Here & Now

When President Trump spoke about Venezuela's future on Saturday, after the U.S. military action and arrest of its president, Nicolás Maduro, he said that the country's decimated oil infrastructure will be rebuilt and start making money again. Rice University's Francisco Monaldi talks about the major challenges of rebuilding the Venezuelan oil industry and how it will require many years and tens of billions of dollars. Then, Adelys Ferro, an immigration activist in Doral, Florida, the American city with the most Venezuelans, talks about how her community is feeling after Maduro’s capture. And, Texas Tech University Law School's Geoffrey Corn talks about the legal issues surrounding Maduro's capture.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Protests in Iran have stretched on for six days, sparked by rising prices and the collapse of the country’s currency, the rial. Johns Hopkins University professor Vali Nasr joins us.And, Israel will soon ban more than three dozen aid organizations operating in Gaza. The American Friends Service Committee is one of those groups. AFSC's Kerri Kennedy explains why she thinks complying with Israel’s demands would put workers at risk.Then, a group that tracks conflicts around the world says in a new report that "high levels of conflict are the new normal." Clionadh Raleigh details what her organization’s report found.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New laws are taking effect across the country on Jan. 1. In Hawai'i, there is now a new tax on tourists that will fund efforts to fight climate change. And in Utah, a new law took effect that restricts some people with drunk driving convictions from purchasing alcohol. The Associated Press’ David Lieb breaks down some trends in state laws.And, Zohran Mamdani is now officially the mayor of New York City. He took the oath of office shortly after midnight on Jan. 1. Vox host Astead Herndon interviewed Mamdani days before his inauguration, and joins us to talk about Mamdani’s policies and how he may influence the Democratic Party.Then, piano bar pianist Jesse Rifkin explains what popularly requested songs say about the state of our politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to expire as the new year begins, and some states are trying to take action. In Georgia, Democrats are pushing for the state to cover the subsidies, but many Republicans there are opposed. Georgia Democratic State Representative Sam Park and Georgia Republican State Senator Ben Watson join us to discuss the state of the debate.And, counting down the last few seconds before the clock strikes midnight is a New Year’s Eve tradition. But did you know it’s a modern phenomenon? Historian Alexis McCrossen explains how it came to be.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The new hit science fiction show “Pluribus” takes place in a world where a hive mind links everyone’s thoughts and actions in the name of collective good. Karolina Wydra plays Zosia and joins us to talk about the show’s popularity and what it says about society.Then, writer-director-producer Rian Johnson and his cousin, composer Nathan Johnson, talk about merging mystery and faith in their newest addition to the “Knives Out” franchise: “Wake Up Dead Man.”Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Next year, the Supreme Court is expected to issue consequential rulings on President Trump's most controversial policies, including his ability to issue tariffs without congressional approval and fire a member of the Federal Reserve. Law professor Barbara McQuade explains more.Then, the Trump administration is suing 21 states and Washington, D.C., to hand over detailed voter data, citing efforts to ensure election security. Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt details the implications.And, we catalogue NPR staff recommendations from their annual “Books We Love” list, which, this year, contains mainly fiction picks.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

"Cocktails Illustrated" is America's Test Kitchen's inclusive guide to cocktails and mocktails. More than 400 recipes are packed into the book, which also serves to educate on the science and history of the world of mixed drinks. Joe Gitter, senior editor on ATK's books team, contributed many of the recipes in the book. Gitter joins host Indira Lakshmanan for his recommendations and advice on all things cocktail.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There has been a 19% drop in the number of international students arriving in the U.S. compared to last year, according to government data. Education journalist Kavitha Cardoza talks about the impact of the Trump administration on international students. Then, Esther Phillips was a hugely popular teenage R&B singer who, in 1962, recorded the top-10 hit "Release Me." That success would lead to the album "The Country Side of Esther Phillips." But the record fell into obscurity. Journalist Michael Hall talks about Phillips’ legacy. And, this Sunday marks 50 years since the original iconic Hail Mary football play. Hall of Fame receiver Drew Pearson relives the moment.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Dick Van Dyke just turned 100 years old. Fellow comedian and long-time friend Mel Brooks reflects on their relationship and what it feels like to head toward the century mark. Then, Grammy-winning songwriter John Prine died of COVID-19 complications in April 2020. More than two years later, musicians gathered to pay tribute. Now, a new documentary film, "You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine," captures those concerts. We speak with Fiona Whelan Prine, Prine's widow, and producer of the concerts and the film. And, the Capitol Movie Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts, has also turned 100. Here & Now's Thomas Danielian heads to the theater to see how they're doing on their big birthday.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In the past 11 months, the Trump administration has stripped more than 1.6 million people of legal status. NPR’s Ximena Bustillo shares more about the largest removal of deportation protections from legal migrants in U.S. history.Then, CBS held a story alleging abuse at a detention center in El Salvador from air. Now, it’s online. NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik details what we’ve learned. And, the U.S.’s interception of oil carriers from Venezuela is deepening an economic crisis in Cuba, which relies on Venezuelan oil. The Wall Street Journal’s Juan Forero explains the impact.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

