Baylor News

Moderna recently received $590 million to help develop vaccines to fight the virus. Their protein-based vaccines have had great success against other pathogens such as COVID-19, and having them in great supply could help quell any future pandemic.

Penland Dining Hall held its annual Lunar New Year celebration on Tuesday, one day ahead of the holiday. Students were given the opportunity to have a traditional red envelope embroidered by local artist, Jamie Wong Baesa, watch dance performances from the Baylor Lion Dance Team and Indonesian Culture Center, and try some of Food Network celebrity Chef Jet Tila’s cooking.

Waco News

The Oklahoma State Women’s equestrian team was involved in a bus crash around 9 p.m. Wednesday on S. 18th Street and Franklin Avenue.

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.