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Predict the outcome of Kentucky vs. Texas

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Predict the outcome of Kentucky vs. Texas


The Kentucky Wildcats go on the road to Austin Saturday for an SEC matchup with the Texas Longhorns.

(That still feels like a weird sentence).

According to Big Blue History, this is just the second-ever matchup between the Wildcats and the Longhorns and the first to take place in Austin.

Kentucky and Texas faced off on Dec. 5, 2014 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, with Kentucky picking up the 63-51 victory in Rupp Arena. The two teams also faced off in the Maui Invitational in 1993 with the Cats winning 86-61.

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This matchup is a big one for Kentucky. Coming off the heels of a huge win at home over the 5th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, Kentucky is looking to build some momentum heading into the home stretch of the regular season.

To do that, they’ll have to go on the road to take on a Texas team also in search of a win after losing their last three. Sitting at 15-10 with a 4-8 mark in SEC play, the Longhorns need a win to remain in contention for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

ESPN gives the Longhorns a 51 percent chance to make the tournament, thanks in part to their #31 ranking in the NET. Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology has Texas in the “Last 4 Byes” as an 11-seed.

Texas is led by freshman Tre Johnson, who averages 19 points per game. Johnson has had some big performances for the Longhorns this year, scoring 26 in a narrow loss to Tennessee and 30 in a win over Texas A&M.

Senior forward Arthur Kaluma is also a big piece for this Texas team. The Creighton and Kansas State transfer averages 13 points and 8 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 40 percent from 3. However, he’s doubtful to play in this one due to a knee injury, the Cats may catch a break there.

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Junior Jordan Pope is also a name to keep an eye on. The 6-foot-2 Oregon State transfer has been up-and-down this season but scored 42 points in a game earlier this season and also had 27 in a win over Oklahoma.

Kentucky will be without Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson, which certainly makes this game more challenging, not to mention being on the road in what will likely be a wild environment for Kentucky’s first visit.

Kentucky is a 2.5-point underdog via FanDuel. Can the Cats go down to Austin and pick up a win, or will the Longhorns pick up a big-time win for their NCAA Tournament resume?

Let us know in the poll below and in the comments!

Poll

Predict the Outcome: Kentucky vs Texas

  • 10%
    Texas wins and covers

    (2 votes)

  • 5%
    Texas wins but doesn’t cover

    (1 vote)



19 votes total

Vote Now



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DPS trooper killed in Texas Panhandle crash, agency says

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DPS trooper killed in Texas Panhandle crash, agency says


A Texas state trooper was killed in a crash in the Panhandle, becoming the 244th Texas Department of Public Safety officer to die in the line of duty since 1823, according to the agency.

Sergio Romero, 27, died Wednesday after a semi-truck pulled in front of him as he attempted a traffic stop around 4 p.m. on U.S. 287 in Childress County, DPS said.

In a statement, Col. Freeman F. Martin praised Romero’s courage, integrity, and service.

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“Today, we grieve the loss of one of our own,” Martin said. “… Our hearts break alongside his family, friends, fellow troopers, and all who loved him. We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice he made in service of his fellow Texans.”

Romero previously served with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office before joining DPS as part of Class B-2025 in Childress, the agency said.

He is survived by his wife, Francisca, and their two young sons.

Funeral arrangements are pending. The crash remains under investigation.

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Texas renews 3 disaster orders covering drought, flooding and border

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Texas renews 3 disaster orders covering drought, flooding and border


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  • A flood disaster order for 30 counties stems from deadly storms in 2025.
  • Drought conditions and wildfire risks persist, keeping 111 counties under a disaster declaration.
  • A border security disaster, first issued in 2021, has been renewed and now covers 70 counties.

Texas is keeping more than half of its counties under a state of emergency.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott renewed three statewide disaster declarations on Tuesday, June 16 — covering flooding, drought and border security — which together place 164 of the state’s 254 counties under emergency authority.

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Each of the orders, signed by Abbott and filed with Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, authorizes the use of “all available resources of state government and of political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with this disaster.”

Here’s a look at what the proclamations are for and which counties are under them.

Flood disaster from deadly 2025 Hill Country storms holds across 30 counties

On July 4, 2025, Abbott issued a disaster declaration following heavy rainfall and flooding that caused widespread and severe property damage, injury and loss of life in several counties.

