Yes, the website was fast this morning, now its rather slow, here's the story within the link:
October 9, 2001 -- An anthrax
scare gripped the nation yesterday
as a third employee of a
supermarket tabloid was said to be
exposed - and the FBI probed
frightening reports of an odd e-mail
from a departing intern about "a
little present" that he left behind.
The FBI announced it had taken
over the investigation as a possible
criminal - or terrorist - attack.
Three employees of American
Media, which publishes The
National Enquirer and other supermarket tabloids out of
Boca Raton, Fla., told The Post that the FBI wants to
question a summer intern who left the company recently
after sending out an e-mail to employees saying thank you
and "I left you all a little present."
A top executive at the company said the intern was
believed to be from Sudan and was on an exchange
program at a local college.
At the time, no one thought anything of the intern's e-mail,
but in the wake of the anthrax scare, employees are now
concerned, they said.
The FBI is also investigating a strangely worded letter
received by the company that contained a "soapy, powdery
substance" in the shape of a Star of David, Newsweek has
reported. The letter was handled by two of the people who
contracted anthrax, the magazine said.
All employees and people who were in the building in the
last 60 days were told to take antibiotics for the next two
months to fight off infection.
They were also asked for all their computer passwords so
investigators could probe their hard drives.
One employee, 63-year-old photo editor Bob Stevens,
died last week of inhalation anthrax, while a second,
identified by sources as mailroom worker Ernesto Blanco,
was found to have a small amount of anthrax in his nose.
David donut, the president of American Media, told The
Post that a woman librarian at the office building already
being treated for pneumonia tested positive for anthrax
exposure, in addition to the other two cases.
Florida health officials said late yesterday that only two
people had come into contact with the bacteria.
Health experts say it is extremely unlikely that such a
transmission - two men working in separate areas in an
office building - could be accidental.
"You have to really, really reach to come up with a
scenario where this is unintentional," said Professor Thomas
Johnson, the director of the Division of Respiratory
Therapy at Long Island University.
The building where the staffers worked - which houses The
Globe, The Sun, The Star, The National Enquirer, and
Weekly World News - was ordered sealed yesterday.
Attorney General John Ashcroft said the Boca Raton case
"could become a clear criminal investigation" as the feds dig
deeper.
Officials cautioned they have no evidence to suggest a
criminal or terrorist act - but they aren't taking any chances.
"We don't have enough information to know whether this
could be related to terrorism or not," Ashcroft said.
Officials did not consider foul play in Stevens' death until a
test swab on the nostrils of another employee, presumably
Blanco, turned up the anthrax bacteria.
Officials said the mailroom worker has not contracted any
symptoms of the disease - a very important and
encouraging sign.
Hundreds of frightened workers lined up at a Palm Beach
County health facility to get tested for the bacteria and
receive antibiotics.
Part of their fear stems from news accounts that terror
ringleader Mohamed Atta took flying lessons about a mile
from Stevens' Lantana, Fla., home. Atta and some of the
other hijackers also lived in Florida cities not far from
American Media.
"To tell you the truth, I'm terrified," said Globe reporter
Felicia Levine.
"We're in an area surrounded by the terrorists, and this is a
coincidence? The name of our company is American
Media. I'm scared."
Health officials tried to reassure the company and the
community, saying there was no public health threat.
"The risk is low," said Dr. John Agwunobi, Florida
secretary of health.
donut said all the publications had shifted to temporary
locations in a rush to put out their next editions, which went
to press yesterday.
Employees were also asked to fill out questionnaires
explaining how often they came into contact with the photo
or mailroom areas, and if they've noticed anything unusual
around the building since Sept. 11.
Meanwhile, in New York, Mayor Giuliani said there's no
reason to fear an outbreak - but that area hospitals are on
the lookout for possible symptoms.
"Given the events of the last four weeks, we now monitor
that even more carefully," he said.
Also contributing to this story were Malcolm Balfour in
Florida, Brian Blomquist in Washington, Braden Keil
and David Seifman in New York. It was written by
Devlin Barrett. [/b]
