--- title: Possible Asbestos Leak at the Capitol description: Part of the Capitol building was shut down early Thursday after a potential leak of asbestos. canonical: https://time.com/2972659/capitol-house-representatives-industrial-spill/ author: Noah Rayman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-07-10T13:00:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T09:04:20.721Z article:section: Politics og:title: Possible Asbestos Leak at the Capitol og:description: Part of the Capitol building was shut down early Thursday after a potential leak of asbestos. og:url: https://time.com/2972659/capitol-house-representatives-industrial-spill/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt015ed5be6b3b65ae/69869b26361760757f90cfe2/capitol-building.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: A strong storm front passes over the U.S. Capitol, July 8, 2014. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Possible Asbestos Leak at the Capitol twitter:description: Part of the Capitol building was shut down early Thursday after a potential leak of asbestos. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt015ed5be6b3b65ae/69869b26361760757f90cfe2/capitol-building.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # House of Representatives Closed Due to 'Industrial Spill' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=86f3f768-7772-40a6-8f9b-1ea60e165ceb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=86f3f768-7772-40a6-8f9b-1ea60e165ceb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=86f3f768-7772-40a6-8f9b-1ea60e165ceb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.  by [Noah Rayman](https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/)  ## Noah Rayman Jul 10, 2014 1:00 PM UTC  UNITED STATES - JULY 8: A strong storm front passes over the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, July 8, 2014\. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) UNITED STATES - JULY 8: A strong storm front passes over the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, July 8, 2014\. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) Bill Clark—CQ Roll Call/Getty Images  by [Noah Rayman](https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/)  ## Noah Rayman Jul 10, 2014 1:00 PM UTC **Updated at 10:00 a.m.** The House side of the U.S. Capitol was shut down early Thursday after a potential leak of asbestos, the agency responsible for the building said. The House will not gavel in at 10 a.m. as scheduled, but the chamber is expected to convene at noon for legislative business. The U.S. Capitol Police announced in a statement that a staircase and a room in the House will remain closed for further inspection. “The East Grand Staircase on the House side of the U.S. Capitol Building from floors 1 through 3 and room H-324 will remain closed until further notice,” wrote the Capitol Police in a statement released to House staff at 9:06 a.m. “The rest of the House side of the U.S. Capitol Building will return to normal operations, including tours of the U.S. Capitol.” According to the Architect of the Capitol, the potential leak may have occurred during asbestos abatement. > [](https://twitter.com/uscapitol/status/487210871413022721) A police alert first went out around 7 a.m. Thursday, and Capitol Police Hazardous Materials Response Team is on the scene. “Samples have been collected to determine whether there was potential exposure,” said a AoC spokesperson. The House Sergeant of Arms sent out an alert at 7.40am: “The House Side of the U.S. Capitol Building is closed until further notice due to an industrial spill. The Architect of the Capitol is continuing testing of the area. All Members and staff should avoid the area until further notice.” _—With reporting by Jay Newton-Small and Alex Rogers_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2972659/capitol-house-representatives-industrial-spill/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2972659/capitol-house-representatives-industrial-spill/"},"headline":"House of Representatives Closed Due to 'Industrial Spill'","datePublished":"2014-07-10T13:00:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T09:04:20.721Z","description":"The House side of the building is closed","url":"https://time.com/2972659/capitol-house-representatives-industrial-spill/","keywords":["Congress","National Security","washington DC"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt015ed5be6b3b65ae/69869b26361760757f90cfe2/capitol-building.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Noah Rayman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt015ed5be6b3b65ae/69869b26361760757f90cfe2/capitol-building.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"A strong storm front passes over the U.S. Capitol, July 8, 2014.","caption":"A strong storm front passes over the U.S. Capitol, July 8, 2014.","creditText":"Bill Clark—CQ Roll Call/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2972659/capitol-house-representatives-industrial-spill/","name":"House of Representatives Closed Due to 'Industrial Spill'"}}]}] ```