Abbott's Win in Court of Appeals Means the Buoys Live to Float Another Day ... For Now

Are Pakistan and Iran at War Now?

The Road to the White House Runs Through Suburbia

Planetary scientists believe they have found an enormous deposit of water ice near the Mars equator. Almost two decades ago‚ researchers discovered some peculiar deep deposits underneath the Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF). The latest data suggest these deposits are extremely rich in ice.The MFF is made of many wind-sculpted features and has an area of about one-fifth of the continental United States. It is believed to be the biggest single source of dust on Mars and it extends all the way to Gale Crater‚ which NASA’s Curiosity is exploring.Data from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express suggest that there is so much ice there‚ that if it were to melt it would cover Mars in a layer of water 1.5 to 2.7 meters ( 4.9 to 8.6 feet) deep. That’s the amount of water found in the whole Red Sea on Earth.Map of potential ice thickness in the MFF.Image Credit: ESA“We’ve explored the MFF again using newer data from Mars Express’s MARSIS radar‚ and found the deposits to be even thicker than we thought: up to 3.7 km [2.3 miles] thick‚” Dr Thomas Watters of the Smithsonian Institution‚ USA‚ lead author of both the new research and the initial 2007 study‚ said in a statement sent to IFLScience. “Excitingly‚ the radar signals match what we’d expect to see from layered ice‚ and are similar to the signals we see from Mars’s polar caps‚ which we know to be very ice-rich.”Since the initial observations‚ researchers considered the possibility that the deposit was rich in ice. It was relatively transparent to radar and low in density‚ so it was certainly not hard rock‚ but they couldn’t rule out that it could be a giant deposit of dust‚ volcanic ash‚ or sediments.“Here’s where the new radar data comes in! Given how deep it is‚ if the MFF was simply a giant pile of dust‚ we’d expect it to become compacted under its own weight‚” said co-author Andrea Cicchetti of the National Institute for Astrophysics‚ Italy. “This would create something far denser than what we actually see with MARSIS. And when we modelled how different ice-free materials would behave‚ nothing reproduced the properties of the MFF – we need ice.”The current view sees the MFF as made of vast layers of ice and dust‚ topped by a final protective layer of dust or ash several hundred meters thick. This is what has kept the ice protected. Although scientists are unsure for how long.  “This latest analysis challenges our understanding of the Medusae Fossae Formation‚ and raises as many questions as answers‚” said Colin Wilson‚ ESA project scientist for Mars Express and the ESA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO). “How long ago did these ice deposits form‚ and what was Mars like at that time? If confirmed to be water ice‚ these massive deposits would change our understanding of Mars climate history. Any reservoir of ancient water would be a fascinating target for human or robotic exploration.”A paper about this research is published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

A marsupial that has sex until it drops dead has been found to cannibalize the spent remains of males that died in the frisky fray. Before you question their stamina‚ you should know that these animals embark on mating marathons that can go on for over 10 hours‚ resulting in an attack of hormones that becomes too much to bear.“During the breeding season‚ male and females mate promiscuously in frenzied bouts lasting as long as 14 hours‚” said Associate Professor Andrew Baker from QUT School of Biology and Environmental Science in a statement. “Certain stress-induced death follows for all males as surging testosterone causes cortisol to flood uncontrolled through the body‚ reaching pathological levels.”And the bad times don’t stop there‚ as it turns out the bodies of spent males have one thing left to give when their loving days are done.“The males drop dead‚ which provides an opportunity for cheap energy gain via cannibalism for still-living males and pregnant or lactating female antechinuses‚” added Baker.Producing milk is an energetically expensive pastime (just ask polar bear moms)‚ and creating life even more so. It makes sense not to waste calories when they keel over in front of you‚ but it was still an unusual and surprise discovery for the researchers that first spotted the behavior.“While cannibalistic behaviour has been reported in some dasyurids (the family which includes antechinuses‚ quolls and Tasmanian devils)‚ it is very rare to observe in the wild‚” Baker continued.The finding comes following photos of a mainland dusky antechinus (Antechinus mimetes) eating a dead member of its own species. The photos were taken last year in New England National Park‚ New South Wales‚ Australia. The range of mainland dusky antechinus crosses over with another closely related species‚ meaning the sex deaths can sustain other species as well as their own.“In places such as Point Lookout where two antechinus species (A. mimetes and the brown antechinus‚ A. stuartii) are living in the same area‚ the two slightly separated breeding periods provide the opportunity to cannibalise both their own and the other species‚” said Baker. “Each species may benefit from eating dead males of the other."The benefit of this cannibalism likely changes depending on the breeding window of each species. For the antechinus that breeds earlier‚ the lactating females probably benefit most‚ while the later breeding group may be near-death males sustaining themselves off of already dead ones.Unfortunately for the male antechinus‚ eating your own doesn’t prevent the inevitable.“The antechinus seen feeding on its dead comrade appeared vigorous and large-bodied‚ but it had damage to its right eye and hair loss on its arms and shoulders‚ which is associated with stress-induced decline in males. He was perhaps destined soon to become somebody else’s meal.”The study is published in Australian Mammalogy.

On MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight‚ viewers were subjected to several painful minutes of self-indulgent whining over the purchase of The Baltimore Sun by David Smith‚ executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcasting Group. Media don’t especially appreciate losing control of an outlet. Watch as Stelter lays out the case for why the sale of The Sun is such a terrible thing: BRIAN STELTER: So what’s gonna happen to it now‚ Alex? I fear this is likely the end of the Sun as a nonpartisan‚ widely trusted‚ outlet. And there’s gonna have to be alternatives to pop up in its place. Because when these sorts of right-wing backers of media talk‚ they talk in code. When they say fair‚ what they really mean is‚ “we think the press is too liberal”. When they say balanced‚ what they mean is “we want the media to advance our political agenda‚ but cloak it in an all-sides claim to balance”. You know what I mean? It's that kind of code language that we’re already hearing the new owner of the Sun start to use.  You know what’s code language? Terms like “truth-based” and “disinformation”‚ which Stelter and his ilk constantly use in order to belittle and ostracize those outlets that are not aligned with a left-wing vision of what America should be. This entire interview is a tantrum about the fact that the left has lost a print outlet. Notice how Stelter whines about the advancement of political agendas‚ as if that weren’t what the “fact-based media” does on an exclusive basis (see: laptop‚ Hunter Biden). The “alternatives” that Stelter is calling on to rise are left-wing alternatives. To be clear. Any time an outlet is not perceived as reliably left-wing‚ you begin to hear the mumbling about “trust” and “reliable sources of information”. I know this from the great Spanish-language media wars‚ and how the left tries to frame conservative outlets in that space. The same thing is happening here. Stelter and Wagner ran the “Spanish-language disinformation” op‚ with some Old Bay sprinkled over the top. For her part‚ Wagner is apparently unaware that local newspapers in fact cover such things as “crime”‚ which she uttered derisively‚ air quotes and all.  Ultimately‚ the purchase is not about “bringing the Fourth Estate to heel”‚ but about bringing it back to life with restored credibility. For the left-wing media‚ that’s a bridge too far. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned segment as aired on MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight on Wednesday‚ January 17th‚ 2024: ALEX WAGNER: This morning‚ the Baltimore Sun Guild‚ the union that represents the paper’s staff read a statement. It read‚ in part: “During yesterday's meeting…new owner David Smith shared his vision for the paper‚ which he admitted he has rarely read. The editorial direction that he described focused on clicks rather than journalistic value‚ concerned many of our members.” That nearly three-hour meeting between the Sun’s staff‚ and its new owner‚ David Smith‚ the executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group‚ was described as tense. Mr. Smith‚ who bought the paper last week‚ at one point‚ told reporters to “go make me some money.” When asked about job security‚ Smith said‚ not so reassuringly‚ that everyone “has a job today”. Now‚ David Smith is known‚ not only for his right-wing broadcasting network‚ Sinclair‚ but also for his support of conservative causes‚ and groups‚ including Project Veritas‚ Turning Point USA‚ and Moms For Liberty. As the new owner of a storied newspaper‚ Smith has claimed that print media “has no credibility”‚ and “is so left wing as to be meaningless dribble”. Joining me now is Brian Stelter‚ special correspondent for Vanity Fair‚ author of Network of Lies‚ The Epic Saga of Fox News‚ Donald Trump‚ and The Battle for American Democracy. And‚ a native Marylander who's been writing about Sinclair for decades.  BRIAN STELTER: Yes. WAGNER: Brian‚ thank you for being here.  STELTER: Thanks. WAGNER: You know better than most‚ that when conservatives take over media organizations‚ they tend to make changes. What are your expectations for a paper that’s essential as the Baltimore sun?  