NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-04-2026 3AM EST

Episode Date: January 4, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman. Flight restrictions in the Caribbean were lifted overnight. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says airlines have been informed, and regular flights will now resume. The restrictions were put in place as U.S. forces pushed into Venezuela overnight to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The two are now being held in a facility in Brooklyn. President Trump says they'll be facing justice. The overwhelming evidence of their crimes will be. presented in a court of law. And I've seen it. I've seen what we have. It's both horrible and

breathtaking that something like this could have been allowed to take place. Leaders of nations around the world, meanwhile, are now reacting to the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife. MPR's Chondalise Duster has more on that story. Several Latin American leaders have expressed concern about the United States attack in Venezuela and what it could mean for stability in the region. Brazil's president condemned the military strikes, saying it, quote, crossed an unacceptable line and set a dangerous precedent. Mexico says the strikes are a violation of the UN charter

and called for an immediate halt to acts of aggression. Russia and China have also condemned Maduro's capture. Some European allies agree with the transition of power in Venezuela, but say international law should be followed. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmor says he supports, quote, a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government, calling Maduro an illegitimate president. Shandalee's Duster, NPR News. A federal appeals court has ruled that a California open carry ban is unconstitutional.

Steve Futterman reports. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals determined the California ban, which applies to counties with more than 200,000 people, is unconstitutional. It was a two-to-one decision. the judges forming the majority are Trump appointees. The dissenting judge is a George W. Bush appointee. The court ruled the California ban violates a 22 Supreme Court decision which struck down laws requiring a special permit to openly carry a gun in public.

California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the decision. It's expected that supporters of the ban will now request a ruling by the entire Ninth Circuit. For NPR News, I'm Steve Fetterman in Los Angeles. The prosecutor in Switzerland says the managers of a bar where 40 people were killed in a New Year's Eve fire are now suspected of involuntary homicide and other charges related to the deaths. More than 100 other people were injured in the fire that broke out in the Alpine Resort Town of Cranz, Montana. Officials, meanwhile, say the process of identifying the bodies has been made much more difficult because of the severity of that fire. You're listening to NPR News.

Beverage giant Coca-Cola plans to lay off more than 70 employees at its Atlanta corporate headquarters. As Marlon Hyde, a member station WABE reports, the company says it's part of a broader reorganization of its workforce this year. About 75 employees at Coca-Cola's Atlanta headquarters will lose their jobs towards the end of February, according to a worker adjustment and retraining Notification Act filing. Lisa Chang, Koch's Executive Vice President and Global Chief People Officer, wrote in a warn letter that the company anticipates workforce reductions will occur in waves over the coming months. She adds that employees were given more than 60 days notice

and affected workers are not represented by a union. Coca-Cola spokesperson, Scott Leet, says this is part of an ongoing process to eliminate some jobs while creating others, and the overall number of changes has yet to be determined. Fair NPR News. I'm Marlon Hodge in Atlanta. Separatists in Yemen say warplanes from Saudi Arabia hit several targets Saturday in the southern part of that country. They say a military camp in the port city of Mukalo is hit,

along with other areas where separatist forces are located. The Saudi government is not commented on the attacks. The strikes are the latest in a series of attacks over the past month. Kenya's famed Super Tusker Elephant Craig, has died. He was 54 years old. A super tusker is an elephant with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds. Craig lived in Ambecelli National Park and symbolized that country's efforts to protect elephants from poachers. Officials say he died of natural causes. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.