Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, recently concluded an impressive 21 hours and 19 minutes speaking through the night about the “Defund Obamacare” initiative that has taken flight in conservative circles. It’s a worthy cause ­— Obamacare is on track to become a bureaucratic nightmare for both doctors and patients.

However, one can’t help but question the strategy.

They lurk in airports, amusement parks, concert venues and shopping malls. They reside in the Tidwell Bible Building, the Ferrell Center, In-n-Out restaurants and Buc-ee’s convenient stores. They frighten children and frustrate mothers. They are uncontrollable and worst of all — a person has no choice but to use them.

I am talking about automatic toilets.

Three weeks of Latin dances, community service and opportunities for cash prizes remain as a part of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations on campus.

For the past three years, Baylor’s Hispanic Heritage Committee has coordinated 30 days of activities for students to embrace the culture and contributions of Hispanics.

In the corner office, on the highest floor of the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center building, the man Baylor law students call “the Godfather” stands looking out his window.

The panoramic view is striking. He can see the campus, the Brazos River and, across the river, the foundation for what will be the new Baylor stadium. How did he get to this pinnacle?

For Richmond senior Jolene Damoiseaux, a thesis was more than an Honors College requirement. Damoiseaux turned her thesis into Mothers On the Move, a program that provides pregnant women on the Nyakach plateau in Kenya with transportation to the Sigoti Health Centre.

Damoiseaux’s interest in medical research began her sophomore year in a research and design class taught by Dr. Lisa Baker, clinical faculty member in the Honors program, Damoiseaux said.

A glitzier, high-tech version of America’s $100 bill is rolling off the presses and headed for wallets soon.

Despite years of production-related delays, the updated $100 bill has undergone a major makeover that includes a color-changing ink well, 3-D security ribbon, and more texture on Benjamin Franklin’s collar.

After a disastrous 2-6 start to the 2013 season, Baylor volleyball has won six out of its last eight matches in non-conference play to pull back to .500 on the season.

“Because of our slow start, a lot of people wouldn’t have thought we would get back to .500,” head volleyball coach Jim Barnes said. “This is a young team that has had to learn a lot. This has been the most dynamic young season I’ve ever seen as a coach because we’ve had so much change.”

Death is usually associated with sadness, mourning and finality. However, for The Digital Age, death is just the beginning.

In its debut album, “Evening:Morning” released on Aug. 13, the band, formed from members of The David Crowder*Band, explores a journey from darkness to light, both with the Christian walk and in their own faith.

“As Christians, we see things die and come back to life,” said Mark Waldrop, guitarist and vocalist. “Initially, there’s lots of feelings of fear, but for us it very quickly turned to excitement.”

The Emmys mark the official kickoff of awards show season, but there’s the impression that less is at stake when it comes to red carpet fashion because the audience is not as global as it is for the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Traditionally, the European houses don’t dress many Emmys attendees, which can mean a lot of bland fashion.

But not this year.

Dr. Richard J. Mouw, distinguished professor of faith and public life at Fuller Theological Seminary, will be presenting the Parchman…

The image of a smiling Baylor student walking his or her canine hides the strenuous work that goes into raising a dog while also being in school.

While it is not necessarily easy to have a dog in college, testimonies from Baylor students suggest it can be rewarding. But before students rush into making a big decision, they should consider whether or not they are ready to take on this responsibility.

Some people think American media has a secular swing, often putting religion in a negative light. Religion reporter Sarah Pulliam Bailey explained why that is and how Christians can combat the negative stereotype.

Bailey, a national correspondent for Religion News Service and previous online editor for Christianity Today, discussed the state of religion reporting, the impact of digital media and social networking in religious journalism and how Christians can find a place in prominent news outlets.

Since its debut in 2008, the explosive TV drama “Breaking Bad” has shocked viewers with its rich storytelling and visceral elements, reaching upwards of 6.6 million viewers in its latest episode Sunday night.

