Texas lawmakers are ramping up pressure on the Biden administration to demand the freedom of a Houston businessman imprisoned in China.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor and <a href="https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-texas-colleagues-introduce-resolution-calling-for-release-of-texan-mark-swidan-wrongfully-detained-in-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced a resolution</a> supported by other Texas lawmakers on Wednesday calling for the Chinese Communist Party to release Mark Swidan &#8220;immediately&#8221; after more than a decade of captivity.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨”Madam President, I rise today to speak about a gross miscarriage of Justice, the imprisonment of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeMarkSwidan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeMarkSwidan</a>.” &#8211; Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tedcruz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenTedCruz</a> is a gifted lawyer, and today, Mark’s mom got to hear a first class defense of her son.<a href="https://t.co/TQTYCV28h1">pic.twitter.com/TQTYCV28h1</a>
&mdash; Jonathan Franks (@jonfranks) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonfranks/status/1620974474085695489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The resolution precedes a trip Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to make to China this weekend.
“Mark Swidan’s captivity must come to an end for himself, for his family, and for the United States,&#8221; Cruz said in a statement. &#8220;Secretary Blinken’s upcoming trip to Beijing should be the final chapter in this tragedy.&#8221;
Chinese authorities arrested Swidan, who is now in his 40s, in 2012 while he was on a business trip. He was convicted in 2019 after being accused of taking part in a criminal drug conspiracy and given a death sentence that was delayed, according to <a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/mark-swidan-china-prison/269-ae03d41a-f398-46ff-b92e-002829bd0c16" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Austin ABC affiliate KVUE</a>.
The U.S. government views Swidan&#8217;s detention as wrongful. And in light of recent prisoner swaps, his mother hopes Blinken might <a href="https://abc13.com/mark-swidan-american-jailed-in-china-trevor-reed-russian-prison-exchange/11802290/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">push for the release of her son</a>.
&#8220;My message for Blinken is: say their names,&#8221; <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-01-18/say-their-names-families-urge-blinken-to-use-china-trip-to-free-u-s-detainees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katherine Swidan told Reuters</a>, alluding to other families calling on the secretary of state to pressure Beijing to release their loved ones. &#8220;They&#8217;re American citizens. They&#8217;ve been wrongfully detained. Enough is enough.&#8221;
The State Department designated three Americans held in China — Swidan, along with Kai Li and pastor David Lin — as &#8220;wrongful detainees,&#8221; <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/09/britney-griner-release-spurs-anger-over-jailed-americans-in-china-00073320" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO reported last year</a>.
Cruz&#8217;s resolution, which is co-sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX), warns Swidan&#8217;s health has deteriorated amid &#8220;inhumane&#8221; conditions and a lack of adequate medical care. The resolution also notes a United Nations working group found Swidan as being held in violation of customary international law.
&#8220;I am calling on the Biden administration to use all the tools at our disposal to secure his release, and on the government of China to finally release him and return him home,&#8221; Cruz said in his statement.

Ted Cruz

Texans Demand Blinken Push For Release Of Houston Man Imprisoned In China

Antony Blinken

China

Foreign Policy

Texas

U.S.

