A U.S. Department of Justice threat to halt Texas airline travel killed a proposed state law that would have made invasive pat-downs by Transportation Security Administration screeners a felony. The bill awaited a state Senate vote after already passing the House 138-0. Then, a U.S. attorney sent top Texas lawmakers a warning that the feds would seek an emergency stay and in the meantime would “cancel any flights for which it could not ensure safety of passengers and crew.”