Latest News Digest – January 5, 2026

National News

U.S. Captures Nicolás Maduro - On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces conducted a large-scale strike in Caracas, Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a dramatic operation tied to narcoterrorism charges. President Trump announced the U.S. would "run" or exert control over Venezuela temporarily, sparking global condemnation from China, Cuba, and other nations and triggering protests. The Miami Herald and other news outlets reported that 32 Cuban fighters were killed during the operation. Maduro and his wife were transported to New York City after their capture, and both have pled “Not Guilty” on January 5^th, to the narco-terrorism charges.  Trump suggested further military action if Venezuela's new leadership didn't cooperate on drug flows.  Venezuelans all over the world celebrated the capture of Maduro with social media posts showing tearful celebrations, waving flags, and chanting for freedom.  Exiled communities in Miami and across Latin America and Spain were partying “as if a decades-long nightmare has finally ended”.  Large crowds of Venezuelans gathered outside the Manhattan federal courthouse to celebrate Maduro’s arrest after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly condemned the operation as "an act of war and a violation of federal and international law."  Many Americans took to the streets to protest Maduro’s capture. Some social media accounts questioned the authenticity of the protests that have been tied monetarily to Neville Roy Singham, a billionaire Marxist who sold his IT consulting firm to a private equity firm with a presence in China, for $785 million.  Within less than one day of the announcement of the capture of Maduro, protestors showed up in various cities with professionally produced signs.  Switzerland has frozen assets linked to Maduro.  The new interim leader of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez says she wants to cooperate with the U.S. -- X Post of Trump Supporter; Bill Mitchell, Wall Street Apes, The White House, Donald Trump Jr., yahoo.com, foxnews.com, Epoch Times

Minnesota Governor Drops Out of Race  - On January 5, 2026, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced he was ending his bid for reelection to an unprecedented third term as governor, citing a desire to fully focus on governing the state amid mounting criticism and a major scandal involving widespread fraud in social services programs, including Medicaid and child care assistance, which has allegedly cost taxpayers hundreds of millions to billions of dollars through schemes exploiting federal funds. Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee alongside Kamala Harris, had announced his reelection campaign in September 2025 but reevaluated over the holidays, stating he "can't give a political campaign my all" while emphasizing his administration's efforts to combat the fraudsters and defend against what he called politicized attacks from Republicans, including President Trump. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar has expressed her interest in running.  MyPillow CEO, Mike Lindell announced his bid in December entering a crowded field of Republicans.  On December 19^th, at a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina,President Trump stated that “Mike Lindell deserves to be governor of Minnesota.” – kfgo.com, FoxNews.com

Ongoing 2026 America 250^th Anniversary Preparations - The countdown to the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is currently at 179 days.  In April of last year, the U.S. kicked off year-long celebrations with events, exhibits, and commissions highlighting milestones.  President Trump established the “Salute to America 250 Task Force” that has been planning a full year of festivities that officially launched on Memorial Day 2025 and will continue through July 4^th, 2026.  The White House website is presenting “The Story of America” videos series.  So far, 12 videos have been posted and can be viewed at:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/america250/story-of-america

CDC Reduces the Number of Recommended Childhood Vaccines - In a press release issued on January 5th by the Department of Health and Human Services, an announcement was made that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccinations. The CDC will now recommend immunizations against 11 core diseases and reclassify the other 8 disease vaccinations as recommended for high-risk groups or fall under "shared clinical decision-making." This will align with peer nations like Denmark and Japan. - HHS.gov

California News

Heavy Rains Bring More Flooding - From January 1–5, multiple storms brought record-breaking rain, flash flooding, road closures, mudslides in burn scar areas (e.g., Eaton Fire zones), high tides ("King Tides") inundating highways like U.S. 101 in Marin County, beach advisories due to bacteria, and ongoing cleanup, with more showers expected through early next week. – yahoo.com

Winter storm warning for Sierra Nevada snow - Heavy snow and near-whiteout conditions hit the Sierra starting late January 3–4, with a Winter Storm Warning through Monday, major travel impacts, discouragement of mountain travel, and significant precipitation expected in higher elevations.  Conditions are expected to improve today for the Lake Tahoe and Truckee Basin. – kcra.com

Federal judges strike down portions of open-carry gun ban — On January 2, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unconstitutional California's restrictions on issuing open-carry permits in populous counties (where the population exceeds 200,000 people), potentially reshaping gun laws in the state. – TheHill.com

Lake Oroville Dam Increases Water Releases - Due to heavy runoff projections (50,000–70,000 cfs), the Department of Water Resources anticipated starting main spillway releases on January 5 to manage inflows and protect downstream areas under federal guidelines. – SierraDailyNews.com

The Family of Actor Tommy Lee Jones Makes Statement About His Daughter’s Death – Victoria Jones, 34, daughter of actor Tommy Lee Jones, was found unresponsive in her hotel room in San Francisco on January 1^st.  A cause of death has not been released but an overdose is suspected.  The family asked for privacy and said they appreciated all of the kind words, thoughts, and prayers.  Two years ago, Tommy Lee Jones successfully petitioned the courts to have his daughter placed under a temporary conservatorship because she was in need of drug rehabilitation.  The conservatorship was dismissed months later per Tommy Lee Jones’ request. – The San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco 49ers Lose to Seattle – The 49ers lost 13-3 to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night at Levi Stadium.  The loss means the 49ers, who have 12 wins and 5 losses for the season will need to go on the road for the wild card round next weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles.  Seattle now has 14 wins and 3 losses, has secured a division title and will have next weekend off. – ABC7News.com