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Thursday, January 2, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1936, musician Roger Miller was born in Fort Worth. Despite lacking any formal musical training, he had several hits during his career, including "King of the Road" and "Dang Me." Miller won 11 Grammy awards.

The NBA issued a two-game suspension to Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson for throwing an opposing player to the ground during Sunday's game against the Miami Heat. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys cut 29-year-old running back Ezekiel Elliott, giving him the chance to join a playoff contender.

In other sports news, the Texas Longhorns are moving on to the College Football Playoff Semifinal after their thrilling win over Arizona State in the Peach Bowl yesterday.

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Longhorns Advance to CFP Semifinal

The Texas Longhorns are moving on to the College Football Playoff Semifinal next week after winning a thrilling contest against Arizona State University in the Peach Bowl yesterday, surviving an impressive comeback by the No. 4 Sun Devils to earn the 39-31 double-overtime victory.

The Longhorns led 24-8 in the fourth quarter before Arizona State scored two quick touchdowns and 2-point conversions, one of which came off of a Quinn Ewers interception deep in Arizona State territory. Texas had the chance to win the game with a field goal as time expired, but the 38-yard attempt by kicker Bert Auburn hit the left upright.

After Arizona State scored a touchdown on the first possession of overtime, Texas converted on 4th and 13 with a 28-yard touchdown pass by Ewers to Matthew Golden. Auburn kicked the point after to even the score.

The Longhorns scored on the first play of the second overtime and went up 39-31 with the required 2-point conversion. On the next possession, they intercepted Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt to seal the win.

Arizona State led Texas in time of possession, first downs, and total yards, but the Longhorns executed when it mattered most and are moving on to the next round.

Texas Congressmen Cleared of Campaign Finance Violations

U.S. Reps. Wesley Hunt (R-Houston) and Ronny Jackson (R-Amarillio) were cleared of wrongdoing by the House Ethics Committee on Monday after being investigated for violations of campaign finance law by allegedly spending campaign money for personal use.

The investigation began in March when staffers at the Office of Congressional Ethics accused the two representatives of using campaign funds for private memberships. Jackson had spent nearly $12,000 on membership fees at the Amarillo Club since 2020, and Hunt had spent over $74,000 at the Post Oak Hotel since 2022.

Although the committee found that the lawmakers "did not fully comply" with reporting requirements or restrictions on campaign fund expenditures, "there was no evidence that any Member intentionally misused campaign funds for their personal benefit."

Jackson and Hunt both maintained their innocence throughout the investigation.

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➤ The driver of the truck used to kill at least 15 and injure dozens of others in New Orleans early yesterday morning has been identified as 42-year-old U.S. citizen Shamsud Din Jabbar of Houston. The Ford F-150 pickup truck he was driving had Texas plates and crossed into the U.S. from Mexico at Eagle Pass in November. (More)

➤ Kyle: Residents are trying to save a 400-year-old tree known to locals as “Jolene” from being knocked down to expand a busy thoroughfare. (Watch Video)

➤ Amarillo: The Big Hoof Foundation rescues Belgian horses from slaughter after they are retired from Amish farms across the country. Since 2022, the nonprofit has rescued 87 horses and donkeys. (Watch Video)

➤ Dallas: John Clay Wolfe, a popular radio talk show host and the owner of GiveMeTheVIN.com, hosted an auction that included a fully restored ‘57 Pontiac Bonneville, George Jones’s personal truck, and the fifth Corvette ever built. (More)

➤ Austin: Loop 1, or MoPac Expressway, was proposed in 1944 as a north-south thoroughfare to connect the west side of the city along the right-of-way owned by the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Construction on the 25-mile route started in 1969 and continued for several decades. (More)

➤ Speaking of “loops,” the Texas Department of Transportation uses the term to refer to bypasses that connect two or more highways, even if they don’t fully encircle an area. (More)

➤ Larry Wansley, a former undercover FBI agent and the director of corporate security for the Dallas Cowboys, is releasing an autobiography next month titled Tough Streets, Rough Skies and Sunday Sidelines. Since joining the Cowboys in the 1980s, Wansley has developed player security protocols that have been adopted by NFL teams around the league. (More)

➤ San Antonio SWAT officer Rhett Shoquist, 34, lost his right eye while pursuing a fugitive in August 2023, but he returned to work two months later and continues to serve as an integral member of the elite team. (More)

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