Baylor News
Ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, Texas Republicans and Democrats alike have had to navigate through October surprises of their own, ranging from sensational cheap shots to shifting policy positions.
Election Day is just around the corner, and Baylor students registered to vote in McLennan County can head to the polls to choose a U.S. representative in Texas’ 17th Congressional District: Pete Sessions and Casey Shepard.
In an age of constant content flowing straight to pockets, misinformation is inevitable. Between rumors of mental instability and artificial intelligence deepfakes, voters must be cautious about what they believe ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
A flu shot clinic will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 27 in rooms 201 and 202 of the Bill Daniel Student Union Building. From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 28, a mobile clinic will also be in the lobby of the Sid Richardson Building.
Waco News
Opened in 1994, the shop has become a local icon. Started by Jill Barrett over 30 years ago, Blake Batson and his wife Kimberley — both Baylor alumni — acquired the business in 2012. Since then, they have expanded the original store on 8th Street to four locations in McLennan County: one in the Bill Daniel Student Center, one on Franklin Ave and another in Woodway.
The Central Texas Food Bank has finished construction on its new Waco location. This facility will provide food to Waco residents struggling with food insecurity.
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District notified Baylor Wednesday of an active tuberculosis case in the greater Waco community. University officials said there is no ongoing risk of exposure to the Baylor community.
This March, Cameron Park Zoo introduced four new camels and two new ostriches to the zoo community. The staff hopes to encourage hands-on care and compassion for these animals to inspire a heart for conservation and animal activism in younger generations of zoo-goers.
State News
President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, with the execution scheduled for 1 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Central Texas military installation, roughly an hour from Baylor’s campus.
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.