STELTER: Yes‚ I grew up reading the Sun. Often times‚ when I was in Annapolis‚ or Baltimore covering a story‚ the only other reporter there was from the Baltimore Sun. And although the paper has been shrinking for years‚ like most printed newspapers across the country‚ it is still the default. The go-to media outlet for a major American city. So what’s gonna happen to it now‚ Alex? I fear this is likely the end of the Sun as a nonpartisan‚ widely trusted‚ outlet. And there’s gonna have to be alternatives to pop up in its place. Because when these sorts of right-wing backers of media talk‚ they talk in code. When they say fair‚ what they really mean is‚ “we think the press is too liberal”. When they say balanced‚ what they mean is “we want the media to advance our political agenda‚ but cloak it in an all-sides claim to balance”. You know what I mean? It's that kind of code language that we’re already hearing the new owner of the Sun start to use.  WAGNER: I wonder what you- the sort of the psy- the psychological profile of someone who funds something like Project Veritas‚ which carries out alleged‚ like‚ “sting operations” of media groups‚ who says that print journalism has no credibility‚ and then goes and spends $100 million to buy the Sun and a few other smaller papers. Is that just the execution of a conservative agenda? To bring the Fourth Estate to heel? Or is it- is it sort of the weird‚ egomaniacal fixation that conservatives‚ like Donald Trump‚ have with the Fourth Estate?  STELTER: Right. It's Trump attacking the media‚ then caring a lot about what Time Magazine… WAGNER: Exactly. STELTER: …and NBC say about him. My understanding‚ from sources at the Sun‚ and around Maryland politics‚ is that David Smith's been trying to buy the Sun for quite some time. He sits at home‚ in his mansion‚ in suburban Baltimore‚ he watches what's going on in the city‚ and he thinks he can somehow make a difference- and let's be clear‚ “make a difference” means advance a right-wing agenda by buying up the only big newspaper in town. This is part of a pattern‚ Alex‚ as you said‚ of old school newspaper and news outlets becoming zombies. They get taken over by these right-wing buyers‚ they become shells of their former selves‚ and they become political machines. This is going to keep happening as print fades away‚ as attention‚ and ad dollars‚ move to digital. But Alex‚ there is something we can all do about it‚ we can all go and support the alternatives. WAGNER: Yeah. And  I want to get to that‚ but I do think it is important to note how the fixa- the articulated fixation on “crime” and “police" is a really important part of the ecosystem that‚ in turn‚ fuels the broader right-wing agenda. Can you talk a little more about that given your experience with Fox News where they love talking about crime‚ and backing the blue?  STELTER: 100%. I feel like I've been studying this for years‚ because you see attention on a city like Baltimore‚ only when there is unrest‚ as we saw nearly a decade ago with Freddy Gray. Only when there is a surge in crime. You know what happened in Baltimore in 2023? Dramatic reduction in the murder rate. You won't hear about that on Fox‚ or across right-wing talk radio. You only hear these headlines when they are terrifying‚ and they're used to advance a certain agenda. And unfortunately‚ I think it’s a force to be reckoned with in this Republican primary‚ but also the 2024 election. It's kind of like a spigot that's always turned on‚ and pumping‚ full blast‚ every day‚ no matter what's happening in the trendlines‚ or in the data.  WAGNER: Yeah. And you wonder how immigration gets to be the number one topic‚ and the number one voting issue in a Republican primary. This is a huge part of how that happens. So what is the newspaper going to do?  STELTER: So what do we do? We support alternatives. WAGNER: Yeah‚ what’s the alternative? STEKTER: The Baltimore Banner. It’s an amazing start up in Baltimore that's actually breaking news about the Sun being taken over. And that's what viewers can do. They can support local‚ grassroots news. Nonprofits‚ start-ups‚ they can go out and help create their own. That’s going to be the solution to this problem that’s plaguing the media‚ Alex.  WAGNER:  Buy a local newspaper‚ that is not a conservative mouthpiece. Support your local journalism. Brian Stelter‚ author of Network of Lies‚ it is always good to talk to you. Someone so deeply entrenched in this very essential topic. Thanks‚ Brian. STELTER: Thanks.  