A district judge vindicated <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> cardiologist and outspoken COVID vaccine critic Dr. Peter McCullough on Wednesday, dismissing a lawsuit filed against him approximately two years ago by his former employer Baylor Scott and White Health system.
McCullough, dubbed a prominent purveyor of COVID misinformation by his detractors, was sued by the health system two years ago for allegedly violating a separation agreement and bringing the Baylor Scott and White Health name into the media. Associate Judge Tahira Khan Merritt of the Judicial District Court Dallas County dismissed the suit with prejudice.
&#8220;This is a strong victory for freedom of speech and fair balanced publication and media presentation of clinical data as it has emerged over the course of the pandemic crisis,&#8221; McCullough told The Daily Wire. &#8220;My analyses and conclusions have been accurate, consistent, and have always been my own, not those of any institution.&#8221;
Baylor accused McCullough in the $1 million lawsuit of &#8220;reputational harm,&#8221; stating that McCullough gave several media interviews and was published in journals that mentioned Baylor as an affiliate even though he had parted ways with the employer.
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Baylor Scott &amp; White Health told <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2021/08/13/baylor-health-sues-covid-19-vaccine-skeptic-and-demands-dallas-doctor-stop-using-its-name/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dallas Morning News</a> in a written statement at the time of the filings that McCullough’s views don’t represent those of the health care provider.
“The lawsuit was filed to enforce this separation and avoid public confusion,” the statement said. “We take very seriously our responsibility to be a trusted source of medical information in the communities we serve.”
Yet, representatives for the cardiologist asserted McCullough never stated he was employed by the health system and that it was third parties who referenced the relationship.
&#8220;The lawsuit, in a sense, represented a form of intimidation and professional reprisal, and I feel vindicated by the dismissal,&#8221; McCullough said.
A spokesperson from Baylor Scott and White Health told The Daily Wire in an emailed statement that the health system takes &#8220;very seriously our responsibility to be a trusted source of information in the communities we serve.&#8221;
&#8220;Dr. McCullough is not an employee and has agreed to not represent himself as such,&#8221; the spokesperson said. &#8220;As a result, both parties mutually agreed in late January to dismiss all actions.&#8221;
McCullough participated in health system task forces, led research activities on COVID for the health system, and teamed with government officials throughout the early days of the pandemic in 2020. Prominent medical journals published peer-reviewed studies of McCullough&#8217;s early treatment and response to the COVID health crisis.
In response to his work, McCullough claims the health system decided not to renew his contract, which was &#8220;tantamount to termination&#8221; without reason or due process. Following the non-renewal, McCullough said he negotiated a settlement agreement that made way for the lawsuit.
&#8220;I&#8217;m glad it&#8217;s behind us,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The process was draining,&#8221; he continued, adding that he believes the lawsuit was designed to injure his professional career.
&#8220;Moreover, it was a message to other doctors to follow a narrative,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And that narrative is becoming increasingly uncomfortable for physicians in terms of a narrative that directs doctors not to treat patients early for COVID-19 and to continue to support and recommend emergency use authorized COVID-19 vaccination, despite mounting data that the vaccines have a very unfavorable safety profile.&#8221;
McCullough became a controversial figure in the medical field amid the global pandemic, which prompted medical associations and legacy media to discredit his promotion of hydroxychloroquine and other early treatments.
In December 2021, the cardiologist appeared on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast where he made a number of claims about information surrounding treatments for the coronavirus, including questioning the efficacy and safety of the vaccines and how the pandemic started.
&#8220;When I graduated from medical school, I took the Hippocratic Oath, which said that, above all, I would do no harm to any patient, and I would do everything in my power to help each and every patient,&#8221; McCullough said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve done that throughout the pandemic — not only with my personal patients — but through my public statements in my work as a public figure to help as many people in the world as possible, helping them avoid hospitalization and death with COVID-19 illness and helping them avoid injury, disability and death with COVID-19 vaccination.&#8221;
&#8220;I think this is a very important stance — I wouldn&#8217;t do anything any differently,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Whether there was a lawsuit or no lawsuit — this is very important. The question on the table is, &#8216;Why can&#8217;t all doctors in America in the world say that?’”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional information.
</div>

‘Wouldn’t Do Anything Different’: Dr. Peter McCullough Unbowed After Winning Legal Case

Texas Court Vindicates Cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough, Drops Lawsuit Filed By Former Employer

COVID

COVID-19 Vaccine

Pandemic

An Iranian illegal immigrant whose name is listed on the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) was caught and arrested at the southern border where he was found smuggled in the trunk of a vehicle.
Alireza Heidari, 29, was arrested last week in Val Verde, Texas, as part of the state’s Operation Lone Star run by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS); four other illegal immigrants accompanied him in the car, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/iranian-illegal-immigrant-terror-watch-list-caught-southern-border-sources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Fox News reported they contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) last Thursday and repeatedly after that, but it wasn’t until Tuesday that DHS referred them to the FBI. Fox News reported that the FBI declined to comment.
National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd lauded the Texas DPS, pointing out they made the arrest, not the United States Border Patrol, declaring, &#8220;If not for the work of Governor Abbott and Texas DPS, Alireza Heidari would be at large on our streets today and looking to do harm to the US and our fellow citizens. Heidari entered the country illegally and evaded apprehension by the Border Patrol. It fell to Texas DPS to do our job because Biden continues to play politics with the safety and security of our children, friends and neighbors. What Biden is doing is dangerous and the capture of Heidari by a non-federal law enforcement agency is the most recent proof.&#8221;
In fiscal year 2022, 98 <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/23/38-terror-watchlist-arrests-made-at-borders-since-october/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terror watch list arrests</a> were made, caught between ports of entry, as opposed to 15 in fiscal year 2021 and three in fiscal year 2020. Seventeen terror watch list arrests <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/border-patrol-nabbed-17-people-fbi-terror-watch-list-southern-border-december" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were made</a> in December.
Between last October 1 and January 23, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/23/38-terror-watchlist-arrests-made-at-borders-since-october/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to U.S. Customs and Protection, 38 people who were either known terrorists, suspected terrorists, or associates of them were stopped at the border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/terror-watch-lists-arrests-exploded-border-biden?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> that roughly 1.2 million &#8220;gotaways” — illegal immigrants who were detected but not apprehended, have made it into the U.S. since President Joe Biden was inaugurated.
“While the Biden administration feebly attempts to deflect blame for the unmitigated crisis at our Southwest border, feuding cartels are turning the U.S.-Mexico border into a warzone, an unprecedented number of people on the terrorist watchlists are attempting to cross the border, and all semblance of law and order has been lost,” the House Committee on Homeland Security <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/factsheet-december-2022-brings-highest-monthly-encounters-at-southwest-border-ever-recorded/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on January 23. “President Biden’s dangerous and reckless policies are responsible for CBP logging the highest number of migrant encounters for one month on record in December 2022.”

