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NPR's podcast Trump's terms is your source for same day updates on big news about the Trump administration, Short, focused episodes, one topic at a time, about five minutes or so. We carry out reporting from across all of NPR's coverage, so you are always getting the biggest, most urgent stories. Listen to Trump's Terms on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rammer. President Trump says the US Will run Venezuela now that US Forces removed President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a military operation overnight. He spoke a short time ago from his Florida resort. He said there were some injuries among the US Forces. Now he says the US Will be in charge until there is a safe, proper and judicious transition. Trump also says US Oil companies will step in.
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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.
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The U.S. attorney General says Maduro and his wife have been indicted in New York and will be put on trial there. NPR's Kelly Johnson reports.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi says Nicolas Maduro and his wife will, quote, face the full wrath of American just on American soil. Bondi says they've been indicted in the Southern District of New York. She says the charges against Maduro include narco terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. The attorney general says the US Military conducted an overnight operation to capture the alleged narco traffickers. Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee says he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio after Lee raised questions about a constitutional basis for the US to act without explicit authorization from Congress. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.
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The news that Maduro was captured was celebrated in Doral, Florida, home to a number of expat Venezuelans. European leaders have refrained from expressing any criticism of the Trump administration for its actions in Venezuela. But as Terry Schultz reports from Brussels, they're emphasizing the need for international law to be respected amid questions about the legality of apprehending the Venezuelan president.
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European Council President Antonio Costa has been the most outspoken of European Union leaders, saying he's following the situation in Venezuela with great concern and calling for de escalation. The bloc's foreign policy chief, Caia Calles, says she's spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and is focused on the safety of EU citizens who may be stuck in Venezuela amid the chaotic aftermath of a major US Strike and the seizure of President Nicolas Maduro whose election in 2024 was deemed flawed.
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Terry Schultz reporting. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah al Aqami said today the Islamic Republic will not yield to the enemy. President Trump had said yesterday if Iran kills peaceful protesters, the US will come to their rescue. At least 10 people have died in demonstrations. This is NPR News in Washington. Syria is circulating new currency bills to replace the old Syrian pounds, which will gradually be withdrawn from circulation. The government is attempting to stabilize the economy a year after the fall of the government of Bashar Assad. Some of the old banknotes bear the image of Assad and his late father and predecessor, Hafez Assad. It's been 10 years since armed militants occupied the Malheur and National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon, trying to take control of federal public land. Ammon Bundy and his followers were later acquitted, which experts say has emboldened lawlessness on federal land. NPR's Kirk Zigler has more.
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A 2014 armed standoff led by the Bundy family in Nevada over cattle grazing ended in federal agents standing down. That was widely credited for inspiring Ammon Bundy to travel to Oregon in 2016 to take over a federal wildlife refuge. All the federal cases against the Bundys have since culminated.
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It seems like the federal prosecutors could have thought a little bit more about how they were pitching their case.
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Patty Limerick is a Western historian at the University of Colorado.
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And centering much of their argument on the fact that federal employees had been kept from going to work was probably not exactly the way to get to the reality of how armed and dangerous people were there.
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The 41 day armed standoff in Oregon left one dead. Kirk Sigler, NPR News, The National Hockey.
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League held its Winter Classic last night when it plays a game outside during the regular season. This year was in Miami. The New York Rangers beat the Florida Panthers 5 1. I'm Nora Ramm, NPR News, in Washington.
Episode: NPR News: 01-03-2026 1PM EST
Date: January 3, 2026
Host: Nora Rammer, NPR
Duration: 5 minutes
This fast-paced NPR News Now episode gives listeners a concise five-minute summary of significant breaking news. The main story centers on a dramatic U.S. military operation that removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, with President Trump announcing U.S. oversight of Venezuela and direct involvement of American oil companies. The bulletin also covers legal repercussions for Maduro, international reactions, ongoing protests and state response in Iran, new currency issuance in Syria, the legacy of the Malheur standoff in Oregon, and a brief sports update.
[00:24 – 01:11]
[01:11 – 02:05]
[02:05 – 03:03]
[03:03 – 03:32]
[03:32 – 03:49]
[03:49 – 04:43]
[04:49 – End]
"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."
"Nicolas Maduro and his wife will, quote, face the full wrath of American justice on American soil."
"It seems like the federal prosecutors could have thought a little bit more about how they were pitching their case."
"And centering much of their argument on the fact that federal employees had been kept from going to work was probably not exactly the way to get to the reality of how armed and dangerous people were there."
This five-minute NPR News Now update delivers a rapid-fire rundown of breaking global and national stories. The episode’s centerpiece is the forceful U.S. intervention in Venezuela, President Trump’s sweeping announcement of American stewardship and economic ambitions, deepening legal drama as Maduro faces U.S. justice, and layered responses from abroad. Other top news: the perilous situation for protesters in Iran, symbolic economic changes in post-Assad Syria, reflective critique on U.S. law enforcement’s approach to federal lands, and a closing shot of sports news. NPR packs significant global context and insightful voices into this compact and urgent update.