Today's Top Stories from NBC News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026

In today's newsletter: Trump says the U.S. carried out a "large scale" strike against Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The Supreme Court could hand Trump at least one major defeat as it rules on contentious policies this year. And a Minnesota department finds child care centers operating normally after a viral video alleged fraud.

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▼ The Lead

U.S. captures Maduro in strike on Venezuela, Trump says

(Byline / Source)

President Donald Trump said the U.S. carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela early Saturday and "captured" the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife.

On Truth Social, Trump posted: "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country.

"This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement."

Earlier, Venezuela accused the U.S. of attacking its capital, Caracas, and surrounding areas after a series of explosions hit the country.

Fort Tiuna, one of the sites where Noticias Telemundo reported there was an explosion, is a major Venezuelan military complex in the Caracas metropolitan zone.

The Federal Aviation Administration has prohibited flights over Venezuela due to a "potentially hazardous situation."

Maduro will stand trial on criminal charges in the U.S., Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said after a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio "informed me that Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges," Lee posted on X.

Lee added that Rubio told him he anticipates "no further action in Venezuela."

Venezuela's defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López, vowed a "wall of resistance" against what he characterized as U.S. imperialism.

Follow live Venezuela coverage.

▼ Top Stories

The Supreme Court has delayed direct conflict with Trump. That could soon change.

The Supreme Court mostly avoided direct confrontations with President Donald Trump in 2025 while giving him a series of wins, but it pushed rulings on multiple contentious proposals into this year. And there are signs the court could hand the president at least one major defeat.

In 2026, the court is set to make definitive rulings on Trump's plan to curtail automatic birthright citizenship, his sweeping tariffs and his attempt to fire a member of the Federal Reserve's powerful board of governors.

In all three cases, the justices could have acted sooner, but the court has a long history of waiting until a president has lost some of his post-election power and popularity before delivering major legal losses.

Trump started his second term with positive ratings in public polling, but surveys have shown views on the president's job performance sliding. In December, an NBC News Decision Desk Poll showed his approval rating at 42%.

"The court is not confronting the president head-on until spring this year," said Richard Pildes, a professor at New York University School of Law. "That's very different in terms of his political strength."

Read the full story here.

Swiss bar fire was like 'hell': Survivors recount ski resort blaze

Ebenezer Mehari was ringing in the new year at a bar in the Swiss Alps when he says "hell" erupted, as a deadly fire broke out. The 17-year-old said thick smoke enveloped the venue and the crowd, blinding him. He fell to the ground as people rushed to escape until a man pulled him away to safety.

"Somebody was dying in front of me and I couldn't do anything," he recalled, describing seeing people disfigured and burning.

Mehari's was among the harrowing witness accounts of a catastrophic blaze that left at least 40 people dead and 119 injured. The emergency appeared to have started when sparklers atop bottles were brought too close to the ceiling, a Swiss official said yesterday. Investigators will assess soundproofing foam used in the ceiling and whether anyone might be held criminally liable, she added.

Read what other witnesses said.

Minnesota department finds child care centers targeted in viral video operating normally

Minnesota's Department of Children, Youth, and Families said that investigators have found child care facilities at the center of recent fraud allegations were operating as they should.

The Trump administration has alleged fraud in the state after a recent video from right-wing influencer Nick Shirley made unsubstantiated claims about the child care centers.

The department said in a statement that investigators conducted compliance checks at nine facilities referenced in the viral video.

"Investigators confirmed the centers were operating as expected, gathered evidence and initiated further review," the statement read.

The department said it has ongoing investigations into four of the centers, and 55 investigations into providers that receive funding from the Child Care Assistance Program, which it oversees.

Read the full story here.

▼ Read All About It

The FBI said that it foiled a terrorist attack planned for New Year's Eve in North Carolina.

Ohio police are on the hunt for the shooter who killed a couple while their two young children were home.

The daughter of Academy Award-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones has died, her family said.

Authorities found the body of Johnathan Everett Boley, a 4-year-old boy who went missing in Alabama on New Year's Eve.

Rap star Drake has been accused in a class-action RICO lawsuit of using an online casino site to boost the play counts of his music across the major streaming platforms.

"Dilbert" comic strip creator Scott Adams, 68, said on his podcast that he is unlikely to recover from his prostate cancer.

▼ Staff Pick

Alaska's court system built an AI chatbot. It didn't go smoothly.

Against the backdrop of soaring AI hype and growing capabilities, many narratives and headlines gloss over the persistent challenges businesses and governments face in adapting the tech to their needs.

So when I found out about the Alaska Virtual Assistant while researching a separate story (about AI-generated deepfakes), I wanted to learn more about the team's yearlong attempt to create a chatbot that would help Alaskans navigate the Kafkaesque probate system.

I was moved by the team's struggle and determination to wrangle shape-shifting and fast-evolving AI to increase access to justice, and the AVA journey seemed like a perfect way to encapsulate the power and limitations of today's AI models.

These systems are improving quickly, but the AVA team's experience demonstrates some of the key stumbling blocks hindering quicker and wider AI adoption, especially in government settings.

— Jared Perlo, AI fellow

▼ NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Wellness starts with knowing what you're using. Our editors examined concerns around lead in protein powder and updated our guide to the best deodorants and antiperspirants. We also reviewed N95 masks worth keeping on hand for travel and everyday protection.