House Speaker Phelan Drops Out

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan withdrew his bid for a third term as Speaker on Friday, just before the GOP caucus vote today to fill the post.

David Cook of Mansfield and Dustin Burrows of Lubbock are the two Republicans now under consideration.

Phelan has been under pressure from Republican colleagues after he initiated the House impeachment of Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton last year.

David Cook is currently seen as the favorite in today’s expected vote, claiming to to be backed by over half of House Republicans.

Odessa Wages Hit Top 10

Odessa has joined sister-city Midland in the top 10 U.S. metro areas for highest weekly wages.

Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics through October, Midland held on to the third spot behind San Jose and San Francisco, while Odessa debuted in the top 10 at number seven.

The two towns, separated by only 20 miles, boast average weekly wages of $1,380.33 (Odessa) and $1,526.37 (Midland).

Denver, in the tenth spot, also made the top 10 for the first time as Huntsville, Ala. and Trenton, N.J. dropped out.

Texas, SMU Seek Conference Titles

The Texas Longhorns and the SMU Mustangs are both vying for a college football conference championship today in the first year as members of their respective conferences.

(2)Texas plays for the SEC title in Atlanta at 3:00 CT and looks to avenge their October loss against (5)Georgia, with a win likely securing a #1 or #2 seed in the college football playoffs.

(8)SMU faces (17)Clemson in Charlotte for the ACC championship at 7:00 CT, also with an automatic playoff bid on the line, though with a loss the Mustangs may still be able to slip into the playoffs with an at-large bid.

The final playoff rankings will be revealed tomorrow on ESPN between 11:00 and 3:00 CT.

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➤ Austin: Gov. Greg Abbott has activated state emergency response resources ahead of heavy rains and potential flooding in East and Southeast Texas. (More)

➤ A North Texas woman was arrested at Washington Dulles Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle 71 pounds of marijuana into London. (See Details)

➤ Houston: News photographer Tim Bristow was found dead in his vehicle Thursday afternoon after he was reported missing on Wednesday. (More)

➤ Sugar Land: Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has offered $324 million to boost his stake in Sugar Land’s CVR Energy to 84%. (See Details)

➤ El Paso: Obi, an 18-month old giraffe born at the El Paso Zoo last year, will be moving to the Dallas Zoo to “begin his own family,” according to officials. (See Photo)

➤ Tyler: The Rose City Christmas Parade hit Tyler streets Thursday night after being canceled last year due to weather. (Watch Video)

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➤ The Dallas Cowboys’ Dec. 9 game against the Cincinnati Bengals will feature an alternate broadcast that will show Cowboys players as Simpsons characters. (See photos)

➤ The Dallas Mavericks throttled the Washington Wizards 137-101 on Thursday night. Kyrie Irving led the Mavs with 25 points, while Luka Doncic dished out 10 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds. (More)

➤ The Texas high school football playoffs have reached the regional finals in most divisions as the time to crown state champions nears. (See bracket)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NCAAF | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | PGA 

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➤ Texas A&M student and cancer patient Breeze Hunter went viral on TikTok after posting a MTV Cribs style tour of her hospital room. (See Photos)

➤ A Texas man recently took his horse, sporting a cowboy hat, to an upscale restaurant in Dallas for a dinner date. (Watch Video)

➤ El Paso pilot Charles “Cheater” Bella, known for his involvement in a 1988 New Mexico jailbreak attempt, among other adventures, died of a heart attack on Thanksgiving Day. (More)

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Who is your preference for Texas Speaker of the House?

1. Dustin Burrows
2. David Cook
3. No preference
4. Someone else

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you have a tattoo?

1. No: 76.9%
2. Yes: 23.1%

Prior to last year’s Big 12 title for the Texas Longhorns, when did a Texas team last win a power conference championship?

Show me the answer