Texas Department Of Public Safety Patrols Border Along Rio Grande River

Iranian On Terror Watch List Caught At Border Smuggled In Trunk. FBI Declines Comment.

Customs and Border Protection (CPB)

Immigration

Iran

Operation Lone Star

Terrorism

Texas Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/greg-abbott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greg Abbott</a> announced this week that he has created a new position in his administration to battle President Joe Biden&#8217;s continued illegal immigration crisis on the U.S. southern border.
The announcement comes after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had 251,487 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-shatters-all-time-record-for-number-of-illegal-alien-encounters-on-southern-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">encounters</a> with illegal aliens last month, the highest number ever recorded in U.S. history.
Last month’s numbers, combined with the first two months of fiscal year 2023 — October and November — put the U.S. on track to have more than 2.87 million illegal alien encounters on the U.S. southern border this year.
December’s numbers mean that the Biden administration has now experienced ten straight months of 200,000+ illegal alien encounters per month on the southern border.
&#8220;For nearly two years, the State of Texas has taken unprecedented, historic action under Operation Lone Star in response to the Biden Administration&#8217;s refusal to secure the border,&#8221; <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-announces-new-texas-border-czar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Abbott. &#8220;To continue doing what no other state in the history of our country has done to secure the border, I hired Mike Banks as the State of Texas&#8217; first-ever Border Czar.&#8221;
&#8220;As an award-winning Border Patrol Agent, with decades of federal law enforcement and border security experience, Mike is the perfect choice to oversee Texas&#8217; fight against the surge of illegal immigration, lethal drugs, and deadly weapons flowing into our state and nation,&#8221; Abbott continued. &#8220;I have no doubt that Mike&#8217;s strong record of leadership and wealth of experience will provide Texans—and Americans—the level of border security expertise they deserve from a proper Border Czar.&#8221;
Banks said, &#8220;Protecting our nation’s border is something I have dedicated the last 23 years of my life to, and I am very passionate about it. I look forward to strengthening our relationships with law enforcement partners and the community, leveraging all that we can to further protect our great state of Texas and the United States.&#8221;
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/30/texas-names-border-czar-who-wants-to-make-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that when Banks was asked what his role was, he responded, “For me, the #1 priority is to make the State of Texas the least desirable place for illegal immigration to cross.&#8221;

Greg Abbott

Abbott Creates New Border Czar To Accelerate Border Wall Construction, Make State ‘Least Desirable Place For Illegal Immigration’

Border Crisis

Illegal Immigration

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hes-made-national-championship-plays-georgia-offensive-coordinator-backs-stetson-bennett-says-quarterback-gives-bulldogs-best-chance-to-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Star Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett</a> was arrested and charged with public intoxication in Dallas on Sunday, according to authorities.
The Dallas Police Department said officers responded to reports of a man banging on doors sometime around 6 or 7 a.m., <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/with-a-sparkling-stadium-and-surging-program-san-diego-state-makes-an-easy-case-for-pac-12-expansion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per multiple news reports</a>.
&#8220;The preliminary investigation found when officers arrived, they located the man, Stetson Bennett, 25, and determined he was intoxicated,&#8221; police said in a statement. &#8220;Bennett was taken into custody, transported to the City Detention Center and charged with public intoxication.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/georgia-bulldogs-quarterback-stetson-bennett-arrested-on-public-intoxication-charge-in-dallas-police-say/287-4f0caf3c-6d7d-4c46-a1fc-535aac7638a8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Local news outlet WFAA</a>, an ABC affiliate, reported Bennett was released from custody before 11 a.m. Video from the television station showed Bennett being released. He did not respond when asked what he was doing in Dallas.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Stetson Bennett arrested: Georgia QB released from custody in Dallas" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nPIB2sGzXHI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stetson-bennett-and-the-advent-of-the-perpetual-adolescent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bennett led</a> the Georgia Bulldogs to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-217-georgia-wins-back-to-back-national-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two straight national championship victories</a>, most recently with a triumph over the TCU Horned Frogs. He was named offensive MVP in both championship wins and was a <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/sports/college/georgia-bulldogs/stetson-bennett-finishes-fourth-heisman-voting/85-f0521a45-62ae-499a-975b-fd8eed4eb2a4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 Heisman Trophy finalist</a>.
A sixth-year student, Bennett was <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/stetson-bennett-age-georgia-qb-college-eligibility/bz2ftloec5xf3u8apchwdhs5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allowed to complete last season</a> thanks to the <a href="https://www.ncsasports.org/coronavirus-sports/ncaa-eligibility-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NCAA granting players an additional year</a> — six total — to complete four full seasons in a sport because of the COVID pandemic.
Bennett is expected to graduate with an economics degree in May, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/stetson-bennett-playing-with-house-money-as-georgia-enters-key-two-game-stretch-with-eyes-on-repeating/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CBS Sports</a>.
<a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35551758/georgia-qb-stetson-bennett-arrested-public-intoxication" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN reports</a> Bennett is considered a potential pick in the NFL draft in April.

