BENTON, La. (AP) — Authorities have launched an investigation after a north Louisiana church attended by House Speaker Mike Johnson received mail containing a white powder. Johnson’s office acknowledged the receipt of a suspicious package at Cypress Baptist Church in Benton. Spokesman Griffin Neal said the FBI, U.S. Capitol Police, Louisiana State Police and the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office are involved in the response. The FBI issued a statement saying a field test on the substance was negative, but more testing was planned. The FBI statement added that “even sending a hoax letter is a serious crime.”
