Baylor News
Coming from his hometown of Malibu, Calif., to Waco, junior Dan Rettinger found few opportunities for his first passion: surfing. His second passion, skating, also didn’t have much of a presence in Waco. Rettinger said the lack of a skating presence in Waco and his “trailblazer” entrepreneurial spirit led him to found a skating apparel company, Local Skate Rats, in June 2021.
The threat of the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to rise with Russian President Vladimir Putin officially recognizing two separatist regions as independent from Ukraine and ordering troops to enter the regions for “peacekeeping.”
Through its new telehealth program, Baylor’s School of Education is now offering free vocational and job skills training for those 13 and older who have intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Baylor’s Board of Regents had its retreat meeting on Friday, making decisions regarding project costs, recognition of faculty contributions and students joining the board.
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.
