Twelve Trumbull students were sent to the hospital Thursday morning after a crash involving a school bus, according to police.

The bus was carrying children to Middlebrooks elementary School when it was involved in a collision with a car on Churchill Road around 8:30 a.m.

There were 12 students on the bus who received minor injuries, police said. They were taken to the hospital for observation.

According to police, all other students on the bus and the driver were not injured. The driver of the car was transported to the hospital.

Trumbull's Board of Education was reaching out to the parents of the injured students to notify them of the incident.

President Donald Trump on Thursday denied a New York Times report that claimed Chinese and Russians are spying on him when he uses an unsecured cellphone, saying the story is "soooo wrong!"

Citing current and former American officials, the Times reported that Trump's aides have warned him that the calls to friends aren't secure and that the information the spies are allegedly picking up is being used to influence him and impact administration policy.

While NBC News has not verified the Times' reporting, U.S. officials tell NBC News that they have been concerned for months that Trump has been discussing sensitive information on an unsecured cell phone with informal advisers, including Sean Hannity of Fox News.

Trump said on Twitter that he only uses government-authorized cellphones or land lines and called the article incorrect.

"The New York Times has a new Fake Story that now the Russians and Chinese (glad they finally added China) are listening to all of my calls on cellphones. Except that I rarely use a cellphone, & when I do it’s government authorized. I like Hard Lines. Just more made up Fake News!" the president tweeted.

Earlier, he tweeted that the Times article is "long and boring" and "so incorrect I do not have time here to correct it. I only use Government Phones, and have only one seldom used government cell phone. Story is soooo wrong!"

Officials told the newspaper that Trump "has two official iPhones that have been altered by the National Security Agency to limit their abilities — and vulnerabilities — and a third personal phone that is no different from hundreds of millions of iPhones in use around the world."

While the devices are not completely secure, The Times reported, the calls are intercepted while traveling through international cellphone networks.

While Trump tweeted that "I rarely use a cellphone," the message was sent from an iPhone, according to social media manager Tweetdeck. One of his phones is optimized for Twitter and other apps, according to the Times report. He also dictates tweets to aides.

Apple said it is not commenting on the report, and NBC has also reached out to the Federal Communications Commission for comment.

China on Thursday denounced the report as "fake news" and suggested Trump exchange his iPhone for a cellphone made by Chinese manufacturer Huawei. 

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that the journalists behind the report in the Times "are sparing no efforts to win the Academy Award for best screenplay." 

A 2012 congressional report said Huawei's equipment was a security risk.

If the U.S. is still concerned about security, Trump could "abandon all modern communication devices and cut off contact with the outside completely," Hua said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Police are planning to discuss former vice president Joe Biden's visit to Hartford.

Biden is coming to Hartford on Friday to stump for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont and 5th District congressional candidate Jahana Hayes.

His visit will be just a day after two suspected explosive devices addressed to Biden were discovered at postal facilities in Delaware. The devices are similar to others sent to prominent Democrats across the country over the past few days.

In all, 10 suspicious devices have been found so far.

Biden's event in Hartford is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy.

In an email on Thursday, Hartford Assistant Police Chief Rafael Medina said the police department has had no threats related to the event and that they were working to ensure a safe venue.

Police were expected to speak more Thursday afternoon about security measures for the vice president's stop.

Investigators seized three more suspected package explosives -- two addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden in Delaware and one addressed to Robert De Niro in New York -- early Thursday, bringing the total number of confiscated devices sent to high-profile Democrats and others to 10 in 72 hours.

Multiple officials briefed on the investigation say there are no solid leads on a suspect as of Thursday afternoon. While there are no known devices still outstanding, they remain concerned there could be others still undiscovered.

Officials say they are looking into whether at least some of the packages were mailed from Florida. They also say the devices were poorly made and it is unclear if these were attempted hoaxes or simply a case of bad construction. 

News of the De Niro device broke first on Thursday. That one was addressed to him and had been sent to a Greenwich Street building he owns that houses offices for Tribeca Films and Tribeca Grill, law enforcement officials tell News 4. A building worker called police early Thursday because, after seeing Wednesday's news, he remembered seeing a similar package a day or so ago. The device was removed from the property and no evacuation was ordered; the building was unoccupied.

