NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-05-2026 10AM EST

Episode Date: January 5, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz says he is ending his bid for re-election. Wals was also the running mate of former Vice President Kamala Harris when she ran for the presidency. Wals cited investigations into fraud in his state's child care program. He says he would have won another term but cannot give the campaign his all. The opposed Venezuelan leader, Nicholas Maduro, is being held at the federal courthouse in New York City. He'll make his first court appearance later today. U.S. troops capture Maduro and his wife over the weekend and brought him to the U.S. to face drug charges. Some Republican lawmakers have supported the military action. Connecticut Democratic Congressman Jim Himes says while Maduro has not been good for Venezuelan civilians, Congress must still assert oversight of the Trump administration. Clearly, Congress needs to do something that it has not done because it's been under the control of the president's acolytes for the last, you know, year or so, which is to assert itself. to say we are the legitimate representatives of the people, and you're now talking about using those people on foreign adventures that would have made Teddy Roosevelt blush.

So, you know, again, we're in the minority in the House and the Senate, but it is time for this Congress to stand up and say we have a role to play here. He spoke to NPR's Morning Edition. Houston is home to one of the largest communities of Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S. Houston Public Media's Natalie Weber reports there's been mixed reaction in the city. Singing and waving flags, dozens of Venezuelan immigrants gathered in Houston suburbs to celebrate. Hector Machuca was among them. It's a lot of emotions, you know, all together like happiness, but at the same time, a little worry and we're a little nervous. However, some residents came out to oppose the operation.

Caleb Kourowski is an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which led a protest over the weekend. I think we already can see the results of U.S. interventions across the world, and we don't think that Venezuela will end up any different. Reaction from Texas leaders remain split. For NPR news, I'm Nadley Weber in Houston. Stocks open higher this morning as oil markets remained subdued. NPR Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 570 points in early trading. The U.S. military's capture of Venezuela's president and his wife over the weekend had little effect on global oil prices. Venezuela has large oil reserves, but its oil output has dropped sharp late after years of neglect. While President Trump wants U.S. oil companies to revitalize the

Venezuelan industry, the cost and time commitment necessary would be sizable. Crude oil prices in the U.S. are hovering well below $60 a barrel. Retail gasoline prices in the U.S. continue to fall. AAA says the average price of regular gas is now $2.81 a gallon. That's down about a penny from a week ago, and about 25 cents less than this time last year. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The U.S. Mint is releasing new coins into circulation today for the nation's 250th anniversary, but the Trump administration will not release the coins, celebrating women's rights and civil rights activists. The Mint is also considering releasing a $1 coin featuring Donald Trump, even though that's never been done for a sitting president.

It's still raining in Northern California. The risk of flooding continues. continues for areas around San Francisco Bay. From member station KQED, Billy Cruz has more. After historic king tides and storm surge inundated low-lying places across the San Francisco region, tides are still higher than normal, according to meteorologists. There is a possibility of water up to two feet above ground level, and widespread rain across the region is only making matters worse. Leni Hendricks is a spokesperson for Marin County in the Bay Area.

We are still seeing fairly high tides. Looking ahead while the rain is tapering off, we still have, you know, moderate to high tides and the forecast again for tomorrow. So we may not necessarily be in the clear on flooding. The National Weather Service has issued floodwatches across the state. For NPR News, I'm Billy Cruz in San Francisco. Conditions are very different in the Southern Plains. The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for the Texas Panhandle

and parts of Oklahoma and New Mexico. Weather conditions are ripe for fire weather. That includes powerful winds, low humidity, and very dry grass. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News, from Washington.