NATIONAL BRIEFING / AND FINALLY . . .

A small band of masked intruders has broken into the secure White House grounds and has evaded capture by agents of the new Obama administration, officials said.

The National Park Service is in pursuit of one very large raccoon and several medium-sized raccoons, which have been spotted roaming the grounds around the executive mansion and the West Wing, a spokesman said.

“The idea of raccoons on the White House grounds give us great pause,” spokesman Bill Burton said.

So far, the raccoons have evaded capture despite several “live traps,” which are essentially cages with one-way doors to keep the animals inside.

The raccoons have not been seen in the last week, but officials think they are still roaming the premises.

If the animals are captured, Burton said, the National Park Service will release them, unharmed, into an unspecified wooded area.