Honestly, if you haven't been glued to the feed for the last 48 hours, you've missed a decade's worth of geopolitical shifts. This isn't just your standard weekend news cycle. Between a literal military extraction in South America and some pretty wild shifts in Washington's domestic footprint, the ABC top news stories for mid-January 2026 feel more like a Tom Clancy novel than a Saturday morning broadcast.
The big one? Venezuela. Obviously.
The Fallout of Operation Absolute Resolve
It's been exactly two weeks since President Trump announced the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, but the ripples are only just starting to turn into waves. Basically, the "Absolute Resolve" mission—a joint hit by U.S. special forces—didn't just remove a leader; it blew the lid off the entire regional power structure.
As of this morning, January 17, 2026, the CIA chief is reportedly on the ground meeting with the "Maduro successor" (or whoever's trying to claim that title) while María Corina Machado is doubling down on her vow to take the presidency. It’s messy. It’s volatile. And for the families of Jan Darmovžal and the six other foreign nationals who were just freed and are currently on a Czech aircraft headed for Prague, it’s a miracle.
But let’s look closer at the U.S. side. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is already out there talking about designating Venezuelan cartels as terrorist organizations. That’s a massive move. It basically gives the administration a green light for more "anti-narco-terrorism" missions throughout the Caribbean.
National Guard: A Permanent Fixture in D.C.?
While things are heating up abroad, D.C. is looking more like a fortress. An Associated Press report just confirmed that National Guard troops are staying on the streets of Washington through the end of 2026.
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Army Secretary Dan Driscoll signed the memo Wednesday. The reasoning? Supporting "ongoing efforts to restore law and order."
If you live in Chicago or Portland, you might be breathing a sigh of relief—for now. Trump apparently backed off on sending troops to those cities after a flurry of legal challenges. But because D.C. is a federal district, he has a much tighter grip on the reins there. It’s a polarizing vibe. On one hand, some residents feel safer; on the other, many see the constant presence of "blue helmets" and camouflage as a sign of a fundamental shift in how the capital functions.
The Great UN Divorce
One of the stories that isn't getting enough airtime—but should—is the U.S. withdrawal from dozens of United Nations bodies. We aren't just talking about small committees here.
- IPCC (Climate Change)
- UN Population Fund
- UN Trade and Development
The U.S. is basically pulling its chair away from the global table. Germany is trying to fill some gaps—even recently establishing formal ties with the Pacific island of Niue—but the void left by American funding is massive.
Why the Somalia Aid Cut Matters
Speaking of funding, the State Department just nuked all assistance programs to Somalia. Why? Allegations that the Somali government literally destroyed a World Food Programme warehouse and walked off with 76 tonnes of food.
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It’s a brutal situation for the locals, and it points to a much harsher "America First" vetting process for foreign aid than we’ve seen in decades.
Health and the "Triple Threat"
Switching gears to something that actually affects your daily life: the flu is back with a vengeance. The CDC just flagged that hospitalization rates for kids and teens are the second-highest in 15 years.
Even though there's a slight decline in some states, experts like those cited by NBC News warn that we haven't hit the peak yet. Mix that with a measles outbreak that's being tracked via wastewater in Oregon and Colorado, and it’s a tough winter for the healthcare system.
Interestingly, we’re seeing a weird paradox in medicine right now:
- The Good News: Cancer survival rates hit 70% for the first time ever.
- The Bad News: Vaccine exemptions for school-aged kids have spiked in over half of U.S. counties.
The Economic "Shock"
If you’re wondering why your grocery bill is still high but butter is somehow cheaper, you can thank a "shock" USDA report.
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On Monday, the government dropped data showing a record corn yield. The market didn't see it coming. Corn prices tanked, and that’s going to ripple through everything from livestock feed to your morning cereal by the time we hit the summer of 2026. Meanwhile, the IMF is being a bit of a buzzkill, projecting global growth to slow down to 3.1%.
The "spirit of dialogue" at Davos next week is expected to be... tense, to say the least.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think these stories are isolated. They aren't.
The capture of Maduro, the D.C. troop extension, and the UN withdrawals are all part of the same "Absolute Resolve" philosophy. It’s a move toward hard power and unilateralism. Whether you like it or not, the "global police" era has shifted into something much more focused and, frankly, aggressive.
Actionable Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Monitor the "Maduro Successor" talks: The power vacuum in Venezuela will likely lead to a spike in gas prices or a massive migration shift by next month.
- Check local CDC wastewater data: If you're in the PNW or the Midwest, measles is showing up in the sewers weeks before it hits the clinics.
- Watch the corn market: If you're in ag or retail, the recent USDA "data dump" means a major shift in supply chain costs for the second half of the year.
Stay skeptical of the headlines, but keep your eyes on the data. Things are moving fast.