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The NewsWorthy
Venezuela Oil Deal, Record Flu Season & NFL Coaching Carousel - Wednesday, January 7, 2026
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Today is Wednesday, January 7th. We're talking about the people now in charge of Venezuela both condemning the US and also striking an oil deal with the Trump administration. And President Trump's renewed push to take over Greenland that he says could involve the US Military. Also, why some Democrat led states could lose billions of dollars in funding and how it might impact the people who live there. Plus, the record that's already been broken this flu season. Some of the most talked about new tech unveiled this week and a coaching carousel in the NFL who's out and who's now in high demand. Those stories and even more news to know coming up. Welcome to the Newsworthy all the Days News in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica. Mandy, thanks so much for being here. Let's do this. Once again, President Trump has warned Venezuela to cooperate or risk a new US Military attack. But as of this morning, that doesn't seem to be imminent. Reports now say the CIA has been analyzing the current leadership in Venezuela and will continue to, especially since the Venezuelans leading things aren't exactly American allies. Interim President Delsey Rodriguez and other officials who rose to power under the Maduro regime insist they're working independently of the US and other outside forces. Yesterday, many of them joined a large crowd of Venezuelans who marched through the streets of the capital of Caracas. They condemned the American intervention and and demanded the US Release the man they still consider to be their president. The interim Venezuelan government also issued an emergency order for police to immediately search and capture anyone who supported the attack that captured Maduro. So that could be why Venezuela has not seen a lot of visible backing for the US since the raid. Earlier this week, President Trump shared a video claiming it showed Venezuelans celebrating Maduro's capture by running through the streets in their underwear. But multiple fact checkers discovered the video was actually from UCLA showing college students participating in a so called undie run. Of course, that's not the only misrepresented video or image that's been shared online. For example, one image shared widely claims to show the raid that captured Maduro when really it was the capture of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. So to clarify at this point, the US Military has not officially released any photos showing the raid in progress. But we are getting some more details about what happened. While no American troops died, the Pentagon now says seven American soldiers were hurt and that all in all, nearly 200 US personnel were on the ground in Caracas during the mission. Remember, reports say dozens of people were killed, including both military personnel and civilians, and that many more were hurt during the raid, about 15,000 more American troops are still stationed around Venezuela to keep an eye on things like in the Caribbean Sea, certain Caribbean islands, and territories like Puerto Rico. The Trump administration is already busy making economic deals with the interim Venezuelan government. President Trump announced Venezuela will give the US between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil. He he says the oil will then be sold at market price and that the White House will make sure the proceeds benefit both countries. The deal could be worth as much as $2.8 billion. Trump has also said American oil companies will end up investing billions of dollars to upgrade Venezuela's aging oil infrastructure. Later this week, the president is expected to meet with representatives from America's largest oil companies to talk about investments. The White House confirmed the US Is looking into ways to take over Greenland, even if it means using military force. A new Trump sees Greenland as a US national security priority needed to deter other countries like Russia and China. And although it wasn't included in the statement, it's also worth noting that Greenland has valuable mineral resources that Trump has coveted in other parts of the world. But Greenland has repeatedly said it does not want to be part of the US and leaders from major European powers and Canada put out a new joint statement yesterday to back the territory, saying it belongs to its people. But the Trump administration says no other country would oppose the US Militarily. Already after the raid in Venezuela, President Trump said, quote, american dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again. Remember, Greenland is actually a territory of Denmark, which is a NATO ally. And the Danish prime Minister says a U.S. military seizure would spell the end of NATO. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers last night that the goal is really to buy the island from Denmark, not to invade again. Though Denmark and Greenland say the territory is not for sale, the Trump administration is now freezing $10 billion in funding for five states run by Democrats. The money is meant for childcare subsidies, cash support for low income families, and social service grants that mostly benefit children at risk. But the Federal Health Department confirmed Minnesota, New York, California, Illinois and Colorado are all being cut off. This builds on another funding freeze last week. Remember, $185 million in yearly aid to Minnesota daycare centers was put on hold in response to alleged welfare fraud schemes there. At this point, there aren't any specific allegations in the other four states, but the Federal Health Department says, quote, Democrat led states and governors have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud. And it says this freeze is just an effort to protect Americans tax dollars of course, this is just the latest way in which blue states have been cut off under the current administration. Last year, the federal government froze or canceled more than 200 projects, mostly in Democratic cities, districts and states. It also cut federal disaster preparedness funds for 11 Democrat led states and Washington, D.C. after they opposed President Trump's deportation campaign. In that case, though, a federal judge ordered the funding restored. Now state leaders are promising to also fight the latest cuts in court. So stay tuned. A longtime Republican congressman has passed away. U.S. representative Doug LaMalfa had represented a district in northeastern California since 2013. His office did not say exactly how he died, just that someone at his home called 911 earlier this week. After that, the congressman was taken into an emergency surgery and he died during the procedure. He was 65 years old. LA Malfa portrayed himself as a voice for rural Californians, but yesterday Trump called him a quote, defender of everybody who, quote, voted with me 100% of the time. La Malfa's death narrowed Republican slim majority in the House even more after Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also served her last day in Congress yesterday. It means Republicans can now only lose two votes to pass partisan bills if all Democrats are voting the other way. Also this week, another Republican congressman was seriously hurt in a car crash. Indiana's Representative Jim Baird is still in the hospital, though he is expected to make a full recovery. Doctors visits for flu like symptoms have now reached the highest level in nearly 30 years. And as you might imagine, a lot of people are testing positive for flu. At least 11 million cases have been confirmed in the US so far this season. The CDC says at least 45 states are now experiencing high to very high levels of flu activity and it warns cases are likely to keep rising in the coming weeks. Many public health experts still suggest everyone get a flu vaccine to prevent severe illness. As we told you yesterday, the CDC stopped recommending the flu shot for all children. But the American Academy of Pediatrics still says it's important for all kids six months and older, just like it is with adults. More news is still coming up, but first let's take a quick break to talk about our sponsors at the start of a new year. I'm looking for clothes that just work in my everyday life. Well, Quince makes it simple to get elevated essentials at a reasonable price and it's a great one stop shop for so many of my needs. 