White House communications director Hope Hicks said she will resign from her position in the coming weeks. The announcement came a day after Hicks spoke before the House Intelligence Committee on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Hicks admitted to the committee that she would occasionally tell “white lies” for the president.

Authorities in Atlantic County, NJ are raising safety warnings about hoverboards after one caught fire inside of a trash truck on Tuesday causing a full-scale emergency response.

Two sanitation workers completing their rounds along Vardon Road in Brigantine began smelling smoke from the back of their truck around 11:30 a.m. Both employees leaped from the truck, noticed smoke coming from the rear, and began trying to put out the fire with extinguishers aboard the vehicle.

The workers also contacted 9-1-1 which dispatched Fire and Emergency Medical Crews from the Brigantine Fire Department who arrived within minutes and safely put out the flames. After sorting through the materials in the truck, a scorched red hoverboard was found and determined to be the cause of the fire.

Officials from the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) are thankful that no one was injured in the incident, but are taking the opportunity to remind residents of what should and what should not be placed in the household trash.

“People don’t realize that there are a lot of items that they should not dispose of in household trash that could be dangerous to workers and the community,” said Sarah Verillo with ACUA. “Please make sure to check if your items are considered special waste before throwing it in your household trash.”

A full list of prohibited items, including lithium-ion batteries is available on ACUA’s website.

An Atlantic City mother is doing her part to fight back against the crime and drugs that surround her.

Mary Stockton lives in an apartment building on Iowa and Atlantic avenues, across the street from Atlantic City’s police headquarters. Stockton told NBC10 she constantly lives in fear due to drug users and drug dealers in her building.

“I’ve got the fatigue in my eyes,” Stockton said. “Bloodshot eyes from staying awake all hours.”

Stockton regularly records on video the crime and chaos inside her building and reports it to police.

“You could say that I’m the most hated person in the building because I’m taking a stand,” Stockton said.

Stockton says a man pulled a gun on her Tuesday afternoon after she confronted a group in the third floor hallway right before her 16-year-old daughter came home from school.

“It was very scary,” she said.

Police responded to the scene. Then, two hours later, gunshots were fired on the same floor of the building. Police didn’t find anyone injured but they did arrest two men and a teenage boy in an apartment.

“They located a loaded handgun and also 100 bags of heroin,” said Atlantic City Police Sergeant Kevin Fair.

Police say their investigation led detectives to a motel a few blocks away from the apartment building. When they arrived they arrested two more men and seized cocaine as well as more than 2,000 bags of heroin.

“To be able to take off that handgun and be able to take off that much heroin off the street, that’s a good day for the police department and the city and the residents,” Sergeant Fair said.

It’s also a relief to Stockton, for now. She told NBC10 she’ll continue to put her life on the line to make her building safer.

Watch George Spencer's report TONIGHT on NBC10 News at 11

A woman who investigators say was groped and forcibly kissed by a Chester police officer is speaking out as questions arise regarding why the officer had the job despite his history of alleged sexual misconduct.

Carla Kirksey was in tears while speaking to NBC10 about Chester police officer Albert Dion Ross.

"I'm not crying because I'm scared," Kirksey said. "I'm crying because I'm mad. Because he took advantage of the situation."

Kirksey said she first saw Officer Ross in August of 2015 when they rode an elevator together in the city building that houses the Chester Police Department. While in the elevator, Ross allegedly groped and forcibly kissed her.

"Instantly, pulled my boob out," Kirksey said. "And kissed it and sucked it. And come up from here and kissed my mouth! And I'm just shocked. I'm stunned. Nobody ever expects that to happen."

Kirksey is one of four women who are now set to testify against Ross who investigators say has a history of sexual misconduct. During one incident, he allegedly told a woman to show him her breasts after responding to a call at her home. Detectives also say Ross was dismissed from a job as a corrections officer for sexually harassing a subordinate and was also accused of forcibly kissing another woman when he was employed by the Chester Housing Authority Police Department.

All of Ross' accusers say he assaulted them while on the job for the city of Chester. Late last summer, NBC10 received a tip alleging that Chester's city council knew about the earlier concerns surrounding Ross but chose to look the other way.

Former Chester Police Commissioner Joseph Bail was in Ross' job interview with the Chester City Council. He told NBC10 Ross admitted to the sexual harassment incident as well as the incident at the Chester Housing Authority. Bail believes the interview process should have stopped there.

