Baylor News
Earlier this year, Annie Hsieh, who works at an Austin startup, downloaded an app called “Secret.”
What intrigued her was the app’s promise of anonymity. It’s a social network, not unlike Twitter, where people post things, but without names and with only vague references to locations.
Reports by members of the military of sexual assaults jumped by an unprecedented 50 percent last year, in what Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel declared a “clear threat” to both male and female service members’ lives and well-being.
Dr. Roger Kirk doesn’t just know statistics, he wrote the book. Kirk, distinguished professor of psychology and statistics and master teacher, embodies the Baylor professor students are told about during orientation — one-of-a-kind. Known for his cha-chaing in class, he succeeds in academia through his research and textbooks, but he also serves as a mentor for students. Despite being diagnosed with pancreatic lymphoma less than two years ago, his dedication to teaching has persisted, and he has returned to Baylor to teach after only a two-semester absence.
With finals week approaching students will be hitting the books, but this semester they will be able to cozy up next to some furry friends. A nonprofit organization called Angel Paws will bring therapy dogs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday through Friday to Moody Memorial Library basement.
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State News
Texas voters turned out in historic numbers Tuesday, delivering victories for State Rep. James Talarico and forcing a runoff between Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the state’s U.S. Senate contest that claimed national attention. The total early-voting turnout of more than 2.5 million marks the highest ever for a midterm primary election. The results also kicked off the 2026 midterm cycle.
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.

