Baylor News
The face of transportation in Waco may be changing. The city has hired firms CDM Smith Inc. and RJ Rivera Associates to conduct a study of transportation downtown and to provide an analysis and recommendations for the city. The direction of streets, make-up of sidewalks and routes of buses may be updated in the coming decade.
American dinner tables that sit empty will soon be adorned with meals for the hungry, thanks to a new hunger commission headed by a green and gold alumnus.
At first glance, Pastor Eric Howell of Dayspring Baptist Church in Waco faces a tough crowd every Sunday morning. Scattered throughout the congregation are a number of expert philosophers and theologians from Baylor that keep Howell on his toes. On top of that, Howell has committed what is possibly the one unforgivable sin on Baylor turf — he is an Aggie.
A Texas judge selected a second grand jury Monday in an investigation into whether Gov. Rick Perry abused his power by vetoing funding for public corruption prosecutors, and this time the Republican has retained a high-profile defense attorney to represent him.
Waco News
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.
National
Politics
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.
