Baylor News

For 1,000 years, Boethius’ book — “The Consolation of Philosophy” — was the second most-read book in the world behind the Bible since his death in A.D. 524, Murray said. However, in the past few centuries, fewer and fewer people have read it, and as a result, fewer people remember who Boethius was.

“The main changes with the new form should be really helpful once they get all of the kinks worked out. The fact that parents and students can each file their own form with the Department of Education then connecting those together is really helpful,” Rounke said.

With flu season just around the corner, Baylor is making it easy and free for students, faculty and staff to stay healthy with a series of mobile flu clinics running from Sept. 19 to Nov. 12. This time of year often brings a spike in illness, but the inclusion of mobile clinics provide campus with quick, convenient care.

Waco News

The Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative draws researchers and employees to a site that has been largely vacant for 27 years.

“The research that has been going on here and will go on here in the future has the potential to affect humankind,” Lori Fogleman, assistant vice president for media communications, said. “I hope that is not much of an exaggeration and I really don’t think it is. The future is just limitless here at the BRIC.”

The American Red Cross has allocated $295,000 to long-term relief in West, five months after a fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 people. The Red Cross announced this gift on its website on Friday.

Those who work closely with recovery in West say the city is still in need, though opinions differ as to which areas of need are most pressing.

The money the Red Cross is giving comes from donors all over the country, said Bristel Bowen, regional director of communications for the Central Texas region of the American Red Cross.

Baylor’s Air Force and Army ROTC detachments and Veterans of Baylor will host the first Waco Wounded Veterans 5K Run at 8 a.m. on Saturday at the Lake Waco Dam.

The cost to register is $30 for civilians and $25 for students, veterans and active military. Online registration is open until midnight on Thursday. Day-of Registration will be available as well.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicole Powers, who began planning the race last April, said she had two goals in mind: to raise as much money to the Wounded Warrior Project as possible, and to start a tradition that will last years after she leaves Baylor.

It will be easier for pedestrians to get around Waco as Waco city officials begin plans to extend the Brazos Riverwalk.

The city of Waco has recently received money from the federally funded program called the Transportation Enhancement Program, said a staff member of the Texas Department of Transportation who did not wish to be identified. Money is given under the Transportation Enhancement Program to support local projects that have a strong link to transportation.

“It was created to provide funds for projects that do a little above and beyond what the department’s used to doing,” the staff member said.

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.