NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-04-2026 7AM EST

Episode Date: January 4, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jail Snyder. Venezuela Vice President Delsi Rodriguez says there is still only one president of Venezuela, and that's Nicolas Maduro. She held a meeting with top government leaders this weekend and remaining defiant. She said Venezuela will not be run by the U.S. Meanwhile, residents of the Capitol are waiting in lines in order to stock up on food and medicine. NPR's Kerry Kahn has more on the aftermath of the U.S. military intervention. The overall sentiment in Caracas has been one of shock after the capital was rocked by explosions early Saturday morning.

Retired government worker Sandra Martinez, however, says Maduro had to go. It was necessary already, she said, and if a transition is to happen, God willing, she said she hopes it will be peaceful. Shopkeeper Carlos Barada, who was 57 years old, said he felt the shockwaves of the explosions, but now he's worried about what's next. everyone is saying the next days will be difficult. He says he's decided to take the little money he has stashed away and buy as much food as he can. Kerry Kahn and Pierre News, Rio de Janeiro. Congressional reaction to Maduro's removal is split largely along party lines. Speaking in South Florida, House Republican Maria Elvirus Al-Azar praised President Trump for saying the U.S. will run Venezuela until what he said would be a safe, proper, and judicious transition.

that we are not an occupying power, like some of our my colleagues on the other side of the aisle is saying, we're not an occupying power. We are a liberating power and we restore power and then we give it back to those who are in that country. We are a very benevolent country. And a call with reporters Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called Maduro an illegitimate dictator, but he said that President Trump's decision to launch military action without congressional authorization and a plan for what comes next is reckless. In other news, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan is resigning after being convicted of trying to help a man evade immigration enforcement. Sarah Lear of Wisconsin Public Radio has more.

Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan's legal troubles started in April when she led a man through a side door of her courtroom. That's after immigration agents showed up at the courthouse to arrest the man for being in the country illegally. The day after the felony verdict against Dugan, Wisconsin's top legislative Republicans announced they would start impeachment proceedings against her unless she resigned immediately. In her resignation letter, Dugan indicated she is still planning to appeal her conviction. But Dugan said she is stepping down to avoid a, quote, partisan fight in the state legislature. Wisconsin's Democratic governor will appoint another judge to replace Dugan. For NPR News, I'm Sarah Lear in Milwaukee.

And this is NPR News. Long-track speed skaters will continue later today to try and qualify for the U.S. Olympic team at team trials in Milwaukee. Chuck Quirmbach reports on women's and men's results Saturday in the 1,000 meters 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 inline 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 Mostowy won the men's 1,000 meters. Top ranked skater Jordan Stolls fell at the start of his race, but still finished third. He had pre-qualified for the Olympic team in the event. For NPR news, I'm Chuck. Kwermbach in Milwaukee. Farmers in California's Central Valley looking forward to a series of storms as they prepare to harvest citrus and vegetable crops. Ryan Jacobson is the CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau. Exciting time right now, but it's cautious optimism, hoping that we're

going to continue to see these storms roll in. The National Weather Service calling for widespread rainfall in the Central Valley and along the California coast, with isolated flash flooding a possibility into tomorrow. Meanwhile, a clipper system is expected to bring moderate snowfall and light freezing rain tonight to the upper Midwest and Great Lakes region. I'm Gail Snyder. This is NPR News from Washington.