MRC’s Contributing Writer Stephanie Hamill was a guest on Wednesday’s Fox News at Night with host Trace Gallagher and District Media Group President Beverly Hallberg to discuss media bias in the 2024 election cycle ––  and there’s no shortage of examples when it comes to the unfair coverage by some of the major networks.   One of the most egregious examples of it happened on Monday night when former President Donald Trump gave a late-night victory speech –– MSNBC and CNN immediately cut away from it as they were ‘trying to protect’ their viewers from his ‘anti-immigrant rhetoric’ and ‘untrue things.' "Let people listen to the candidates and let them decide. The American people aren't stupid. If the rhetoric is so bad‚ let them hear it for themselves‚ said Hamill."  Full transcript below:   Trace: Stephanie you first‚ the X post saying looks like Donald Trump just won Iowa‚ he's the clear front runner on the other side at this point but here's the thing this election was always going to be the you and me versus extreme Maga Republicans. So it's not what I've done for you‚ it's what Maga Republicans will do to you.  Stephanie... Stephanie: It's Absolutely absurd for President Biden to tweet this when only one-third of American adults support the job he's doing‚ as in his job performance. Being divisive and demonizing those who have supported president Trump and/or the other half of the country‚ if you will‚ isn't going to bring people to your side. It's very unpresidential‚ if you will. Instead he should be talking about policies and how he's going to reverse course to make the lives of the American people better. Trace: We talked about the media backing the president. Here's joy Reid on MSNBC saying all Christian trump voters are racist. Watch. [Video Clip Joy Reid]: All the things that we think about‚ about electability‚ about what are people gaming out‚ none that that matters when you believe that God has given you this country‚ that it is yours‚ and that everyone who is not a white conservative Christian is a fraudulent American. Trace: I said racist I meant evil and racist Beverly. Beverly: Don't forget both words‚ have to get them both in. When you hear this‚ it's not surprising that when you take a look at the public's level of trust in the media it's below 20% not only because they report on stories like Russian collusion‚ which didn't prove to be true or suppressing information about covid‚ the origins of it or masking‚ but because they demonize their own readers or the people they want to read their story. It's interesting that media outlets take it upon themselves to scold the American people on what they think instead of focusing on putting out information and facts and letting people decide for themselves. Trace: Speaking of MSNBC‚ this sound bite from Rachel maddow explaining why they had to cut away from Trump's victory speech‚ you can't let people decide for themselves you have to tell them what to think. [Video Clip Rachel Maddow]: There's a reason we and other news organizations have generally stopped giving an unfiltered live platform to remarks by President Trump. There is a cost to us as a news organization of knowingly broadcasting untrue things. Trace: They specialize in broadcasting untrue things Stephanie. I've gone over this before again and again. but your talk. Stephanie: Well‚ their credibility is already wounded with the Russian collusion hoax and the Hunter Biden laptop story among so many other things that we don't have time to list on this show. So you think that they would sit down and think‚ you know‚ many we should try to work harder to gain credibility‚ so we can get people to start watching us again and taking us serious. Instead they're tripling down‚ not just doubling down they're tripling down by completely censoring a presidential candidate‚ that obviously people like. Let people listen to the candidates and let them decide. The American people aren't stupid. If the rhetoric is so bad‚ let them hear it for themselves. Trace: Yeah‚ it's a live speech from the former president of the United States and they're censoring it and Jamie Dimon‚ Kevin Corke played a little bit of this‚ JPMorgan diamond said this is a dangerous path to go down. [Video Clip Jamie Dimon]: I wish Democrats would think a little more carefully when they talk about Maga. Listen he was kind of right about NATO‚ kind of right about immigration‚ he grew the economy quite well‚ he was right about China. This negative talk about Maga will hurt Biden's election campaign. Trace: He's right‚ it's going to hurt‚ you have to run on your record at some point in time otherwise you're just beating up the other guy. Beverly: It's not even that he's beating up Trump. He's beating up the people who are voting for him. It Reminds me of the Hillary Clinton 'basket of deplorables' moment which was devastating for her. This is what the Biden administration wants to do‚ not just run against Trump but run against half of the American people. I think it's a losing strategy. You don't knock the voters yet that's what they seem to think is their winning messages because as you said focusing on his record isn't going to work too well for Biden since not many people like the job he is doing.

