Uncommon Knowledge
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Texas
Major Texas newspaper endorses Joe Biden
A number of Republican and MAGA figures have reacted angrily after The Houston Chronicle, one of the biggest newspapers in Texas, endorsed President Joe Biden.
The Houston Chronicle‘s editorial board said they would be backing Biden in the Democratic primary and for re-election so he can “make life better” for the American people as well as prevent the “chaos, corruption and danger to the nation” that would accompany his presumed 2024 Republican challenger Donald Trump returning to the White House.
The Houston Chronicle‘s praise for Biden will be a boost for the Democrat as he seeks re-election in November. It remains to be seen how much of a difference the endorsement will make, seeing as Texas has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate for nearly 50 years, with Trump beating Biden in 2020 by six points in the red state.
In their editorial, the paper’s board admit that Biden “has his shortcomings,” but what his administration has achieved during his time in office is a “potent reminder to his fellow Democrats, to independents and to those Republicans who have somehow resisted Trump’s cultish appeal that the nation has a viable alternative.”
Anna Moneymaker
The editorial notes how the U.S. economy is now “healthier” than any other advanced nation having recovered from the pandemic, unemployment is approaching a 50-year low and that inflation is falling.
The board cites other achievements from Biden’s presidency, such as seeking a “modest effort” to address gun safety, introducing a price cap on insulin, leading an allied response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “brutish” invasion of Ukraine as well as seeking a “path to peace and stability in the post-October 7 conflagration involving Gaza, Iran and Israel and the desperate Palestinian people.”
“We are well aware that the Biden administration has not been successful on every front,” the board wrote.
“The calamitous withdrawal from Afghanistan was the most obvious failure. The administration’s inability to quell chaos at the border is another, although blame primarily belongs to caviling and cynical MAGA Republicans in the House.
“In servility to Trump, they torpedoed a bipartisan border-security plan painstakingly crafted in the Senate. Biden can’t solve the crisis by executive order; he needs Congress to act.”
In response, a number of Trump supporters lashed out at the paper for their endorsement of Biden on social media.
Steve Guest, a former spokesperson for Texas Senator Ted Cruz, posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Untethered from reality. REMINDER: the economy is a mess, our country is being invaded and the border is wide open, and the world is on fire from the Middle East to a ground war in Europe due to Joe Biden’s policies.”
Talk show host Joe Pagliarulo wrote: “O M G—I just LOVE this parody account for the Houston Chronicle. Kudos!!”
Comedian and political commentator Tim Young posted: “Fill the Houston Chronicle office with illegal immigrants. They endorse it, they can house it.”
Robert Bowlin, who frequently supports Trump on social media, added: “So, do you just not care about the fact that he can barely speak and he appears to be on the verge of tears in every press hearing?”
The Houston Chronicle board did note the concerns about the age and cognitive ability of Biden, who will be 82 by the start of his potential second term in office, and said that he may not be the “energetic, garrulous, occasionally even eloquent” public speaker of previous years.
However, the board suggested the president has “forgotten more than his presumed Republican rival will ever know. That’s not saying much, and at the same time, it says it all.”
Trump’s office has been contacted for comment via email.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Jordan Thompson talks growth of volleyball in USA, LA Olympics
Jordan Thompson explains how the growth of volleyball in America has created opportunities for college stars to avoid playing overseas to continue their career.
After dropping the first two sets, No. 3 seed Texas A&M (25-4) stormed back to beat No. 2 seed Louisville (26-6) 3-2 in the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament Friday night.
Texas A&M moves on to play Sunday against either No. 1 Nebraska or No. 4 Kansas, who play at 9:30 p.m. ET Friday night. Here’s how the Sweet 16 heavyweight match played out:
FINAL: Texas A&M wins 3-2, taking final set 15-12.
No. 3 Texas A&M completed a reverse sweep against No. 2 Louisville to advance to the regional final for the first time since 2001 after winning the fifth set, 15-12. The Aggies were able to swing the momentum of the game with their blocking ability, led by Ifenna Cos-okpalla’s 12 total blocks.
Texas A&M’s Logan Lednicky (20 kills, 10 digs on .245 hitting), Kyndal Stowers (16 kills, 11 digs on .282 hitting) and Emily Hellmuth (12 kills on .226 hitting) each recorded double-digit kills.
“We just weren’t finishing the last end of the set,” said an emotional Lednicky, who was three blocks away from a triple double. “We’re like, we’re not letting them sweep us. We know how to grind, we know how to dig it. We saw it in the TCU match and we did just that last one.”
Tensions boiled over in the fifth set. Louisville head coach Dan Meske earned a yellow card for swatting the ball because he thought the referee missed a carry call during a long rally Texas A&M won to go up 12-10.
Louisville’s Chloe Chicoine finished with a game-high 26 kills hitting .300 in the loss.
No. 3 Texas A&M took a 17-8 lead after holding No. 2 Louisville to a -.143 hitting percentage to start the fourth set with its defensive prowess. The Aggies stretched their lead to as many as nine points, but Louisville went on a 7-1 run to come within three points of Texas A&M. The Aggies didn’t relinquish the lead this time. Texas A&M finished the fourth set on a 4-0 run to force a decisive fifth set.
Texas A&M held Louisville to .000 hitting in the fourth set. The Aggies hit .267 and recorded nine blocks. Texas A&M’s Logan Lednicky (18 kills on .333 hitting), Kyndal Stowers (14 kills on .243 hitting) and Emily Hellmuth (10 kills on .200 hitting) each have double-digit kills. Ifenna Cos-okpalla is up to 11 blocks.
The Aggies are going for the reverse sweep, the team’s first since September 2024.
No. 3 Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison said his team needed to do a better job at finishing at the end of the set if they wanted to extend their season against No. 2 Louisville after giving up leads in the first two sets. The Aggies did just that in a third set that featured 15 ties and five lead changes.
The Aggies had a 23-21 lead in the third set before Louisville tied it up at 23-23 following back-to-back kills from Chloe Chicoine. Texas A&M’s Kyndal Stowers responded with a pair of kills herself to give the Aggies the set, 25-23.
Texas A&M’s Logan Lednicky (14 kills on .333 hitting), Stowers (11 kills on .259 hitting) and Emily Hellmuth (10 kills on .261) each have double-digit kills as the team is collectively hitting .292.
Meanwhile, Chicoine is up to 19 kills on .405 hitting. Cara Cresse added seven blocks.
New set, same scenario. Much like the first set, Texas A&M was the first team to reach 15 points. The Aggies had a 21-16 lead in the second set, before Louisville staged another comeback. The Cardinals went on a 9-1 run to take the lead and clinch the second set, 25-22, to take a 2-0 lead over Texas A&M.
Louisville capitalized on 14 total blocks and three aces. Chloe Chicoine (11 kills on .400 hitting) and Payton Petersen (10 kills on .563 hitting) led the Cardinals in kills.
Logan Lednicky has nine kills, while Emily Hellmuth and Kyndal Stowers each have seven kills for Texas A&M.
No. 3 Texas A&M had control of the first set and was the first team to 15 points, but No. 2 Louisville went on a 5-0 run to tie it up at 17-17. Five more ties ensued before Louisville ultimately created some separation to take the first set, 25-23. Louisville hit .457 and had two players with six or more kills — Payton Petersen (seven kills on .778 hitting) and Chloe Chicoine (six kills on .600 hitting).
NCAA volleyball tournament regionals schedule
All times Eastern
Friday, Dec. 12
Saturday, Dec. 13
Sunday, Dec. 14
- TBA | No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Wisconsin
- Regional final, TBD
NCAA women’s volleyball bracket
Find the full NCAA women’s volleyball tournament bracket on the NCAA website.
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The No. 5 UConn Huskies (9-1) will attempt to continue a five-game winning streak when they host the Texas Longhorns (7-3) on Friday, December 12, 2025 at PeoplesBank Arena. The contest airs at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
Keep reading to get all you need to know ahead of wagering on the UConn-Texas matchup.
UConn vs. Texas How to Watch & Odds
- When: Friday, December 12, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut
- TV: FOX
- Streaming: FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App and FOX One (Try free for 7 days)
UConn vs. Texas Prediction
The Huskies are holding opponents to just 60.4 points per game while averaging 91, giving them one of the strongest scoring margins in the country. Their defense has been particularly sharp, limiting opponents to 37.4% shooting from the field.
Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. continue to set the tone. Ball is averaging 15 points per game, and Reed Jr. has provided steady interior production with 14.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. Their consistency has been central to the Huskies’ early-season dominance.
The Longhorns have shown they can score, averaging 85.8 points per game, but their defense has struggled, allowing opponents to shoot 48.5%. That could be an issue against a UConn offense that moves the ball well and attacks efficiently.
UConn’s home court-advantage and Texas’s 2-2 road struggles tilt the matchup toward the Huskies.
- Pick ATS: Texas (+16.5)
- Pick OU: Over (145.5)
- Prediction: UConn 81, Texas 69
Prediction provided by FOX Sports’ Sports AI. Download the FOX Sports App for free access to Sports AI.
UConn vs. Texas Betting Insights
Betting Line Implied Predictions
- Based on the spread and over/under, the implied score for the matchup is Huskies 81, Longhorns 64.
- The Huskies have a 95.9% chance to win this meeting per the moneyline’s implied probability.
- The Longhorns have an 8.3% implied probability to win.
Key Spread Facts
- UConn has compiled a 3-7-0 record against the spread this season.
- Texas has won six games against the spread this year, while failing to cover four times.
- UConn has covered the spread once this season (1-4 ATS) when playing as at least 16.5-point favorites.
Key Total Facts
- The Huskies and their opponent have broken the 145.5-point mark four times this year.
- Longhorns games have gone over 145.5 points on eight occasions this season.
- The total for this matchup is 145.5 points, 23.4 fewer than the combined scoring average of the two teams.
Key Moneyline Facts
- UConn has won six of seven games when the moneyline favorite this season (85.7%).
- Texas has split the two games it has played as underdogs this season.
- UConn has played as a moneyline favorite of -2326 or shorter twice this season, and won both.
- Texas has not entered a game this season with longer moneyline odds than +1103.
UConn vs. Texas: Recent Results
| Date | Favorite | Spread | Total | Favorite Moneyline | Underdog Moneyline | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/8/2024 | Longhorns | -1.5 | 141 | -121 | +101 | 76-65 UCONN |
UConn vs. Texas: 2025-26 Stats Comparison
| UConn | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Points Scored Per Game (Rank) | 79.8 (137) | 89.1 (21) |
| Points Allowed (Rank) | 61.7 (10) | 73.2 (189) |
| Rebounds (Rank) | 9 (234) | 11.7 (49) |
| 3pt Made (Rank) | 7.7 (203) | 8 (175) |
| Assists (Rank) | 17.9 (38) | 14.6 (179) |
| Turnovers (Rank) | 8.8 (10) | 11.5 (167) |
UConn 2025-26 Key Players
| Name | GP | PTS | REB | ASST | STL | BLK | 3PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solomon Ball | 10 | 15 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2 |
| Tarris Reed Jr. | 5 | 14.8 | 7.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0 |
| Alex Karaban | 10 | 13.4 | 5.4 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 2 |
| Silas Demary Jr. | 10 | 10 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Eric Reibe | 10 | 9.6 | 4.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 |
Texas 2025-26 Key Players
| Name | GP | PTS | REB | ASST | STL | BLK | 3PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matas Vokietaitis | 10 | 15.9 | 6.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 0 |
| Dailyn Swain | 10 | 15.7 | 6.9 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Jordan Pope | 10 | 12.5 | 2.1 | 3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 2.4 |
| Tramon Mark | 10 | 9.9 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Simeon Wilcher | 10 | 9.4 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.6 |
FOX Sports used technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar to create this story.
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