Baylor News
The event aimed to remind students of their ancestors’ legacy and to shape how they think about it. The goal was to transform legacy from just a concept of the past to an active responsibility of the present.
Texas Democrats gathered in Waco on Saturday at the Performing Arts Community Center for a McLennan County Democratic Party candidate forum ahead of the March 3 primary. The group was optimistic about state races following decades of Republican dominance, focusing on public education, healthcare access and affordability.
With about 70 active members, HSA has remained relatively small. To afford hosting bigger events, such as Fiesta, they must first run smaller fundraisers.
Baylor welcomed Spanish professors from Yale University, Boston College and Washington University in St. Louis to discuss their new books and how refusing to acknowledge the past has caused modern Spanish society to experience “cultural amnesia.”
Waco News
Texas governor candidate Robert “Beto” O’Rourke held a rally for his candidacy at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Brazos Park East.
McLennan County primary election early voting will begin on Feb. 14, with over 35 separate elections forming the Democratic and Republican ballots. Voters will choose one of the parties’ ballots to vote on, choosing the candidates they wish to represent the party in the November general state election.
Last week, the Office of Missions and Public Life partnered with the Waco Animal Birth Control Clinic to recruit volunteers to build emergency winter shelters for the campus cats before Winter Storm Landon hit.
Xristo’s Cafe, a restaurant on 810 La Salle Ave., closed Monday of this week due to increasing demands by property owners along with side effects of the pandemic. Xristo’s Cafe is known for its Lebanese and Greek food, serving meze, breakfast, lunch and pastries.
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.
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.