Less than two hours later, the FBI and local police swarmed a postal facility in Delaware in connection with the bombing investigation. Sources had said authorities suspected a similar device may have been addressed to Biden. Nothing was found at his house, but investigators apparently tracked it down in a New Castle postal facility, officials said. It was said to be akin to the others. About an hour later, a second package addressed to Biden was confiscated at a postal facility in Wilmington, Delaware. Details on that one weren't clear. 

The De Niro device and at least the first Biden package had the same stamps and return address (that of Florida congresswoman and ex-Democratic National Committee chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz) as others reported on Wednesday.

Two senior law enforcement officials say they are looking into whether some of the packages were mailed from Florida. They are also looking into any past incidents involving Wasserman Schultz's office and if any of those incidents could be connected to these devices. 

As of early Thursday, there have been 10 such packages. In addition to Biden and De Niro, two devices in separate packages were addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters of California; ones were also addressed to Hillary Clinton, former President Obama, ex-Attorney General Eric Holder and former CIA director John Brennan. The first in the series was a mailbox pipe bomb left at the Westchester County home of billionaire philanthropist George Soros.  

None of the devices detonated and no one has been hurt. Authorities are examining the crude explosives and warning there could be more out there. NBC News obtained an X-ray photo of one of the bombs, which shows protruding wires that appeared to be connected to a cylindrical device.

According to sources, the explosive devices were made from PVC pipe and contained a timer (likely a digital alarm clock) to set off the detonator. The powder contained in the bombs comes from pyrotechnics. X-rays show there was likely shrapnel inside the PVC pipe, law enforcement officials say.

Multiple senior bomb technicians briefed on the case said the devices had all the components necessary to set off a successful explosion, though other experts have argued they may not all have been viably constructed. Three officials briefed on the investigation said Thursday that the devices were so poorly made, it's not ultimately clear if these mailings were hoaxes or if they were just built badly. 

And that may have been on purpose. 

"There’s a theory that the bombs were not intended to explode, but were intended to intimidate," Gov. Cuomo said on CNN Thursday. "If that is the intent, then this is having the desired intent. And it could actually be fueling the group that’s doing it."

Meanwhile, investigators examining the explosive devices are working to glean forensic clues to help identify who sent them, gathering fingerprints and DNA evidence while tracking the origin of the packages and the components used. While some have made note of the fact that the devices were not postmarked, multiple officials have said this was not uncommon, and that because of the soft packaging they could not go through automated sorting machines to have their postage canceled. 

Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said on MSNBC Thursday that it's a plus the FBI has recovered so many of the package bombs. They will look into whether they were intended to function, how they were supposed to detonate and where the design came from. That could help find an online trail.

Larry Johnson, a former head of criminal investigations for the U.S. Secret Service who also served as a special agent in charge of the presidential protective detail, said it is highly likely that the person or people who built the bombs have been previously flagged by law enforcement.

If you have info that could assist the #FBI's investigation of suspicious packages, call 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324) or use http://tips.fbi.gov. 

The reaction to the devices was swift and visceral, with high-level people on both sides of the aisle, including the president, pledging Wednesday no resources would be spared in taking down whoever was responsible.

The tone became more partisan-charged over the course of the day, with some assailing the White House for its "violent political rhetoric." Upon news three more packages, including two addressed to Biden, were seized early Thursday, Brennan, who was the addressee on the CNN package, tweeted at Trump to "Look in the mirror" and "Clean up your act." 

"Stop blaming others," Brennan tweeted. "Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful." 

The president responded shortly thereafter, slamming "Fake News" as "a very big part of the Anger we see today in our society." 

"Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST," Trump added.

UPDATE: Hunt for Mail Bomber, Motive Leads Investigators to Florida

A nationwide manhunt is underway for the culprit or culprits responsible for targeting critics of President Donald Trump with crudely made mail bombs -- some of which investigators say were so flawed were incapable of detonating.

As of Thursday evening -- several days after the first device was found at the New York home of billionaire George Soros -- there were still no leads on a suspect in the case. It also remains unclear if their builder intended for them to actually explode or were part of some politically motivated hoax. 

Hours after authorities found devices addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and one to actor Robert De Niro Thursday, investigators revealed the devices examined so far were poorly made.

