Baylor News

A reunion of two old friends at Providence Hospital on April 16 proved that lasting friendships can make life-changing differences to the lives that surround them.
Former Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko and his wife Kateryna, paid a visit to Providence Hospital in Waco and were welcomed by the hospital staff and associates at John Woods Ministries, Inc. with a private reception.

On July 4, nine Baylor scientists had more to celebrate than just Independence Day; they celebrated the discovery of an elemental particle that may prove to be the elusive Higgs boson.

The Baylor High Energy Physics group, led by Dr. Jay R. Dittmann (right), and Dr. Kenichi Hatakeyama, has played a prominent role in the search for the Higgs boson. Courtesy Baylor Media Communications.

The Baylor High Energy Physics Group, which includes post-doctoral research associates Azeddine Kasmi, Nils Krumnack and Hongxuan Liu, and graduate students Karen Bland, Martin Frank, Tara Scarborough and Zhenbin Wu, participated in the research that led to the discovery at the European Center for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland.

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.