Stetson Bennett

Georgia QB Stetson Bennett Arrested

Celebrities

College Football

Dallas

Georgia

NCAA

Sports

A foreign national pleaded guilty Wednesday to a failed attempt at poisoning numerous public officials by mailing threatening letters containing homemade ricin toxins to their homes, including to former President of the United States <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> at the White House in 2020.
Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 55, a dual citizen of Canada and France, admitted to making ricin, a highly deadly poison derived from castor beans, at her residence in Quebec, Canada, and mailing it to eight Texas State law enforcement officials and Trump in September 2020, the Justice Department said in a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/foreign-national-pleads-guilty-mailing-ricin-president-united-states-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>.
In her letter to Trump, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/25/politics/foreign-national-guilty-mailing-ricin-to-president-trump-in-2020/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Ferrier wrote, &#8220;You ruin USA and lead them to disaster. I have US cousins, then I don&#8217;t want the next 4 years with you as President. Give up and remove your application for this election!&#8221;
Ferrier also called Trump &#8220;The Ugly Tyrant Clown&#8221; in the letter, as noted by <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54255727" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a>.
The letter, which Ferrier referred to as &#8220;a special gift,&#8221; had traces of her fingerprints identified by the FBI.
&#8220;If it doesn&#8217;t work, I&#8217;ll find better recipe for another poison, or I might use my gun when I&#8217;ll be able to come,&#8221; the note read.
In her agreement, Ferrier pleaded guilty to prohibitions with respect to biological weapons in two separate criminal cases at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
&#8220;There is no place for political violence in our country, and no excuse for threatening public officials or endangering our public servants,&#8221; U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves said in the news release. &#8220;We hope this resolution will serve as a warning that using our mail system to send a toxic substance and other threats of this type will cost you your freedom for many years.&#8221;
Authorities said Ferrier&#8217;s &#8220;reckless actions&#8221; could have harmed postal employees, first responders, or innocent bystanders.
A tweet was also cited from September 2020 in which Ferrier proposed that someone should &#8220;please shoot [T]rump in the face.&#8221;
The letters, which Ferrier mailed from Canada, also contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to &#8220;[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.&#8221;
Authorities said Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on September 20, 2020.
Border patrol officials arrested Ferrier and placed her in custody after finding a loaded firearm with hundreds of rounds of ammunition and other weapons.
Ferrier is scheduled to appear in a Washington, D.C., district court in April, where she &#8220;will be sentenced to 262 months of imprisonment if the court accepts the plea agreements.&#8221;
Ferrier had been previously detained in Texas for approximately ten weeks in 2019 for unlawfully carrying a weapon and using a fake driver&#8217;s license, according to jail records reported by BBC.
Ricin has been previously used to target federal law enforcement and officials, including an attempt made by “The Walking Dead” actress Shannon Richardson in 2014, where she mailed the deadly toxin to President Barack Obama and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Woman Pleads Guilty To Mailing Deadly Toxin To President Trump, Eight Law Enforcement Officials In 2020