There are no solid leads on a potential suspect or suspect at this point, multiple officials briefed on the investigation said Thursday afternoon. And it's unclear whether the plotter intended for the bombs to actually explode, or if they were sent as part of a menacing political hoax.

So far, there have been 10 packages discovered, none of which have been detonated. Three -- two addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden in Delaware and one addressed to Robert De Niro at a building he owns in Manhattan -- were discovered in a flurry of frenzied hours before 10 a.m. Thursday.

Officials said a retired NYPD detective watching the news Thursday morning who alerted them to a device mailed to De Niro. He recognized the suspicious packages on the broadcast as similar to one he had screened earlier in the week.

The others came in the prior 72 hours: two were addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters of California; ones were also addressed to Hillary Clinton, former President Obama, ex-Attorney General Eric Holder and former CIA Director John Brennan. The first was left at Soros' home in Westchester County on Monday.

According to sources, the explosive devices were made from PVC pipe and contained a timer (likely a digital alarm clock) to set off the detonator. The powder contained in the bombs comes from pyrotechnics. X-rays show there was likely shrapnel inside the PVC pipe, law enforcement officials say.

Officials in several states have described the devices as live explosives, and a number of senior bomb technicians briefed on the probes said they all had the needed components to detonate successfully.

"As far as a hoax device, we're not treating it that way," said Police Commissioner James O'Neill.

Authorities are looking into whether at least some of the packages were mailed from a facility in Opa-Locka, Florida, a small city north of downtown Miami. It's possible all the package went through that facility, but it's too early to tell.

Officials didn't elaborate on the reasoning, but the return address listed on each one was the Florida office of congresswoman and ex-Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Investigators are looking into any past incidents involving her office to determine if there could be any connections to the current probe, but have said there is no suggestion she had involvement.

Investigators are working to glean forensic clues to help identify who sent them, gathering fingerprints and DNA evidence while tracking the origin of the packages and the components used. While some have made note of the fact that the devices were not postmarked, multiple officials have said this was not uncommon, and that because of the soft packaging they could not go through automated sorting machines to have their postage canceled.

Larry Johnson, a former head of criminal investigations for the U.S. Secret Service who also served as a special agent in charge of the presidential protective detail, said it is highly likely that the person or people who built the bombs have been previously flagged by law enforcement.

At a joint NYPD/FBI briefing in New York Thursday afternoon, Mayor Bill de Blasio urged people to come forward with any information on suspicious packages.

In a sign of proof of the heightened alertness in the wake of the plot, the Time Warner Center was evacuated for a second time in as many days after someone saw unattended toys in the building's shopping center. The building -- which houses CNN -- was given the all-clear within an hour. 

FBI New York assistant director William Sweeney said initial analysis of powder found in packages in New York found it posed no biological threat. But investigators cautioned that the analysis is far from complete, and they say anyone who encounters one of the parcels should treat them as dangerous. Officials said they were treating the items as "potential explosive devices."

The latest development could lend credence to a theory New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo mentioned in a Thursday interview with CNN, where one of the devices was sent. 

"There’s a theory that the bombs were not intended to explode, but were intended to intimidate," Cuomo said. "If that is the intent, then this is having the desired intent. And it could actually be fueling the group that’s doing it." 

Investigators familiar with such probes caution against a rush to judgment on any theoretical motive, suspect or group of suspects. 

“There's an old saying with investigations, and that’s 'assumptions are your enemy,'" said Michael Clark, a retired FBI special agent who now teaches criminal justice at the University of New Haven.

If you have info that could assist the #FBI's investigation of suspicious packages, call 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324) or use http://tips.fbi.gov. 

NBC Connecticut is proud to be connecting you to a free breast cancer screening event.

Dozens of women received free mammograms at four different locations including St. Francis Hospital’s Comprehensive Women’s Health Center in Hartford. Radiologist, Dr. Michael Biondi, says the screening process is simple.

"Don’t be scared," he said. "A lot of women have a lot of animosity to come again. It looks like a scary machine. It gets done very quickly. The exam is less than 20 minutes and we’ll get you your results right away."

This is the seventh year Saint Francis Hospital has hosted its Pink Link event. The goal is to reach uninsured or underinsured women.

"They are medically underserved. They have no insurance. They have no resources," said registered nurse, Renee Richard. "They don’t know where to go or who to turn to so we open our doors."

They provide same-day results.