"You don't do this," Bail said. "If you know they have this prior problem, you don't do it."

Bail and former Chester Mayor John Linder insist Ross had an influential leader on his side, Councilwoman Portia West. According to Linder, Councilwoman West helped Ross get the job and was an advocate for him even while knowing his history.

"Oh she actually said that she was a friend of his mother's and he was a really good boy," Bail said.

Bail and Linder say they were so concerned about Ross' history that they tried to contain him. According to records from state police, on two separate occasions, six months apart, both men refused to sign Ross' state credentials letter. Without the credential, Ross wasn't allowed to patrol on the streets.

After Linder and Bail left their leadership roles however, Ross was made a full officer. He was arrested on charges of assault and official oppression only a year and a half later.

"We told them more than once," Linder said. "And we drew the ire of the entire council because we told them that this guy was bad news."

For several weeks, NBC10 tried to ask Councilwoman West about why Ross was hired but never received a response. West also didn't comment at the end of a council meeting NBC10 attended. 

A spokesperson for Councilwoman West said the city solicitor had told employees, including council members, not to speak about the topic because of the pending litigation. While Kirksey doesn't have the answers she wants, she's eager for her day in court.

"I'm just sick by it," Kirksey said. "And it sucks. It sucks that they gave him this position and a badge to go around and do what he did!"

In January, a magistrate judge ruled that there is sufficient evidence for the case against Ross to move forward. His first pre-trial conference is set for Monday.

Three Philadelphia High Schools joined the “We Count Too” movement and held rallies this morning in an effort to take a stand against gun violence. Philadelphia Senator Anthony Williams spoke at Bartram High School about having tougher gun laws.

Paramedics are becoming patients with first responders sometimes attacked by the same people they're trying to help. We take a look at the dangers.

Walmart announced their raising the minimum age to buy guns to 21. Dick's Sporting Goods also announced they're doing the same and also will stop selling assault-style rifles. We take a look at the changes and the effect they'll have on local gun shops.

NBC10 made a dream come true for a woman who's been searching her entire life for the mother she never knew. The woman reached out to us after she learned NBC10 interviewed her mother decades ago. Check out the heartwarming moment more than 30 years in the making.

A woman who investigators say was groped and forcibly kissed by a Chester police officer is speaking out as questions arise regarding why the officer had the job despite his history of alleged sexual misconduct.

Carla Kirksey was in tears while speaking to NBC10 about Chester police officer Albert Dion Ross.

"I'm not crying because I'm scared," Kirksey said. "I'm crying because I'm mad. Because he took advantage of the situation."

Kirksey said she first saw Officer Ross in August of 2015 when they rode an elevator together in the city building that houses the Chester Police Department. While in the elevator, Ross allegedly groped and forcibly kissed her.

"Instantly, pulled my boob out," Kirksey said. "And kissed it and sucked it. And come up from here and kissed my mouth! And I'm just shocked. I'm stunned. Nobody ever expects that to happen."

Kirksey is one of four women who are now set to testify against Ross who investigators say has a history of sexual misconduct. During one incident, he allegedly told a woman to show him her breasts after responding to a call at her home. Detectives also say Ross was dismissed from a job as a corrections officer for sexually harassing a subordinate and was also accused of forcibly kissing another woman when he was employed by the Chester Housing Authority Police Department.

All of Ross' accusers say he assaulted them while on the job for the city of Chester. Late last summer, NBC10 received a tip alleging that Chester's city council knew about the earlier concerns surrounding Ross but chose to look the other way.

Former Chester Police Commissioner Joseph Bail was in Ross' job interview with the Chester City Council. He told NBC10 Ross admitted to the sexual harassment incident as well as the incident at the Chester Housing Authority. Bail believes the interview process should have stopped there.

"You don't do this," Bail said. "If you know they have this prior problem, you don't do it."

Bail and former Chester Mayor John Linder insist Ross had an influential leader on his side, Councilwoman Portia West. According to Linder, Councilwoman West helped Ross get the job and was an advocate for him even while knowing his history.

"Oh she actually said that she was a friend of his mother's and he was a really good boy," Bail said.

Bail and Linder say they were so concerned about Ross' history that they tried to contain him. According to records from state police, on two separate occasions, six months apart, both men refused to sign Ross' state credentials letter. Without the credential, Ross wasn't allowed to patrol on the streets.

