NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-06-2026 6AM EST

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, on Korva Coleman, Trump administration officials have briefed top congressional leaders about the raid into Venezuela last weekend. Democratic lawmakers had been demanding this. They got one last night. Afterwards, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was unimpressed. Their plan for the U.S. running Venezuela is vague based on wishful thinking and unsatisfying. House Speaker Mike Johnson says the U.S. military action was justified. There is disagreement over congressional notification. The speaker says President Trump did not have to tell lawmakers. With regard to the war powers and the compliance with federal law, we are not at war.

We do not have U.S. armed forces in Venezuela and we are not occupying that country. However, federal law does say that presidents are required to keep congressional intelligence committees informed of any significant intelligence activity or any significant anticipated intelligence. intelligence activity. That is separate from the War Powers Act. Trump administration officials are arguing the U.S. military operation in Venezuela was nothing, like other U.S. foreign interventions that President Trump is long opposed. And B.R. Tamara Keith reports. Trump has campaigned against regime change for as long as he's been in politics. We must abandon the failed policy of nation-building and regime change. We're not looking for regime change.

We've learned that lesson a long time ago. We're not looking for regime change. They've tried that. That was Trump in 2016, 2019, and 2020. This was him on Saturday announcing Maduro's arrest. We are going to run the country. It's still not clear what form that will take. But U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, says the U.S. is not occupying Venezuela. And Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, says comparing this to the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,

is like apples and oranges. Tamara Keith, NPR News. Today's the fifth anniversary of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, a mob of pro-Trump rioters, violently assaulted police-enforced members of Congress to flee for their lives. Democrats, as well as pardoned rioters are set to hold dueling events today. And peers Tom Dreisbach has more. House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries says Democrats will honor the 140 police officers who were injured in the violence on January 6, 2021. and raise awareness of what he calls the Trump administration's threat to free and fair elections. On his first day in office, Trump issued mass pardons for the rioters, including the most violent.

Trump has referred to them as, quote, great patriots and said they were treated unfairly. Now that they've been freed from prison, a group of former defendants is planning their own event on the anniversary, a march in Washington, D.C. They say they plan to be peaceful. Tom Dreisbach and PR News. You're listening to NPR. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting says its board has voted to shut down the organization. Last year, Congress removed federal subsidies for public broadcasting. NPR's David Fulkenflick reports CPB had distributed federal funds to public television, public radio, and PBS and NPR for more than 50 years. The board voted on December 10th.

It was disclosed in court filings in CPB's lawsuit against President Trump over his executive order seeking to fire several CPB board. members. CBB says its lawsuit is now irrelevant. CEO Patricia Harrison said CPB dissolved, quote, to protect the integrity of the public media system. Otherwise, it would be, Harrison said, vulnerable to additional attacks. In another executive order, Trump sought to bar CPB from subsidizing NPR and PBS, which he accused of bias. The networks deny that. In a separate suit against the White House, NPR and three Colorado public radio stations allege the order is unconstitutional. That case remains in court. David Fulkenflick and PR News. Ukraine's president and European allies are meeting today in Paris to talk about security

guarantees. These could take effect in Ukraine after any potential ceasefire with Russia begins. But there's new uncertainty after the Trump administration's attack on Venezuela and seizure of Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Ukraine is seeking strong promises of support from the U.S. President Trump is now seen as a U.S. leader who will be engaged with his action in Venezuela. The U.S. will be represented today at the talks by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy, Steve Whitkov. This is NPR.