Baylor News
Although many current students participate in Baylor’s Homecoming, it was originally designed as an alumni reunion. For many, it is a time to remember good times, reconnect and show family what Baylor is all about.
In a statement to The Lariat, Baylor said it received “credible, confidential information” alleging hazing within the fraternity last weekend. Given the seriousness of the allegations and potential violations of state and federal anti-hazing laws, the university issued an immediate cease and desist of all chapter operations.
Baylor University confirmed Tuesday that Student Life officials sent a letter to Phi Kappa Chi, a Baylor-founded fraternity, amid rumors surrounding the organization’s absence from homecoming activities and allegations of hazing.
Baylor students reacted with surprise and cautious optimism Wednesday after Democratic candidates James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa won Texas’ Senate and gubernatorial races, respectively, marking a major shift in the state’s political landscape.
Waco News
Best known as a fan-favorite carpenter on Chip and Joanna Gaines’ long-running series “Fixer Upper,” Waco resident Clint Harp is trading his toolbox for a pair of running shoes. On Nov. 1, Harp will run and bike 100 miles from Waco to Austin to raise money for immigrant rights organizations.
The City of Waco is considering implementing a Safe Haven Baby Box, a place where mothers can anonymously surrender infants when they can’t care for them.
President Donald Trump’s rally supporting Attorney General Ken Paxton in Waco, scheduled for Tuesday, has been moved to Corpus Christi, according to an email from the Republican National Committee.
“What makes a difference is neighbors showing up at their neighbors’ doorstep and telling them why this election is so important,” Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico said.
State News
President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, with the execution scheduled for 1 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Central Texas military installation, roughly an hour from Baylor’s campus.
INTERNATIONAL
The Iran war is now in its 46th day. Iran responded by restricting access to Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil, and moving to toll vessels transiting the strait. Waco drivers are already feeling it. The local average hit $3.38 a gallon last week, up 21 cents in seven days and 75 cents year-over-year, according to AAA data.
Gas prices in Texas have surged more than 70 cents per gallon since the U.S. went to war with Iran three weeks ago. The near-total shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz has driven oil prices up more than 40%, pushing the national average to its highest point since 2023 and sending diesel past $5 for the first time in three years.
The largest U.S. military operation in the Middle East in decades unfolded as American and Israeli forces struck Iran Saturday, killing its supreme leader and triggering retaliatory strikes from the Gulf to Israel. The White House said the campaign is aimed at dismantling Iran’s military and toppling its government.
Dr. Joshua Alley, assistant professor of political science, said part of the Trump administration’s interest in Greenland has to do with America’s national security strategy.