After Linder and Bail left their leadership roles however, Ross was made a full officer. He was arrested on charges of assault and official oppression only a year and a half later.

"We told them more than once," Linder said. "And we drew the ire of the entire council because we told them that this guy was bad news."

For several weeks, NBC10 tried to ask Councilwoman West about why Ross was hired but never received a response. West also didn't comment at the end of a council meeting NBC10 attended. 

A spokesperson for Councilwoman West said the city solicitor had told employees, including council members, not to speak about the topic because of the pending litigation. While Kirksey doesn't have the answers she wants, she's eager for her day in court.

"I'm just sick by it," Kirksey said. "And it sucks. It sucks that they gave him this position and a badge to go around and do what he did!"

In January, a magistrate judge ruled that there is sufficient evidence for the case against Ross to move forward. His first pre-trial conference is set for Monday.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney will ask city council to pass a 6-percent increase in property taxes to help erase a nearly $1 billion chronic budget deficit plaguing the city's public schools.

Kenney will make the ask during his annual budget address to city council on Thursday morning. He also wants to halt a planned step-down reduction in the Wage Tax.

The city formally takes back control of the School District of Philadelphia from the state-run School Reform Commission, which is dissolving in July. The SRC has run the district for more than 16 years.

Philadelphia public schools have faced draconian funding cuts in recent years that included the closure and merger of schools, staffing cuts, and a lack of supplies. The city will inherit a district that serves more than 134,000 children and is operating with a $900 million budget deficit.

The School District of Philadelphia is by far the largest district in the commonwealth and the eighth-largest in the country, but has historically been one of the most underfunded.

If approved, the plan would eliminate the school district's deficit by 2024. A spokesperson for the mayor's office said the city wants to insulate the district from any state education funding cuts.

So how much will homeowners have to pay under the new proposal? Kenney's office says a homeowner whose property is valued at $113,000 — the average in Philly — would likely see their property tax bill increase by $95 in 2019.

Kenney is not afraid of putting higher taxes in place to fund education. Funds from Kenney's soda tax, which went into effect in 2017, are directed to universal Pre-K programs across the city.

Property taxes in Philadelphia were last increased in 2015 when Kenney was a member of city council. Former Mayor Michael Nutter called for a 9-percent property tax hike to fund Philly schools, but council eventually settled on a 4.5-percent hike. Two years before that, the city underwent a major property reassessment.

The backlash against Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf for alerting undocumented immigrants against potential ICE raids in her city over the weekend isn’t going away. Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan issued a stern statement on Tuesday, decrying Schaaf’s actions, going as far as to say that she might have put the lives of federal agents in danger. On Wednesday morning, Homan went on Fox and Friends to say that what Schaaf did was “no better than a gang lookout.”

Calling the mayor’s warning “reckless,” Homan told the show’s hosts that ICE was unable to locate 800 undocumented criminals because of it.

"What she did is no better than a gang lookout yelling 'police' when a police cruiser comes in the neighborhood, except she did it to an entire community. This is beyond the pale," he said.

Schaaf, who has received death threats and is being accused of protecting people with criminal records, once again defended her actions at a news conference Wednesday, stressing that she’s confident what she did was the right thing.

“When I made my decision, the type of person I was thinking about was Melin Sanchez,” the 21-year-old daughter of Oakland nurse Maria Mendoza-Sanchez, and her husband Eusebio, whose battle to legally remain with their children in the United States ended with the couple's deportation.

Sanchez, who served as a nurse at Highland Hospital providing care to cancer and heart patients, spent 15 years trying to get U.S. legal status, but was unsuccessful.

“They committed not a single crime and they were deported by this administration,” Schaaf told reporters. “Melin asked me weeping, ‘Why did the government need to take her parents away from her.’"

ICE said that about half of the 150 individuals arrested had criminal convictions in addition to immigration violations, including convictions for assault/battery, crimes against children, weapons charges and DUI.

The arrests have sparked fear in immigrant neighborhoods and kept people at home for fear of being arrested, according to local business leaders. The ICE arrests come amid a nationwide debate over whether local jurisdictions that call themselves “sanctuary cities” must cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

“Sanctuary jurisdictions like San Francisco and Oakland shield dangerous criminal aliens from federal law enforcement at the expense of public safety,” Homan said in a statement. "Because these jurisdictions prevent ICE from arresting criminal aliens in the secure confines of a jail, they also force ICE officers to make more arrests out in the community, which poses increased risks for law enforcement and the public."

