NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-03-2026 8AM EST

Episode Date: January 3, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. The State Department is weighing in on U.S. military action in Venezuela overnight, praising the operation. NPR's Jackie Northam reports that President Nicholas Maduro and his wife were flown out of Venezuela after those military strikes by the U.S. In a social media post, Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, said the U.S. military operation and the capture of Majuro signal a new dawn for Venezuela. adding that the, quote, tyrant is gone. Both Landau and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reposted earlier comments by Rubio saying that Majuro is not the president of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government.

In another social media post, Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee said Rubio briefed him on the overnight strike, telling him that he anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Majuro is in U.S. custody. Lee says he looks forward to learning what Mike constitutional, justify the Venezuela operation in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force. Jackie Northam, NPR News. MPR. Zader Peralta reports on Venezuela and reaction to President Trump's announcement that Maduro was captured. Videos posted on social media showed explosions across the capital, Caracas. In a statement, President Trump said Maduro had been captured along with his wife. On state television, Venezuela's vice president, Desi Rodriguez, said

government and military officials had been killed by U.S. strikes across Venezuela. She says the government does not know the whereabouts of President Maduro and his wife. We demand from the government of President Donald Trump a proof of life. Early this morning, Venezuela's interior minister, Yostado Cabello, appeared flanked by police, saying the Venezuelan government will not be cowed. Adapralta, in Pierre News, Mexico City. The Venezuelan government is calling the U.S. strikes at Rock, Farrakas and other targets around the country in imperialist attack and is urging citizens to take

to the streets. Here's the BBC's Will Grant. The Venezuelan defense minister, Vladimir Padino, is basically saying they're hunkering down. They're going to fight and that they're going to get out the forces that are set up from civil militias through to the armed forces and basically getting on a war footing. We have to see exactly what that will mean, given. that America's military might dwarfs that of Venezuela, you know, many, many times over. Attorney General Pam Bond, he says Maduro will face justice in New York, where he was indicted on narco-terrorism charges in 2020 during President Trump's first term in office.

In a social media post, President Trump said he will brief reporters on the situation in Venezuela. Later this morning, he remains at Mara Lago and is expected to return to the White House tomorrow. And you're listening to NPR News. Iran's supreme leader is vowing not to yield after President Trump threatened to come to the aid of protesters. Speaking on state television today, Ayatollah Ali Hamene says rioters must be put in their place. Hamine's remarks are his first since demonstrations over Iran's economy flared up across the country last weekend. Rights groups say at least 10 people have been killed and scores detained. Stocks lost ground this week, but still notched double-digit gains for 2025.

and PR Scott Horsley reports that pasta lovers also had something to celebrate. All the major stock indexes were in the red for the holiday shortened trading week. The Dow slipped two-thirds of a percent. The S&P 500 index fell about 1 percent, and the NASDAQ dipped 1 and a half percent. Despite this lump in the final days of the year, 2025 was still a good one for stock investors. A lot of big investors took a break in the week following Christmas, so trading volumes were light. Turning from the stock market to the supermarket, there was some positive news in the pasta aisle. administration is backtracking from its threat to impose triple-digit tariffs on imported pasta

from Italy. The Commerce Department says Italian pasta will likely face much lower anti-dumping duties when the final rates are set in March. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. Recapping our top story, President Trump said brief reporters later this morning on the situation in Venezuela. In a social media post early today, Trump said that U.S. forces carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela overnight. President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The Venezuelan government is demanding proof of life for the two. I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News from Washington.