The Camp Mystic flooding, which killed 27 campers and counselors, also occurred during this time frame. The original declaration included 21 counties located in the Texas Hill Country and the Concho Valley in the central part of the state.The disaster order has been renewed over the past year, expanding to include 30 counties in the June 2026 renewal and does the following:

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  • Suspends all laws that prevent the transfer of bodies to families as soon as possible.
  • Suspends all laws regarding state agencies’ contracting or procurement rules that would impede its emergency response necessary to protect life or property threatened by the declared disaster.
  • Temporarily suspended — with written approval from the governor’s office — laws that would prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action to respond to the disaster.

Drought disaster covers 111 Texas counties as wildfire risk persists

Abbott amended and renewed a drought disaster order originally issued on July 8, 2022, and it has been renewed several times over the past four years.

When it was originally signed, the order impacted 158 counties across the entire state, from the Texas Panhandle to the Permian Basin to the Texas Hill Country.

The original order states that the persistent drought conditions in the state have increased the wildfire threat in the region. The June 2026 renewal order states that the Texas Division of Emergency Management has confirmed that those same drought conditions persist; however, only 111 counties are listed in the renewed order.

The order does the following:

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  • Suspends all laws regarding state agencies’ contracting or procurement rules that would impede its emergency response necessary to protect life or property threatened by the declared disaster.
  • Temporarily suspends — with written approval from the governor’s office — laws that would prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action to respond to the disaster.

Border security disaster spans 70 counties in fifth-year renewal

The original order was issued in May 2021 in response to a “surge of individuals unlawfully crossing the Texas-Mexico border posed an ongoing and imminent threat of disaster for a number of Texas counties.”

The original 2021 order affected 34 counties along the Texas border from El Paso to Brownsville, with Abbott saying it was in response to former President Joe Biden’s open-border policy.

“President Biden’s open-border policies have paved the way for dangerous gangs and cartels, human traffickers, and deadly drugs like fentanyl to pour into our communities,” Abbott said in a June 2021 statement. “Meanwhile, landowners along the border are seeing their property damaged and vandalized on a daily basis while the Biden Administration does nothing to protect them. 

The order has been renewed and amended several times over the past five years, with the June 2026 order impacting 70 counties from El Paso through the Hill Country and the lower Rio Grande Valley.

The renewed order declares a state of disaster for those counties and for all state agencies impacted by the prescribed disaster.

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Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.



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Bystanders rush to rescue passengers after small plane crashes on Texas highway | CNN

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Bystanders rush to rescue passengers after small plane crashes on Texas highway | CNN


A small jet carrying six people crashed on a highway in South Texas Tuesday evening, with bystanders jumping in to assist emergency services in rescuing passengers from the fiery wreckage.

One person was killed and five others were injured after the plane crashed on Laredo’s Loop 20 highway, shutting down traffic in both directions and strewing debris across multiple lanes.

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Video shared by a witness from the scene showed emergency responders attempting to crack open the plane’s windshield as authorities and bystanders assisted several people out of the burning aircraft. Some were seen walking away after escaping the aircraft.

The plane, a NetJets-operated Cessna Citation Latitude business jet, had departed San José del Cabo, Mexico, at around 6:18 p.m. local time and was bound for Austin, Texas, before diverting toward Laredo, along the US-Mexico border, according to flight data from FlightRadar24.

Authorities responded to the scene shortly before 10 p.m. local time after receiving a call from the local airport tower after the plane reported mechanical issues, Laredo Police Public Information Officer Jose Baeza told reporters from the scene. The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers before it crashed the highway, hitting a moving vehicle on its descent, he said.

FlightRadar24 data shows a steady, controlled descent into Laredo International Airport, until the signal cut out at around 600 feet, roughly two and a half miles short of the runway, at about 9:58 p.m. local time.

Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez also told CNN affiliate KGNS the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure before crashing.

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CNN has reached out to Laredo International Airport and NetJets.

Police did not reveal the identities of the six on board or the condition of those injured. The victims have been transported to a local hospital, Baeza told CNN.

“Regrettably and tragically there is one deceased involved in this crash,” Baeza told reporters from the scene, without giving further details as the victim’s family is being notified.

It’s unknown if anyone in the vehicle struck by the plane was injured. Five officers responding to the crash site were also transported to a local hospital for treatment related to injuries sustained during the rescue operation, Loredo Police Public Information Officer Jose Espinoza told CNN.

Federal agencies, including the National Transportation Security Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, have been notified and officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation are already on-site, Baeza said.

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CNN has reached out to the NTSB, FAA and FBI for more information.

This is a developing story and will be updated.



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