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

Episode Date: January 4, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hervst. Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro is in New York after he and his wife were captured by the U.S. military early this morning in a wide-scale attack. NPR's Jasmine Garst has more. CNN video appears to show the Venezuelan president arriving at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York. He's expected to be processed there

and then flown by helicopter to a detention facility in New York City sometime tonight. President Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, have been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses in Manhattan federal court next week. Following the Venezuelan president's detention, President Trump said the U.S. would indefinitely, quote, run the country and sees Venezuela's massive oil reserves.

Jasmine Garst and Peer News, New York. President Trump says the U.S. will run Venezuela with the help of the country's vice president, But Venezuela asked for a UN Security Council meeting over Trump's actions. That's scheduled for Monday. And Fierreira Peralta has more. During a press conference, President Trump said that his Secretary of State had a long conversation with the Venezuelan Vice President Delci Rodriguez. He said Rodriguez had been sworn in as president and she said that she was ready to do whatever the Americans wanted.

Rodriguez has been a staunch ally of President Nicolas Maduro and she appeared later on state television leading a cabinet meeting. She pledged her support for Maduro. There's only president in this country that's called Nicolas Maduro Morrow. There's only one president in this country, she said, and it's Nicolas Maduro. Her statement raised questions about President Trump's assertion and his plan for Venezuela. Adapraltar and Pierre News, Mexico City. Meanwhile, President Trump says American companies will take over Venezuela's reserves, and Houston, known as the energy capital of the world, is home to many of those firms.

Houston Public Media's Natalie Weber has more. bought the implications for the industry in Texas and beyond. After the U.S. seized an oil tinker off the coast of Venezuela, American officials sent it to the Texas coast, about an hour south of Houston. The city also serves as the headquarters for Chevron, the only American oil producers still operating in Venezuela. Francisco Manaldi is the director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

He says many oil firms direct their Latin American operations. from the city. Houston is going to be the center of a lot of the potential activity of investment in Venezuela. It has a long history of connection to Venezuela. In a statement, Chevron said it continues to, quote, operate in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. For NPR News, I'm Nudley Weber in Houston. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. Countries across Europe have offered Switzerland help in dealing with a large number of severely burned survivors from a fire at a ski resort on New Year's Day. At least 40 people were killed. Terry Schultz reports a criminal investigation has been opened against the owners of the ski resort. The French couple that owns and manages the bar in Crown Mantana, Switzerland has been placed under investigation for manslaughter by negligence, causing bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence.

Officials say they're looking into whether there were sufficient safety measures on the premises after victims said they were trapped inside without access to an escape route. Though no formal conclusions have yet been shared publicly, authorities have said they believe the ceiling caught fire from lit sparklers carried inside the bar for New Year's Eve celebrations. The European Union has activated support mechanisms to help Switzerland, sending specialized burn care experts, and coordinating the evacuation of dozens of patients to other hospitals around Europe to relieve the overwhelmed facilities in the region.

For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels. The Wisconsin judge convicted of felony obstruction over the arrest of an immigrant has resigned as Republicans threatened to impeach her. Judge Hannah Dugan sent her letter of resignation to the governor today saying a case against her is too big of a distraction. Governor Tony Evers says he'll fill the vacancy soon. Last April, federal prosecutors say Dugan distracted federal

officers trying to arrest a Mexican immigrant outside her courtroom by leading him out another door. I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington.