Baylor News

Baylor is in the top five universities for first-year experience — a jump from the previous top-10 ranking in 2022, according to a recent U.S. News and World Report article. With a dedicated New Student Programs department and a variety of long-standing traditions, Baylor aims to make the first-year experience unique.

Waco News

On Friday several alumni of the Waco State Home joined author Sherry Matthews and shared their often-heartbreaking stories about growing up in the facility, as chronicled in Matthews’ new book.

In the new book “We Were Not Orphans: Stories from the Waco State Home,” author Sherry Matthews delves into the history of the children’s home and exposes a fettered past of physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

It only takes one courageous person to make a change. That may be one of the most indelible lessons from Sherry Matthews’ new book, “We Were not Orphans: Stories from the Waco State Home,” which collects the oral histories of more than 50 Waco State Home alumni.

State News

Tensions continued to grow over the summer between political adversaries as Texas state Sen. James Talarico called on Attorney General Ken Paxton to release internal records related to a controversial child sexual abuse case involving former Waco attorney and Baylor Law graduate Adam Hoffman.

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.