"The wait is the worst part. The mammogram is not," said coordinator Nicole Perez. "So leaving with your results, and leaving with that since of reassurance and sense of security means the world to the patients."

Each year doctors here said they usually detect cancer in some of the patients who come in for the mammogram event. They recommend that women get yearly mammograms beginning at age 40, and if the women have cancer in their families to get them even sooner.

"If we catch cancer earlier your chances of doing better are just so much greater just drove all cancer, but particularly breast cancer," Dr. Biondi said.

Connecticut State Police have arrested a Salisbury man accused of placing cameras inside a woman’s home without her knowledge.

The suspect, 57-year-old Christopher Pelgrift, of Salisbury, was charged with burglary, stalking, breach of peace and voyeurism.

Police said Pelgift entered a Salisbury home through an unlocked back door and installed the devices in several rooms around the home. Pelgrift inadvertently captured images of himself installing the cameras, according to police.

Pelgrift and the victim knew each other, police said.

Pelgrift was arrested Wednesday. He was released on a $75,000 bond and is next due in court on Nov. 8, 2018.

A body believed to be a missing boater from Connecticut has been pulled from Lake Champlain in Vermont, authorities said Thursday.

Vermont State Police and the US Coast Guard have been searching for 67-year-old George Ruhe, who was reported missing Wednesday. Ruhe splits his time between Wethersfield and Vermont.

Ruhe was reportedly winterizing his boat over the weekend off the shore of Charlotte, Vt., near Burlington, but hadn't been seen since.

Crews from the Vermont State Police and the US Coast Guard scanned the lake Thursday by water and air. Crews recovered a body near a sailboat moored at Point Bay Marina in Charlotte around 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Police believe the body is Ruhe, but the Chief Medical Examiner' s office will perform an autopsy to confirm.

A Massachusetts man is accused of trying to convince an 11-year-old Wilton girl to send him child porn.

Police said 56-year-old Mark Crowley contacted the victim online and began to “groom” the child in an attempt to get her to send him child pornography. Investigators seized electronic evidence in this case, police said.

Crowley was arrested in Massachusetts earlier this month and extradited to Connecticut on Thursday. He is charged with risk of injury to a minor and enticement of a minor. He was held on a $200,000 and is due in court Friday.

A Quinnipiac University graduate student is having a front row seat to one of the Boston Red Sox most successful seasons ever.

“We want people walking away saying, hey we had a great day at Fenway not just having a great day watching the Sox,” said Paul Caraccilo, who is studying public relations.

Since June, Caracciolo has been working part-time at the oldest ballpark in America.

“My role is in the Fan Youth Engagement department,” he said, “which is a sub-sect of the marketing department.”

After watching the Red Sox clinch a third straight American League East title, Caracciolo now has experience working during a playoff run and the first two games of a World Series.

“When you start off the season so hot like they did and things like that they were talking about deep postseason run around July and that’s something infectious, like the pessimistic side of me was like I don’t want to get my hopes up,” Caracciolo said, “but you start to believe a little bit when people are that confident in the team.”

Following one of the team’s record 108 regular season wins, Caracciolo crossed paths with the first year manager that has the Red Sox two wins away from beating the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“We’re kind of bringing all the stuff back to the office and we’re walking past the parking garage, Alex Cora’s kind of pulling out,” he said. “We’re like sorry, he goes, oh no problem, we had one person kind of struggling he jumped out helped us carry one of the corn hole things over a little bit, great guy.”

Caraciollo grew up in Pennsylvania a Philadelphia Phillies fan and he says his dream has always been to work for a team that wins a championship.

“This team is going hold a special part in my heart for the rest of my life,” he said of the Red Sox.

Zola-Quao thought it was going to be a routine laser hair removal treatment, but says she was severely burned during the procedure at the Danielle Marie Day spa in Stratford.

“It was painful. It was more painful than anything,” Quao said.

NBC Connecticut obtained exclusive pictures of her injuries.

The 26-year-old told us she bought a $99 Groupon for three laser hair removal treatments at the salon in the summer of 2017. The Better Business Bureau said 10 customers filed complaints about the salon when they weren’t able to schedule an appointment for their pre-paid laser hair removal services.

But Quao did receive her service.

“I was excited to get laser hair removal,” said Quao.

