Georgetown student released from immigration detention

ALVARADO, Texas (AP) — A Georgetown University scholar from India has been released from immigration detention after he was arrested in the Trump administration’s crackdown on foreign college students. A federal judge issued the ruling releasing Badar Khan Suri on Wednesday. Khan Suri was being held in Texas and will go home to his family in Virginia while he awaits the outcome of his petition against the Trump administration for wrongful arrest and detention in violation of the First Amendment and other constitutional rights. Officials said his visa was revoked because of his social media posts and his wife’s connection to Gaza as a Palestinian American. They accused him of supporting Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization.

Virginia boy swept away as heavy rains and flooding hit several states

WESTERNPORT, Md. (AP) — Officials say they have found the body of a 12-year-old boy who was swept away by rushing water during a storm in Virginia. The flooding struck several states Tuesday. Officials say about 200 people were evacuated from a flooded elementary school in Maryland’s Allegany County. Twelve students stayed overnight at an area high school before being picked up. Officials say there are no reports of injured or missing people, however residents are urged to stay home anyways. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in Mineral County, which is near Maryland, because of heavy rains and flash flooding.

US overdose deaths fell 27% last year, the largest one-year decline ever seen

(AP) — There were 30,000 fewer U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before — the largest one-year decline ever recorded. An estimated 80,000 people died from an overdose 2024. That’s down 27% from the 110,000 in 2023. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released the data Wednesday. The CDC has been collecting comparable data for 45 years. The previous largest one-year drop was 4% in 2018. Experts say several things could be driving the decline. They include increased availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, expanded addiction treatment and shifts in how people use drugs.

Judge: Trump can’t strip Foreign Service workers of their collective bargaining rights

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has agreed to temporarily block the Trump administration from stripping Foreign Service employees of their collective bargaining rights. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman on Wednesday granted a federal labor union’s request for a preliminary injunction. So while the lawsuit is pending, the judge’s action stops the administration from implementing a key portion of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The American Foreign Service Association, which represents more than 18,000 members of the Foreign Service, sued to stop the administration from implementing and enforcing the executive order.