NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-04-2026 9AM EST

Episode Date: January 4, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. New York City's mayor, Zoran Mamdani, says he called President Trump to voice opposition to the military operation in Venezuela. Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro is being held in New York City and is expected to face trial there. Here's NPR's Brian Mann reporting. Mamdani, who took office just days ago, said at a press conference that he phoned Trump and spoke with him directly after learning of the U.S. military's action and the capture of Maduro. It was an opposition based on being opposed to a pursuit of regime change, to the violation of federal international law. Mamdani said Trump registered his opposition. The mayor gave no further details about the call.

Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, have been indicted on federal drug charges in the Southern District of New York. Maduro was shown in a government video yesterday at the Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters in New York. He's expected to face trial in Manhattan. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York. Maduro's allies remain in power in Venezuela. The country's top court has ordered Vice President Delci Rodriguez to assume the role of interim president. Venezuelans around the world watch the developments after President Maduro and his wife were jailed for drugs and weapons charges in New York. In Florida, reaction is mixed Kavan Antonio Haydari.

Reports from Miami. The extraction and processing of Maduro by American military brings new uncertainties for Venezuelans in Florida. the largest expat enclave in the U.S. Maduro's allies still control government, so euphoria is tinged with worry for Venezuelans who spoke but prefer not to be identified for security concerns. Ricardo's visiting family and has a return flight, but is unsure about the new reality in Caracas.

You can't talk, can't express yourself. In a country like that, you can't live, he said. Maria's awaiting immigration papers and said her blood was chilled when President Trump said Americans would run Venezuela. For NPR News, I'm Kavan Antonio Hedari in Miami. The last remaining arms-controlled treaty between the U.S. and Russia set to expire next month. NPR's Jeff Brumfio reports marks the end of an era in controlling the threat of nuclear war. The New START Treaty is set to expire on February 5th. It limits the number of nuclear warheads that the U.S. and Russia can deploy,

missile, submarines, and bombers to just over 1,500 each. The treaty also requires the U.S. and Russia to share data and allow inspections of nuclear weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last year, Russia was, quote, prepared to continue observing the limits of the treaty for another year, but it remains unclear whether Putin and the Trump administration can reach a deal amid growing fears of a new nuclear arms race. Jeff Brumfield, NPR News. And you're listening to NPR News. The painstaking process of identifying badly burned victims continues in the Swiss village of Cromontana. A fire at a bar killed 40 people during a New Year celebration.

Terry Schultz reports that dozens of survivors have been evacuated to other countries for treatment. mourners are attending the first Sunday mass in Cromontana since the New Year's Day incident being described as one of the worst disasters in recent Swiss history. Police say they've been able to identify more than half the people who died when a bar caught fire during New Year's Eve celebrations. Many of them are expected to be teenagers as the location was popular with youth. The bar's owners, a French couple, are under criminal investigation, including charges of manslaughter by negligence. Investigators say sparklers likely ignited foam on the ceiling. The European Union is coordinating evacuation and treatment for some of the worst affected survivors in nearby countries. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels.

British and French warplanes have carried out an airstrike in central Syria. In a statement today, Britain's defense ministry said the target was an underground facility suspected of storing weapons for the Islamic State Group. Britain and France are part of the U.S.-led coalition that's been fighting IS militants for more than a decade. The Trump administration launched strikes last month in retaliation for an attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter. Ukrainian President Volodymira Zelensky is expected to be in Paris Tuesday. He is to meet with European leaders amid the U.S.-led push to end the war in Ukraine. National Security Advisors from 18 countries met in Kiev yesterday.

I'm Jail Snyder. This is NPR News.