NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-05-2026 12PM EST

Episode Date: January 5, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. You didn't make the football to you. It's part of the human trafficking. Counter protests recorded by the Associated Press outside of New York City Federal Courthouse, where ousted Venezuela and President Nicolas Maduro is being arraigned this hour on drug trafficking and weapons charges. He and his wife were captured in a U.S. military raid two days ago. NPR's Joe Hernandez has details. In the early stages of the case against him, Maduro will be advised of his right to an attorney.

his right to remain silent and the charges against him, according to former federal prosecutor Adam Fells. Fells, who worked on the case against El Chapo Guzman, says a judge will also decide whether to release Maduro or confine him before trial, and that defendants in narcotics cases involving guns are often kept behind bars while their cases unfold. There's a very high presumption of detention that I don't imagine that a defense attorney would be able to overcome and may not even try to overcome.

Maduro faces charges including narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking. Joe Hernandez, NPR News. President Trump's action is a departure from his promise not to get the U.S. involved in foreign conflicts. NPR's Mara Liason reports it's not clear yet how his supporters will react. The big political question that Venezuela may answer is whether the MAGA movement stands for anything Donald Trump decides to do or for principles, such as non-interventionism, that transcend Trump. Most Republicans in Congress have been supportive so far, but a few, like Representative Marjorie Taylor Green, who's leaving Congress this week after a falling out with Trump, says the president has broken his America first promise with his plan to, quote, run Venezuela. She says the president should be focused on domestic problems like the price of food and health care. Mara Liason, NPR News.

Minnesota Governor Tim Wall says he is ending his bid for re-election to a third term. The Democrats' campaign has been overshadowed by a political firestorm surrounding fraud investigations of the state's child care program and GOP calls for his resignation. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, another powerful Democrat, is among the figures being floated as a gubernatorial candidate. A pill version of the weight loss drug Wagovi is now available. Novo Nordis says the drug will be covered by insurance, though in some cases there will be a co-pay. Novo Nordist's executive vice president of U.S. operations, Dave Morris, is a pill form of the drug, will also be cheaper for those who pay out of pocket. We have a self-pay option that has the starting doses, the two lowest doses of the Wagobe pill, for $1.49 per month. And then the two higher doses are $1.99 a month.

U.S. stocks trading higher. The sour. The NASDAQ is up more than 200 points or nearly 1%. The SMPs risen 58 points in the data. is up 752 points or 1.5%. This is NPR news. The risk of flooding continues for areas around San Francisco Bay from member station KQED. Billy Cruz has the latest. Tides are still higher than normal, according to meteorologists. And widespread rain across the region is only making matters worse. Lainey 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. Where does a hungry deer go in the dead of winter to enjoy a hearty meal? Every day, dozens of white-tailed deer in Maine head over to Brownville's food pantry. for deer and his NPR's Ava Poochatch reports, thousands of fans are watching online. Richard McMahon has been running Brownville's food pantry for deer along with his son and grandson for 17 years. He says he grew up eating venison and now he wants to give back. Most of our winners in Maine are quite severe and they need all the help they can get. And we

kind of provide that by giving them food and a safe place to hang out. At first, the McMahon's paid about $5,000 out of pocket each year. to cover the supplies. Almost 10 years ago, they started live streaming the deer online. Now, donations cover their operating costs. The family works with local biologists to make sure what they're feeding the deer is good for them to eat. Ava Puketsch, NPR News. It's NPR.