NPR News: 01-05-2026 7PM EST
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Why did former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro plead not guilty in U.S. federal court?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife made their first appearance in U.S. federal court today. They each pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges against them. NPR's Ryan Lucas reports.
Nicolas Maduro faces narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons charges. His wife, Celia Flores, faces three of those same counts. At a hearing in federal court in Manhattan... Both Maduro and Flores entered pleas of not guilty. During the proceedings, Maduro introduced himself as the president of Venezuela and a prisoner of war.
What concerns did Senator Mark Warner raise about the precedent of Maduro’s capture?
The first court appearance comes two days after a U.S. military operation captured the couple in the heart of Venezuela's capital, Caracas, and took them to New York to face trial. U.S. prosecutors allege Maduro presided over a large-scale drug trafficking operation, working hand-in-hand with drug cartels in to ship tons of cocaine to the United States. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.
Senior members of the Trump administration briefed lawmakers on Capitol Hill today about Maduro's capture. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. says the ouster sends a dangerous message to the rest of the world.
The enormous precedent this sets, if suddenly we can go in and snatch a leader if they have violated our law, what would then stop Putin using that same theory of the case to take out Zelensky from Kiev?
How are investigators linking the Swiss resort bar fire to illegal candle use and negligence?
What would stop President Xi from taking Taiwan since Chinese law has said that Taiwan is simply a breakaway province?
The Senate will vote later this week on whether to prohibit further U.S. military involvement in the country without congressional approval. All the victims of a fire in a bar in a Swiss resort have now been identified. Most of the 40 people killed during the New Year's Eve celebration were teenagers, some of them as young as 14. NPR's Ruth Sherlock reports public pressure for answers is mounting.
Leaders from Pope Leo to Chinese President Xi Jinping have sent condolences as bereaved parents of the dead and injured mourn in the resort town of Kranz Montana. The victims were from many European countries. Prosecutors say the fire was likely caused by sparkling candles igniting the ceiling of the bar's basement. And authorities are investigating two people who ran the bar on suspicion of crimes that include homicide by negligence.
Why are U.S. health officials warning of a worsening flu season and changing vaccine recommendations?
Police have not yet arrested them. This has prompted Swiss newspaper Blick to on its front page question why are the couple running the bar free? Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini is among those publicly asking what safety procedures were in place for this basement bar. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News.
U.S. flu infections are surging. Health officials say the already severe season is likely to get worse. The Trump administration said today it will no longer recommend flu shots and some other types of vaccines for all children. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The Secret Service says a man who broke windows at Vice President J.D. Vance's Ohio home has been detained. Officials say the man broke a window with a hammer and tried to enter the house in one of Cincinnati's oldest neighborhoods. It was unoccupied after Vance and his family returned to Washington on Sunday. A 26-year-old man from Kentucky faces misdemeanor charges. The NFL's 14-team playoff field is now set.
What happened when a man attempted to break into Vice President Kamala Harris’s Ohio home?
NPR's Becky Sullivan has this preview.
It's a wide-open postseason this year. Some playoff regulars will be watching from the couch. In the AFC, there's no Patrick Mahomes, no Joe Burrow, no Lamar Jackson. Instead, the Denver Broncos and second-year quarterback Bo Nix have the first round by. And the New England Patriots are the two-seed after an MVP-quality season from their young quarterback Drake May. Practically every playoff team this year has some flaw, including the Patriots, who played only three games this season against winning teams and lost two of them. The NFC's top seed, the Seattle Seahawks, have a dominant defense, but under center is Sam Darnold, who last year wilted in his only career playoff appearance.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Why did former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro plead not guilty in U.S. federal court?
0:00–0:38
2
What concerns did Senator Mark Warner raise about the precedent of Maduro’s capture?
0:38–1:27
3
How are investigators linking the Swiss resort bar fire to illegal candle use and negligence?
1:27–2:22
4
Why are U.S. health officials warning of a worsening flu season and changing vaccine recommendations?
2:22–3:25
5
What happened when a man attempted to break into Vice President Kamala Harris’s Ohio home?
3:25–4:10
6
How is the North Atlantic right whale population rebounding, and what challenges remain?
4:10–4:39