He added that "ICE does not conduct sweeps or raids that target aliens indiscriminately, and the agency prioritizes public and national security threats, immigration fugitives and illegal reentrants.”

Schaaf said she took fighting crime extremely seriously, saying that even in a sanctuary state like California, procedures were in place for deporting dangerous criminals. ICE is trying to distract people from their racist messages by spreading fear, she said.

Schaaf characterized ICE’s actions as political retaliation.

“I hope we take this moment to recognize that we have to fight against the racist myth that the Trump administration is trying to perpetuate – that immigrants are dangerous criminals. There is nothing further from the truth,” Schaff said. “The Trump administration and ICE has already stated that they are targeting California and targeting sanctuary cities like Oakland because of our political stand – political retaliation should not be tolerated in a Democratic America.”

As for whether she had broken any laws, Schaaf, herself a lawyer, said she had sought “informal legal advice” to ensure what she was doing was legal and justified.

The Justice Department said they are looking into whether Mayor Libby Schaaf obstructed justice.

“I’m doing my job as the mayor of Oakland, a community which is one-third immigrant,” she said. “Just as I am being criticized, I’m also being thanked – thanked for standing up for the residents of my city. Thanked for standing up for our most vulnerable residents that don’t have a voice – this is their city that believes in keeping families safe and keeping families together.”

When asked to comment about the controversy by reporters, Schaaf described it as “really sad.”

“Our country has become so decisive, so polarized and so hateful and vitriol, and I’m trying in this moment to be calm and thoughtful.”

Homan said assault on ICE agents were up over 50 percent this year. “This is a whole new norm, to intentionally warn criminals that law enforcement is coming. I just can’t believe it’s happening … she put law enforcement officials at risk … Our officers are putting their lives on the line every day to defend this country and to defend their community. And when politicians choose to take care of their political ambitions and make political statements on the backs of law enforcement it makes our jobs more difficult.”

He added: “We are not going away. We are going to keep enforcing the law.”

I do not regret sharing this information. It is Oakland’s legal right to be a sanctuary city and we have not broken any laws. We believe our community is safer when families stay together. pic.twitter.com/ng13yq431L

— Libby Schaaf (@LibbySchaaf) February 28, 2018

Here are the top news stories you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.

TODAY'S TOP STORY 

Husband Shoots Wife, Self in Deadly Standoff: A standoff rocked a New Jersey neighborhood overnight leaving a former corrections department employee dead and his wife wounded. Police responded to Roosevelt Avenue in Edgewater Park just after 1 a.m. Wednesday. Officers found Michelle Moses-Martin, 46, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to her chest outside of her home, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said. She was rushed to Cooper University Hospital where she was listed in critical but stable condition. Gregory Martin, 57, briefly appeared on the front porch before going back inside, prosecutors said. SWAT surrounded the home for about two hours in the suburban neighborhood. The standoff ended when state police entered the home around 3 a.m. and found Martin, a former employee of the New Jersey Department of Corrections and current crossing guard employed by the township, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, prosecutors said. It is believed that Martin killed himself shortly after reentering his home, prosecutors said.

• MORE ON THE STANDOFF
  

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Pa. Lawmaker of Accused Threatening, Assaulting Ex-Girlfriends: A complaint filed with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives alleges a suburban Philadelphia legislator threatened to kill one woman and forced another to have sex after they broke up. The lawyer for the two women Wednesday confirmed details about the joint complaint against Republican Rep. Nick Miccarelli, which were first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Caucus newspaper. The newspapers say the women are a state official and a political consultant who both dated Miccarelli a few years ago. The 35-year-old Miccarelli said in a Facebook post he denies the allegations. The state official says Miccarelli brandished a gun and threatened to kill her while driving over 100 mph and was also physically abusive. The consultant alleges Miccarelli forced her to have sex after their relationship ended. The women did not file complaints with police. But House GOP leaders say law enforcement is now involved.

