3 Things To Know Today

1 President Trump Orders Blockade Of All Sanctioned Oil Tankers Traveling To Or From Venezuela

President Trump announced yesterday that he’s ordering a complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela. Trump wrote on Truth Social that Venezuela is surrounded by the largest fleet ever put together in South American history and will get bigger until the country returns oil, land, and other assets to the United States. The move comes less than a week after U.S. forces seized an oil tanker called the Skipper near Venezuela. Defense experts say at least seven other sanctioned tankers near Venezuela could be seized next.

2 ACA Tax Credits Will Likely Expire After House Speaker Blocks Vote This Week

House Speaker Mike Johnson said yesterday that he will not hold a vote to extend tax credits that help millions of Americans pay for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. About 22 million people, or more than 90 percent of those with ACA coverage, get these credits, which are set to expire at the end of the month. Without them, health experts say premiums will more than double in 2026, going up by an average of 114 percent or over $1,000 per person per year. The credits were created during the COVID pandemic to make health insurance more affordable. Some moderate Republicans who wanted the credits extended are angry at Johnson.

3 Pete Hegseth Says He Won't Release Video Of Second Boat Strike

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday that the Pentagon will not release the video of a Sept. 2nd strike that killed two survivors of an earlier U.S. attack on a suspected drug boat. Hegseth called the video "top secret" and said it won't be shared with the public, though members of the Senate and House Armed Services committees will see it today. Some lawmakers, mostly Democrats, have been pushing to see the full video for two weeks. The strike happened in the Caribbean and targeted people who survived the first attack on the boat.