A federal appeals court sided with Texas on Tuesday, saying that the state does not have to remove a water buoy barrier placed in the Rio Grande to deter illegal immigration. In its decision, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Biden administration failed to provide evidence that the barrier needed to be removed, vacating a lower court’s order. The Justice Department had filed a lawsuit against Texas accusing it of violating federal law after it placed a chain of floating buoys along a stretch of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass.  “Cognizant of our role as a court of review and of the reality that a preliminary injunction is an exceptional remedy, we hold that the district court clearly erred in finding that the United States will likely prove that the barrier is in a navigable stretch of the Rio Grande,” Circuit Judge Don Willett wrote. “We cannot square the district court’s findings and conclusions with over a century’s worth of precedent, which on a fair and faithful reading renders inapplicable or unpersuasive the evidence on which the district court relies.” Willett said the lower court sided with the DOJ, saying that the barrier threatened human life and safety, impaired navigation, and violated the Rivers and Harbors Act. He said that neither justification was supported by the evidence.  The decision specifically criticized the district court attributing the barrier to drownings in the river.  “The district court again set aside reason by inferring that the barrier caused the deaths of two people found nearby—one at the southern end of the barrier and the other three miles upriver — from news articles that said nothing of the sort,” Willett wrote. In a dissent, Circuit Judge Dana Douglas wrote that the lower court’s decision was backed by the evidence. “The district court relied on all the evidence discussed herein to find that the balance of hardships favors the United States. It considered the threat to navigation and federal government operations on the Rio Grande, as well as the potential threat to human life the floating barrier created,” he wrote. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Republican Governor Greg Abbott celebrated the decision. “We fought to keep these barriers in the water, and with the Fifth Circuit’s decision, that is exactly where they will remain,” Abbott said. “This fight is far from over. Texas will continue to defend our constitutional right to secure our southern border to keep our state and the nation safe.” Further litigation on the barriers is expected to begin on August 6. 

China’s Pan Zhanle won a decisive victory in the men’s 100 freestyle on Wednesday, beating the rest of the field at the Olympic Games in Paris by a full second and setting a new world record — and immediately threw shade at two of his competitors, Kyle Chalmers (AUS) and Jack Alexy (USA). Pan finished the race in 46.40, knocking 0.4 off his previous world record time set earlier this year and the world championships in Doha, Qatar: “Today I finally beat them all. In such a challenging pool, I broke the world record. This is a tremendous performance and a great start for team China.” But a short time after the race, he told reporters that some of the other swimmers had been less than friendly towards him. “When I finished the 4×100 freestyle relay the other day, I said ‘hi’ to Chalmers, but he totally ignored me. Also [Jack] Alexy from the U.S. When we were training, our coach was standing by the poolside and he turned in such a way that the water splashed right onto the coach. I felt he looked down on us a little,” Pan said in an interview. Chalmers, who won gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and had hoped to repeat that victory in Paris, finished just over a second behind Pan for the silver medal — but he did not recall any instance in which he had given the Chinese athlete the cold shoulder. “I find it a bit weird. I gave him a fist pump before the relays … and then my focus went to my teammates and my own racing. We had a laugh together at warmdown last night, but no issues from my end,” he said. Alexy, who finished seventh in Wednesday’s final, did not comment on Pan’s claim. WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — MATT WALSH’S EXPOSÉ ON DEI As ESPN reported, “the Chinese swim team has been under intense scrutiny” leading up to the Paris Olympic Games after it was revealed that a number of athletes had tested positive for banned substances in 2021 but were still allowed to compete in the Tokyo Games. China has repeatedly blamed “contaminated food” when athletes test positive for banned substances. For his part, Chalmers did not question Pan’s Wednesday victory or his new world record: “For him to produce a 46.40 and break the world record in the Olympic final is incredible. I do everything I possibly can to win the race, and guess everyone’s doing the same as I am and staying true to the sport and integrity of sport. I trust that he’s done everything he possibly can to be there. And he deserves that gold medal. And I did everything I possibly could to challenge for that gold medal.” American distance swimmer Katie Ledecky weighed in on the use of performance-enhancing substances before the Olympics, saying, “I hope everyone here (in Paris) is going to be competing clean this week. But what really matters also is: Were they training clean? Hopefully, that’s been the case. Hopefully, there’s been even testing around the world.”

