The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it has denied a petition to reopen a case involving the deaths of 23 endangered whooping cranes, according to Houston environmental attorney Jim Blackburn, who filed the petition as lead council in a lawsuit against the state over the deaths. No explanation was given, Blackburn said. This stems from a 2010 lawsuit filed by The Aransas Project, a Rockport-based nonprofit group of environmentalists, business owners, anglers and conservationists who advocate