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False Report of White House Explosions Roils Stock Markets


A false report of explosions at the White House and injuries to President Barack Obama sent U.S. stocks spiraling Tuesday, but they recovered just as quickly when investors realized it was a hoax.

The Associated Press said hackers broke into the news agency's Twitter account. The AP Twitter message said, "Breaking: Two explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured."

Within a couple minutes, the most widely watched U.S. stock index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, fell about 130 points, erasing the day's gains. Just as quickly, it regained the losses when it became obvious that the reports of the explosions in Washington were false.

"I can say that the president is fine," White House spokesman Jay Carney said after the bogus tweet. "I was just with him."
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