UPDATE: NBCWashington reports that the package has been declared safe, and pedestrian access around the White House should be opening back up soon. I know, I know — the phrase “near White House” is used by media outlets all the time to represent locations nowhere close to the White House. But this time, it’s actually warranted — D.C. Fire and EMS, the U.S. Secret Service and other authorities are currently investigating a suspicious package on the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue NW, which, we’d argue, is indeed “near” the White House.
