President Donald Trump called for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages on social media Wednesday, directly addressing Hamas with the message, "Release the hostages now, or there will be [expletive] to pay later!" The message was posted after Trump met with a group of hostages who were recently released by Hamas.

The Supreme Court upheld an order for the Trump administration to release funding for contractors at USAID and the State Department. In other legal updates, a judge has blocked NIH funding cuts, and the Agriculture Department has been ordered to reinstate thousands of workers.

After Trump's address to Congress, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer outlined the Democrats' opposition to his agenda. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries defended House Democrats' conduct, while House Republicans moved to censure Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) for disrupting the speech.

Democratic mayors from four major U.S. cities testified before lawmakers Wednesday, defending their "sanctuary city" laws that limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.