She wishes she didn’t. She said it was the first time ever undergoing the procedure and she had no idea what to expect until she arrived home and noticed a significant change in her skin.

“I just didn’t realize how extensively I had been burned until the blisters started and the skin started peeling off,” Quao said.

Quao admitted she signed the consent form which outlined the possible risks of getting laser hair removal. She said she contacted the owner, Danielle Donfrancesco, about her burns.

“She was apologetic and she started offering all of these other things, like a facial or what have you,” said Quao.

NBC Connecticut spoke with Donfrancesco over the phone who told us that, “She warned Zola that the laser hair removal machine was not recommended for darker skin tones because it has a lot more pigmentation that can cause burns.”

Donfrancesco said she recommended that Zola see a dermatologist due the severity of the burns.

Donfrancesco also added, “I was not licensed with the Health department in the town Stratford while offering her services”… And that “the town Health department shut down her business when they discovered she didn’t have a salon beauty license.”

Quao said she did see a dermatologist and ended up getting cosmetic surgery to restore her skin. She’s now offering advice to others who are thinking about laser hair removal treatments.

“Do a lot of research on who this person is that’s giving your treatment and what kind of training they actually have,” said Quao.

Groupon said they’ve issued Zola a full refund of $99 and had already stopped allowing this merchant to advertise through their platform. And the BBB has revoked its accreditation of Danielle Marie Day Spa, giving the business and F-rating.

Town health officials said the spa has since hired a licensed medical director to provide that service which is required by the State of Connecticut.

The West Haven High School community is mourning the loss of their leader.

The school’s principal, Pam Gardner, passed away from a rare form of cancer. She was 49.

Members of the community tell NBC Connecticut that Gardner was a person who, no matter what, always had her students at West Haven high in the forefront of her mind.

One by one Thursday night, West Haven high students laid flowers in tribute to Gardner, the woman who to them, was much more than just their high school principal.

“She knew how to make you smile and make you laugh and make you feel like you were welcome no matter what,” said senior Jonathan Saier.

Gardner had been principal at West Haven High for nine years, following work in Groton, Old Saybrook and Guilford, all places where she was named teacher of the year. Fitting honors, according to her colleagues.

"She had that mother instinct, where you could go to her. I know the kids could, the teachers could," said Jonathan Capone, coordinator for Physical Education & Athletics for the City of West Haven.

For more than a year, Gardner had battled a cancer that led to stomach tumors. Despite her illness, she was at West Haven High School to welcome students to the new school year. Gardener’s assistant principal says she was always a bright light at this school… and a consummate leader.

"She just always knew the right thing to do. She was always that person that knew the right thing to say, the right thing to do. I aspired to be just like her and I think that’s the best thing I could have done because she was just loved by everyone," she said.

West Haven’s football game Friday night has been canceled in observance of Gardener’s passing.

She leaves behind a husband and two children.

Reality TV star and former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner penned an op-ed for The Washington Post in which she renounced her endorsement and support for President Donald Trump.

"Sadly, I was wrong," Jenner wrote in the mea culpa, which was published Thursday afternoon. "The reality is that the trans community is being relentlessly attacked by this president."

Jenner had been a rare transgender supporter of the president and the Republican Party, and her politics earned her the ire of many LGBTQ advocates, who widely view the president's policies as harmful, NBC News reported.

The State of Connecticut may have money for you and you don't even know it.

Nearly 53,000 new names have been added to the state's list of unclaimed property, according to State Treasurer Denise Nappier.

"We have millions of dollars waiting to be returned to owners," Nappier said in a release.

The CTBigList, as it's called, was created to alert people who have unclaimed funds that for one reason or another have been turned over to the state.

CLICK HERE TO SEE IF YOU'RE ON THE LIST

In all, there are 1.6 million names of people or entities that have unclaimed property coming to them. There is a total of $888 million in unclaimed property, according to Nappier.

While some of the amounts are small, others have significantly valued property awaiting them.

Below is a look at some of the value ranges of property and the number of names that have property worth that amounts on the list: 

• $50-$100: 24,901 names
• $100-$500: 21,199 names
• $500-$1,000: 3,130 names
• $1,000 -$5,000: 3,261 names
• More than $5,000: 503 names

The Trump administration is drafting an executive action that would make it exceedingly difficult for Central American migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border to gain entry, three sources familiar with the proposed measures told NBC News. 

