NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-06-2026 7AM EST

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, Encorva Coleman, deposed Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and his wife Celia Froes have pleaded not guilty to U.S. criminal charges. NPR's Jasmine Garst reports the couple appeared in a federal courtroom yesterday in New York City. The proceeding lasted about 30 minutes and was interrupted by a heckler who yelled that Maduro would pay for what he's done to Venezuelans. Maduro responded that he is a man of God and added a prisoner of war kidnapped by the American military. Outside the courthouse protesters for and against American intervention in Venezuela had heated exchanges.

Izzy McCabe believes the Trump administration's motives are clear. This is a ploy to capture oil and foreign resource of a country. The next hearing for Maduro and Flores is scheduled for March 17. Chasmund Garst and PR News, New York. Trump administration officials briefed top congressional leaders from both parties last night on the Venezuela military operation. President Trump gave an interview yesterday to NBC. He says the U.S. government could help fund oil companies that want to go in and rebuild infrastructure in Venezuela. Many oil producers are headquartered in Houston.

Natalie Weber of Houston Public Radio has more on the implications for Texas. Regime change could lead to further U.S. investment in Venezuela's oil resources. But Rice University professor Mark Jones says the impact for Texas could be mixed. That would benefit the oil companies in Houston and the oil service companies in Houston. It would probably have a negative impact on Texas from a revenue perspective. That's because a significant increase in Venezuelan oil exports could drive down oil prices, Jones says. Over the weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would continue to enforce an oil quarantine on sanction tankers in and out of Venezuela. The country currently produces about a million barrels of oil per day.

For NPR news, I'm Natalie Weber in Houston. Some health care providers in the U.S. are surprised by yesterday sudden change in children's vaccine recommendations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reduced the numbers of vaccines routinely recommended for children. There was no public comment allowed, and vaccine makers were not consulted. NPR's Ping Huang explains the new recommendations. So all U.S. children are now recommended to get vaccines against 11 diseases, which is six fewer than there were yesterday morning. What remains on that everyone should get this list includes vaccines against measles, polio, chickenpox, HPV. But other shots that used to be recommended for all kids, like those for rotavirus, meningitis, hepatitis A and B and flu, are now recommended only for children at high risk or only after talking with a health care provider.

NPR's Ping Huang prepared that report. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The leaders of several European nations have released a joint statement today about the status of Greenland. President Trump has demanded that the U.S. take over the world's largest island. It's controlled by Denmark. In the statement, the European leaders say Greenland's future can only be decided by Greenlanders themselves along with Denmark. As the Super Bowl approaches, some NFL team, teams that missed the playoffs are shaking up their coaching staffs.

From member station W.A.B.E. in Atlanta, Marlon Hyde, has more. The Monday after the regular season ends, also known as Black Monday, is typically a rough day for head coaches that failed to make it into the postseason. Four teams are now searching for new locker room leadership. The Atlanta Falcons let go of their head coach, Rahim Morris, along with the team's general manager Sunday, after the team missed the post season for the eighth season in a row. The Arizona Cardinals fired Jonathan Gans, The Las Vegas Raiders let go of Pete Carroll after one season, and the Cleveland Browns are moving on from Kevin Stefanski. Two NFL teams got started early.

The Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants fired their coaches during the season. For NPR News, I'm Marlon Hyde in Atlanta. Officials in the Philippines have raised their alert for the Mayan volcano. The volcano is on the southern part of Luzon Island. It's hundreds of miles south of Manila, the capital. The Philippine officials warn there is an increased chance the volcano could erupt and they are warning people to stay away. Researchers say that the Mayan volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.