Baylor News
Amid a nationwide blood shortage, Baylor students are donating at a campus blood drive this week — and every drop could save a life in Central Texas.
Early voting starts Feb. 17, and the deadline for counties to receive mail-in ballot requests is Feb. 20. On Feb. 11, county election offices will post the polling locations on their website for Election Day and for the early-voting period.
“It was great having Jeffrey here. He’s a prince. Next time, he is warmly welcome and encouraged to ‘break bread’ with me at the Allbritton House,” former Baylor President Kenneth Starr wrote in an email to disgraced New York financier Jeffrey Epstein. “His menu, my pleasure.”
The final pages of the primary ballot give voters a chance to weigh in on healthcare, housing, taxes, public safety and more. Faculty experts explain what each proposal could mean for Texas and for students.
Waco News
Houston man Joseph Craig Thomas Jr. (24) was identified by police as the victim of the Sunday morning shooting.
Baylor Scott & White Health’s Faith in Action Initiatives is accepting the aid of nonprofits and donations in sending medical supplies to Ukraine. Faith in Action is the humanitarian aid and medical admissions arm for Baylor Scott & White Health. According to the Baylor Scott & White Health website, Faith in Action Initiatives was started “to maximize its [Baylor Scott & White] impact locally and worldwide.”
The tornado watch in Waco gave many on-campus students differing emotions on their safety during the storm.
Waco PD is currently asking witnesses to come forward with any videos of a fight that led to a fatal shooting last week outside the Warehouse Bar in downtown Waco.
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.