Last week’s recall of Boar’s Head meat has expanded to include 7 million additional pounds of deli meats and poultry items. Boar’s Head Recall: What You Need To Know NBC News states that as of Tuesday, “34 people have gotten sick across 13 states.” Additionally, there have been 33 hospitalizations and two fatalities. Last week’s Boar’s Head recall included more than 207,000 pounds of liverwurst and ham products. The expanded recall includes 71 additional products with sell-by dates from July 29 through October 17 of this year. You can find the entire list here.  Boar’s Head Recall: How Did They Find Out? Boar’s Head learned of the situation after The Maryland Department of Health tested an unopened sample of liverwurst. The company then issued the following statement. “On Friday, July 25, 2024, we initiated an immediate and voluntary recall of our Strassburger Brand Liverwurst because it had the potential to be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes.” Following news of further outbreaks, it released a new statement. “On Monday evening, July 29, 2024, we learned from the USDA that our Strassburger Brand Liverwurst has been linked to the national deli meat Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. Based on this new information, we took steps to ensure we are doing everything possible to protect public health.” What Is Listeria, And What Happens If You Consume It? Regarding Listeria and Listeriosis, the CDC states this on their website. ” Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogens.” Most people who fall ill with listeria will only experience mild symptoms and not need treatment. However, young children, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems may experience more serious symptoms. The Food and Drug Administration lists these as potential symptoms of a listeria infection. Mild Symptoms: Fever Muscle aches Nassau Vomiting Diarrhea Severe Symptoms: Headache Stiff neck Confusion Loss of Balance Convulsions Death (in certain cases) You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Massive Boar’s Head Recall: 7 Million More Pounds Of Deli Meats Pulled For Bacterial Contamination appeared first on InspireMore.

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(Illustration by Timothy Renner)The following article was printed in The Evening Sun (Hanover, PA) on October 31, 2011:Some people might consider this marker, off of Dicks Dam Road north of Cross Keys, a simple scarecrow. But others think it could be a totem for the Mothman creature they say is skulking around the Adams County woodsThe stream gurgle fades with the waning afternoon light, as you press deeper into the woods. A muddy shore gives way to thick grass heavy with rain. The path narrows, branches grasp and pull.Something moves and you turn with a start -- a squirrel bounds away through the brush.If it's March, or April, we're not having this conversation. You're not wide-eyed and alone and half-lost in a maze of trees and undergrowth.But this is the season for ghouls and for legends. It's the time of year editors send reporters out to the wild, in search of fleeting phantoms. Thus, the mothman creature that reportedly lives in the rural Adams County woods.And thus a soaked pair of shoes, and pants legs abloom with sharp briars. Leaves whispering, dusk falling as the trail leads you deeper, farther from home.So how did it come to this?Here's the story.It's 1988, and a man living in the Baltimore area is set to meet an old friend from Adams County at a Boy Scout conference. The old friend mentions to the man, Lon Strickler, that Scout troops on overnight trips at Camp Conewago have recently been packing up their tents early, leaving the grounds in a rush of spinning tires. They've been waking in the night, the man said, to the sound of shrill crying.Screaming sounds, out among the trees.Strickler -- who had some experience in paranormal research -- was intrigued. He agreed to accompany his friend, and another man, to investigate for a night.The group met at the Boy Scout camp off Dicks Dam Road north of Cross Keys, on a Friday night, around 7 p.m. They walked from the empty cabins about 500 yards into the woods, and then, following the Conewago Creek another 300 yards upstream, pitched their tents there along the shore. The talk was of sports and childhood camping trips, and night passed without incident.There was little mention of the something they thought could be out in the woods. But still, Strickler would say later, it felt as if he were being watched.Saturday dawned clear and cool, the sun warming a winding creek. The