MSNBC analyst and weekend host Katie Phang was a guest on Wednesday's edition of the network's Deadline White House. Phang revealed that "I am friends with E. Jean Carroll‚ but it doesn't color my legal analysis." Of course not! But Phang had the chutzpah to claim that Carroll—the woman who won a $5 million judgment from Donald Trump in her first defamation suit against him‚ and is sure to win much more in a second suit—"would have been happy to just get her day in court." Okay then! We'll look forward to E. Jean Carroll announcing the charity of her choice to which she will be donating all the jury awards! Recall that Carroll first made these allegations in New York magazine to kick off sales of a memoir. But MSNBC pulled up a clip of Carroll telling Rachel Maddow‚ "I really wasn't doing it for myself. I was doing it for the women in the country." Oh‚ the self-sacrifice! Call her Jean De New York! The best part of Carroll's experience‚ according to Phang‚ was probably just "being able to tell her story to a jury." No doubt!  Just like Carroll herself said‚ she wasn't doing it for herself‚ she was doing it for all the women in the country. When liberals accuse a Republican politician or judge of sexual assault‚ she should automatically be believed to be telling the truth and doing it for all women. When a Democrat is accused of sexual assault‚ well‚ the accuser's a "dogpatch Madonna" or some kind of trailer trash.  Note: There was a bit of bitter irony for Phang to be a guest on a show hosted by Alicia Menendez. Until recently‚ Phang had her own MSNBC show on Saturday and Sunday mornings‚ in the desirable 8 am slot. But MSNBC has stripped her of her Sunday show‚ and relegated her Saturday show to the less visible noon slot. And who has taken over Phang's Saturday and Sunday morning slots? Yup‚ Menendez‚ in an ensemble cast with Michael Steele and Symone Sanders-Townsend. Here's the transcript. MSNBC Deadline White House 1/17/24 4:03 pm ET ALICIA MENENDEZ: MSNBC host and legal analyst Katie Phang is back. Katie‚ let's start with you. Difficult to get through that testimony of from Carroll. So emotional‚ so clear. The price she has paid for all of this. KATIE PHANG: I think people need to realize is‚ the confrontation in a courtroom setting from the victim of rape‚ which is E. Jean Carroll. And in the interest of full disclosure‚ I am friends with E.Jean Carroll. We have been friends for a while‚ but it doesn't color my legal analysis. . . . It is a foregone conclusion: there will be a multi-million-dollar verdict rendered by the second jury against Donald Trump. It is a foregone conclusion because the jury has already reached the determination that Donald Trump is a person that commits sexual assault on somebody like E. Jean Carroll and defames her. . . .  MENENDEZ: I think it's also important that people get to hear from E. Jean Carroll. So‚ given the absence of that‚ I want to play for you something that E. Jean Carroll said to our colleague Rachel Maddow. Take a listen. E. JEAN CARROLL: I really wasn't doing it for myself. I was doing it for the women in the country . . . I was heard. I was heard in federal court in front of a jury of my peers. They weighed the evidence‚ and the truth was established. and the system works! MENENDEZ: To be heard and to be believed. To have the system actually work. This case means so much to so many. To survivors‚ and also to those who want to see Donald Trump held accountable. PHANG: E. Jean would have been happy to just get her day in court. The outcome was just really the best part about the experience‚ and yet maybe it wasn't. Maybe the best part of the experience was just having that moment of being able to tell her story to a jury.