AP's Eric Tucker talks about what's new and what's next following the Department of Justice's partial release of documents about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including two images of President Trump, which the DOJ removed from public view, then reposted on Sunday. Then, the Kentucky bourbon brand Jim Beam will pause operations at its main distillery in January 2026, with no clarity on whether it will be a long or short term move. Bourbon historian Susan Reigler joins us. And, the Lumbee Tribe has been pushing for federal recognition for more than a century. Last week, they finally achieved that goal through the passage of a defense bill in Congress. But not all tribes are happy about the recognition. AP's Graham Lee Brewer tells us more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Baltimore-based band Pinkshift follows a long lineage of punk musicians using their music to condemn injustice and spur activism. Here & Now’s Grace Griffin caught up with the band about their latest album “Earthkeeper” and the importance of centering rage at the world in love for humanity.Then, are you looking for a festive film to watch this weekend? Here & Now staffers share their picks for the best holiday movie, everything from “Bridget Jones’s Diary” to “Die Hard.”Click here for our full conversation on spicing up your holiday dinner table with a new dish.And to listen to our appreciation for "The Muppet Christmas Carol," click here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration says it will dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a cornerstone for American climate and weather science. Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy, explains what this could mean for climate research. Then, President Trump has softened his approach to China as the rivalry between China and the U.S. grows. Jane Perlez, former Beijing bureau chief for the New York Times, details where U.S.-China relations are headed. Click here for our full conversation on Trump's push to bring tiny Japanese cars to the U.S.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump has ordered a complete blockade on "all sanctioned oil vessels” in and out of Venezuela. Rice University professor Francisco J. Monaldi explains how the move, if enforced strictly, could devalue local currency, increase inflation and contribute to political instability in Venezuela.Then, a Hong Kong court convicted former media mogul and pro-democracy supporter Jimmy Lai on national security charges. He faces life in prison. Lai’s daughter, Claire Lai, joins us to discuss her father’s conviction.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hate researcher Matteo Vergani and orthodox Rabbi Nomi Kaltmann examine the rise of antisemitism in Australia, as police continue to investigate the deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Sunday. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the father and son suspects were motivated by Islamic State ideology.And, in Syria over the weekend, a gunman ambushed a U.S.-Syrian joint patrol, killing two members of the Iowa National Guard and their American interpreter. President Trump has vowed to retaliate. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Andrew Tabler explains what this shows about Islamic extremism.Then, for many immigrants, oath ceremonies mark the final step in becoming a U.S. citizen. But across the U.S., those ceremonies have been postponed or canceled. Gail Breslow from the nonprofit Project Citizenship details what this means for hopeful Americans.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A gunman killed two students and injured nine others in a Brown University classroom Saturday afternoon. The suspect remains at large. Brown student Ref Bari was in the building where the shooting happened. He shares his story. Then, officials say that father and son gunmen killed at least 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach in Australia. We hear from the Anti-Defamation League's Marina Rosenberg about the rise in antisemitism in Australia. And, Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, were found dead in their home on Sunday. Reiner talked about his work several times on Here & Now. We revisit those conversations.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

With the rise of artificial intelligence, utilities are trying to satisfy an unquenchable thirst for new sources of electricity. Part of the answer may be deep underneath our feet. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd visits New Mexico, where scientists, entrepreneurs and politicians from both parties are trying to harness the endless supply of heat generated below the surface of the Earth. Then, Virginia's climate law requires 100% renewable energy by 2050. The commonwealth is also known as the data center capital of the world. Can those ambitions coexist? University of Virginia professor William Shobe weighs in.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The White House has promised to quadruple nuclear power by 2050. To get there, some closed nuclear plants are coming back online, including one near the site of a reactor that partially melted down more than 45 years ago. Here & Now’s Chris Bentley visits two of them: the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station in Michigan and the Crane Clean Energy Center on Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island.And, we talk with Katy Huff, associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, about what it will take to increase the role of nuclear in the country's future energy mix.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Democrats are criticizing President Trump's affordability speech for not focusing that much on affordability. We learn more from The Washington Post's Matt Viser, who attended the president's rally. Then, it's not just affordability that's becoming a problem; so is inequality. Now, California is debating one potential solution: a tax on the wealth held by that state's billionaires. North Carolina State University professor Christina Lewellen discusses the pros and cons of a wealth tax.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump will allow technology giant Nvidia to sell its second-best artificial intelligence chips to China. The move reverses years of policy restrictions and could help push China farther along in the AI race. "Chip War" author Chris Miller shares more.Then, Paramount launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery after Warner Bros. agreed last week to sell its streaming and studio businesses to Netflix. David Ellison, the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, bought Paramount this summer. The Ellisons have strong ties to Trump. And a firm run by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner would help finance Paramount's bid. NPR’s David Folkenflik explains what this could mean for U.S. consumers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy