Day: December 19, 2024

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Live updates: Trump backs new GOP plan to avoid a government shutdown and lift the debt limit  The Associated Press
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SEC football games against Big Ten teams are rare. Tennessee games against Ohio State are even rarer.
The Vols haven’t played Ohio State but once. They were underdogs then, too.
UT upset the Buckeyes 20-14 in the Citrus Bowl to finish the 1995 season 11-1 and third in the AP Top 25 poll.
The Vols also have played only one game against Michigan, another Big Ten heavyweight. They beat the Wolverines 45-17 in the Citrus Bowl to cap an 11-2 season that left them with a No. 5 national ranking.
The stakes will be much higher Saturday in a first-round College Football Playoff game.
Ohio State is favored for a reason. It’s probably a more complete team and will be playing on its home field in Columbus. The Buckeyes also have fared better against higher-ranked teams.
They have beaten two playoff teams, Indiana and Penn State, and lost a road game to No. 1 Oregon by one point. Tennessee’s biggest win came against Alabama, but it faltered in the second half of a 31-17 loss to No. 2 Georgia.
UT’s defensive front versus Ohio State’s offensive line might be its only advantageous matchup. But the pressure will be on the Buckeyes, who haven’t won a national championship since 2014 despite all the NFL stars who have worn their uniform.
The pressure is exacerbated by the Buckeyes’ last game, a loss to 19.5-point underdog Michigan in Columbus. And the pressure will mount if they get off to a slow start.
Tennessee 20, Ohio State 17: Michigan showed how to beat the Buckeyes. It ran the ball effectively, stopped Ohio State’s running game and pressured quarterback Will Howard into turnovers.
If the Vols can do what they do best – run the ball and control the line of scrimmage with their defensive front – they can pull off an upset.
Indiana 27, Notre Dame 24: A stout defense had much to do with the Irish making the playoffs. But did you know the Hoosiers rank second only to Ohio State in total defense?
The Hoosiers also have a more versatile offense. And Southern California proved even in a 49-35 defeat that Notre Dame’s defense might not be as good as its regular-season stats. The Trojans totaled 552 yards against it.
Texas 37, Clemson 24: When the Longhorns are rolling, they look like the best team in the country. But there was no rolling in their two losses to Georgia, which beat them in the SEC championship game with a backup quarterback.
A Texas-sized question: How long will it take coach Steve Sarkisian to replace Quinn Ewers with Arch Manning if the offense doesn’t click quickly?
The longer he waits, the greater the chance for a Clemson upset.
Penn State 41, SMU 31: This could be the most entertaining game of the first round.
The Nittany Lions often have come up short in their biggest games because their offense struggled. However, it didn’t struggle in a 45-37 loss to Oregon.
And it shouldn’t hit any speed bumps against SMU.
ADAMS:Tennessee football has a three-letter advantage vs Ohio State. Can you spell S-E-C
Florida 34, Tulane 21: The Gators didn’t make the playoffs. But they at least will get to play on the first playoff weekend.
They also will strengthen their schedule – for whatever that’s worth – by playing in the Gasparilla Bowl. Tulane will be Florida’s eighth opponent with eight or more wins.
Record: 101-29 (.774), 66-48 (.586) against the spread.  
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Tennessee Department of Education has released the state’s report card. The results show that there’s some growth while some improvement is needed.
“The 2023-24 State Report Card provides valuable insights into the performance of public schools and districts across Tennessee, giving families and communities the tools they need to advocate for their students,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “We are especially proud of the schools that performed highly on the School Letter Grades and are moving the needle for kids, and we encourage all Tennesseans to actively engage and contribute to the ongoing success of all our schools.”
Data shows that 290 schools in the state received an overall “A” letter grade, and 486 received a “B” letter grade. There were a high number of schools that received the highest level in achievement, growth and growth for the highest need students.
Looking at the overall state achievement rate, Tennessee is currently at 39.6 percent which takes into account the percentage of students whose test scores met or exceeded expectations in English, math, science, and social studies.
Parents at home can use the state’s report card page to get a snapshot of how their school is performing on the TNDOE’s website.
Copyright 2024 WSMV. All rights reserved.

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Senators urge Biden to grant ByteDance 90-day reprieve from law requiring sale  Reuters
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Hi! I'm Dominique Leh, your Neighborhood Reporter for Waco and Baylor University.
MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — The Pet Circle Regional Animal Center is over capacity, meaning its 103% full as 2024 comes to a close.
“I did make a visit here— it was more of the medical end, on the back end, but I was very satisfied, I was happy with what I saw,” Animal welfare board member Sylvia Campos said.
“Great handling excellent communication skills with the pet owner she spoke with,” Animal welfare board member Carrie Spivey said.
Members of the animal welfare board made a couple of visits to the Pet Circle Regional Animal Center in the last few weeks and walked away with a positive response.
One member said improvements have been made since the city took over the shelter.
“The interaction that I saw has stepped up since the last time I was here, before the switchover, but I know a lot was going on in the back,” Campos said.
 In the past year, Pet Circle has adopted out close to 2,000 animals, although this number is lower than in 2023 by about 400 animals.
Looking at animals euthanized, Pet Circle is currently sitting at its highest euthanasia numbers since 2019. With 343 this year so far. Euthanized animals include injured, sick, aggressive court-ordered, and owner-requested euthanasia. The city said this in a statement,
The number of volunteers has also increased, with 120 people going through orientation since the program started in October.
The City of Waco tells me for the Pet Circle to achieve its no-kill mission, they rely on the community’s support to find homes for the animals in their care.

McLennan County
In Your Neighborhood

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Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: City Tour Developer Walkthrough – IGN First  IGN
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The Strategic Implications of AI on Maritime Security  RealClearDefense
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LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Seven years ago, a Lubbock Animal Shelter employee started the Helping Paws campaign after learning that people were giving up their own food so their animals could eat.
LAS Supervisor Angelica Barbosa ran with the idea and is keeping the annual event at the center of what they do.
The shelter asked the community to not only donate pet supplies, but also winter clothing for people in need, and the donations came pouring in.
“It’s helping everybody out, it’s helping the animals out in need, it’s helping the people in need,” Barbosa said. “It’s showing the community we are trying to help out the best we can, we are trying to give out donations, we are trying to help anybody in need.”
LAS delivered the donations to local organizations and nonprofits for them to distribute.
One of these nonprofits is Meals on Wheels, which wants to remind Lubbock residents that their donations make a bigger impact than you may think.
“After we did our Santa delivery last week, we got some of the most touching phone calls and letters from family and clients, from the clients in particular,” Mary Gerlach, Assistant Director with Meals on Wheels said.
“It’s surprising how much just a small gesture can make and it’s really humbling. It’s just something that really makes a difference.”
Barbosa wants to thank everyone who was involved and hopes to continue this event for years to come.
“I honestly thank the community so much for donating: the dog food, the cat food, even the people stuff, the personal care items, the jackets, and coats,” Barbosa said. “Honestly without them, we wouldn’t be able to do this event.”
For more information on Lubbock Animal Services or to see how you can volunteer, click here.

Copyright 2024 KCBD. All rights reserved.

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Watch: Teen, Euclid police officer save motorcyclist’s life after hit-and-run crash  WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland
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