Crime

Department of Justice

Donald Trump

U.S. Postal Service

Four migrants bused to New York City from Texas were arrested for allegedly stealing more than $12,000 in items from Macy&#8217;s.
Wrallan Cabezas Meza, 19, Miguel Angel Rojas, 21, Rafael Rojas, 27, and Jose Garcia Escobar, 30, were detained after being tracked down by Nassau County Police. They allegedly drove away from the crime scene on January 9 in a 2006 BMW with a false license plate.
&#8220;All four defendants were charged with Grand Larceny in the 3rd Degree. Defendant Meza was issued multiple traffic citations,&#8221; the Nassau County Police Department said in a statement. &#8220;All four defendants were arraigned on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at First District Court, 99 Main Street in Hempstead. Defendants Escobar and Rafael Rojas were released with no bail.&#8221;
The stolen items were reportedly returned to the Macy&#8217;s location at the Roosevelt Field Mall in East Garden City on Long Island.
&#8220;Here in Nassau County, our police department is going to be vigilant in making sure that anybody who commits a crime is tracked down, caught and arrested,&#8221; Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11669281/Migrants-bused-NYC-form-Texas-arrested-stealing-12K-Macys-store-Long-Island.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a Monday press conference.
The suspects told a Spanish-speaking Nassau County detective that they came to New York City on a bus from Texas, Detective Lt. Richard Lebrun <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/23/four-migrants-arrested-for-shoplifting-12k-from-ny-macys/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The report did not indicate when the four men arrived in New York City. Meza reportedly crossed the U.S. southern border on July 4, 2022, with the other three men entering the country in September, according to Nassau County police.
Two of the men, Miguel and Rafael Rojas, had been living at the Westin Hotel, which is housing migrants, on West 57th Street in Manhattan since their arrival to the city, according to police.
The arrests of the four migrants were announced shortly after New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams visited the border in El Paso, Texas, earlier this month. Adams argues that more federal assistance is needed at the border and to help migrants entering his city.
The Daily Wire also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-to-house-migrants-at-cruise-ship-terminal-mayor-eric-adams-confirms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Adams announced over the weekend that the city would temporarily house migrants at a cruise ship terminal to help handle the growing influx of asylum seekers. The mayor shared plans for the 1,000-person shelter at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in a press release on Saturday.
“With more than 41,000 asylum seekers arriving in New York City since last spring and nearly 28,000 asylum seekers currently in our care, our city is at its breaking point,” Adams <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/050-23/mayor-adams-placement-new-humanitarian-emergency-response-relief-center" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Texas has transported more than <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-disrupts-cartel-activity-along-bidens-open-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5,200 migrants</a> to New York City since August.
In addition, Texas has bused 9,100 migrants to the nation’s capital since April, more than 1,500 migrants to Chicago since August 31, and more than 890 migrants to Philadelphia since November 15.

Macy’s

Four Migrants Bused To NYC Arrested In $12K Theft From Macy’s

Eric Adams

Macy's

Migrants

New York City

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott went viral when he tweeted a brutal jab during the Dallas Cowboys playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Abbott, who is paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair, <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1617318243043086337?s=20&amp;t=ghStC9WkGe9ERJNzNpOq_g">took to Twitter</a> after Cowboys kicker Brett Maher failed to convert an extra point when it was blocked by 49ers defensive lineman Samson Ebukam, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/01/23/texas-governor-greg-abbott-trolls-brett-maher-cowboys-49ers-nfl-playoffs/">TMZ</a> reported. San Francisco ended up winning the game and advancing to the NFC Championship.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Brett Maher is 1/6 on PATs this post season after missing here
If this kick wasn’t blocked, it still wouldn’t have been good. <a href="https://t.co/Dd9Wl7zIST">pic.twitter.com/Dd9Wl7zIST</a>
&mdash; JPA (@jasrifootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasrifootball/status/1617317872459456516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I swear, I can kick as good as the Dallas Cowboys kicker,&#8221; Abbott tweeted to his more than one million followers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I swear, I can kick as good as the Dallas Cowboys kicker.
&mdash; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1617318243043086337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And Abbott wasn&#8217;t the only person who criticized the Cowboys&#8217; kicker. Several accounts flooded the social media platform with videos and memes mocking Maher.
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Jerry Jones to Brett Maher in the Cowboys locker room at halftime… <a href="https://t.co/bcSYi5ER75">pic.twitter.com/bcSYi5ER75</a>
&mdash; NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL_Memes/status/1617327573372919810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Brett Maher trying to kick PATs <a href="https://t.co/s896wcFTR7">pic.twitter.com/s896wcFTR7</a>
&mdash; 𝔰𝔭𝔦𝔡𝔞 (@spidaIand) <a href="https://twitter.com/spidaIand/status/1617318172994195456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Brett Maher lining up to kick an extra point <a href="https://t.co/7hhRNWrVAQ">pic.twitter.com/7hhRNWrVAQ</a>
&mdash; BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetMGM/status/1617318276484431872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Brett Maher lining up to kick an extra point <a href="https://t.co/3Z6B8JIVt3">pic.twitter.com/3Z6B8JIVt3</a>
&mdash; Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1617318102106247168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Maher has struggled in the playoffs this season, missing five extra point attempts in the past two games, including four on January 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He has the second most missed extra point attempts in NFL playoff history.
However, the Cowboys kicker did manage to nail two field goals on Sunday, a 25-yarder in the third quarter and a 43-yarder in the fourth. He has made 12 consecutive field goal attempts.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-49ers-dallas-cowboys-nfl-sports-football-eb7e3a98a43c901478292c0f8875eef0">According</a> to The Associated Press, there was a brief altercation before the game when some 49ers players attempted to disrupt Maher while he was warming up.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/can-you-cut-a-guy-at-halftime-peyton-manning-reacts-to-cowboys-kicker-missing-third-straight-extra-point">&#8216;Can You Cut A Guy At Halftime?&#8217;: Peyton Manning Reacts To Cowboys Kicker Missing Third Straight Extra Point</a>

