NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-03-2026 7AM EST

Episode Date: January 3, 2026

NPR News: 01-03-2026 7AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jail Snyder. Venezuela's vice president says the whereabouts of leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife are unknown. The government is demanding proof of life after President Trump said the two are in U.S. hands. In a social media post early this morning, President Trump said U.S. forces have carried out what he called a large-scale strike against Venezuela and captured Maduro. Multiple explosions hit the capital of Venezuela overnight, causing several. fires and panic among residents. According to the Venezuelan government, the strikes hit military and civilian sites in Caracas and also in three other states around the country. MPR.'s Kerry Khan reports. In a statement, Venezuela's government said it, quote, rejects, condemns,

and denounces before the international community, the extremely grave military aggression carried out by the current U.S. government. Multiple explosions were heard around 2 a.m. local time throughout Krakas. One journalist told NPR that two explosions hit the runway of the military airport La Carlota inside the Capitol. The Pentagon referred all inquiries to the White House. The Trump administration has been increasing pressure on the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro, who the U.S. says is the leader of a, quote, narco-terrorist organization. Maduro has declared a state of external disturbance and called for an immediate move to arms struggle. Kerry Khan, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro. Iranian officials say they'll continue to clamp down on anti-government protesters despite warnings from President Trump that he'd intervene to help them. The BBC's least two set reports. This latest wave of unrest in Iran, the most significant in years, shows no sign of stopping. In large parts of the country, daily life still goes on without interruption.

But protests have spread to a number of cities and towns, with running battles reported between security forces, and demonstrators. Local officials quoted by state media warned that what they called illegal gatherings would be dealt with decisively and without leniency. Protests in Iran have always been met

with significant force. The BBC's Leis Toussette reporting the Trump administration pausing the processing of immigration applications from 39 countries in Pierre Jimenez-Bosteo reports. Last month, the Trump administration expanded the list of countries with complete or partial limits on travel to the United States from 19 countries to 39.

Those restrictions became effective on January 1st. Then the Homeland Security Department announced in a memo this week that it would pause reviewing all pending applications for things like green card citizenship and asylum from immigrants of those countries. The agency also plans to re-review approved applications from immigrants of these countries, potentially going as far back as 2021. Jimenez-Bustillo, NPR News, Washington. And you're listening to NPR News. A search and rescue operation is ongoing off the coast of Gambia.

The president says dozens of people remain missing after a boat, potentially carrying more than 200 migrants capsized on New Year's Eve. The president says more than 100 have been rescued. Seven bodies have been recovered. A U.S. Appeals Court has ruled that California's ban on openly carrying firearms is unconstitutional. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco cited with a gun owner, ruling that the state's prohibition in counties with more than 200,000 people violates the Constitution's Second Amendment. The State Attorney General's office says it is committed to defending California's common-sense gun laws and is considering its options.

Even though it's winter in the northern hemisphere, the Earth will make its closest approach to the sun at 1215 p.m. Eastern today, as Joe Pauke explains, The distance from the sun is not what explains the seasons. If the orbit of the Earth around the sun were a perfect circle, then the two bodies would always be the same distance apart. But Earth's orbit is elliptical, a very slightly squashed circle, meaning every year there's a single time when it's closest than another when it's furthest away. But even if it were circular, there would still be seasons.

That's because the Earth is tilted away from straight up and down in its orbit. The tilt is significant, 23 degrees. In winter, the North Pole points away from the sun and in summer towards the sun. Longer time bathed than sunlight does more to explain changes in temperature than slight changes in distance. For NPR News, I'm Joe Palka. And I'm Jail Snyder. This is NPR News.