Baylor News

Americans have a history of grieving and remembering in unity the lives lost during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the nation 12 years ago. Today, the Baylor community continues that tradition as the McLane Carillon bells ring out hymns of remembrance.

Carillon performer Lynnette Geary will hold a free recital at 5 p.m.

While the bells can be heard throughout campus, the public is invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to gather in front of Pat Neff Hall.

President Ken Starr announced Tuesday evening the official termination of the Baylor Alumni Association’s license to use the Baylor name after the Transition Agreement vote on Saturday failed to reach the two-thirds yes vote majority.

The agreement, had it passed, would have merged the BAA with the university and allowed The Baylor Line, the official BAA magazine, to continue using the Baylor name.

The termination notice was sent to the BAA on May 31 and became effective on Sunday, according to a university wide email from Starr. The university is giving the BAA 90 days to phase out its use of the Baylor brand.

The declining importance of religious freedom and civic education in society is a reflection of the decline of society as a whole. This was the underlying message from Os Guinness, author and social critic, during his On Topic session with President Ken Starr Tuesday night.

Guinness has authored and edited more than 30 books, worked as a freelance reporter with the BBC and served as executive director of The Williamsburg Charter Foundation. This foundation’s focus is celebrating the First Amendment, a passion clearly shared by Guinness as displayed during his discussion with Starr.

President Barack Obama told a war-weary nation Tuesday night that diplomacy suddenly holds “the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons” in Syria without the use of force. But he also vowed the U.S. military will be ready to strike against President Bashar Assad if other measures fail.

For now, Obama said he had asked congressional leaders to postpone a vote on legislation he has been seeking to authorize the use of military force against Syria.

In a 16-minute speech, the president repeatedly offered reassurances that even the failure of diplomacy — in promised talks at the United Nations or elsewhere — would not plunge America into another war.

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.