three men explored the area for most of the day, arriving back at camp again in the early evening. Conversation again covered football and food, the hours blurring and fading with a crackling campfire. Then, from somewhere in the shadows, a scream.Maybe an owl, one man said. A bobcat, or a bird? But the three knew the local woods, and the animals. And this wasn't close, they said. This was something different. The wail of a child.So the group grabbed stowed gear and crept away from the dying fire, out into the night. They searched for signs of tracks or disturbance, squinting to pick up movement among the trees, scanning the shadows under slivered moon.Water murmured in the creek bed. Leaves split like eggshells underfoot. Breath streamed out in bursts of silence, white against the night. Strickler stopped.There it is, he whispered.Standing in the creek was a large, dark figure. It was tall as a man, and stood upright; its red eyes burned. In an eye blink the creature leapt from the creek with a dizzying burst of wind and water, melting away into the sky.Its scream echoed over barren branches.That was more than 20 years ago, Lon Strickler said recently, and he can still see it -- those eyes. And others have seen it in those woods, too, he said. Stories of sightings have come in from people he's never met. He's tracked them, and they still trickle in today.Its become known, Strickler said, as the Conewago Phantom.For all the build-up, though, and the obvious ghost-story selling points, few around the area had ever heard of the beast. Knocks on doors brought little more than puzzled, pitying looks. Trips down forgotten stone lanes yielded only empty stares.Several people, at least, got a good laugh.So as the late-day sun melts to twilight, there's little left to do but find that deserted Boy Scout camp.Behind an iron gate lays a wide, empty field, with a slow hill running to a line of wooden cabins. The cabins, huddled close and backed by dense woods, are dark and boarded, with no signs of life save for a dent here, a long scratch in a split board there. Then, movement.At the top of the stone drive a blue pickup rolls into view, slows, and rumbles to rest beside you with a diesel growl. Inside, a man with a hat pulled low and a wide, dark mustache. He kills the engine but the woods are somehow louder now, birdsong dripping down from the trees.He jerks his head, beckoning."I hear you're looking for 'Ole Red Eye,'" the man says as you struggle your way across the loose stone. Kids at this camp been talking about him for years, he says, fresh dirt on his shirt sleeve, gravel in his voice. Some claim they've seen him.There's something they're afraid of, he says, out in those woods.He stares off into the shadows, and while you can't see up into the pickup, you notice the gun rack behind his head. You notice it's empty. And your eye goes to the black tarp behind him. It flaps loose in the wind, slick and wet.He turns back, catches you looking. And a hungry smile forms under that mustache, as he reaches down with his right hand -- slowly -- his little eyes on yours.The gray sky seems to sag in on itself, and your skin goes cold. The birds squawk and scream, trees pressing in as your voice fails."I imagine that's all just kid stories, though," the man says. And he takes a drink of the soda in his hand. The truck rumbles and lurches to life again, tires grinding into the stone. Be careful, he advises then, out here all alone.But you're already right behind him. The swishing and sloshing of your soaked shoes forgotten, as you fumble with your keys, as you jump in your car. As you press down the automatic lock.So silly, of course. But even those who don't believe -- those tree-branch fingers clawing at your window, that cold breath of wind creeping through the door -- this month we look twice over our shoulder.Did you just hear something? - The Evening Sun - October 31, 2011Have you had a sighting of a flying humanoid or huge bat-like creature? Please feel free to contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com - your anonymity is guaranteed. Our investigative group is conducting a serious examination of his phenomenon. We are merely seeking the truth and wish to determine what eyewitnesses have been encountering. Your cooperation is truly appreciated. You can call me directly at 410-241-5974 as well. Thanks...Lon Strickler**********POLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote & comment on paranormal, cryptid & unexplained mysteries!LYCANS! - PENNSYLVANIA'S CRYPTID CANINES UPDATE | LIVE CHAT | Q & A (REAL EYEWITNESS