Dallas Cowboys-2

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Goes Viral With Brutal Dallas Cowboys Playoffs Tweet

Dallas Cowboys

General

San Francisco 49ers

Restaurant and bar owners in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/houston-taqueria-where-patron-shot-and-killed-would-be-robber-gets-robbed-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Houston</a> are sleeping in their establishments, armed, in order to protect them from robbers.
The restaurant owners have resorted to sleeping in their businesses in order to prevent a recent rash of break-ins that have taken place in recent weeks. The owners said that their businesses have been broken into repeatedly, sometimes by the same suspect. They placed the blame on Houston&#8217;s bail policies, which have resulted in more criminals out on the streets.
“We’ve been broken into six times now,&#8221; Tod Jones, the owner of Glitter, a karaoke bar in Midtown Houston, told local news outlet <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/houston-restaurant-bars-burglaries/285-6667ff6d-562d-4173-9594-be37661e754b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KHOU</a>. “They’re coming in, grabbing as many bottles as they can, throwing it in a bag and then they’re out. Both my windows are broken, and I’m like, &#8216;Man, I don’t even want to fix them because they’re going to be broken again in the next few days.’”
Jones said that the thieves have caused more than $20,000 in damages and stolen alcohol. “At this point, you don’t even want to claim it on your insurance, because you don’t want to lose your insurance,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You just have to fix it yourself.” KHOU reported that Jones now sleeps at the bar from closing until morning to protect the property.
Raul Jacobo, the owner of Cobos Barbecue in the East Downtown neighborhood, is also sleeping in the back office of his restaurant with a gun waiting for burglars. The restaurant was broken into twice in less than two weeks, despite being a block away from a Houston Police Department office. In one instance, Jacobo and a security guard caught a would-be thief and held him until police arrived. &#8220;Police got there, he had his bag with all his tools in it, ski mask,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Then, next thing I find out, he’s out the next day.”
“We are literally one street away from an [HPD] substation and we have a criminal that is breaking in twice in four days and doesn’t care about any consequence,&#8221; he added.
“I have been burglarized 15 times in the last year,” Lindsey Rae, the owner of Two-Headed Dog in Houston, said during a recent city council meeting, via the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/19/armed-bar-owners-in-texas-sleeping-in-shops-to-stop-criminals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>. “We’re seeing, if they are getting caught, they’re getting re-released because of the cash bond issues we’re having,” she added. &#8220;They can come back and rob us again.”
A 2021 investigation from ABC affiliate <a href="https://abc13.com/feature/harris-county-bond-system-repeat-offenders-houston-crime/11250980/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KTRK</a> found that Houston&#8217;s bail policies have allowed more criminals back onto the streets. The outlet found that in 2011, just 3.5% of cases filed in Harris County court resulted in the defendant being released on felony bond; in 2021, the defendant was released in 18.8% of cases, nearly six times as often. The most frequent charges for defendants who posted felony bond were: felon in possession of a weapon; possession of a controlled substance; or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The investigation also found that criminals were committing more crimes while out on bail. In 2011, just 3.5% of cases involved a defendant who was already out on at least one existing felony bond; in 2021, that number leaped to 19%. Of those cases, 968 accused felons allegedly committed four or more new crimes since being released on bond. One case investigated by the outlet found that the offender was out on 13 separate bonds.

Guns

Houston Restaurant Owners Are Sleeping In Their Businesses, Armed, To Keep Out Burglars Because Of City’s Lax Bail Policies

Houston Restaurant Owners Are Sleeping In Their Businesses, Armed, To Keep Out Burglars Because Of City's Lax Bail Policies

