Baylor News
Calvin Nichols Jr. was identified by the Waco Police Department Friday as the suspected shooter in the shooting that left Joseph Craig Thomas Jr. (24) dead on April 3 at the 2300 block of 2nd Street.
Baylor’s Board of Regents had its regular May meeting Friday to discuss contract extensions, the 2022-2023 budget and the Commission on Historic Campus Representations, among other things.
On Thursday, Baylor hosted a walkthrough of the construction site to share the progress of the building, which Baylor spokesperson Lori Fogleman said is anticipated to open before the fall 2023 semester. Members of the Board of Regents also ceremoniously signed a steel beam, beginning with Paula Hurd, a regent who — along with her late husband Mark — gave a gift to Baylor’s Give Light campaign in 2018 that was used to fund the Welcome Center.
Baylor sprung into the unknown this spring semester. From the achievement of R1 status and remodeling plans to the success of the Give Light Campaign and new COVID-19 policies, the Baylor Family has witnessed a number of hallmark moments that will go down in Baylor history.
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.
