From the desk of Rich Stephens
News for the week ending 1-4-26
Below find the expanded text from tonight’s broadcast. For corrections or additions, contact Rich directly.
World
China Military Exercise In Taiwan Strait
In Taipei, in response to a sale of arms from the United States, China conducted two days of military exercises near Taiwan, shutting down air and sea traffic in the area. The Chinese ministry of foreign affairs gave a press conference Monday, December 29. They said “China is firmly resolved in defending it’s national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity”, and “any ill-intentioned attempt of stopping China’s reunification is doomed to fail.” The US Department of state asked China to stop trying to use the military to pressure Taiwan. The Taiwan ministry of foreign affairs thanked the United States. On Thursday, January 2 Chinese officials arrived in Venezuela for talks with Nicolas Maduro. And you won’t believe what happens next…
China Foreign Ministry Press Conference
US DOJ Arrests Nicolas Maduro & Wife
Saturday, December 3, President Trump spoke at a press conference to announce the successful execution of Operation Absolute Resolve. At 10:46PM Friday night, the president ordered that the mission go forward. Over 150 aircraft were launched from 20 bases, including war ships.
The joint air component was comprised of F-35’s, F-22’s, F-18’s, EA18’s, E2’s, B1 bombers and numerous remotely piloted drones. This was all in support of helicopters bound for the compound of Nicolas Maduro. General Dan “Razin” Caine – Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the joint air component disabled and dismantled the air defense systems to clear a path.
DOJ officers were assisted by US military personnel and took Maduro and his wife into custody, returning them to the USS Iwo Jima at 3:29AM.
Trump Quotes:
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition”
“We want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela”
“The illegitimate dictator maduro was the kingpin of a vast criminal network responsible for trafficking colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs into the united states. As alleged in the indictment, he personally oversaw the vicious cartel known as Cartel de Las Solas which flooded our nation with lethal poison, responsible for the deaths of countless Americans…Maduro and his wife will soon face the full might of American justice and stand trial on American soil.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi Statement
Maduro Escorted Into AG Office
Israel Evicts UNRWA
In Israel, the Knesset has passed a law to ban UNRWA from operating within the bounds of the territory of Israel. The ban stems from tight connection between UNRWA and Hamas and documented instances of UNRWA aiding Hamas during the October 7 attacks in 2023. UNRWA pushed back, saying that under international law, Israel cannot force them out. UNRWA was established in 1949 with the intention of operating for 18 months.
Israeli Government Announcement (Hebrew Only)
Israeli Legal Record (Hebrew Only)
Politics
Mamdani
This week, Seattle Washington, St. Paul Minnesota and New York City all swore in new mayors. Zohran Mamdani began by promising to “replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism”. He then revoked all executive orders issued by outgoing mayor Eric Adams after September 24 of last year.
Mamdani Signaling Interest In Arresting Netanyahu
Mamdani Condemning The Arrest Of Maduro
Muslim American Heritage Month
January 2nd, Governor Kathy Hochul issued the first ever proclamation declaring January as Muslim American Heritage Month across New York State. She ordered that 16 landmarks be lit green to celebrate Muslim Americans. The list includes Niagara Falls, Grand Central Terminal and One World Trade Center.
Markets
Markets slumped through the New Year’s Holiday. The Dow Jones fell 328 points, about 2/3 of a percent to close at 48,382. NASDAQ lost 328 points, a 1.5% loss, closing at 23,235. S&P 500 lost 1%, dropping 71 points to end the week at 6858. Gold fell for the first time since November losing 223 dollars and sitting at $4329 per ounce.
College Football
In College Football, New Year’s eve, the Miami Hurricanes ended Ohio State’s season with a 24-14 win in the Cotton Bowl. New Year’s day, Indiana beat Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl. Notre Dame fans had a lot to say about this online. Not to be outdone, Oregon blanked Texas Tech 23-0. In the only competitive game that day, Ole Miss did not need any help from their former coach Lane Kiffin to beat Georgia 39-34. The semifinals will feature Miami against Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl and Oregon against Indiana at the Peach bowl. Next week we should have some NFL coverage for you as well.
I planned to have a much lighter episode this week, but the news is the news. So here’s a positive end to the first cold take of 2026.
In an interview for his 100th birthday, Dick Van Dyke, he spoke about Carl Reiner choosing him over Johnny Carson and insisted they both wound up where they belonged. He spoke highly of Mary Tyler Moore saying “she was unbelievable, she was great from day 1”. He reminisced about Mary Poppins, downplaying his ability to both sing and dance, calling his dance style eccentric and reiterating how much fun it was to make that movie. He grew up poor and bought his first home with help from the GI bill. He said he has no fear of death, and expressed appreciation for a full and exciting life. Dick Van Dyke is still laughing and enjoying life at 100 years old.
Rich Stephens
The Cold Take