Texas seized control last week of a 47-acre municipal park in Eagle Pass where hordes of illegal aliens have poured into the homeland in recent months and years. In doing so‚ the state ousted the federal border agents camped within who were otherwise handcuffed by the Biden administration's apparent unwillingness to enforce immigration law and secure the border. The Biden administration was enraged by the Lone Star State's effort to reinforce American sovereignty. The Department of Homeland Security sent a strongly worded cease-and-desist letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Sunday‚ demanding Texas cave and grant federal agents "full access to the U.S.-Mexico border in and around the Shelby Park area." Paxton responded in a Jan. 17 letter effectively telling the Biden administration to pound sand. Addressing a vulnerability Texas took control of Shelby Park on Jan. 10 under an emergency declaration from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in an effort to stem the flow of illegal aliens into the state. The park adjoins a high-traffic 2.5-mile stretch of the Rio Grande where the state's floating barrier was installed to dissuade migrants from fording the river. The Texas National Guard established fencing around the perimeter of the park and blocked entrances to the river with the aid of border barriers and soldiers. While the state permitted U.S. Border Patrol agents access to the boat ramp in the park and entry if responding to a medical emergency‚ it appears to have otherwise barred access and entry to federal agents. "Texas has the legal authority to control ingress and egress into any geographical location in the state of Texas‚ and that authority is being asserted with regard to that park in Eagle Pass‚ Texas‚ to maintain operational control of it‚" said Abbott. Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze said in a statement‚ "Texas is holding the line at our southern border with miles of additional razor wire and anti-climb barriers to deter and repel the record-high levels of illegal immigration invited by President Biden's reckless open border policies." Blaze News previously noted that over 300‚000 illegal aliens stole into the U.S. over the southern border in December‚ the highest monthly tally on record. That puts the total for this fiscal year at over 800‚000‚ not including all of the recent border crossings that have gone unreported. 2.47 million‚ 2.37 million‚ and 1.73 million illegal aliens entered the United States in fiscal years 2023‚ 2022‚ and 2021‚ respectively. Biden administration lashes out White House spokesman Angelo Fernandez Hernandez blasted the park seizure as an "extreme" political stunt purposed to "demonize and dehumanize" people‚ reported Bloomberg. "Governor Abbott has repeatedly proven that he is not interested in solutions and only seeks to politicize the border‚" wrote Hernandez. While White House officials beat their chests‚ Jonathan Meyer‚ general counsel for the DHS‚ sent a letter to Paxton on Jan. 14 complaining that Texas had ousted U.S. Border Patrol from the park and denied it access following the seizure. After suggesting the DHS was "committed to securing the border‚" Meyer claimed the Lone Star State's actions "conflict with the authority and duties of Border Patrol under federal law and are preempted under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. Texas's actions also improperly seek to regulate the federal government." Extra to accusing Texas of flouting federal law‚ Meyer blamed Texas for the recent drowning of three illegal aliens. The DHS general counsel intimated in his letter that the migrants perished after allegedly having trouble stealing into the country via the Shelby Park area and could alternatively have been saved by Border Patrol agents‚ hampered by Texas officials. "Texas's failure to provide access to the border persists even in instances of imminent danger to life and safety‚" wrote Meyer. The DHS issued the following ultimatum: "If you have not confirmed by the end of day on January 17‚ 2024‚ that Texas will cease and desist its efforts to block Border Patrol's access in and around the Shelby Park area and remove all barriers to access to the U.S.-Mexico border‚ we will refer the matter to the Department of Justice for appropriate action and consider all other options available to restore Border Patrol's access to the border." Texas doesn't blink Paxton did not mince words in his reply‚ obtained by the Daily Caller: "Your letter misstates both the facts and the law in demanding that Texas surrender to President Biden's open-border policies. Because the facts and law side with Texas‚ the State will continue utilizing its constitutional authority to defend her territory‚ and I will continue defending those lawful efforts in court." The Lone Star State's attorney general stressed that the DHS "should stop wasting scarce time and resources suing Texas‚ and start enforcing the immigration laws Congress already has on the books." In his letter‚ Paxton cast doubt on several key claims made in the DHS letter‚ noting that: Texas was not impeding lifesaving care for illegal aliens and continues to permit access to U.S. Border Patrol "responding to a medical emergency"; contra to Meyer's claim that the DHS is committed to "'rendering emergency assistance to individuals in need‚'" it allegedly absolved itself of such a duty in 2023 "and advised the Texas Department of Public Safety that federal personnel would not be present to administer aid unless Texas called for help"; the migrants who drowned did so on the Mexican side of the river‚ and the U.S. federal agents present as the incident unfolded "did not even have a boat‚ and they did not request entry based on any medical exigency"; safety threats facing migrants were the product not of Texas border defenses but of Biden administration polices‚ adding "nobody drowns on a bridge"; and that per 8 U.S.C. § 1357(a)(3)‚ U.S. Border Patrol's lawful‚ warrantless access to borderlands is only "for the purpose of patrolling the border to prevent the illegal entry of aliens." Paxton concluded his letter noting‚ "President Biden has authorized DHS to send a threatening letter through its lawyers. But Texas has lawyers‚ too‚ and I will continue to stand up for this State's constitutional powers of self-defense. Instead of running to the U.S. Department of Justice in hopes of winning an injunction‚ you should advise your clients at DHS to do their job and follow the law." Within hours of the DHS' reception of Paxton's defiant message‚ the Biden administration was dealt another blow‚ learning that the Lone Star State's controversial floating wall wasn't going anywhere. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed a December order requiring Texas move its floating barrier on the Rio Grande‚ reported the Associated Press. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!