NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-07-2026 3AM EST

Episode Date: January 7, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump says that Venezuela will hand over 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S. following the capture of that nation's president. As NPR's Franco Ordonez reports, Trump says the oil will then be sold at market price. President Trump says in a social media post that he'll control the proceeds from the oil sales to, quote, ensure that the money is used to benefit the people of Venezuela, and the United States. He adds that it will be transported by storage ships directly to unloading docks in the U.S. He says that his energy secretary, Chris Wright, is executing the plan.

Venezuela, of course, has some of the largest oil resources in the world, but it has been decimated by poor management. Oil fields are decaying, and the infrastructure is in horrible shape. Trump has said the U.S. will be strongly involved in reviving the country's oil industry and expects U.S. companies will help with the costs. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News. President Trump's envoy, Steve Whitkoff, is reporting progress in peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.

Whitkoff spoke with reporters following the media in Paris on Tuesday. We think we're largely finished with security protocols, which are important so that the people of Ukraine know that when this ends, it ends forever. But we also think critically that we are very, very close to

finishing up as robust a prosperity agreement as any country has ever seen coming out of conflicts like this. Nearly three dozen nations, including Britain and France, have pledged to send troops to Ukraine to secure peace once the fighting their ends. British Prime Minister Kier Stormer says the U.K. will also take part in U.S.-led efforts to bring about a ceasefire. Authorities still have no motive for last month shooting at Brown University and the killing of an MIT professor days later. But recordings, the suspect made after the shootings, shed some light on his state of mind. David Wright of Member Station, Ocean State Media, has more. Transcripts released by the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney's Office come from videos Claudio Nevis Valente recorded in his Salem, New Hampshire storage locker after the shootings.

His right eye wounded by one of his own shell casings, Valente says he'd been planning the attack at Brown University for some time. Six months, he says, or six semesters. He claims to have roamed the campus many times before December 13th. I had plenty of opportunities, he says, but I always chickened out. He says he has no hatred towards America and that, quote, this was an issue of opportunity. For NPR News, I'm David Wright in Providence, Rhode Island. U.S. futures are flat and after hours training on Wall Street on Asia-Pacific market shares are mixed. NPR. The Wyoming Supreme Court has struck down two state bans on abortion. The ruling applies to the only abortion clinic that's left in the state. The clinic and others filed suit after the bans were passed in 2022. The Wyoming Supreme Court ruling recognizes abortion as essential health care that should be protected from government interference. Another high-profile artist has withdrawn from performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

D.C. virtuoso banjo player Bela Fleck canceled a February engagement with the National Symphony Orchestra. Jeff Lundon has the story. The 17-time Grammy-winning banjo player announced his withdrawal from the Kennedy Center on an Instagram post saying, quote, performing there has become charged and political at an institution where the focus should be on the music. Fleck wrote that he hopes to return to the National Symphony in the future, quote, when we can together share and celebrate art. Since President Donald Trump took over as chairman of the board and most recently added his own name to the venue, many artists have decided to cancel performances. They include wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, performer Riannon Giddens, and the national tour of Lynn

Manuel Miranda's Hamilton. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London. Following days of intense secrecy, Lego has unveiled its smart play platform. The system allows Lego bricks to sense light, motion, sound, and distance, and respond in real time. This is NPR News.