Baylor News

Senate Bill IV was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Dec. 18, 2023. The new law clamps down on illegal immigration in various ways, but its largest impact is making illegal immigration a state crime in Texas. Two months before taking effect on March 5, the law has been met with opposition. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas on Jan. 3.

Stanley Wilfong, senior lecturer and program coordinator for nutrition sciences, debunked some common nutrition myths and advised students on how to discover a healthy, individualized diet. While many advertise themselves as “better than the Western diet,” Wilfong said, “that doesn’t mean it is necessarily good.”

Waco News

A Baylor student who lived at The Outpost apartments is the subject of an ongoing investigation of what appears to be the construction of a bomb at the student’s apartment on Oct. 16.

Despite Waco’s cultural diversity, gaining equality remains a challenge for some groups that live here. Even today, there is disparity in the treatment of the hearing community and the deaf community, often stemming from misunderstanding or ignorance.

Despite the smaller number of available slots for the class of 2016 due to recent deferments, potential applicants to the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine should not expect a stricter application process.

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.