Houston

Robbery

Small Businesses

A border sheriff in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> is requesting other sheriffs across the state and elsewhere to aid him in securing his county against an unprecedented wave of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illegal-immigration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal immigration</a>.
Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe sent a letter to other sheriffs across several states, according to NewsNation reporter Ali Bradley. Coe thanked the sheriffs of Galveston and Goliath counties for assistance already provided, but said that his county’s resources are at a “breaking point.”
“The safety and security of our county has been constantly under threat since early 2021 by those who have no desire to seek asylum through lawful means,” Coe wrote. “Our homes are being broken into in the middle of the night. The local school district has been forced to erect military barricades around campus to protect students from smugglers evading law enforcement. Walking outside on our own property after dark is no longer safe.”
“The residents of Kinney County no longer enjoy the comfort and safety of their own home. Words cannot adequately describe the conditions on the ground and the daily threats we have been forced to contend with,” he continued.
Coe said that his officers patrol roadways and local ranches, as well as serve on a “brush team” that works to intercept and arrest aliens criminally trespassing on local ranches.
“Under normal circumstances, our county would not support a large or robust law enforcement presence. However, these are extraordinary times,” Coe said.
“By sending this letter, I am requesting any aide that your county may be able to provide in this border crisis, whether it be manpower, equipment, or operators. This crisis has made all counties a border county. It is imperative that we stand ready here at the border in order to protect and serve the people of our great state,” the sheriff concluded.
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TX: Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe sends letter to sheriffs in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas asking for help at the border. 
“I am requesting any aide that your county may be able to provide in this border crisis, whether it be manpower, equipment, or operators&#8230;” <a href="https://t.co/cO33y82Cdo">pic.twitter.com/cO33y82Cdo</a>
&mdash; Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AliBradleyTV/status/1616401275863863297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In April 2021, Kinney County Judge Tully Shahan issued a disaster declaration over the illegal immigration crisis that had been growing for months. Over a year later in July 2022, Shahan stood beside officials from Goliad, Uvalde, and Terrell counties to <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/07/05/texas-counties-declare-invasion-amid-border-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declare</a> the surge in illegal immigration an “invasion.”
“We’re being invaded. The facts are there,” Shahan said at a press conference in Brackettville, Texas. “This is real. We want America to know this is real. America doesn’t know what’s happening here.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ramped up his own rhetoric around the border crisis, describing the situation as an “invasion” in recent months and dedicating more and more state resources to patrolling and securing communities along Texas’ southern border with Mexico.
“Until Congress acts or the Biden Administration does its constitutionally required job, Texas Guardsmen and Troopers must bear the burden of securing the border,” Abbott <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-orders-dps-tmd-to-use-every-available-strategy-to-combat-border-crisis">said</a> in a letter to Texas safety officials in November. “You must continue to keep Texans and Americans safe and protect against an invasion of the southern border. I order you to use all resources and tools available to repel immigrants from attempting to cross illegally, arrest those who cross illegally and return them to the border, and arrest criminals who violate Texas law.”
Abbott launched Operation Lone Star to attempt to secure the southern border amid the crisis, dispatching Texas state troopers and National Guard members to communities along the border. The border town of El Paso <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/12/20/el-paso-beefs-up-border-security-with-arrival-of-400-national-guard-troops/">received</a> 500 National Guard troops in December when officials feared the end of Title 42.

Illegal immigration

Border Sheriff Puts Out Call For Aid: ‘Homes Are Being Broken Into In The Middle Of The Night’

On Tuesday, a small <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/airplane-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plane crash</a> resulted in the death of four people from the same church congregation, while one pastor survived the tragedy.
“There were five people aboard the aircraft. Four of the people are deceased,” Sargeant Ruben San Miguel of the Texas Department of Public Safety told newspaper Victoria Advocate. “One person was able to get out of the aircraft and is in stable condition.”
One of the people who passed away was the executive pastor of the Harvest Church, <a href="https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/four-members-germantown-church-die-texas-plane-crash-authorities-say/G5YQ3UWQU5GR7JPGGQDXWKJZVI/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">located</a> in Germantown, Tennessee. The crash took place within a mile of the Yoakum Municipal Airport and the plane went down in Lavaca County in Texas.
According to Fox 13, FlightAware tracking showed that the group departed from Memphis right before eight in the morning on Tuesday, and the crash occurred around three hours afterward. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are helping to investigate the incident.
The church held space at its worship center after the tragedy for people to come together to pray and mourn as a church body, according to social media.
The church also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=556581539841564&amp;set=pb.100064691679174.-2207520000." target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 on its page with a photo of a candle.
The post of the verse reads, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
The single-engine airplane was a Piper PA-46-350P, which can <a href="https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/plane-crash-texas-17723850.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> normally fit one pilot with five additional people. Those who live in the area where it crashed said there were persistent foggy conditions around eleven in the morning, according to <a href="https://www.crossroadstoday.com/small-plane-crash-reported-in-lavaca-county-near-cr-462-and-fm-318/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Crossroads Today</a>.
Kennon Vaughan, a pastor and reported elder at the church, lived through the crash.
The church also provided updates about Kennon Vaughan&#8217;s situation. It reported that Kennon was extubated and able to breathe without assistance. They asked for prayers for his pain and that no infection would start to form. They also noted that spinal and brain reports were clear and also asked for prayers for his wife, Kathryn, as she remains with him.
In 2006, Vaughan <a href="https://www.familylife.com/podcast/guest/kennon-vaughan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">founded</a> <a href="https://www.downlineministries.com/history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Downline Ministries</a> after he worked at a church, which looks to train those who lead in churches.
&#8220;At present, Downline has trained thousands of Christ-followers around the globe in biblical discipleship and provides the opportunity for discipleship training through our various live Institutes and Virtual platform,&#8221; Downline Ministries&#8217; website <a href="https://www.downlineministries.com/history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a>.
The four people who died in the crash included Bill Garner and Steve Tucker, who were both elders at the church. Tyler Patterson and Tyler Springer were members of the church who also tragically passed away. Tucker owned the business Circle Y Saddles and was also the president of the company.
The company reportedly said in a statement on Facebook that Tucker was a “visionary owner and president.”
“For those who were fortunate enough to know Mr. Tucker, it was truly an honor. His wisdom, faith, and innovation touched many lives in the equestrian community. His legacy will live on through the family of brands he created by continuing to handcraft saddles and accessories for all types of riders and horse owners,” it added.

