Hello, readers! Kathryn Palmer here, welcome to On Politics. It may be the last edition of the week, but that doesn't mean the news is slowing down. Let's run down today's top stories. |
Senate rejects health care bills, costs to rise |
Millions of Americans will face skyrocketing health care costs in the new year, after the Senate rejected dueling bills to prevent premiums from spiking for millions of Obamacare enrollees. The failed plans leaves lawmakers virtually no time before their holiday break to soften the approaching financial blow. Scheduling the vote was one of the central concessions GOP leaders offered Senate Democrats in November, in exchange for their votes to end the longest government shutdown. But it didn't guarantee passage, even after four Republicans defected from their party to try to extend the subsidies. | Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, holds a news conference following the GOP weekly policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 9, 2025. Annabelle Gordon, REUTERS |
Kilmar Abrego Garcia ordered to be released |
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran immigrant whose mistaken deportation to a notorious Salvadoran prison earlier this year made him a flash point for the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies, was ordered freed by a federal judge in Maryland today. He was initially swept up in an administrative error in March, though federal officials claimed he was a member of the MS-13 gang, an allegation Abrego Garcia denies. After his deportation to El Salvador, a tense legal battle ensued over the his wrongful deportation. Abrego Garcia was returned to the U.S. in June, but was subsequently rearrested by immigration authorities on human smuggling charges. Abrego, 30, has been held in immigration detention since August. |
Indiana to vote on new congressional maps |
Trump's redistricting campaign, launched in the summer and taken up by both red and blue states, will face a serious test today in Indiana's statehouse. Lawmakers will take up the hotly debated question of whether they will join the half-dozen other states that have passed new congressional election maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. The proposed map would add two GOP-advantaged districts, but the effort has encountered strong opposition not only from the state's minority Democrats but also from several Republican legislators. The White House led a pressure campaign, including in-person visits by the vice president to state lawmakers and by the president, threatening electoral consequences if GOP members didn't fall in line. |
Thanks for reading On Politics! Check out more politics stories below. Reach out at kapalmer@usatoday.com. | | "I think CNN should be sold," Trump said, slamming the news outlet's leadership as its parent company faces potential acquisition. | | For a $5 million contribution, foreign high-rollers can now also avail of a "Platinum Card," which comes with tax benefits. | | | | Trump administration officials have suggested he's violating the U.S. Constitution. Mamdani said he's proud to speak about protections under the law. | | | | The Pentagon knew the names of 11 people killed in a Sept. 2 attack on a boat in the Caribbean, the commander in charge of the strike told lawmakers. | | | | Trump administration wants the International Criminal Court to amend its charter to ensure it does not investigate the president. | | | | | Sign up for the news you want | Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don't miss out! We're always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. | | | | | |
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