REPORTS!)LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS & MONSTERS REPORTS & CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHAREPHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS & MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming& FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusBigfoot and Other Cryptid Videos on YouTubeLYCANS! - PENNSYLVANIA'S CRYPTID CANINES UPDATE'KILLER BIGFOOT' HUNTED BY U.S. SPECIAL FORCES / GLIMMER MAN / MANTIS HUMANOIDSCRAWLER HUMANOIDS - GRUESOME INVADERS! (REAL EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS!)WEREWOLVES: DO THEY EXIST?'DOGMAN IN OUR YARD!' - AN OHIO FAMILY'S 12-YEAR SAGA WITH CRYPTID CANINESHey, folks. Thanks for the congrats on 'The Mothman Revisited' episode on Unsolved Mysteries. As a result, we are receiving more sighting reports and are very excited and grateful for the new information!I want to sincerely thank the Unsolved Mysteries team and Netflix for allowing us to tell the world about this phenomenon.If you have information about this or any other cryptid or unexplained sighting or encounter, please feel free to contact me by email or at 410-241-5974. Thanks again! LonCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube Playlist----------Become a Phantoms & Monsters Radio member - just $2.99 monthly, and receive these perks. Thanks for your support!-Members-only live chats-Exclusive members-only videos-Priority reply to members' commentsHave perks suggestions? LMK-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS

Walter Cronkite, the premier TV anchorman of the U.S. networks' golden age reported a tumultuous time with reassuring authority and came to be called "the most trusted man in America."Cronkite was the face of CBS News from 1962 to 1981 when stories ranged from the John F. Kennedy assassination to the Iranian hostage crisis.According to UFO researcher Bill Knell (more on him below), in the 1950s Cronkite was part of a pool of news reporters brought out to a small South Pacific island to watch the test of a new Air Force missile...a large disc-type UFO appeared on the scene. Cronkite guessed that the object was about 50-60 feet in diameter, a dull grey color, and had no visible means of propulsion. As Air Force guards ran toward the UFO with their dogs, the disc hovered about 30 feet off of the ground.Bill Knell's claim: In the 1950s Cronkite was part of a pool of News Reporters brought out to a small South Pacific island to watch the test of a new Air Force missile. After a short inspection of the new system by the reporters, they were led to an area that was a safe distance from the launch site. The missile was mounted on a specially built launcher that was attached to a cement base. It was obvious that the area had been quickly built just for the test. The details about the missile were going to be given to the reporters in the form of hand-out sheets and press releases after the test.Cronkite mentioned that he and the other reporters had been warned that photography of the missile test and any audio transmissions or recordings by the press were forbidden. They would have to give a written account of the event. Just as the test was ready to proceed, everyone was writing as fast as they could. As Air Force Security personnel walked around the perimeter of the test area with guard dogs and the news reporters watched, the missile was fired up and about to be released. Just then, a large disc-type UFO appeared on the scene.Cronkite guessed that the object was about 50-60 feet in diameter, a dull grey color, and had no visible means of propulsion. Because the noise of activity around him and the missile engine was so loud, he couldn't tell whether the disc made any noise. He did not notice any coming directly from the object.As Air Force guards ran toward the UFO with their dogs, the disc hovered about 30 feet off of the ground. It suddenly sent out a blue beam of light which struck the missile, a guard, and a dog all at the same time. The missile was frozen in mid-air about 70 feet from the launcher as it had taken off. A guard was frozen in mid-step and a dog was frozen in mid-air as it had jumped at the disc. Cronkite reminded me that this all happened within the space of about five minutes or less.Suddenly, the missile exploded! After that, the disc vanished. The guard and dog looked alright but were quickly taken away by medical personnel always present at tests in case anyone became injured. At the same time, guards rapidly ushered the reporters into a concrete observation bunker. After about thirty minutes of sitting in that hot