Baylor News
With Eclipse Over Texas and Diadeloso both taking place on April 8, it’s not just the sun and moon that will align. Although Waco is estimated to host over 100,000 visitors, the focus of the day will still be Baylor students — and maybe the sudden daytime darkness.
Following a TikTok trend that detailed how to break into Kia motor vehicles, the Baylor Police Department is seeing a rise in motor vehicle thefts on and around campus.
“My experience is that Baylor does a great job developing leaders because it has this focus on Texas, the church and the world,” Eckert said. “I feel like there is a great market for developing leadership for Texas, for the U.S. and then increasingly an international focus on Christian leadership.”
While the spring Welcome Weekend might be less known than its fall counterpart, it’s a beneficial time for transfers and new students to become established at Baylor, said Dr. Nathan Shelburne, director of New Student Programs.
Waco News
There’s something about Valentine’s Day that seems to make people happier. With each box of chocolates, bouquet of flowers and heartfelt card bought during this time of year comes added emotional health benefits.
Jesus called on his followers to plead the cause of the downtrodden, the heartbroken and the forgotten. Two thousand years later, those involved at Mission Waco are answering that call.
Waco’s revitalization is not limited to new apartments, riverfront structures and bridge projects. Waco’s image is getting a lift in an effort that involves multiple marketing campaigns and publicity- triggering events.
Baylor students from the Academy for Leader Development and Civic Engagement Fellow Program and J.H. Hines Elementary School are partnering to host the Third Annual Parent Involvement Day events Saturday and Monday.
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.
National
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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.