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Quince.comnewsworthy this episode is also brought to you by Skims. Especially when I work from home, I don't like wearing jeans every day because they're not as comfortable as leggings and I stretch them out just sitting at my computer. Yet I get tired of wearing leggings or workout clothes every day. I'm glad to say the Skims fold over pant is a great alternative. I can wear them with the matching tank and I feel put together and yet I'm super comfortable whether I'm lounging, working remotely or running an errand. I also love the Skims slip dresses for a comfortable yet sleek option to throw on and go. And I have several Skims tees, both short sleeve and long sleeve. Some of my go to basics that pair with everything and both feel and look great on. Of course, everything I get from Skims is always super soft and high quality. I'm always impressed by the material and this is true of all their intimates as well. Soft, comfortable and functional. Shop my favorite loungewear, pajamas, bras, underwear, T shirts and more@skims.com after you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you select podcast in the survey and be sure to select our show the Newsworthy in the dropdown menu that follows. Okay, now back to the news. More technological advancements could be coming to health and wellness. At the biggest trade show of the year, a lot of new medical tech was unveiled. For example, a new small portable device for people with allergies that can tell whether a certain dish contains any food you're allergic to. There's also a menstrual pad that lets users track their fertility and hormonal health, among other things. Beyond health gadgets, there were plenty of more reveals. For example, there's a home robot from LG that can do things like get milk from the fridge, put a croissant in the oven for breakfast, and fold your laundry for you. There's an AI powered bartender that can make you a drink even if you don't know exactly what you want. You can just use a prompt like something fruity and festive. There's also a pocket pet that starts as an egg, then hatches and grows as it ages, and a lot more. CES continues through Friday while the White House unveiled a new webpage yesterday to share a different perspective of the Capitol riot five years ago. It blames Democrats for, quote, certifying a fraud ridden election. It also accuses U.S. capitol Police of escalating tensions and it credits President Trump saying he corrected a historical wrong by pardoning those charged with crimes related to the riot. It also says, quote, zero law enforcement officers lost their lives. But to be clear, one did die in the immediate aftermath. Four others died by suicide within months of the attack. Nearly 140 other officers were hurt, assaulted by bear spray, stun guns, fireworks, broken pieces of furniture and more. Democrats quickly condemned the webpage that's still on the official White House website as being devoid of reality. But one White House spokesperson suggested the whole site was made as a trolling effort. He wrote online that he couldn't believe media outlets, quote, actually fell for our trap, but with no further explanation. NASCAR's first ever commissioner is stepping down. Steve Phelps resigned after two decades with the organization. This comes just weeks after a federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR was settled, but not before it went to trial. And some very controversial text messages came out during the legal process. It came out that Phelps had called a Hall of Fame driver a stupid redneck who, quote, needs to be taken out back and flogged. After that, a major NASCAR sponsor demanded Phelps resign, saying he wasn't capable of being fair and objective when it comes to enforcing rules of the sport. Now he's set to leave. Phelps put out a statement yesterday saying in part, words cannot fully convey the deep appreciation I have for this life changing experience. NASCAR says it has no immediate plans to name a new commissioner. Phelps responsibilities will be handed down to other executives. The NFL's regular season ended this week, and with that, professional football coaches have been fired in rapid succession. The biggest surprise came yesterday when the Baltimore Ravens parted ways with John Harbaugh after 18 seasons and a Super bowl win. But now he's in high demand. ESPN says seven teams called his agent within 45 minutes of his firing. It's not clear which teams, but there are plenty with vacancies. Others who fired their head coaches this week are the Arizona Cardinals, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Cleveland Browns and the Atlanta Falcons, on top of the teams that fired their coaches during the season. It's not just head coaches either. Other members of coaching staffs have also lost their jobs in recent days. Falcons fired their general manager. Reports say there could be even more firings on the horizon. Stay tuned. And that's it for the main news today. So now it's time for Work Wednesday when we break down one interesting career or work related news story. Every Wednesday, some student loan borrowers who are behind on payments are about to see the federal government dip into their paychecks. This could impact millions of Americans who are now in default, meaning they haven't made a payment in more than 270 days. This is the first time borrowers pay has been at risk since the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic when collection activity was put on hold. The first notices are being sent out this week and many more are expected to go out soon. People who are in default could see up to 15% of their wages automatically deducted from their paychecks. The government can also withhold money from their tax refunds and other federal benefits. And to be clear, once people go into default, their entire balance becomes due, not just the minimum. But even now, it's not too late to get out of default status. Borrowers get 30 days to remedy the situation after getting a notice. And if they can't make their monthly payments outright, they can choose to negotiate the terms of their debt. At this point, more than 42 million Americans owe federal student loans with total balances nearly $1.7 trillion. Thank you so much for listening today and for sharing the show. We'll be back tomorrow with the latest news. Until then, have a great day.