STORY 1
Isaias strengthened into the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season late Wednesday in the Gulf. A hurricane warning runs from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County line in Florida, and a storm surge warning covers the mouth of the Mississippi River to Steinhatchee, Florida. Forecasters expect landfall on the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or Saturday, possibly as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane. Florida and Alabama have declared states of emergency.
Sources (3)
STORY 2
The Department of Homeland Security proposed a $70,000 fee for each international student's initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorization and $30,000 for each extension. The Associated Press reports schools would pay the fee; DHS says colleges could pass the cost on. About 294,000 international students used OPT in 2024-25. The proposal is open for public comment before it can be finalized.
The administration saysDHS says the fee targets fraud and abuse, calls the program a "pipeline for cheap foreign labor," and says it will protect American workers.
Critics sayNAFSA CEO Fanta Aw says driving away international students "will only hurt American innovation"; the American Council on Education says it won't help enrollment, and some immigration lawyers predict court challenges.
Sources (3)
STORY 3
The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration in federal court in Washington, alleging that $20 million in Homeland Security funds went to TV ads that amount to illegal government propaganda ahead of the midterms. It asks the court to declare the ads illegal and stop federal money from paying for them.
The DNC saysChair Ken Martin says the president is misusing taxpayer money on propaganda ads; the suit cites a federal ban on using appropriated funds for "publicity or propaganda."
The White House saysThe White House calls the ads public service announcements like those past administrations ran; President Trump called them "positive promotion for our Great U.S.A." and says his super PAC will pay for them going forward.
Sources (2)
STORY 4
India's Election Commission has removed more than 130 million names from voter rolls in a nationwide review called the Special Intensive Revision. Police briefly detained opposition leader Rahul Gandhi at a protest in New Delhi on Wednesday, and thousands rallied in Bengaluru on Thursday demanding that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign. Millions have appealed their removal.
The opposition saysOpposition parties say the removals disproportionately hit their voters while voters likelier to back Prime Minister Modi's party were kept or added.
The Election Commission saysThe commission says the revision removes duplicate and ineligible entries, keeps eligible voters registered and has no political motive; the government also rejects the allegations.
Sources (2)
STORY 5
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-3 to sweep their AL Division Series, helped by a fan-interference ruling that turned an apparent two-run Anthony Volpe homer into an RBI double. It's the Yankees' first sweep in a best-of-five postseason series since 1980. The Dodgers beat the Braves 4-1 to win their NL Division Series and open the NLCS on Sunday.
Sources (4)
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