NPR News Now – Jan 3, 2026 10PM EST

Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now update delivers breaking and developing headlines from the U.S. and abroad. The major focus of this segment is the U.S. military operation leading to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, ensuing political responses from U.S. leadership and Congress, and significant domestic updates including the death of pioneering jockey Diane Crump and results from the U.S. Olympic speed skating trials.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

• Background & Operation Details
  • Ousted President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were apprehended by U.S. forces and are now in custody in Brooklyn, facing charges including narco-terrorism. Their arraignment is scheduled for Monday.
  • The operation involved around 150 U.S. aircraft, making it one of the largest military deployments in the region, including bombers, fighter jets, surveillance planes, and drones to protect special forces.
• Military Details
  • Special operations forces used helicopters to breach Maduro's compound in Caracas, facing enemy fire but accomplishing the mission in roughly two and a half hours.
  • Following capture, Maduro and his wife were transported to a U.S. warship in the Caribbean before being brought to the U.S.

Quote:
“Within two and a half hours, the forces had captured Maduro and his wife and were taking them to a US Warship in the Caribbean.”
— Greg Myhre, [00:59]

2. U.S. Oil Interests in Venezuela

• White House Moves on Venezuelan Oil
  • President Trump announced plans for U.S. oil companies to assume control of Venezuela’s oil sector, intending to invest billions in refurbishing the devastated infrastructure.
  • The U.S. military is prepared to intervene again if needed for security during the transition.

Quote:
"We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country."
— President Trump (clip), [01:33]

• Venezuela Oil Context
  • Despite holding potentially the world’s largest oil reserves (>3 million barrels), Venezuela’s output had dropped to about 1 million barrels per day.

3. Congressional Response & Controversy

• Surprise & Criticism
  • The operation took members of Congress—and Venezuelan officials—by surprise. Both U.S. and Venezuelan critics claim they were not informed.
  • Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer expressed concern and called for Congressional briefings, highlighting alleged prior assurances that military action was off the table.

Quote:
"We are saying to the Republicans, this is your responsibility. President Trump is a member of your party. You've gone along with him over and over again and this is one time you gotta resist him. It's too serious."
— Sen. Chuck Schumer, [02:36]

• Political Fallout
  • The segment references ongoing concern over the administration’s prior military strikes in the Caribbean targeting drug boats.
  • President Trump is scheduled to meet with House Republicans but it’s unclear if Democrats will be included.

4. Obituary: Jockey Diane Crump

• Legacy
  • Diane Crump, aged 77, has passed away in Virginia due to brain cancer.
  • She broke gender barriers as the first woman to ride professionally in the U.S. (1969) and the first to compete in the Kentucky Derby (1970).
  • Her career included 228 wins before retiring in 1998.

5. U.S. Olympic Speed Skating Trials

• Women’s Event
  • Erin Jackson, the first Black woman to win individual Winter Olympic gold, secured victory in the 1000m at the Milwaukee trials. She will compete at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Quote:
“I feel like I started on the ice kind of late. I think I was like 25. So I feel like I'm still kind of making up for lost time.”
— Erin Jackson, [04:23]

• Men’s Event
  • Connor McDermott-Mostowie won the men’s 1000m.
  • Top-rated Jordan Stoles fell but still qualified for the Olympics due to previous performances.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Greg Myhre:
  “Within two and a half hours, the forces had captured Maduro and his wife and were taking them to a US Warship in the Caribbean.” [00:59]

• President Trump (clip):
  "We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country." [01:33]

• Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer
  “We are saying to the Republicans, this is your responsibility... this is one time you gotta resist him. It's too serious.” [02:36]

• Erin Jackson:
  "I feel like I started on the ice kind of late... So I feel like I'm still kind of making up for lost time." [04:23]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Military operation in Venezuela & Maduro's capture: [00:14] – [01:19]
• U.S. oil companies in Venezuela: [01:19] – [01:52]
• Congressional and bipartisan response: [01:52] – [02:49]
• Obituary of Diane Crump: [02:49] – [04:01]
• Speed skating U.S. Olympic trials recap: [04:01] – [04:47]

Conclusion

This NPR News Now update delivers a concise yet impactful report on a high-profile international military operation with far-reaching political implications, reactions from Congress, the passing of a trailblazing sports figure, and U.S. Olympic team developments—offering listeners a rapid but thorough scan of critical current events.