box, they were brought out into the air again and addressed by an Air Force Colonel.The officer told them, "It was all part of the test." Obviously making it up as he went along, the Colonel said that the event was "staged" to test media reaction to UFOs. He reinforced the usual line to the reporters that Flying Saucers were probably not extra-terrestrial, but what people were actually seeing was secret planes being tested by the Air Force. This test was designed to show the media how "shocking" it could be to suddenly view a new technology. Well, Cronkite was certain that what he viewed was a new technology, but he was also sure it was not an Earthly one! He didn't believe the Air Force explanation then, and he still didn't believe it at the time when he told me the story.After the event, reporters were told that since it was a test of media reaction to new technology, they could not report on it! But, they would be compensated later with exclusive stories on new Air Force projects (a promise that was never kept). Being as private as he was, Cronkite never did share with me his own beliefs about UFOs beyond the story he told me. I was so happy to have heard the story that I was afraid to ask anything further!The CBS UFO Special was filmed shortly after I met with Cronkite and I was included in it for just a few minutes. During the filming, I became aware that Cronkite had not shared his story with most of the other UFO investigators or witnesses. After the special aired I called one of Cronkite's staff members and asked him if he had ever heard the UFO story. He told me he had. Cronkite had only shared it with a few key people and it was NOT covered or even mentioned in the Special.I wondered why Cronkite had chosen to tell me the story without telling everyone? The staff members told me that most of the others were so busy telling him about themselves that he just never bothered. I guess that the greatest lesson the legendary newsman taught me that day was the art of conversation, knowing when to talk and when to listen! - Bill Knell - 4/6/2006FOLLOW-UP to Walter Cronkite's UFO EncounterI originally wrote the Cronkite article in 1998 for my website, but I thought readers at Paranormal News might enjoy it as well. I met Cronkite in 1973 (as the article indicates) and that's when he told me the story.I have repeated the story ever since during many of my seminars and found that a few others had heard the story too. Most of them had heard it secondhand or said that they had read it somewhere. At the time it happened, some of his staff knew about it, so I assumed it wasn't really a big secret. He didn't tell it to me in confidence, so I felt no obligation to keep it a secret. Since publications come and go and people have short memories for news, Cronkite may have once shared it in some long-forgotten interview. But I have never seen it in print.I feel that Cronkite's account of what happened is very credible. He seemed to be telling me the story from an honest memory of the event. When we conversed, he was very interested in the Air Force cover-up. I suspect that if he had more control over the 1973 documentary, he would have angled it in that direction. Instead, it was pretty much a neutral piece designed for ratings (from my memory). Although I have contacted CBS many times, they finally told me that any tape or film the UFO Special was on no longer exists and was probably lost in the shuffle of the news craziness surrounding Watergate (which broke big around that time).Like many important stories, this one has been around a while, but I think a lot of people in the UFO and Paranormal research community probably were too busy chasing false starts created by government disinformation to cover it. I recall that when everyone was running to Gulf Breeze in the late 80's and early 90's, I revealed a story regarding a trip by former general Doolittle (the leader of the famous bombing raid on Japan during the early part of WWII) to Spitzbergen and his possible connection to the recovery of a UFO. He was there in 1946 and may have obtained a UFO that crashed on the island during the war. I had met some sailors from the USS Alabama in the late 80's who said the object was brought back to the USA on the battleship Alabama. I started telling this story in my seminars as early as 1990, but noticed that the ABOUT.com UFO page attributes it to some 1950s or 60s article by someone I had never heard of?I also noticed that some of the MUFON people credited my original recording of the first radio interview given by Kenneth Arnold less than 12 hours after his 