House Speaker Hastert has decided to close the entire Capitol complex,
including the office buildings on the House side, at the end of the working
day today through Monday, as a precautionary move to allow for special
agents and germ experts to conduct a sweep of the ventilation systems and
all remaining unopened mail. The Senate side is expected to do the same.

It has also been confirmed that the anthrax-laden letter sent to Senate
majority leader Daschle's office was of a particularly potent, high grade
military quality anthrax that quickly spread once opened. Some 29 staff in
Dachle's office or the mail room have tested positive, and some anthrax
spores were found in the ventilation system of the Hart building (where
Daschle's office is located) and in one of the tunnels leading to the
Capitol itself.

If there is even a hint that this military grade anthrax came from Iraq, there 
will be a strike by the U.S. against Iraq.  Another possibility is that the
anthrax is of Russian origin and was somehow illicitly acquired by Al Qaeda or 
the Taliban.

There has not been a second anthrax letter or a new outbreak of anthrax,
nor is there any evidence of anthrax spores spreading to committee rooms
located in the other Senate or House buildings. This was a pre-cautionary
move by House Speaker hastert, though it in no way diminishes how ugly the
situation is.