NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-06-2026 8AM EST

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. President Trump is said to meet House Republicans at the Kennedy Center this morning. This follows the administration's strikes on Venezuela and capture of its then president. NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports administration officials briefed top lawmakers about Venezuela last night. The Secretaries of State and Defense, along with the Attorney General and CIA Director, briefed top lawmakers on the Venezuela operation in a meeting Monday night that went over two hours. Republicans called it a thorough. briefing, stressing that the actions taken by the administration are appropriate. Democrats, on the other hand, said the briefing left them with more questions than answers, including whether the administration is considering similar actions in other countries. There will be another administration briefing, this time with all members, tomorrow. Barbara Sprint and Pier News, the Capitol. Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores have pleaded not guilty to U.S. criminal charges, including drug trafficking. They appeared in a federal court yesterday in New York City. Maduro's next court date will be March 17th. The capture of Maduro became

a nearly half-million dollar payday for a trader on the app called Polymarket. As MPR's Bobby Allen reports, the trade has raised new concerns about insider trading on popular prediction market sites. Hours before President Trump ordered the Maduro operation, an anonymous user on Polymarket bet $32,000 the Venezuelan leader would be toppled. That turned into a $400,000 profit. As online sleuths tried to identify the trader, a debate is raging about insider trading on popular prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi. The apps allow people to place bets on what politicians might say, what officials might do, and the outcome of elections. Legal experts say an insider trading case against a prediction market user would be more difficult

than a case against a stock market trader. There are far fewer laws governing prediction markets which the Trump administration is regulating not as a stock, but as a futures contract. Bobby Allen and PR News. A Texas jury has been seated in the trial of a former Uvalde school police officer. He's charged with failing to protect children

during the 2022 school shooting. Texas Public Radio's David Martin Davies reports opening statements are set to begin this morning. Adrian Gonzalez was one of the first officers to respond to the Rob Elementary attack that killed 19 students and two teachers. He's charged with 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment in a rare prosecution of an officer accused of not doing more to save lives. Over 400 potential jurors were questioned about their knowledge of the failed police response

to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. Twelve jurors and four alternates were selected for the trial that's expected to take about two weeks. I'm David Martin Davies in San Antonio. On Wall Street in pre-market trading, stock futures are mixed. This is NPR. South Korea's president has called for a resetting of ties with its neighbor China. Ties between the two neighbors have been strained since the deployment of U.S. missile defenses in South Korea nearly a decade ago.

NPR's Anthony Kuhn has more from Seoul. President E.J. Myeong's state visit to China is the first by a South Korean leader in nine years. He said this year would mark the full restoration of bilateral ties. Both sides affirmed the importance of restarting negotiations with North Korea, but they made no mention of denuclearization. He demonstrated his rapport with Chinese leader Xi Jinping by snapping and posting selfies of the leaders and their spouses. After Seoul's 2016 decision to allow the U.S. missile deployment, China slapped an unstated ban on music, movies, and other South Korean cultural exports.

Both sides said they agreed to gradually increase issues. of cultural content. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul. European leaders are gathering today in Paris to talk about security for Ukraine. The leaders say they're willing to guarantee Ukraine's security if a ceasefire can be reached with the Kremlin. Russia invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago. The Trump administration and Ukrainian leaders have reached the outlines of a peace agreement, but Russia has not yet accepted it. A cold snap is hitting much of Europe. France closed several airports today, because of snow. Hundreds of flights have been grounded in the Netherlands. Schools have closed in

Britain. Parts of southeastern Europe have already gotten heavy snow and rain, filling rivers and creating traffic disruptions. Some deaths in different countries have also been reported. You're listening to NPR.