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NPR Host
This holiday season, the team at up first is still hard at work with all new episodes, but the news does not take a holiday and we know it's harder than ever to keep up this time of year. Listen for three essential stories in under 15 minutes. Get caught up and get on with your day. Up first, listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Giles Snyder
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Venezuela's vice president says the whereabouts of leader Nicolas Els Maduro and his wife are unknown. The government is demanding proof of life after President Trump said the two are in US Hands. In a social media post early this morning, President Trump said US Forces have carried out what he called a large scale strike against Venezuela and captured Maduro. Multiple explosions hit the capital of Venezuela overnight, causing several fires and panic among residents, according to the Venezuelan government. The strikes hit military and civilian sites in Caracas and also in three other states around the country. NPR's Carrie Kan reports.
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Carrie Kan
In a statement, Venezuela's government said it rejects, condemns and denounces before the international community the extremely grave military aggression carried out by the current U.S. government. Multiple explosions were heard around 2am local time throughout Caracas. One journalist told NPR that two explosions hit the Runway of the military airport La Carlota inside the Capitol. The Pentagon referred all inquiries to the White House. The Trump administration has been increasing pressure on the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro, who the US Says is the leader of a, quote, narco terrorist organization. Maduro has declared a state of external disturbance and called for an immediate move to arms struggle. Carrie Khan, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro.
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Giles Snyder
Iranian officials say they'll continue to clamp down on anti government protesters despite warnings from President Trump that he'd intervene to help them. The BBC's least two set reports this.
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Lyse Doucet
Latest wave of unrest in Iran, the most significant in years, shows no sign of stopping. In large parts of the country. Daily life still goes on without interruption, but protests have spread to a number of cities and towns with running battles reported between security forces and demonstrators. Local officials quoted by state media warned that what they called illegal gatherings would be dealt with decisively and without leniency. Protests in Iran have always been met with significant force.
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Giles Snyder
The BBC's Lyse Doucet reporting the Trump administration pausing the processing of immigration applications from 39 countries. And Piercio Mina Bastille reports.
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Ximena Bustillo
Last month, the Trump administration expanded the list of countries with complete or partial limits on travel to the United States from 19 countries to 39. Those restrictions became effective on January 1st. Then the Homeland Security Department announced in a memo this week that it would pause reviewing all pending applications for things like green card citizenship and asylum from immigrants of those countries. The agency also plans to re review approved applications from immigrants of these countries, potentially going as far back as 2021. Ximena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington.
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Giles Snyder
And you're listening to NPR News. A search and rescue operation is ongoing off the coast of Gambia. The president says dozens of people remain missing after a boat potentially carrying more than 200 migrants capsized on New Year's Eve. The president says more than one have been rescued. Seven bodies have been recovered. A US Appeals court has ruled that California's ban on openly carrying firearms is unconstitutional. A three judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco sided with a gun owner, ruling that the state's prohibition in counties with more than 200,000 people violates the Constitution's Second Amendment. The state attorney general's office says it is committed to defending California's common sense gun laws and is considering its options. Even though it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the Earth will make its closest approach to the sun at 12:15pm Eastern today. As Joe Palka explains, the distance from the sun is not what explains the seasons.
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Joe Palka
If the orbit of the Earth around the sun were a perfect circle, then the two bodies would always be the same distance apart. But Earth's orbit is elliptical, a very slightly squashed circle, meaning every year there's a single time when it's closest and another when it's furthest away. But even if it were circular, there would still be seasons. That's because the Earth is tilted away from straight up and down in its orbit. The tilt is significant, 23 degrees. In winter, the North Pole points away from the sun and in summer towards the sun. Longer time bathed in sunlight does more to explain changes in temperature than slight changes in distance. For NPR News, I'm Joe Pelka.
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Giles Snyder
And I'm Jael Snyder. This is NPR News.
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Life Kit Host
Want to get strong in 2026? Turns out you don't need to spend hours at the gym every week, even.
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Just one session, 30 to 45 minutes a week, doing about one or two sets per exercise that can be quite effective.
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How to get started with strength training this week on the Life Kit podcast. Listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.