• MORE ON THE ACCUSATIONS
  

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

Thursday morning is expected to be dry but by the evening commute heavy showers are expected to begin and last through Friday morning. Damaging winds are expected to follow the rain on Friday. The winds are expected to continue for Saturday with temperatures in the 40s. By Sunday the winds settle and the sun is expected to return. Monday and Tuesday are expected to be sunny with temperatures in the high 40s. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

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Hoverboard Causes Trash Truck Fire: Authorities in Atlantic County, NJ are raising safety warnings about hoverboards after one caught fire inside of a trash truck on Tuesday causing a full-scale emergency response. Two sanitation workers completing their rounds along Vardon Road in Brigantine began smelling smoke from the back of their truck around 11:30 a.m. Both employees leaped from the truck, noticed smoke coming from the rear, and began trying to put out the fire with extinguishers aboard the vehicle. The workers also contacted 9-1-1 which dispatched Fire and Emergency Medical Crews from the Brigantine Fire Department who arrived within minutes and safely put out the flames. After sorting through the

• MORE ON THE FIRE
  

AROUND THE WORLD

Major Changes for Walmart, Dick's Sporting Goods After School Shooting: The rift between corporate American and the gun lobby is growing. Retail heavyweights Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods have taken steps to restrict gun sales. That follows moves by several other major corporations, including MetLife, Hertz and Delta Air Lines, that have cut ties with National Rifle Association following last month's school massacre in Florida. Dick's said Wednesday it will immediately stop selling assault-style rifles and ban the sale of all guns to anyone under 21. Its CEO took on the NRA by demanding tougher gun laws. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, followed by saying it will no longer sell firearms and ammunition to people younger than 21. It had stopped selling AR-15s and other semi-automatic weapons in 2015.

• MORE ON THE CHANGES
  

That's what you need to know to Catch Up Quickly, but we've got more stories worthy of your time. Click here to check them out. 

A emailed threat including the words "bullets and guns" sent to a teacher caused the closure of two South Jersey school districts Thursday.

The Franklin Township Police Department announced the closure of the Franklin Township and Delsea Regional school districts in Gloucester County around 5 a.m.

Franklin Township superintendent Troy Walton told NBC10's Cydney Long that a teacher received a threatening email including the words "bullets and guns."

Walton and Franklin Township police said they hoped to track down the IP address of the sender.

“We are working diligently to identify the sender of that email at this time,” police said on Facebook.

Though the threat targeted a teacher at only one of Franklin Township's schools, Walton decided to close all three district schools as a precautionary measure, leaving about 1,500 students out of the classroom.

Delsea schools said its closure was out of an “abundance of caution” due to its proximity to Franklin Township schools. About 2,000 students go to Delsea high and middle schools.

Parents and guardians of students received alerts about the closures, police said.

Police continued to investigate Thursday.

Extra police will be on patrol at Olney Charter High School in Philadelphia Thursday after an Instagram post included a targeted shooting threat.

As President Donald Trump talks with lawmakers about gun reform and prepares to announce school safety proposals, NBC News has learned new details about the last major legislative push around gun safety in 2013 that offers a cautionary tale about Trump's strategy of relying on the NRA.

The NRA has a history of shrewd lobbying and willingness to walk away from any deal at the last minute. With President Barack Obama's support, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., began working with NRA senior leaders on a bill to tighten background checks for gun purchases. Yet even after getting much of what they'd asked for, the NRA rejected the bill anyway. The bill died on the Senate floor as many of the families of the slain schoolchildren looked on.

It's a failure that still haunts Manchin. Weeks after the bill's failure in 2013 and despite top ratings and campaign endorsements from gun rights advocates, the NRA began targeting Manchin with $100,000 in negative advertising, linking him to Obama and then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a strong gun control activist.

There are few Republicans coming forward now to support major legislation even as the advocacy of students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has sparked an unusual burst of blowback at the gun lobby. The NRA's influence over its members and lawmakers remains considerable.

Following the record-breaking success of Marvel Studios’ "Black Panther," Disney announced Monday it had donated $1 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to put toward the expansion of its youth science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs, CNBC reported.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement that it was "thrilling to see how inspired young audiences were by the spectacular technology in the film, so it’s fitting that we show our appreciation by helping advance STEM programs for youth, especially in underserved areas of the country, to give them the knowledge and tools to build the future they want.”

BGCA will use the grant to further develop its existing national STEM curriculum, and also establish new STEM Centers of Innovation in a dozen communities, including Baltimore, Chicago, New York City, Hartford, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. 

A Santa Ana police dog was getting a lot of love and affection this week after undergoing surgery on his jaw for losing teeth while biting a wanted parolee following a chase. 