598B5514-17CB-45B1-9447-F0DAEEE675FC_1_105_c

Four Members Of Church Congregation Killed In Plane Crash, Pastor Survives

Air and Space

Airplane crash

Death

Many cities that cracked down on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/homelessness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homelessness</a> have been hit with legal challenges over their new restrictions.
New York City, Dallas, and other cities that tried to aggressively address their homeless problem — and the drug, crime, and public nuisance issues that accompany it — are now <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-cities-get-tough-on-homelessness-legal-battles-follow-11673960273?mod=us_lead_story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defending</a> their policies in court.
In New York City, civil rights groups are attempting to block Mayor Eric Adams&#8217; initiative to hospitalize homeless people who are severely mentally ill and appear to be a danger to themselves.
“If severe mental illness is causing someone to be unsheltered and a danger to themselves, we have a moral obligation to help them get the treatment and care they need,” Adams <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/11/29/nyc-to-involuntarily-commit-more-mentally-unstable-people/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> when he announced the plan.
In December, several civil rights groups <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-plan-to-involuntarily-hospitalize-some-mentally-ill-homeless-faces-legal-challenge-11670540243?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> a federal judge to block the policy, claiming it is unconstitutional and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
New York&#8217;s policy sometimes involves confiscating homeless people&#8217;s belongings as they are removed from public property and taken to a hospital. The city&#8217;s move comes amid concerns that the city&#8217;s homeless crisis is becoming more visible and spiraling out of control.
Also last month, Dallas was <a href="https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/dallas-sued-for-banning-panhandlers-from-standing-on-medians-15486363" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> over its October policy restricting people hanging around road medians, where homeless people often panhandle. City officials said the policy is for public safety because people can get hit by passing cars. However, the homeless people and their advocates who sued the city argued the policy violates their First Amendment rights.
Albuquerque was <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/national-news/ap-new-mexico-city-sued-for-hounding-harassing-the-homeless/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> last month by homeless people and the ACLU of New Mexico for removing homeless encampments and arresting and fining people living on the street, allegedly violating their civil rights.
Similarly, Phoenix was <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/aclu-sues-city-of-phoenix-stop-sweeps-homeless-camp/75-232de857-bdf8-411d-9e13-e8250fe89d70" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> last month by the ACLU of Arizona over sweeps of a huge homeless encampment downtown.
“Rather than confront its housing crisis head-on and invest in sustainable solutions to homelessness, the City is terrorizing the very people it should be helping,” the complaint reads.
In San Francisco, which has one of the nation&#8217;s worst homeless and drug crises, homeless people and their advocates sued the city for fining and arresting homeless people as a way to get them out of public spaces. They also complained that the city throws out homeless people&#8217;s tents and other belongings without enough warning.
Recently, the Ninth Circuit federal appeals court has limited what some West Coast cities with severe homeless crises can do to address the problem if they can&#8217;t offer appropriate shelter.
“It is a serious, serious, problem, probably the biggest crisis we’re facing right now, and I think these decisions are at the heart of what has gone wrong here,” attorney Theane Evangelis, who <a href="https://www.gibsondunn.com/lawyer/evangelis-theane/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended</a> an Oregon city&#8217;s homeless policy in the 9th Circuit, told <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-cities-get-tough-on-homelessness-legal-battles-follow-11673960273" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
“They’ve caused paralysis at a time when we need action,” Evangelis said.
A federal judge has temporarily banned San Francisco from taking those actions to combat the homeless issue, citing Ninth Circuit rulings.
Back in 2021, Austin was sued for not doing enough to address the city&#8217;s homeless problem. A group of Austin business owners and others <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/save-austin-now-business-owners-say-austin-is-failing-to-enforce-camping-ban-in-new-lawsuit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> the city for not enforcing its public property camping ban.

Demonstration Held At NYC’s City Hall Against Mayor Adams’ Plan For Mentally Ill Homeless

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