There's a report out that the GDP numbers might be delayed because of a fire at the Commerce Department. The GDP numbers are actually released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which is a department within Commerce. But the BEA is at a different location from Commerce.
Commerce is at 1401 Constitution Ave., N.W., while the BEA is on L St N.W.. I just spoke to the press office at BEA, and they were clearly surprised about any fire rumors. The GDP numbers will be released as scheduled.
I did, this morning, though, notice police activity directly across the street from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (another department within Commerce) . Across, from BLS is Union Station and police were investigating a "suspicious piece of luggage". I know this occurred because I passed by the (LOL) suspicious luggage just as the police arrived.
So maybe it wasn't a fire, but a suspicious package, and maybe it wasn't the fire department on the scene, but the police. And maybe it wasn't at the Commerce building, or at BEA building, but across the street from BLS building. Outside of these minor details, it was a helluva a good reporting job.
The fire made the number-crunchers have to start all over, because as we all know, fires (and other broken windows) add to GDP.
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