Baylor News
For years, Baylor has identified as an evangelical Christian university while maintaining its Baptist heritage. However, a shift in recruitment strategy has shifted the student body away from its Baptist roots, and now, fewer students than ever identify as Baptist.
Readers Meet the Author concluded its final meeting of the 2025-26 school year with a discussion of poetry and persona from Associate Professor and Director of Ethnic Studies Dr. Ryan Sharp.
A Baylor adjunct professor was arrested last week on a family violence charge following an alleged altercation with his wife, according to Waco police and an arrest affidavit.
Dr. Nancy Brickhouse announced she will be stepping down from her role as vice president and university provost in an email Wednesday, marking an end to her seven-year tenure at Baylor.
Waco News
Between Valley Mills Drive and Irving Lee Street — home to campus’s closest H-E-B — the southbound I-35 frontage road has been cut down to one lane since mid-2025. Its completion, along with other parts of the project, such as a new intersection at Valley Mills, will improve the driving experience in the area. But for now, traffic has swelled on the street where students make their final right turn into the H-E-B parking lot.
Previously a national security correspondent, Sid Balman Jr. has written a new novel that shifts from his focus on foreign conflict to a tragedy closer to home: “The Mural.”
Women of Waco’s inaugural networking conference, Level Up 2026, aims at providing women with a support network that fosters more inclusive workplaces and a community of women to thrive in professional careers.
After nearly 30 years of serving the city, former Assistant City Manager and Chief of Police Ryan Holt as officially been appointed as the city manager of Waco. Citing the importance of collective impact, Holt hopes to engage through thoughtful, strategic ways to move the city forward, including deepening ties with Baylor.
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.
