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"Venezuela's new leader claims control."

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January 6, 2026

	By Matthew Cullen

Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

Venezuela’s leader contradicts Trump Europe discusses peace in Ukraine Plus, 52 places to go in 2026

Delcy Rodriguez in Caracas yesterday. Alejandro Cegarra for The New York Times

Venezuelan leaders project independence

Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, declared today that the country remained under the control of officials who rose to power under Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime — directly contradicting President Trump. “The government of Venezuela runs our country,” Rodríguez said. “No one else. There is no external agent governing Venezuela.”

A large crowd of Venezuelans marched through the streets of Caracas demanding Maduro’s release from a U.S. jail. They were joined by senior government officials who condemned the U.S. intervention. There was virtually no visible dissent, perhaps because the Venezuelan government had declared an emergency that gave it broad powers to arrest citizens. Here’s the latest.

Just yesterday — two days after U.S. troops detained Maduro and brought him to New York to face charges — Trump said that he was the top person in charge of Venezuela, and that the U.S. would be involved in governing the country for the foreseeable future. “We have to nurse the country back to health,” the president said.

One of Trump’s top aides said that the president had assigned Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who helped engineer the ouster of Maduro, to take the lead in overseeing Venezuela. So far, Rubio and Trump have signaled that they would rather work with the current regime than put a new government in place. That poses a challenge for Rodríguez.

In related news:

World leaders pushed back against Trump’s might-makes-right vision, particularly his renewed threats to seize Greenland. (Rubio told lawmakers that Trump wants to buy Greenland, rather than invade it.) Venezuela is bracing for an economic collapse if the U.S. blockade of its energy exports continues.

Maduro has declared himself a prisoner of war, in an apparent attempt to receive special privileges. Venezuelans in the U.S. have reacted to Maduro’s capture with relief, anxiety and uncertainty. Trump said he had been annoyed by Maduro’s dancing. “He gets up there and he tries to imitate my dance a little bit,” the president said.

House Democrats Hakeem Jefferies, left, and Bennie Thompson at a hearing for the 5th anniversary of Jan. 6 today. Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Democrats, Republicans and pardoned rioters marked Jan. 6

Democrats in Congress used the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to remind voters of the violent effort to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss. They invited lawmakers, a police officer and a rioter seeking forgiveness to describe the events of the day and highlight Trump's role in stoking the mob.

Elsewhere in Washington, the president continued his effort to rewrite the history of the riot and again tried to sow doubt about the integrity of U.S. elections. “Our elections are crooked as hell,” Trump said.

On the streets, rioters who Trump had pardoned marched in commemoration of the attack. Some, however, are demanding more than clemency.

Emanuel Macron, the president of France, with Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris today. Pool photo by Yoan Valat

Ukraine’s expectations are low as Europe talks postwar plans

Representatives from more than 30 countries — the so-called Coalition of the Willing — gathered today in Paris to discuss guaranteeing Ukraine’s security in the event of a cease-fire with Russia. Attending were top U.S. negotiators, including Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, which the French saw as a sign of U.S. commitment to the plans to defend Ukraine.

But in the lead-up to the meeting, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine offered some of his most skeptical comments about the potential for peace. “I understand that we are very close to results,” he said. “But at some point, Russia may block everything.”

More top news

Congress: Doug LaMalfa, a Republican representative from Northern California, died at 65. His death further narrowed the House Republican majority. Health: The health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is expected to release new nutrition guidelines soon. Here’s what’s expected. Middle East: Syria and Israel resumed U.S.-mediated talks about reducing border tensions. Education: The Texas branch of the American Federation of Teachers sued the state’s education agency over investigations into teachers about their comments related to Charlie Kirk. Minnesota: Department of Homeland Security officials began ramping up immigration enforcement in the Minneapolis area. Switzerland: Officials said that the bar where a deadly fire occurred last week had not been receiving mandatory annual safety inspections, and that the most recent was six years ago. Energy: With the encouragement of the Trump administration, companies have raced to build a new type of nuclear power plant known as a small modular reactor.

A TRIP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE EARTH

Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

My colleagues Raymond Zhong and Chang Lee are aboard an icebreaker on their way to Antarctica. They are traveling with a scientific expedition to study Antarctica’s fastest melting glacier, called the Thwaites. You can follow their progress here, where they post frequent dispatches and answer your questions.

Just yesterday, as they began to adjust to everlasting sunlight, the journey changed dramatically. After more than a week on the open ocean, the ship was zigzagging through a huge icy plain that made it appear as if they were sailing atop snow-covered land. To receive their updates in your inbox, sign up for the Climate Forward newsletter.

TIME TO UNWIND

Lauren DeCicca, Roger Kisby and Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times; Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times

Looking to take an amazing trip in 2026? We’ve got you covered.

Every year, our Travel desk compiles a list of 52 places to go. This list for 2026 includes vibrant American cities, tropical island retreats and enticing international destinations. Here are a few of my favorites:

Genoa, Italy, is rich with maritime history and amazing food. For last-minute World Cup tickets, your best bet is Dallas, Texas. Conservation efforts have made Bandhavgarh, India, a top choice for tiger spotting. Our photographer described what it was like there.

Cuddle puddles at the Love Symposium in November. Jason Henry for The New York Times

Can love be optimized?

My colleague Amanda Hess traveled to San Francisco to spend time with a group of tech executives, app developers and Silicon Valley philosophers who believe that technology can streamline the messy matters of romantic relationships.

Amanda listened as one man proposed using A.I. to brighten the lights around a person you might match with in a bar. Anther launched an A.I. start-up to help singles find long-term partners for a $50,000 fee. Read more about Amanda’s experience.

Ashok Sinha for The New York Times

Dinner table topics

Look ahead: How will home design change in 2026? Here’s what experts predict. Hungarian master: Bela Tarr, the filmmaker who died yesterday at 70, was a titan of slow-moving cinema. Weigh in: Vote on these 17 big and small plans to improve New York City. Ask Well: What happens to my body during Dry January — and after?

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

David Malosh for The New York Times

Cook: Drizzle some hot honey on these spiced apple fritters.

Watch: “No More Time” is one of our top horror picks this month.

Read: Check out these books before they become shows and movies this year.

Wear: Take inspiration from our fashion photographer’s look of the week.

Exercise: Looking for a new fitness routine this January? Start here.

Ventilate: We have a guide for storing onions, shallots and garlic.

Test yourself: Take our quiz to see how well you know novels set around the world.

Play: Here are today’s Connections, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.

ONE LAST THING

Jamie Lee Taete for The New York Times

It’s like watching sports in a planetarium

Some college football fanatics paid more than $200 to watch last week’s Rose Bowl on a television. That is if you consider a domed, 87-foot, floor-to-ceiling screen a television.

The company behind the extravagant displays is Cosm, which began as a business focused on planetariums. It has teamed up with major sports leagues including the N.F.L. and N.B.A. to offer a virtual courtside experience to fans near Los Angeles and Dallas, with more locations on the way.

Have an immersive evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew

Eli Cohen was our photo editor.

We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.

Writer: Matthew Cullen Editor: Whet Moser

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