Baylor News

Woodway’s Chief of Police Yost Zakhary flew in from Washington, D.C., the night before, fulfilling his duties as the president and face of an international organization. He then switched into teacher mode as he wrote an email to one of his Baylor students around 4:15 a.m. Later at his office in Woodway, he was supposed to have a casual sitting with the mayor, but instead the two gazed over a 5-foot-long map of their town and discussed beautification and savings. His train of thought seems to only go in one direction – forward.

The gobbles of 100 fluffy, white turkeys ring out at World Hunger Relief Inc. as the nonprofit prepares for the flock to be sold this week for Thanksgiving feasts.

Each year in preparation for Thanksgiving, World Hunger Relief raises 100 turkeys in a manner unlike conventional meat company facilities, said Sarah Abdelmessih, livestock intern at the organization. The farm is almost sold out, Abdelmessih said, as customers place reservations on the birds in advance.

Turkeys will be butchered and processed Thursday and distributed Friday and Saturday.

Baylor students and faculty are set to get an early start on the Thanksgiving holiday by attending Baylor’s annual celebration, Thanksgiving on the Grounds.

The dinner, which has been a tradition on campus since 2008, will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in Burleson Quadrangle.

It is hosted by the junior class officers.

Dr. Bryan Shaw is a cool guy. Hands behind his head and feet propped up on his desk, interactions with him feel more like chatting with a hip uncle than speaking to a passionate scientist.

Give him just a few minutes, though, and that appetite for scientific discovery will shine through, revealing the brilliant mind that has helped take serious ground in the fight against pediatric eye cancer using photography.

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.

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.