
| “Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror. Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful. Clean up your act....try to act Presidential,” Brennan tweeted. “The American people deserve much better. BTW, your critics will not be intimidated into silence.” | “Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror. Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful. Clean up your act....try to act Presidential,” Brennan tweeted. “The American people deserve much better. BTW, your critics will not be intimidated into silence.” |
| A bomb addressed to Brennan was sent to the CNN’S New York office. Brennan is not affiliated with the network. | A bomb addressed to Brennan was sent to the CNN’S New York office. Brennan is not affiliated with the network. |
| The former CIA director has been a leading critic, and target, of the president. In August Trump revoked his security clearance in retaliation for his criticism. | The former CIA director has been a leading critic, and target, of the president. In August Trump revoked his security clearance in retaliation for his criticism. |
| Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror. Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful. Clean up your act....try to act Presidential. The American people deserve much better. BTW, your critics will not be intimidated into silence. https://t.co/cS5qNiuU7o | Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror. Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful. Clean up your act....try to act Presidential. The American people deserve much better. BTW, your critics will not be intimidated into silence. https://t.co/cS5qNiuU7o |
| The package sent to CNN contained a parody image of the Islamic State flag, with part of the terrorist group’s insignia replaced with the words “get ‘er done,”, NBC New York reported. | The package sent to CNN contained a parody image of the Islamic State flag, with part of the terrorist group’s insignia replaced with the words “get ‘er done,”, NBC New York reported. |
| The phrase is the catchphrase of comedian Larry the Cable Guy, and a parody Isis flag containing the words was originally created in 2014 by the rightwing parody site World News Bureau. | The phrase is the catchphrase of comedian Larry the Cable Guy, and a parody Isis flag containing the words was originally created in 2014 by the rightwing parody site World News Bureau. |
| It has since become a popular meme on rightwing sites. | It has since become a popular meme on rightwing sites. |
| Authorities “have every reason to believe there might be more” explosive devices out there, New York mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. | Authorities “have every reason to believe there might be more” explosive devices out there, New York mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. |
| “We have to be ready for that,” de Blasio said on CNN’s New Day. | “We have to be ready for that,” de Blasio said on CNN’s New Day. |
| “Someone is trying, or some group of people are trying to terrorize us, trying to get us to lose faith in our government, in our institutions, in our society,” de Blasio said. “Terrorism by definition is an effort to change people’s way of living and way of thinking using violence, using terror, we can’t let that happen.” | “Someone is trying, or some group of people are trying to terrorize us, trying to get us to lose faith in our government, in our institutions, in our society,” de Blasio said. “Terrorism by definition is an effort to change people’s way of living and way of thinking using violence, using terror, we can’t let that happen.” |
| New York governor Andrew Cuomo offered the same warning. “I would not at all be surprised if we found more,” he told CNN. | New York governor Andrew Cuomo offered the same warning. “I would not at all be surprised if we found more,” he told CNN. |
| Cuomo said the devices that have been discovered are “bombs capable of detonation”. | Cuomo said the devices that have been discovered are “bombs capable of detonation”. |
| Why they did not explode is not clear. | Why they did not explode is not clear. |
| “It could just be a person who is not proficient and therefore the bombs didn’t explode, or it could be there was an intent not to have the bomb explode but only intimidate,” he said. The answer will not be clear until the perpetrator is found. | “It could just be a person who is not proficient and therefore the bombs didn’t explode, or it could be there was an intent not to have the bomb explode but only intimidate,” he said. The answer will not be clear until the perpetrator is found. |
| A ninth suspicious package has been discovered, CNN reported, addressed to former vice-president Joe Biden in Delaware. | A ninth suspicious package has been discovered, CNN reported, addressed to former vice-president Joe Biden in Delaware. |
| The envelope is similar in appearance to the eight that contained pipe bombs, with multiple postage stamps and the return address of Florida representative. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. | The envelope is similar in appearance to the eight that contained pipe bombs, with multiple postage stamps and the return address of Florida representative. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. |
| Donald Trump renewed his attacks on the media in tweets Thursday morning, a day after a live explosive device was found at CNN’s New York office. | Donald Trump renewed his attacks on the media in tweets Thursday morning, a day after a live explosive device was found at CNN’s New York office. |
| “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. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!” he tweeted. | “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. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!” he tweeted. |
| The president also attacked the New York Times for a story reporting that he makes phone calls on an iPhone and the Chinese listen in on his calls. | The president also attacked the New York Times for a story reporting that he makes phone calls on an iPhone and the Chinese listen in on his calls. |
| “The so-called experts on Trump over at the New York Times wrote a long and boring article on my cellphone usage that is so incorrect I do not have time here to correct it,” he wrote. “I only use Government Phones, and have only one seldom used government cell phone. Story is soooo wrong!” | “The so-called experts on Trump over at the New York Times wrote a long and boring article on my cellphone usage that is so incorrect I do not have time here to correct it,” he wrote. “I only use Government Phones, and have only one seldom used government cell phone. Story is soooo wrong!” |
| 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. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST! | 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. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST! |
| An explosive device sent to actor Robert De Niro was discovered Thursday morning at his production company in Manhattan. | An explosive device sent to actor Robert De Niro was discovered Thursday morning at his production company in Manhattan. |
| A law enforcement official told the New York Times the envelope and address labels were similar to those on explosives sent to former president Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other political figures, and an x-ray showed it contained a similar device that appeared to be a pipe bomb. | A law enforcement official told the New York Times the envelope and address labels were similar to those on explosives sent to former president Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other political figures, and an x-ray showed it contained a similar device that appeared to be a pipe bomb. |
| “This appears to be from the same sender,” the official said. | “This appears to be from the same sender,” the official said. |
| An employee at the production company in Tribeca discovered the device around 5am and called the police, the Times reported. The NYPD bomb squad removed it and took it to their Rodman’s Neck facility in the Bronx. | An employee at the production company in Tribeca discovered the device around 5am and called the police, the Times reported. The NYPD bomb squad removed it and took it to their Rodman’s Neck facility in the Bronx. |
| It’s the latest in a spate of explosive devices that have been sent to figures critical of Donald Trump. Devices were sent to Clinton, Obama, liberal financier George Soros, and to the offices of CNN, addressed to former CIA director John Brennan. | It’s the latest in a spate of explosive devices that have been sent to figures critical of Donald Trump. Devices were sent to Clinton, Obama, liberal financier George Soros, and to the offices of CNN, addressed to former CIA director John Brennan. |
| Two devices were sent to California representative Maxine Waters. Another was addressed to former attorney general Eric Holder, but ended up at the office of Florida representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz because it was returned to sender and it, like the other packages, was labeled with her return address. | Two devices were sent to California representative Maxine Waters. Another was addressed to former attorney general Eric Holder, but ended up at the office of Florida representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz because it was returned to sender and it, like the other packages, was labeled with her return address. |