Critics, too, can’t seem to get enough of Heisenburg, the main character’s alter ego. The show has nabbed 50 awards in its potent five-year run.

I have a lot of names. I have my given name, Paula Ann Solis, and then there are the less official but still important titles I go by: daughter, sister, friend, American, Mexican, and, my favorite, tía. Then there are the names I’ve been called to bring me down. I will not list them here because they’re not worth mentioning, but there’s one I think people don’t realize I never want to hear: minority.

Baylor volleyball won their last non-conference match of the year against University of Texas at San Antonio. The Bears won the match 3-1 (25-17, 26-24, 24-26, 25-20). With the win, the Bears moved to 8-8 on the season heading into Big 12 conference play and are at .500 for the first time this season.

Junior middle hitter Nicole Bardaji led Baylor with 16 kills and five blocks on a .243 hitting percentage. Bardaji hit double-digit kills for the first time on Saturday, and has now done it three straight times. Over those three matches, she is averaging 15.0 kills and 4.0 total blocks per match on a .303 hitting percentage.

Kenya’s president proclaimed victory Tuesday over the terrorists who stormed a Nairobi mall, saying security forces had “ashamed and defeated our attackers” following a bloody four-day siege in which dozens of civilians were killed.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said the dead included 61 civilians whose bodies have been recovered so far and six security forces, while some 175 were injured, including 62 who remain hospitalized.

This November, it will have been 50 years since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and W.R. Poage Legislative Library is honoring Kennedy’s life and legacy with an exhibit that will last through May 2014.

The exhibit opened to the public on Sept. 3 on the first level of the library, featuring numerous artifacts and photographs relevant to Kennedy’s life. Ben Rogers, director of W.R. Poage Legislative Library, said the exhibit is divided into three sections: Kennedy’s life, his legacy and his assassination.

New ways to get involved in the Waco community, and even a chance to win a free iPad, are just a few things Passport To Waco has to offer.

The program is organized by External Vice President Lexington Holt, who wanted to get Baylor students more involved in the area outside of Baylor.

“A major part of being in a community is being involved in it, and that’s what I hope this program does for students,” Holt said.

Baylor junior wide receiver Antwan Goodley was one of six receivers added to the Biletnikoff award watch list after a stellar start to the season. Goodley joins fellow teammate senior wide receiver Tevin Reese as one of two Baylor representatives on the watch list.

The Fred Biletnikoff Award is given yearly to the “nation’s outstanding college football receiver” by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation Inc. Former Baylor receiver Terrance Williams was a finalist for the award last year and receiver Kendall Wright was a semifinalist the year before.

As he cuts through a barricade of defenders with his sole purpose being to give the offense a spark, junior Lache Seastrunk is more than just an average running back.

Seastrunk has averaged 139 yards a game this season and holds the nation’s longest consecutive 100–yard game streak at seven games, but his personality is equally as dynamic as his game.

Baylor volleyball won its last non-conference match prior to Big 12 Conference play against University of Texas-San Antonio on Tuesday. The Bears won the match 3-1, (25-17, 26-24, 24-26, 25-20).

With the win, the Bears moved to 8-8 on the season heading into Big 12 conference play.

Tread lightly: This recipe is almost as addicting as the stuff it spoofs.

With the series finale of “Breaking Bad” set for Sunday, “Heisenburg’s Blue Sky Candy” is the perfect way to nurse the imminent withdrawals following the show’s curtain call.

The spectacular 22-year partnership of Walt Disney Co. and producer Jerry Bruckheimer will come to an end next year, signaling the Burbank company’s changing priorities and how the shifting sands of the movie business are affecting A-list producers.

The producer’s first-look deal with Walt Disney Studios will not be renewed when it expires in 2014, ending a run that resulted in 27 movies, from early hits like “The Rock” and “Armageddon” to the long-running “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, and almost $9 billion in box-office receipts.