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US Senator confronts reporter about “vitriolic” anti-Elon Musk tweets
During a remote taped interview, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) confronted the political editor for St. Louis’ KSDK News, Max Maxwell, about his anti-Elon Musk tweets, which the official described as “vitriolic.” The US senator took issue with Maxwell’s negative posts which were not only about Musk but about the CEO’s supporters as well.
The interview, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, featured Hawley sitting down for an interview with Maxwell. Before the journalist could ask questions, however, the senator inquired, “why all the hate for people who like free speech on Twitter?”
When the journalist responded that he did not understand the reference, the senator read out Maxwell’s tweet from March 6, which dubbed Musk’s supporters as “bootlickers.” “Does anyone still think Elon buying this site and firing all the experts was a good idea? It’s been awhile since I’ve seen any of his bootlickers brag on how efficient the site is now that Sir Galaxy Brain is in charge,” Maxwell wrote.
After reading the tweet aloud, Hawley noted that the message “seems kind of vitriolic.”
Maxwell explained his stance, though he also noted perhaps his words were indeed vitriolic. “Yeah, I suppose it was. It was a moment of frustration when the site went down, and there were a lot of folks in my mentions who had quite a cultish adoration for him,” the journalist noted.
“Going to bat for him, defending him at every turn even when he was banning journalists from the site for no apparent reason. Yeah, I felt like the industry and journalism, a part of the First Amendment, has come under specific attack at times from Mr. Musk,” Maxwell added, also hinting that he never said he was sober when he posted his tweets.
After the senator brought up other tweets that were equally negative towards Musk’s supporters, Maxwell noted that “I refer to it as satire” and that it’s “protected under the First Amendment.” Hawley, however, noted that journalists such as Maxwell get a lot of access, and thus his tweets were concerning.
“When journalists or so-called journalists refer to people they don’t like as ‘bootlickers’ on a public platform, when they attack folks and then say they don’t necessarily do stuff sober, it does tend to get my attention. I mean, we give you a lot of access. I just want to make sure that you’re actually sober and taking this seriously, Good Lord in Heaven,” Hawley said.
Hawley and Maxwell’s exchange can be viewed here.
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Tesla prepares to expand Giga Texas with new Optimus production plant
Drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer recognized Tesla construction crews performing ground leveling and clearing efforts at the plant earlier today.
Tesla is preparing to expand Gigafactory Texas once again with a brand new facility that will house the eventual manufacturing efforts for Optimus, its humanoid robot.
It is already building some units on a Pilot line at the Fremont Factory in Northern California, but Tesla is planning to build the vast majority of its Optimus project at Gigafactory Texas.
Tesla Optimus gets its latest job, and it’s not in the company’s factories
It will build one million units per year in Fremont, but CEO Elon Musk said the company would build 10 million units every year in Texas at a new building at Giga Texas.
Musk said:
“I think there could be tens of billions of Optimus robots out there. Um, now obviously it’s very important we pay close attention to safety here. Then a 10 million unit uh per year production line here the I don’t know where we’re going to put the 100 million unit production line. on Mars. Maybe on Mars, I don’t know.”
Evidently, Tesla is ready to begin thinking about the production efforts of Optimus beyond a theoretical standpoint and is starting to prepare for the construction of the manufacturing plant on Giga Texas property.
Drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer recognized Tesla construction crews performing ground leveling and clearing efforts at the plant earlier today:
Giga Texas News!
A brand-new, stand-alone factory is starting construction! This follows the Shareholders meeting & info that a 10-million-per-year @Tesla_Optimus production facility “on the Giga Texas campus” will be built & enter into production in 2027!
Here are some… pic.twitter.com/7ig5DohfOt
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) November 10, 2025
Production is still slated for 2027, at least at Gigafactory Texas. As previously mentioned, the company is building some units in Fremont for the time being, at least until subsequent versions of the Optimus project advance.
Tesla has done a great job of advancing Optimus forward, but it also has truly grand expectations for the project.
Musk said it could potentially be the biggest product in the history of the planet, as it will revolutionize the way humans perform tasks, probably eliminating monotonous tasks from everyday life.
