Baylor News
This week we’re showing you how archaeology became the family business for one Baylor couple…
Dr. Michael Trakselis, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and head of the Trakselis Laboratory, was recently able to unravel the structure of the MCM8/9 enzyme — a protein whose mutations generally give rise to premature ovarian failure or insufficiency, infertility and various types of cancer.
Every year at orientation, the incoming class gets to learn its class hymn. Each class hymn is about the transformation of incoming freshmen as they become adults, allowing them to get a glimpse of what is to come as Baylor Bears. For the class of 2027, they learned “There’s More.”
Repeated reports of rats in the off-campus apartment complex Park Place continue this semester. Students who live there say the issue has persisted for multiple semesters, yet management has not done much about it.
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.
National
Politics
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.
