Faith-Based Security Headlines
These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.
White powder letter sent to Trump judge at Manhattan chambers, source says
NBC New York reports that a letter with white powder was sent to the Manhattan chambers of Arthur Engoron, a judge in a Donald Trump trial.
The report states:
“Judge Arthur Engoron’s mail is all pre-screened daily, so he never came into contact with the letter. The source says it was addressed to him at (address omitted) in a standard business-sized envelope.
Two court staffers were exposed to the powder, according to the source, but did not immediately appear to have been harmed by their exposure. There was also a letter to the judge in the envelope, the source said.
The building did not have to be evacuated, and the powder was deemed to be safe.”
Related items:
- Suspicious Powder Sent to Offices of Trump Judge and Attorney General
- Unidentified white powder sent to Florida home of Donald Trump Jr (2-27-24)
- What we know about the suspicious powder sent to WA elections offices (11-9-23)
- About 100 letters containing a white powder were sent to public officials across Kansas, officials say (6-20-23)
Analyst Comments:
As Mr. Trump’s trials and the current election season continue, there may be an increase in white powder incidents.
In the above instance, the white powder envelope did not reach the target because the letter was pre-screened. Faith-Based Organizations (FBO), should consider pre-screening mail, and protecting those that screen suspicious envelopes and packages.
While the above incidents do not involve FBOs, the following incidents have affected houses of worship:
- FBI investigates after letter with white powder sent to House Speaker Johnson’s Louisiana church – ABC News (go.com) (2-19-24)
- Seattle police investigate suspicious packages mailed to synagogues (11-3-23)
- 11 people assisting in police investigations after white substances found at Catholic Centre, Bible House – CNA (Singapore 1-18-23)
FBOs should consider developing a white powder/suspicious package procedure or reviewing their current procedures.
FB-ISAO’s 06 November 2023 Daily Awareness Post details procedures for screening mail, recognizing suspicious packages, and responding to suspicious packages.
Get the Daily Awareness Post Delivered to your Email!
More Faith-Based Stories
FL: Man accused of vandalism rampage at Lauderdale Lakes church
OR: Historic Portland Catholic Sanctuary Vandalized; Intruder Arrested
GA: Emory Village bakery receives ‘shocking’ antisemitic postcard
Antisemitic Signs Posted at University of California Campus’ Multi Cultural Center
YouTube: Lakewood church active shooter
VA: Falls Church Man Charged with Online Posts Threatening Local Church and Threats To Haymarket Church Prompt Federal Charge For Falls Church Man 2023 incident
An Illinois University Sued For Terminating Professor Who Spoke Out Against Antisemitism on Campus
ADL: 24% of Americans Harbor Extensive Antisemitic Prejudice, Up From 20% in 2022, Survey Finds
Untangling False Claims About Ashkenazi Jews, Khazars and Israel
Reproductive Rights Are Back in US Election-Year Spotlight
MI: Calvin University president resigns over ‘unwelcome, inappropriate’ behavior
UK government increases security funding for Jewish community
Select All-Hazards Stories
Judges in Trump-related cases face unprecedented wave of threats
Neo-Nazi Music Concerts: Incubators Of Far-Right Extremism – Analysis
Snapchat bomb hoaxes prompt early dismissal for 2,000 Woodland Hills, Gateway high school students
Exclusive: Extremism is US voters’ greatest worry, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Trucking in Fear: Rental Trucks as a Terror Tactic
The threat of Christian nationalism in all 50 states, illustrated in eight charts
Pro-Palestine Protests in the U.S. Since October 7, 2023
Pro-Israel Protests in the U.S. Since October 7, 2023
Muslim Holy Month Looms as Flashpoint in Fight Between Israel and Hamas
Palestinian deaths in Gaza pass 30,000 as witnesses say Israeli forces fire on crowd waiting for aid
Live: Texas wildfires live updates: 1 dead as more than 1 million acres burn across the state
PCAST Releases Report on Strategy for Cyber-Physical Resilience
2024 Elections Misinformation Tracking Center
More Security-focused Content
The FB-ISAO’s sponsor Gate 15 publishes a free daily newsletter called the SUN. Curated from their open source intelligence collection process, the SUN informs leaders and analysts with the critical news of the day and provides a holistic look at the current global, all-hazards threat environment. Ahead of the daily news cycle, the SUN allows current situational awareness into the topics that will impact your organization. To sign-up for The SUN, please sign up below.
