NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-03-2026 10PM EST

Episode Date: January 4, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst. Houseed Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and his wife are in custody in Brooklyn to face federal charges, including narco-terrorism. They will be arraigned on Monday. The two were captured by U.S. forces overnight and a large U.S. military force attack involving some 150 aircraft. And Pierce, Greg Myrie, has more. General Dan Kane, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said President Trump

gave the order for the operation shortly before 11 p.m. Friday. The U.S. then launched bombers, fighter jets, surveillance planes, and drones. These aircraft helped protect the special operations forces flying in helicopters to President Maduro's compound in the capital Caracas. The helicopters came under fire, and one was hit, but was still able to fly. Within two and a half hours, the forces had captured Maduro and his wife, and were taking them to a U.S. warship in the Caribbean. Maduro now faces drug trafficking charges in the U.S. Greg Myrie, NPR News, Washington. President Trump says U.S. oil companies will head to Venezuela to take control of its massive oil reserves, and he says the U.S. will recruit U.S. companies to invest billions to refurbish

Venezuela's gutted oil infrastructure. We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in. and spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country. Trump says Venezuela had been pumping almost nothing in comparison to what they could have been, and he says the military is set to attack again if necessary to secure the effort. Venezuela claims to have more than 300 million barrels in the ground, which would be the largest reserve of any country, but only produces about 1 million barrels a day.

While top Republicans praise President Trump's actions on Venezuela, there are members from both countries who are angry, saying they were kept in the dark about Trump's plans. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says he was stunned to hear about the attack, especially after he says the administration told him last month they were not pursuing military action in Venezuela. Schumer is calling for the White House to give Congress a briefing on the operation. We are saying to the Republicans, this is your responsibility. President Trump is a member of your party. You've gone along with him over and over again. This is one time you've got to resist them. It's too serious.

This, after months of growing concern among some members of Congress, over the administration's deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. A source familiar with the planning but not authorized to speak publicly, says Trump plans to meet with all House Republicans Tuesday at the Kennedy Center, but it's not clear if he will also meet with Democrats. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The first female jockey in the Kentucky Derby has died. Diane Crump was 77 years old.

She was the first woman to ride professionally in a horse race in 1969, and a year later, she became the first female jockey in the derby. Her daughter tells the AP she died Thursday night in Winchester, Virginia, after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Trump won 228 races before retiring in 1998. She was among several women to successfully fight to be granted a jockey's license. Long track speed skaters will continue in Sunday's competition to try to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team at Team Trials in Milwaukee. Chuck Wormbach reports on women's and men's results today in the 1,000-meter event.

Aaron Jackson was the first black woman to win an individual gold medal in the Winter Olympics. when she did so four years ago. Now the 33-year-old Florida resident will skate in the women's 1,000-meter event in next month's Milan-Cortina Olympics after winning in Milwaukee. The former in-line skater says she still loves to compete.

I feel like I started on the ice kind of late. I think I was like 25, so I feel like I'm still kind of making up for lost time. Connor McDermott Mastowy won the men's 1,000 meters. Top-ranked skater Jordan Stolls fell at the start of. of his race, but still finished third. He had pre-qualified for the Olympic team in the event. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Quirmbach in Milwaukee.

And I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.