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Hello and happy New Year. It's Michele Martin from MORNING Edition. Thank you to everyone who donated during our end of year fundraising campaign. 2025 dealt a big blow to NPR and local stations with the loss of federal funding for public media. But we are so heartened by the outpouring of support and we will get through this together. Thank you for keeping NPR strong, moving into 2026 and beyond.
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jael Snyder. President Trump says the US Captured Venezuel Nicolas Maduro as part of a major military operation overnight that rocked the country's capital, Caracas. NPR's Greg Myre reports on Trump's announcement early this morning, saying Maduro has been taken out of the country.
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The US Launched the operation in the middle of the night with explosions ringing out in the capital Caracas and helicopters crisscrossing the sky. A couple hours later, President Trump took to Truth Social and wrote, quote, the United States has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President N. Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country. The president did not provide additional details. It was not immediately clear who would now be running Venezuela. The US Action follows months of a military buildup in the region and repeated threats by Trump against Maduro. Greg Myre, NPR News, Washington.
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NPR's Kerry Kahn is keeping track of events in Venezuela from her base in Rio de Janeiro.
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Reports started flooding social media with videos of multiple explosions throughout the city. And I spoke right away with a reporter, Vanessa Silva, and she actually lives right in front of the military airport La Carlota in Caracas. She says Caracas is in a valley. And so she said you could hear explosions echoing throughout there. And she says there were several fires on the Runway, but they were put out quickly. But she could hear airplanes continuing to circle around the Caracas skies for hours.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on allies in Europe and on Capitol Hill to defend the military operation to oust Maduro. Rubio has long argued that Maduro was not a legitimate leader and is under indictment in the U.S. on drug charges. NPR's Michelle Callaman reports on some of the reaction Rubio is getting.
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The EU's top diplomat, Caya Kalla, says she spoke to Rubio and agrees that Maduro lacks legitimacy. She says the European Union supports a peaceful transition that follows the principles of international law and the UN Charter. Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling the US Operation an act of armed aggression that must be condemned. Hamas weighed in, too, condemning what it calls the abduction of President Maduro and his wife. And Iran blasted the US For a blatant violation of Venezuela's sovereignty. This comes just a day after President Trump warned Iranians that the US Is locked and loaded if they kill peaceful protesters in Iran. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
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Iran's supreme leader vowing not to yield to President Trump. Speaking on state television today, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said rioters must be put in their place. Amenei's remarks are his first since demonstrations over Iran's economy flared up across the country last weekend. Rights groups say at least 10 people have been killed. This is NPR News. More than 100 firefighters worked to put out a huge five alarm fire in Denver last night. The fire broke out near the Glendale area at an apartment building under construction. Pictures posted on social media by Denver's fire department show flames tearing through the building as thick smoke rises into the sky. The fire causes significant power outages. Brazil has eliminated mother to child transmission of HIV. That's according to the World Health Organization. NPR's Gabriela Emmanuel has more.
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Worldwide, the WHO has certified 19 countries and territories where almost every child is born HIV free, even if their mothers have the virus. But Brazil is the most populous country in the Americas and the first country of more than 100 million people to achieve this milestone. Their success is in large part due to the country's universal and free health care. In the US HIV mother to child transmission rates are very low, less than 1% of kids born to HIV positive mothers, but it has yet to receive the WHO certification. Gabriela EMANUEL, NPR NEWS.
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U.S. military action in Venezuela, the top story today, President Trump says the US Carried out a large scale strike on targets in Venezuela, capturing leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife and flying them out of the country. Attorney General Pam Bona Gandhi says Maduro will face trial in New York, where he was indicted on narco terrorism and other charges. President Trump is expected to give more details when he meets with reporters at Mar a Lago later this morning. I'm Jael Snyder. This is NPR News.
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