Venezuela’s Maduro pleads not guilty in US court appearance

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. First, the aftermath of the U-S military operation in Venezuela that toppled President Nicolas Maduro dominated Washington this week. We speak with Republican Randy Fine of Florida – a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee – about the future of U-S involvement in that country. The U-S military strikes and the capture of Maduro has raised all kinds of legal and constitutional questions. We break it all down with Creighton University Professor and international law expert Michael Kelly Finally, this week also saw the 5th anniversary of the January 6th attack on the Capitol. We chat with Associated Press Congressional Reporter Mary Clare Jalonick about the legacy of that day which she examines in her book "Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Local prosecutor in Minneapolis is asking the public to send her video or other evidence related to the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration & Customs Enforcement officer because she is concerned the FBI will not share its evidence with her investigators; Oregon's Attorney General says his office has a good working relationship with the FBI in the now-launched investigation an ICE officer shooting of two people in Portland; Senate Republican leaders visit the U.S.-Mexico border to promote the border security funding contains in last year's law known as the One Bill Beautiful Bill; Labor Department releases the December jobs report: 55,000 jobs created, unemployment ticks down to 4.4%; President Donald Trump meets with oil & gas company executives at the White House to discuss investment in Venezuela's oil sector after the U.S. military captured President Nicolas Maduro; Kentucky and Vermont Governors deliver their annual State of the State addresses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senate advances a War Powers Act resolution prohibiting President Donald Trump's from taking future military action against Venezuela without Congressional approval; Minnesota's government says it has been told it will no longer take part in the FBI investigation of the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE agent; House passes a three year extension of expired Affordable Care Act health insurance enhanced premium subsidies and three more FY2026 federal spending bills; House sustains presidential vetoes of two bipartisan bills to fund a water project in Colorado to expand the lands of an Indian tribe in Florida; Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) delivers his final State of the State Address, contrasting his state with the Trump Administration; White House presents plans for the president's proposed ballroom to the National Capital Planning Commission; Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announces his retirement after more than four decades in the House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shoots and kills a woman in a vehicle in Minneapolis during an immigration-related operation. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the agent was acting in self-defense against "an act of domestic terrorism." Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) asks protesters to "stay peaceful" and "not riot" and "We can't give them what they want." Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) says the shooting was a reckless abuse of power and ICE needs to get out of his city; U.S. House Oversight Committee holds a hearing on the allegedly widespread fraud involving publicly funded welfare programs in Minnesota; U.S. seizes two oil tankers with Venezuelan oil,  one Russian-flagged, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio & Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brief House Members and Senators on U.S. policy toward Venezuela now that President Nicolas Maduro is in a U.S. prison awaiting trial; Secretary Rubio is also asked about Greenland, after the White House said President Donald Trump is discussing options for acquiring the island territory and not ruling out potential use of military force; Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. unveils new dietary guidelines encouraging Americans to eat more whole foods and protein, and fewer highly processed foods and added sugar; U.S. House advances bills to restore the expired Affordable Care Act health insurance premium enhanced subsidies and a package of remaining fiscal year 2026 spending bills to avoid another government shutdown at the end of the month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this fifth anniversary of attack on the U.S. Capitol, House Democrats reconvene the January 6 investigative committee. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) saying, "Five years ago today, a violent mob brutally attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Their mission was to overturn a free and fair election. We will never allow extremists to whitewash their treachery." President Donald Trump blames then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for, he says, declining his offer of 10,000 National Guard troops that day, and blames the media for, he says, not reporting that he told protesters to march peacefully and patriotically to the Capitol; President Trump urges Congressional Republicans to be flexible when it comes to their demands that a bill to address the rise in Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums limit coverage of abortion; United States for the first time joins Western European nations in agreeing to come to Ukraine's aid if it attacked again by Russia, the so-called security guarantees; latest on Venezuela in the aftermath of the U.S. removing President Nicolas Maduro; tributes to Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), who has died at age 65. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United Nations Security Council held a meeting regarding the U.S. strikes conducted in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Ambassadors representing several Latin American nations--including Venezuela--condemned these actions, saying they violated international law and sovereignty, with some claiming civilians were killed in the operation. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Michael Waltz called the action a "law enforcement operation ... against two indicted fugitives of American justice." After their capture, President Maduro and his wife were brought to New York City, where he pleaded "not guilty" to drug trafficking charges. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. We'll kick off with conversations with two authors who rounded out Washington Journal's annual holiday authors week series: first up - John Jay College constitutional law professor and civil rights attorney Gloria Browne-Marshall talked about her book, "A Protest History of the United States" Then: author Sarah Kendzior joins us to talk about her book " The Last American Road Trip: A Memoir." Plus: Steve Clemons -- editor at large for the National Interest magazine – previews the foreign policy challenges facing the Trump administration in the year ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FBI says it 'thwarted a potential' New Year's Eve terror attack in North Carolina and the suspect was 'directly inspired to act by ISIS'; President Donald Trump & top officials in Iran threaten each other as deadly street protests continue in Iranian cities; As Somalia's Ambassador to the United Nations takes over the rotating UN Security Council presidency, a reporter asked him about President Trump's criticisms of Somalia-Americans linked to alleged public program fraud in Minnesota; New York City's new Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) creates an Office of Mass Engagement and is asked about Israel saying Mamdani is antisemitic for revoking his predecessors' Executive Orders that barred city agencies from boycotting or divesting from Israel and adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism; Head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Gene Dodaro, has retired after a long career at the agency and in government. We will talk with Government Executive reporter Sean Michael Newhouse about Dodaro's accomplishments and efforts to be bipartisan and how Congress will choose his replacement (36); Full video of former Special Counsel Jack Smith's deposition before the House Judiciary Committee was made public on New Year's Eve. We will talk with Politico reporter Hailey Fuchs about what we learn about the Donald Trump election interference and classified documents cases that were ultimately dropped. (44) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On New Year's Eve, America250 Commission Chair Rosie Rios talks about the special celebrations tonight related to the U.S.'s 250th birthday in 2026, New York City & New Orleans are among the cities increasing their New Year's Eve security and world leaders issue New Year's messages; House Republicans schedule a hearing looking at Minnesota social welfare programs fraud, inviting both Republican state lawmakers and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to testify; number of Jeffrey Epstein-related files the Justice Department is working through to release now reportedly tops 5 million; New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (D) names a new schools chancellor a day before he takes office; former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (D-CO) has died. We  hear his 2004 remarks at the dedication for the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York  City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announces new members of his incoming administration, including Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services; States receive the first allotments from a $50 billion federal rural health care fund; Federal investigation into alleged multi-billion-dollar fraud of Minnesota state services expands, with some Republicans calling on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to resign. We will talk about it with Axios breaking news reporter Herb Scribner (16); U.S. pledges $2 billion in for United Nations humanitarian aid, down sharply from previous years; China's Foreign Minister criticizes a record $11 billion in U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan as China conducts military drills simulating a blockade of Taiwan; more performers cancel scheduled dates at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC after President Trump's name was added to the institution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices