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Breaking News

Anthrax Discovered in Health and Human Services Building

Aired October 29, 2001 - 12:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We learned that one of the buildings that is used by the Department of Health and Human Services -- it is called the Cohen Building -- they have turned up traces of anthrax there as well.

So now this would be the newest facility in Washington where they have come across anthrax, I believe they said, in the mail area but I want to check before I say for certain.

Also in the meantime, while we were listening to the Pentagon briefing, the spokeswoman for the Supreme Court, Kathy Arberg, came out and talked with reporters and gave them an update on the situation -- the anthrax situation -- at the court building.

Here is what Kathy Arberg had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHY ARBERG, U.S. SUPREME COURT: Last night we received the results of the testing that was performed in the court building on Friday night. The results were negative, except for one area in our mailroom -- and by the way, we won't discuss specific areas -- on the basement level of the building.

All tests in the rest of the building were negative. Based upon the positive testing in the mailroom, additional testing is being conducted today. The building will remain closed tomorrow and the court will again sit in the courtroom, the ceremonial courtroom, here in this courthouse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: So that would mean in addition to today, where the Supreme Court justices are working at a federal appeals court building, they will do so apparently again tomorrow.

Kathy Arberg also said that all 400 people who work in the Supreme Court building had been tested and have come up negative, in her words. But again, we know those are preliminary tests and the results can be meaningful or not meaningful, so we'll wait for more information there.

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