1947 sighting to some guy named Mike. I received that recording from a radio guy who had the original interview in the '70s and has been playing it in my seminars ever since. I assume that Mike lifted it off one of my audio or video sets and sent it to whoever at MUFON. No problem, just an illustration of how stuff is out there if you take some time to look at some of us little guys who aren't Richard, Budd, or Whitley.Here's one more. In 1987 I met a guy who had worked with Jesse Marcel. He told me that some of the material shown in Texas that was supposed to be from the weather balloon wreckage was actually from the real object. It was some of the lighter-colored, small pieces laying on top of the balloon wreckage at the bottom of the press conference photos. I told that story to Friedman and others who laughed at it. Now I see that photo examination has revealed it to be true. But that didn't surprise me. I was amused to find out that most people in the UFO community didn't know that when THE ROSWELL INCIDENT was first published, Bill Moore still had never actually visited or set foot in Roswell! He wrote the book from all of Friedman's notes and by witness interviews over the phone. Moore finally went to the place later.Finally, I doubt that Cronkite kept the story a secret. Some of his staff knew about it and a few others I've met through the years. When he told it to me, he did it as calmly as someone reporting the weather. I think he just likes being in the driver's seat when it comes to his own life and experiences and might have even been a bit embarrassed by it all. Maybe he was just caught up in the moment and felt like getting it off his chest.Actually, I was the only UFO researcher there who didn't have anything to promote. I was a teen with a mimeographed UFO newsletter who got invited to speak at local libraries and Kiwanis Clubs. I think he might have told the story to the others as well, but most of them were very busy blowing their own horns and promoting their stuff. Look at the depths to which I've sunk since then. Now I'm blowing MY own horn!In case you're wondering about it, I tried getting a few more details out of Cronkite regarding the actual location of the test, but he told me that the reporters were brought to the location without being told exactly where it was. Secrecy regarding the actual location was a part of the conditions for being able to witness the test. I decided not to push the point or question him further. - Bill Knell - UFO ResearcherNOTE: I don't know what to think about Bill Knell's assertions, though there has been quite a bit of inquiry about him recently. Go to UFO NEWS | Criminal Actions of Bill Knell (AGAIN) and make your own determination.**********POLL: WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote & comment on paranormal, cryptid & unexplained mysteries!LYCANS! - PENNSYLVANIA'S CRYPTID CANINES UPDATE | LIVE CHAT | Q & A (REAL EYEWITNESS REPORTS!)LISTEN TO NARRATIONS OF PHANTOMS & MONSTERS REPORTS & CASES - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHAREPHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on SpotifyPHANTOMS & MONSTERS READING LISTCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube PlaylistHave you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonJOIN AMAZON PRIME - Unlimited Movie/TV Streaming& FREE 2-Day ShippingRegister a SNAP EBT CardTry Audible PlusBigfoot and Other Cryptid Videos on YouTubeLYCANS! - PENNSYLVANIA'S CRYPTID CANINES UPDATE'KILLER BIGFOOT' HUNTED BY U.S. SPECIAL FORCES / GLIMMER MAN / MANTIS HUMANOIDSCRAWLER HUMANOIDS - GRUESOME INVADERS! (REAL EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS!)WEREWOLVES: DO THEY EXIST?'DOGMAN IN OUR YARD!' - AN OHIO FAMILY'S 12-YEAR SAGA WITH CRYPTID CANINESHey, folks. Thanks for the congrats on 'The Mothman Revisited' episode on Unsolved Mysteries. As a result, we are receiving more sighting reports and are very excited and grateful for the new information!I want to sincerely thank the Unsolved Mysteries team and Netflix for allowing us to tell the world about this phenomenon.If you have information about this or any other cryptid or unexplained sighting or encounter, please feel free to contact me by email or at 410-241-5974. Thanks again! LonCHICAGO MOTHMAN / O'HARE BATMAN YouTube Playlist----------Become a Phantoms & Monsters Radio member - just $2.99 monthly, and receive these perks. Thanks for your support!-Members-only live chats-Exclusive members-only videos-Priority reply to members' commentsHave perks suggestions? LMK-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS