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Texas Tightens The Screws On Tesla’s Robotaxi Rollout

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Texas Tightens The Screws On Tesla’s Robotaxi Rollout


Tesla’s robotaxi service appears to have launched in Austin, offering invite-only rides to a small group of Tesla fans and influencers. But if the automaker wants to continue operating its driverless ride-hailing EVs, it may soon have to comply with new regulations that were signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday. The rules take effect on September 1.

InsideEVs reported on these policy changes last week. But now that they’ve been signed into law, they represent a new complication for Tesla’s robotaxi dreams. 

As reported by Reuters, the law requires operators of Robotaxis to obtain a permit from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles before deploying them without human controllers. It also gives the state the authority to revoke the permits if the Robotaxis prove to be a danger to the public. Moreover, it requires them to submit information on how the companies will coordinate with the police and first responders in case of a crash or accident.  

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If you experienced the Tesla Robotaxi in Austin, or work at Tesla and have a story to share, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out at tips@insideevs.com. We’re happy to chat securely and anonymously.

The bill was signed into law after Democratic lawmakers in Texas wrote a letter to Tesla last week, urging the company to disclose how it plans to comply with safety regulations. Starting September 1, the new rules will require autonomous vehicle operators to prove they follow state traffic laws, use onboard recording devices, meet federal safety standards and ensure vehicles can safely stop if the self-driving system fails. The vehicles must also be registered, titled and insured in Texas.

 

Tesla has said that the Robotaxis will usher in a new era of growth for the company, potentially lifting its valuation into the trillions of dollars. The automaker has also claimed that the Robotaxis are safer than human drivers, something that AI and autonomous vehicle scientists are skeptical of.

After a decade of delays and promises, some 10-20 self-driving Model Ys are now rolling in Austin with a safety driver on board driving in a geofenced area, with remote human controllers for backup. Tesla also issued a whole bunch of rules for the riders, saying that the service will only run between 6 a.m. and midnight and that it could be limited or unavailable in case of adverse weather.

 

There’s no indication yet if the service is open to the public. So far, it only seems limited to an invite-only list of Tesla’s most ardent fans and influencers, who generally tend to be more forgiving of any errors the Robotaxis might make.

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Have a tip? Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com

Correction: The regulations were signed into law on Friday, not Thursday. We regret the error.



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Texas A&M vs. Louisville volleyball final score, stats highlights

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Texas A&M vs. Louisville volleyball final score, stats highlights


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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:

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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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UConn vs. Texas Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel

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UConn vs. Texas Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel


This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

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.

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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 AIDownload 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

Huskies vs Longhorns Recent Games
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

Huskies Leaders
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

Longhorns Leaders
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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Texas Football Opt-Outs: Who’s Likely Playing and Who’s Out for the Citrus Bowl

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Texas Football Opt-Outs: Who’s Likely Playing and Who’s Out for the Citrus Bowl


At this point in time, opting out of bowl games is nothing new, but Texas is going to have more opt-outs in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan than many—self included—expected. This problem pales in comparison to what’s going on in Ann Arbor, but the amount of lost experience will be something for Texas to overcome, primarily on defense.



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