Puskas, an 8-year-old Dutch shepherd, chased down Antonio Padilla Jr., 37, of Riverside, on Monday night in an industrial complex in Irvine. 

The dog lost all of his upper and lower teeth, except for his canines, officials said. He had surgery on his jaw and was recovering Tuesday afternoon, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, a Santa Ana police spokesman. 

Padilla was taken to a hospital for bites to his arm and was under armed guard. When he recovers, he's expected to be booked into the Orange County Jail, police said. He faces up to 120 years to life in prison if convicted on a slew of charges. 

The pursuit happened when undercover police spotted a black GMC pickup truck driven by Padilla Monday night in Garden Grove. When officers tried to pull him over, he sped off. The parolee is accused of using his truck to try and run over an officer during a traffic stop on Feb. 18, police said. 

In the pursuit, Padilla ran red lights and sideswiped cars. At one point, he rear-ended a Mercedes wagon before pulling a woman out of her SUV and taking off, aerial footage of the chase showed. 

The woman's brother, Ricky Kozloski, tried to pull Padilla out of the SUV but backed off when Padilla pinned him between vehicles as he tried to drive off. 

Neither Kozloski nor his sister were hurt. 

"I saw that he was taking my sister out of the car and I just reacted and tried to help," Kozloski told NBC4 later. 

Puskas, named for a Hungarian soccer player, was brought onto the Santa Ana Police Department in 2012. An Orange County Register article featured Puskas in body armor biting the padded arm of an officer during training. 

Dog lovers wished Puskas a speedy recovery. 

"Awesome job and praying that Puskas recovers, gets some implants, and can stay in service," Jerry Boyd, a former Irvine police officer, on Facebook. "That is the most awesome K-9 takedown I have seen in my 43 years in LE. Great dog." 

Wrote Chris Mushet: "Praying for this very brave officer Puskas and his handler. You are both amazing!!" 

"He's a trooper," Santa Ana Police Department Handler Officer Luis Galeana said of the K-9. 

The dog will be out for a couple of weeks, but then he'll be back on the job. 

VCA Yorba Regional Animal Hospital is currently accepting donations, presents and gifts for Puskas.

A Massachusetts man was arrested on federal hoax-related charges for sending a letter containing a nonharmful white powder addressed to Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced Thursday.

Daniel Frisiello, 24, is accused of sending the suspicious letter that landed President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law in a Manhattan hospital. The envelope was postmarked from Boston and appeared to contain corn starch, multiple senior law enforcement officials told NBC News at the time.

The letter was addressed to Vanessa Trump's husband, Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, officials said. It contained seven short sentences and was rife with curses and insults, officials familiar with the case told NBC.

"You are an awful, awful person. I am surprised that your father lets you speak on TV. You the family idiot. Eric looks smart," the letter read, according to officials familiar with the case. "This is the reason why people hate you. You are getting what you deserve. So shut the f--- up.”

Vanessa Trump, 40, opened the letter and was decontaminated at the scene as a precaution, according to a senior official with knowledge of the investigation. She called 911 to report coughing and nausea.

She was taken to New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center strictly as a precaution.

Trump Jr. married Vanessa Trump, formerly Vanessa Kay Haydon, in November 2005 at Mara-a-Lago. Trump Jr.'s aunt officiated. The couple has five children; none of the kids were home at the time of the incident.

It was not the first time a Trump has received white powder in the mail. In March 2016, police detectives and FBI agents investigated a threatening letter sent to the Manhattan apartment of Donald Trump Jr.'s brother, Eric, that also contained a white powder that turned out to be harmless. Envelopes containing white powder were also sent to Trump Tower, twice in 2016.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

Three or four people contact the group Prevent Pet Suffocation every week with a tragic new instance of a pet dying from suffocation in a bag, founder Bonnie Harlan told "Today."

Harlan, 61, went through it herself in 2011, when her own beloved dog, Blue, died after getting his head stuck in a snack bag.

"It was just so devastating," said Harlan, but she went on to found the group to raise awareness and help other pet owners going through the same thing. She's petitioned Frito-Lay to put warning labels on snack bags.

A representative for the American Veterinary Medical Association said he hasn't seen solid data about the prevelance of pets dying from suffocation in bags but agrees with Harlan that it's smart to keep bags securely away from pets.