NPR News: 01-09-2026 6PM EST
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. The U.S. Coast Guard has boarded and seized another tanker that was carrying oil from Venezuela. As NPR's Greg Myrie reports, this is the third U.S. takeover of a ship this week and the fifth in the past month.
The Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, said U.S. Coast Guard forces boarded the tanker Olena in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea. She said the vessel was on the U.S. list of sanctioned oil tankers that often try to conceal their role in transporting oil from countries that include Venezuela, Russia, and Iran. Noem wrote, quote, the ghost fleets will not outrun justice. They will not hide under false claims of nationality. U.S. forces began taking control of sanctioned oil tankers a month ago to put pressure on Venezuela's government, and the practice has continued following the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro last Saturday. Greg Myhre, NPR News, Washington.
President Trump met with oil executives at the White House today. He hopes to secure $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela's oil industry. But the executives didn't make any promises. The CEO of ExxonMobil says after having assets seized twice in the country, it would take some significant changes before they went back in. The Department of Homeland Security announced it's beginning the process of reviewing those who have been granted refugee status to be in the U.S., As NPR's Ximena Bustillo reports, their focus is currently in Minnesota.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service is preparing to review 5,600 refugees who have not yet been given lawful permanent resident status and are in Minnesota. Employees are tasked with conducting background checks, re-interviews, and reviews of the applications. According to DHS, some cases are being referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Refugees are vetted to come to the U.S. while they're still living outside the country. The vetting is done by several agencies, including the State Department, and can take several years. The U.S. refugee program is expected to admit a historically low number of refugees this year, with a priority on white South Africans. Jimena Bustillo, NPR News.
Five Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration over its move to block funding for low-income families. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports the administration has accused the states of allowing fraud.
The administration has offered no evidence of ongoing fraud in these states, but it's demanded more data going back years on people who get cash aid and other social services, says Nick Gwynn of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
They've asked for huge amounts of information, confidential information, relates to where families live. etc. That would be really difficult for states to come up with.
The states, California, Colorado, New York, Illinois, and Minnesota, say freezing this money is unlawful. Policy experts say fraud happens in every state, blue and red, and blaming only Democrats politicizes the issue. Jennifer Lutton, NPR News, Washington.
U.S. stocks rose to more records today. This is NPR News from Washington. U.S. flu infections are showing signs of a slight decline, but health officials say it's not clear that this severe flu season has peaked. New government data shows declines in medical office visits due to flu-like illness and in the number of states reporting high flu activity, but flu deaths and hospitalizations rose. Syrian government forces have been battling Kurdish fighters near the city of Aleppo this week, and more fighting is expected. Dozens of people have been reported killed on both sides, including civilians, and more than 140,000 people displaced, according to government and Kurdish authorities. Jaina Raff reports.
The two sides are observing a ceasefire Friday to allow civilians trapped in the city's largely Kurdish neighborhoods to evacuate, according to the Syrian government.
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