The exact details have not yet been finalized, the sources said. The news comes as President Donald Trump and national security adviser John Bolton have grown increasingly frustrated with the rising number of undocumented immigrants crossing the southern border and the Honduran migrant caravan currently making its way to the U.S.

"The administration is considering a wide range of administrative, legal and legislative options to address the Democrat-created crisis of mass illegal immigration," a White House official said. "No decisions have been made at this time. Nor will we forecast to smugglers or caravans what precise strategies will be employed."

One piece of the action under consideration would use an authority similar to that invoked by the travel ban to block entry to unauthorized immigrants who are not yet in the U.S., said the three sources. However, if these immigrants cross the U.S.-Mexico border and claim asylum, they would have the ability to apply for asylum.

Other, more extreme measures under consideration include not allowing immigrants who are apprehended between ports of entry to claim asylum, said the senior administration official.

A nationwide search is underway for the culprit or culprits responsible for targeting critics of President Donald Trump with crudely made mail bombs and investigators now say some, if not all, of the packages were mailed from the South Florida region. 

Officials added that although they have honed in on the Sunshine State, they do not have a specific suspect or motive just yet. They are looking for ongoing forensic work or tips from the public to help them catch a break in the bizarre case quickly. 

The NYPD swarmed a mall at the Time Warner Center Thursday after unattended toys sparked a suspicious package scare, just a day after the Columbus Circle office that houses CNN was evacuated. It was deemed a false alarm; however, authorities at the same time flocked a mail facility north of Miami to search for clues they say was the real deal. 

The FBI said they think that regional post office processing center is where the pipe bombs first passed through, meaning some if not all of the 10 bombs were mailed from that area to top Democrats and others in New York, Washington, Delaware and Los Angeles. 

It's small break in the four-day case. As of Thursday evening -- several days after the first device was found at the New York home of billionaire George Soros -- there were still no leads on a suspect in the case. It also remains unclear if their builder intended for them to actually explode or were part of some politically motivated hoax.  

Hours after authorities found devices addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and one to actor Robert De Niro Thursday, investigators revealed the devices examined so far were poorly made.

So far, there have been 10 packages discovered, none of which have been detonated. Three -- two addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden in Delaware and one addressed to Robert De Niro at a building he owns in Manhattan -- were discovered in a flurry of frenzied hours before 10 a.m. Thursday.

Officials said a retired NYPD detective watching the news Thursday morning alerted them to a device mailed to De Niro. He recognized the suspicious packages on the broadcast as similar to one he had screened earlier in the week.

The others came in the prior 72 hours: two were addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters of California; others were also addressed to Hillary Clinton, former President Obama, ex-Attorney General Eric Holder and former CIA Director John Brennan. The first was left at Soros' home in Westchester County on Monday.

According to sources, the explosive devices were made from PVC pipe and contained a timer (likely a digital alarm clock) to set off the detonator. The powder contained in the bombs comes from pyrotechnics. X-rays show there was likely shrapnel inside the PVC pipe, law enforcement officials say.

Officials in several states have described the devices as live explosives, and a number of senior bomb technicians briefed on the probes said they all had the needed components to detonate successfully.

"As far as a hoax device, we're not treating it that way," said Police Commissioner James O'Neill.

Officials didn't elaborate on the reasoning, but the return address listed on each one was the Florida office of ex-Democratic National Committee chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Investigators are looking into any past incidents involving her office to determine if there could be any connections to the current probe, but have said there is no suggestion she had involvement.

Investigators are working to glean forensic clues to help identify who sent them, gathering fingerprints and DNA evidence while tracking the origin of the packages and the components used. While some have made note of the fact that the devices were not postmarked, multiple officials have said this was not uncommon, and that because of the soft packaging they could not go through automated sorting machines to have their postage canceled.

Larry Johnson, a former head of criminal investigations for the U.S. Secret Service who also served as a special agent in charge of the presidential protective detail, said it is highly likely the person or people who built the bombs have been previously flagged by law enforcement.

At a joint NYPD/FBI briefing in New York Thursday afternoon, Mayor Bill de Blasio urged people to come forward with any information on suspicious packages.

