Patch Morning Briefing: New Immigration Executive Order; Assault Weapons Ban; Deportation Rules

Good morning! It's Wednesday — the week will be over before you know it. Here's what you should read today.

New Executive Order Will Look Very Familiar

Reports suggest that the new executive order to replace President Trump's controversial immigration ban is near completion and will be signed in the near future. Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser to the president, told Fox News that the new order will "have the same basic policy outcome" as the original. In theory, the new order is supposed to better withstand judicial scrutiny, most likely by allowing travel by green card holders from restricted countries, but it's not clear how successful it will be in court. (Fox)

Second Amendment To Face Another Test

The Supreme Court may soon have to take on a Second Amendment case after the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Maryland ban on assault weapons. The ban, which limits access to semiautomatic firearms with high-capacity magazines, was originally struck down by a three-judge panel. But in a 10-4 ruling, the 4th Circuit found that the Second Amendment does not apply to assault weapons. (Patch)

Department of Homeland Security Slashes Protections For Undocumented Immigrants

Following through with two of the president's executive orders, DHS will be hiring thousands more border patrol agents and expanding the scope of its deportations. Under its new policies, the department will subject undocumented immigrants to removal for even minor criminal infractions, such as driving without a license. While critics call the new approach cruel and inhumane, the administration says it is just following the existing law. (Patch)

Quick Hits

Backed With $11 Trillion In Assets, Global Investors Warn Texas Not To Pass 'Bathroom Bill' (Patch)

Police Cancel 'High Five Friday' Because Some Kids Might Not Like Cops (Patch)

Nashville Man Hid Drugs Inside Cookie Pillow: Police (Patch)

San Antonio Mayor Seeks Gubernatorial Disaster Declaration After Tornado Damage (Patch)

NASA Will Announce A 'Discovery Beyond Our Solar System'

Interested viewers can tune in Wednesday to watch the announcement live on NASA TV. (Engadget)

Sometimes, The News Gets It Wrong

In case you were wondering: No, we did not get a new vice president. Also, that's not how you spell "taps."

Influential Economist Kenneth Arrow Dies At 95

Arrow was the youngest economist to ever win a Nobel Prize. He was known for developing very complex, technical theories that had wide applications. He also proved that there's really no perfect system of voting. (New York Times)

Muslims Rally To Support Vandalized Jewish Cemetery

'Refugees Welcome'

U.S. Park Police are investigating the hanging of a sign that read "Refugees Welcome" at the base of the Statue of Liberty. A small group has already claimed credit for the act. Perhaps both the outlaws and the police will be surprised to hear that the Statue of Liberty basically already says that:

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

(Patch)

Fracking Led To More Than 6,600 Spills In Four States Over A Decade, Researchers Find

“State spill data holds great promise for risk identification and mitigation,” said Lauren Patterson, the lead author of the study. “However, reporting requirements differ across states, requiring considerable effort to make the data usable for analysis.” (Duke University)

This Day In History

1997 — Scottish scientists announced that Dolly the Sheep had been cloned, the first such successful attempt to perform the procedure using an adult mammal.

Famous Birthdays

1903 — Frank Ramsey, a philosopher and mathematician who revolutionized thinking about logic and truth before dying at age 26

1966 — Rachel Dratch, an actor and comedian best known for her work on "Saturday Night Live"

Photo credit: Drew Agerer/Getty News Images/Getty Images