News
Tesla reveals its first Semi customer after launch
Tesla revealed its first customer for the all-electric Semi truck after it launches next year. Who it truly is should not be a surprise.
The Semi is going to finally start deliveries to new companies outside of Tesla’s pilot program starting in 2026. The company has been building a dedicated production facility in Reno, Nevada, that has finally taken shape, but Tesla was evidently not finished with the Semi’s development.
Last week at the Annual Shareholder Meeting, Tesla said it had implemented some new designs into the Semi, helping with efficiency, updating its design, and making it a more suitable vehicle for hauling loads, as the changes also helped increase payload.
Tesla has obtained a lengthy list of companies that have committed to implementing the Semi in their own fleets, hoping to bring their logistics lineups up to date with electric powertrains and autonomous technologies.
While it is already operating a pilot program with PepsiCo. and Frito-Lay, Tesla will expand to other businesses, primarily using it internally after its launch.
Head of the Semi program at Tesla, Dan Priestley, said the company would be the first user of the vehicle after its launch next year. It has been using it to a certain extent, but the company has not been able to completely abandon gas haulers.
Instead, it will implement the Semi into its fleet for more sustainable vehicle logistics starting next year:
Tesla will be the first customer as we electrify our supply chain. This includes Texas operations.
— Dan Priestley (@danWpriestley) November 7, 2025
Tesla has already received orders for the Semi from a variety of large companies, including Walmart, Sysco, Anheuser-Busch, UPS, DHL, J.B. Hunt, among others.
Many analysts see the Tesla Semi as a major contributor to future growth and increasing value within the company, especially from a Wall Street perspective. Some firms say the Semi is one of several near and medium-term contributors to the company increasing its market cap.
Cantor Fitzgerald is just one of those firms, as last week it explicitly listed the Semi as a catalyst.
Analyst Andres Sheppard said, “Overall, we remain bullish on TSLA over the medium to long term. We continue to see meaningful future upside from Energy Storage & Deployment, FSD, Robotaxis/Cybercab, Semis, and Optimus Bots.”
News
Tesla China rolls out Model Y L V2L adapter, and it’s free for early owners
Tesla China announced the rollout of the Model Y L’s AC external power adapter on social media platforms such as Weibo.
Tesla China has released a useful new accessory for the Model Y L, and it is free for some owners. With the accessory, the Model Y L effectively becomes a giant power bank that owners can use to power appliances when they are camping, or if their homes are hit by a power outage.
Tesla Model Y L V2L adapter
Tesla China announced the rollout of the Model Y L’s AC external power adapter on social media platforms such as Weibo. As per the product’s advertisement, the Model Y L could provide up to 2,200W of power with its adapter, allowing it to support numerous appliances on the go. Of course, but could also be used to charge devices during power outages.
Tesla China notes that the adapter’s current is 220V, and it also features an IP44 protection grade. Tesla notes that the adapter could operate at temperatures between -30℃ ~ +50℃. The Model Y L’s V2L functionality would not work if the vehicle’s battery is less than 10%, however.
Tesla China’s official shop is selling its AC external power adapter for a reasonable price. The product could be purchased for RMB599, which is equivalent to $85. That’s a great price for an accessory that could make car camping sessions several times more convenient.
Free for early Model Y L owners
While the Model Y L’s AC external power adapter is priced reasonably at the Tesla China shop, the accessory is available for free for early owners of the extended wheelbase six-seat all-electric crossover. This was highlighted in a message that Tesla China reportedly sent to owners of the vehicle.
“Your Tesla account is eligible for a free Model Y L dedicated AC external power adapter. Please log in to the online store to add the adapter to your cart. Once the system verifies it correctly, the price will automatically change to 0 yuan before placing the order. We will send it to you via express delivery subsequently.
“This free qualification is only for the first owner of the Model YL who did not receive an AC external power adapter at pickup, valid until February 28, 2026. Failure to place an order upon expiration will be considered as a waiver of eligibility. If there is a temporary shortage of goods, please be patient and we will reschedule the replenishment by the end of January 2026,” Tesla China wrote.
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