Today's Top Stories from NBC News

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026

In today's newsletter: Venezuela's future looms over Trump's meeting with the country's opposition leader María Corina Machado. The president would want any military action in Iran to deliver a decisive blow to the regime, sources say. And tensions rise in Minnesota after another shooting involving a federal officer.

Here's what to know today.

The best of NBC News.
Fewer ad interruptions.
All in one place.

Ad-free articles, podcasts and full episodes of NBC News Shows
Ad-free live news, streaming on NBC News NOW
Subscriber-only video briefings and newsletter

LEARN MORE

▼ The Lead

Venezuela's opposition leader visits the White House

(Ole Berg-Rusten / AFP via Getty Images)

Nobel Peace Prize winner and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is set to visit the White House today amid speculation that she may offer President Donald Trump her award in appreciation for the raid that deposed Nicolás Maduro.

Following the U.S. strike earlier this month, Machado said that she should become Venezuela's new leader, given the support her coalition received in the country's 2024 elections. But the Trump administration has kept her sidelined, instead relying on prominent figures in the Maduro regime.

White House officials described Machado's visit as something she had sought and, as a courtesy, Trump granted. But going into the meeting, each has something the other wants.

Machado hopes to head a Venezuelan government in which leaders are decided through the ballot box. For that, she needs the U.S. president to usher in a democratic transition.

Trump, for his part, wants recognition for his peacemaking efforts, namely, in the form of a Nobel prize. Looming over the meeting is what Machado intends to do with hers.

The Norwegian Nobel Institute issued a statement last week saying the prize cannot be shared or transferred. Yet there doesn't appear to be anything to stop her from giving Trump her Nobel hardware.

Read the full story here.

More politics news:

In Congress, 24 members are 80 or older — and more than half of them are running for re-election.

The redistricting fights in many states aren't just about the midterms. Some are looking ahead to the next presidential election.

The Senate blocked a measure to restrict Venezuela strikes after Trump flipped two Republicans and Vice President JD Vance issued the tie-breaking vote.

The FBI searched the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of an investigation into a government contractor who has been accused of illegally retaining classified materials.

Trump has told his national security team that he would want any U.S. military action in Iran to deliver a swift and decisive blow to the regime and not spark a sustained war, according to a U.S. official, two people familiar with the discussions and a person close to the White House.

"If he does something, he wants it to be definitive," one of the people familiar with the discussions said.

But the president's advisers have not been able to guarantee him that the regime would quickly collapse after an American military strike, sources said. There is also concern that the U.S. may not have all the assets in the region it would need to guard against an aggressive Iranian response.

Those dynamics could lead Trump to approve a more limited U.S. military offensive in Iran, at least initially, while reserving options to escalate — if he decides to take any military action at all, two sources said.

Federal officer shoots man in the leg in Minneapolis after alleged attack during stop, DHS says

A federal officer shot a man in the leg during an attempted traffic stop last night, the Department of Homeland Security said.

The agency said the shooting happened after law enforcement officials were attacked with a shovel and a broom as they tried to complete a targeted traffic stop.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara later called for a crowd gathered near the shooting site to disperse, saying the demonstration had turned unlawful with protesters throwing fireworks, rocks and ice at police.

Just after the shooting, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz addressed residents in a planned speech, urging them to help create a record of the "atrocities" against Minnesotans by recording immigration agents. He also called on Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to "end this occupation."

Read the full story here. And follow our live coverage on our blog.

Related news:

Exclusive: As ICE raced to add more immigration officers, an AI error led to some recruits being sent to field offices without proper training.

ICE may soon be conducting operations in Maine, Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said yesterday.

Astronauts splash down after cutting space station mission short

Four astronauts safely returned to Earth this morning, capping a dramatic and unusual week in space that required the crew members to leave the International Space Station about a month earlier than planned because of a medical issue.

The astronauts, who spent 165 days aboard the ISS, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California after a nearly 11-hour journey.

Their return was the first time in the space station's 25-year history that a mission was cut short because of a medical issue, though NASA said the situation was stable.

In a post-landing news briefing, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said all four astronauts were "safe and in good spirits."

"All crew members are currently undergoing the routine post-splashdown medical evaluation," he said. "The crew member of concern is doing fine. We will share updates on their health as soon as it's appropriate to do so."

NASA has not disclosed the identity of the affected crew member or given any details about the medical incident because of medical privacy concerns.

Read the full story here.

▼ Read All About It

Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield was ordered to remain detained on child sex abuse charges in New Mexico as new details emerged about a separate misconduct allegation against him.

Verizon said last night its wireless service was back online after an outage affected cellular data and voice services for much of the day.

A weapon linked to the deaths of an Ohio dentist and his wife was found at the property of the woman's ex-husband.

Zoe Saldaña is now the highest-grossing actor of all time after her leading role in "Avatar: Fire and Ash."

A chunk of meat from a woolly rhinoceros was discovered preserved inside the stomach of a mummified wolf pup.

▼ Staff Pick

The aftermath of an attack on Mississippi's largest synagogue

Sometimes, rebuilding starts with a circle of children. That's what I learned from time spent at the Beth Israel Congregation this week.

Three days after an arson attack on Mississippi's largest synagogue, a state fire marshal truck was on scene and caution tape was still present. But there was a pride that plans were already in place for services and ceremonies offsite. One of the first was a Sunday school gathering of children.

As Hebrew school teacher Rachel Myers told me, young people had a lot of ideas for what a new space would look like.

I also spoke with Mississippians past and present who remembered the 1967 firebombing of Beth Israel. They were just kids themselves at the time, too. It's a reminder of how the present has a way of reflecting the past.

— Bracey Harris, national reporter

▼ NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Comfort is the throughline today. We rounded up the best strapless bras made to support larger busts, highlighted a rare deal on COSRX snail mucin for skin repair, and flagged a Hoka sneaker sale worth catching if you're walking more this year. Practical upgrades that make everyday routines easier.

Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.

Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today's newsletter was curated for you by Kayla Hayempour, with contributions from Josh Feldman and Rufina Chow.

If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send us an email at: MorningRundown@nbcuni.com

If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign up here.