Baylor News
Smartphone users and compulsive shoppers might be more similar than once thought.
Dr. James Roberts, professor of marketing and the W.A. Mays professor of entrepreneurship, recently published a study that compared cell phone addiction to compulsive buying.
The Baylor fitness department will host the Health and Fitness Expo from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 2 in the Barfield Drawing Room of the Bill Daniel Student Center.
Educational sessions spanning a variety of topics from fitness to nutrition will be available to attendees and are taught by Baylor faculty.
Participants can choose to attend four sessions out of 12 offered.
Dr Pepper Hour is officially 60 years old.
Students celebrated the 60th anniversary of Dr Pepper Hour Jan. 15. Students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to gather together under a glowing Dr Pepper Hour banner and share memories of the beloved soft drink.
When visiting the McLane Student Life Center within the next few months, students may notice a slight change in scenery.
Renovation on the rock wall began over the winter break and is currently in the demolition stage, with construction crews from QuadTex working to strip away the layers of plywood, concrete and mesh that hold the wall together.
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.
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.
