A federal judge ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man who was wrongfully deported, returned to the U.S. and is now facing criminal charges.

This marks a major legal victory for Abrego Garcia, who has sought his release from immigration custody for months.

Keep in mind: “Abrego Garcia remains protected from being removed to El Salvador again, but U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had proposed deporting him to one of several African countries where he has no ties.”

When will he be released?: The judge ordered him to be released “immediately,” requiring the government to respond by 5 p.m.

Read more on the case and its significance, via The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld.

💬 Follow today’s live blog

U.S. Attorney General's Office/X via AP

The U.S. seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking a dramatic escalation in the rising tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Democratic lawmakers and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) are very concerned. They’re worried Trump is stoking a broader military conflict with Venezuela.

Paul told NewsNation that “it sounds a lot like the beginning of a war.” And Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told NewsNation he is “gravely concerned that [Trump] is sleepwalking us into a war.”

Why did the U.S. seize the tanker?: Attorney General Pam Bondi alleges the tanker was transporting oil from Venezuela and Iran despite sanctions. Bondi posted video of the seizure. You can see American forces rappelling onto the tanker from helicopters and taking control of the ship. 📹 See video of the operation

Interesting tidbit: The New York Times reports that the oil tanker has faked its location before and may have been trying to hide its whereabouts.

Read more on the Venezuela incident

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is testifying on Capitol Hill on worldwide threats to the U.S.

Tidbit: A protester was removed from the hearing. The man yelled, “Stop ICE raids — the power of Christ compels you. Stop deportations — the power of Christ compels you.”

Rep. Bennie Thompson (Miss), the top Democrat on the panel, did not hold back: He slammed Noem’s work, including her spending. “Republicans gave you a blank check, secretary … and you have wasted no time spending it on yourself,” he said. 

💻 Watch the hearing

Senators will vote on competing plans today to avert skyrocketing health care premiums set to rise for millions of Americans in January. Yes, the same expiring ObamaCare subsidies that Democrats closed the government over.

The Senate will vote on Democrats’ proposal to end the subsidies for three years. Republicans are not on board with this plan, as we learned during the 43-day shutdown, so this is expected to fail. Read more on Democrats’ plan

Senate Republicans have teed up a competing vote on an alternative to the subsidies. The GOP’s plan converts health insurance premium subsidies into contributions to health savings accounts (HSA). Read more on Republicans’ plan

But let’s be clear: Both plans are expected to fail, leaving us in the same spot.

For what it’s worth: Politico analyzed each plan and how it would affect health care costs for Americans. Basically, it depends on the customer. Read the comparison

“Senate Republicans, unsettled by recent Democratic victories in the off-year elections, want President Trump to do more to respond to the issue of ‘affordability,’ a buzzword Trump recently dismissed as a Democratic ‘con job’ despite polls showing voters view higher costs as a major issue,” reports The Hill’s Alexander Bolton.

From Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska): “You can’t call it a hoax and suggest that people are going to believe it. What you say matters.”

From a senior Republican senator: “I think Republicans need to have a message about caring for people who are struggling because of the high cost of things. I see it at home. … The cost of things is a problem,” the senator said.

Read Bolton’s reporting: ‘GOP lawmakers unhappy with Trump’s affordability message: “You can’t call it a hoax”’

Related analysis from The New York Times: ‘Trump Doesn’t Want to Talk About Affordability. Democrats Say That’s a Gift.’

Apple CEO Tim Cook. 📸 Photo

The House easily passed its annual defense policy bill on Wednesday, sending it to the Senate. The upper chamber will hold an initial preliminary vote today ahead of an expected final vote next week.

Our 10-point approach helps ensure our nicotine products are available only to adults 21+. Learn more.

“The Architects of AI.”

From the magazine: “2025 was the year when artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view, and when it became clear that there will be no turning back. For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year.”

🔎 Read Time’s cover story

📸 The cover

The Hill’s annual list of top lobbyists for 2025 is out! More than 18,000 lobbyists were nominated. 📝 See who made the list

— Hundreds of people in South Carolina are in quarantine due to a measles outbreak.

— The Walt Disney Company agreed to a billion-dollar deal with OpenAI.

— President Trump says he wants CNN to be sold while its parent company undergoes a megamerger with either Netflix or Paramount.

— Foreign tourists may be required to show the past five years of their social media accounts when traveling to the U.S.

The Wall Street Journal: Fed’s Fractured Vote Signals Trouble Ahead for Future Rate Cuts

The Atlantic: So This Is What ‘America First’ Looks Like: The practical application of Trump’s isolationism is hardly the big break he promised.