FBI New York assistant director William Sweeney said initial analysis of powder found in packages in New York found it posed no biological threat. But investigators cautioned that the analysis is far from complete, and they say anyone who encounters one of the parcels should treat them as dangerous. Officials said they were treating the items as "potential explosive devices."

The latest development could lend credence to a theory New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo mentioned in a Thursday interview with CNN, where one of the devices was sent. 

"There’s a theory that the bombs were not intended to explode, but were intended to intimidate," Cuomo said. "If that is the intent, then this is having the desired intent. And it could actually be fueling the group that’s doing it." 

Investigators familiar with such probes caution against a rush to judgment on any theoretical motive, suspect or group of suspects.

If you have info that could assist the #FBI's investigation of suspicious packages, call 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324) or use http://tips.fbi.gov. 

A crash closed Route 66 in Columbia on Friday morning.

The accident happened between Route 87 and Pine Street, according to state police.

A utility pole was knocked down and the road was expected to be closed for several hours, state police said.

They are urging drivers to avoid the area.

This series examines several battleground races in the fight for control of the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm elections.

Carried by grassroots momentum, Democrats must take 23 seats from Republicans to win the balance of power. They are contending with Republicans' experience and organization, and an outspoken but polarizing president.

NBC Owned Television Stations is taking a look at some of the most closely fought races across the country to see what issues matter most to voters and how the national headwinds are affecting the candidates. Those district profiles can be found below, with more coming as Election Day nears.

We also asked viewers why they are or aren’t inspired to vote in the midterms and compiled hundreds of replies for an interactive display. 

Freshman's Test: How to Keep This Moderate Philadelphia Suburb Republican

Dem Seizes on Rohrabacher’s Russia-Friendly Views in SoCal

National Issues Loom Large in Key House Race Near DC

Health Care Vote a Pre-Existing Condition for Illinois GOP Congressman

A Wolcott homeowner shot at a bear that was attacking his goats early Friday morning, according to Wolcott police.

The Catering Road homeowner called police just after 1 a.m. to report that he fired his shotgun at a bear.

The man's wife woke him up after hearing a commotion coming from the couple's goat pen. According to police, the homeowner ran outside and saw a bear attacking his goats.

He fired in the direction of the bear and the bear ran off into the woods, the man told police. He said he was not sure if he actually shot the bear, police said.

A goat sustained an injury but survived the attack.

Two more suspected mail explosives were discovered in New York City and in Florida early Friday, one addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and one to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, law enforcement sources and officials familiar with the investigation tell News 4 and NBC News.

The two parcels seized Friday bring the total number of suspected mail bombs to 12. The midtown situation is very much developing, with the NYPD shutting down West 52nd and West 51st streets between Eighth and Ninth avenues to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. People are urged to avoid the area. 

Both parcels are described as similar to the other 10, which were all in manila packaging with multiple stamps and listed the same return address in Florida.

The device intercepted in Florida Friday morning was addressed to the Camden, New Jersey, office of Booker, another high-profile Democrat. It was located at a mail sorting facility in Royal Palm Beach. 

Friday's developments come as authorities narrow their focus to south Florida; the FBI said Thursday they think the regional post office processing center is where the pipe bombs first passed through, meaning some if not all of the bombs were mailed from that area to top Democrats and others in New York, Washington, Delaware and Los Angeles.

None of the bombs have detonated, no injuries have been reported and authorities said Thursday it appeared some of the devices were flawed and incapable of exploding, though it wasn't clear if they were purposefully structured that way or it was just bad construction. 

Three of the packages -- two addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden in Delaware and one addressed to Robert De Niro at a building he owns in Manhattan -- were discovered in a flurry of frenzied hours Thursday. 

The others came in the prior 72 hours: two were addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters of California; others were also addressed to Hillary Clinton, former President Obama, ex-Attorney General Eric Holder and former CIA Director John Brennan. The first was left at Soros' home in Westchester County on Monday. 

According to sources, the explosive devices were made from PVC pipe and contained a timer (likely a digital alarm clock) to set off the detonator. The powder contained in the bombs comes from pyrotechnics. X-rays show there was likely shrapnel inside the PVC pipe, law enforcement officials say.

The return address listed on each one was the Florida office of ex-Democratic National Committee chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Investigators are looking into any past incidents involving her office to determine if there could be any connections to the current probe, but have said there is no suggestion she had involvement.