A lunar eclipse lights up skies across the Americas and Europe, in photos

People watch the partial lunar eclipse across the Americas and Europe. According to NASA, about 96% of the Moon will pass through Earth’s umbra, falling just short of a total lunar eclipse.

A partial lunar eclipse is seen by the purple lit steel beams of the Crescent City Connection, a pair of bridges that span the Mississippi River, in New Orleans, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

A LATAM Airlines Boeing 777 approaches for landing in Lisbon during a partial lunar eclipse, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

A partial lunar eclipse is seen beyond a television tower Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026 in Kansas City Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A partial lunar eclipse is seen through an American flag, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

The moon rises behind a coconut palm during a partial lunar eclipse in Salvador, Bahia state, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

The full moon rises beyond the city hall in downtown Kansas City, Mo., before a lunar eclipse Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Juan Carlos Sanchez adjusts his telescope as he waits for customers to offer them a chance to view the moon in exchange for a voluntary contribution during a partial lunar eclipse in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

The moon rises behind a Spider-Man statue during a partial lunar eclipse in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A lunar eclipse of the moon is seen through light clouds above the Washington Monument in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

A boy looks at the moon through a telescope during a lunar eclipse in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A partial lunar eclipse is seen in Los Angeles, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A couple embrace as the full moon rises hours before a lunar eclipse at the Santa Luzia viewpoint in Lisbon, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

The moon is seen shortly before total eclipse near to the Independence Angel monument in Mexico City, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

A partial lunar eclipse is seen above the stadium light during a pre-season NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Hector Garcia looks at the moon through a telescope and a cellphone adapted with his son during a lunar eclipse in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

An airplane flies past a partial lunar eclipse in Los Angeles, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A partial lunar eclipse is seen on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The moon sets behind the Colosseum during a partial lunar eclipse in Rome, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating letters with “suspicious substances” that have been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide and are urging recipients to treat the mailings as “potentially hazardous.”

The investigation by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police was first disclosed in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The notice, sent to Senate offices, said that law enforcement officials were working to intercept any additional letters, but “it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations.”

In Congress, the threat appeared limited to the Senate, though the House was monitoring the situation, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly. The office of Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat, said in a statement that it was sent a letter with a “suspicious substance” that was intercepted by Capitol Police. Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious piece of mail addressed to her New York City office.

An FBI statement said the bureau and the Postal Inspection Service were "investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices.”

"Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident," the statement read. "We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters."

Mailed packages containing a powdery substance led to the evacuation this week of election offices in at least two states, Louisiana and Oklahoma. The Ohio secretary of state said the Postal Service intercepted a package containing a white powder intended for its office and noted that similar mailings had been sent to election officials in multiple states. Numerous states, from Idaho to Florida, said their election offices either received letters or had them intercepted by the Postal Service.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission said in a statement that it received a letter and the white powder enclosed in it was not hazardous, according to tests. "Let this be very clear: this incident will not shake us,” Wisconsin elections administrator Meagan Wolfe said.

News of the letters comes just three weeks before Election Day and is reminiscent of a similar threat in 2023, when election offices in six states received mailings that contained a white powder. In some cases, the incidents disrupted work around local elections.

Some of those letters contained threats and traces of the powerful opioid fentanyl, leading some election offices to stock up on the overdose reversal medication naloxone.

The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement condemning what they said were threats against election staff.

“Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties,” they said in their statement.

Deputy Postal Inspector Brendan Donahue told reporters Thursday that “any threat or attack on election officials is unacceptable” and that “we are also working with our partners on identifying the individual or individuals responsible for the letters.”

Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia; and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

The U.S. Capitol is seen Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

FILE - An FBI seal is displayed on a podium before a news conference at the field office in Portland, Ore., Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)