Greetings, Falcons! Welcome to my new column, “The Falcon Flash” with Annika Adiga. Being informed about what’s going on in our nation is the most important thing we can do as citizens, yet finding unbiased news has become almost as hard as getting out of the parking lot at 2:40. Even more, finding updates that are easy to understand without having to devote your entire life to the news cycle has become nearly impossible. My goal with this column is to fill this gap by providing you with an objective and simplified breakdown of the biggest news story happening every week in the United States and across the world. No opinions, no complicated terms; just the knowledge you need to understand and think critically about our society.

Venezuela

This week, one of the largest international and domestic news stories was the United States’ capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. As CNN reported Jan. 3, U.S. forces entered Maduro’s home overnight Jan. 2 before flying him back to New York City where he and his wife currently sit in a Brooklyn jail awaiting further trial. The capture and following U.S.-backed efforts for regime change (which means a change in the foundational setup and rules of the political system that’s leading) have garnered attention and debate internationally. On one hand, many legal experts and global political leaders note that the unethical and potentially illegal nature of the capture is concerning in the eyes of international law; and many U.S. politicians are distressed with the failure of the administration to get congressional approval before launching such an attack (Brookings). 

On the other hand, many supporters point to Maduro being seen as an extremely unpopular and corrupt leader even amongst the Venezuelan people. In fact, in the last election, many independent investigations pointed to Venezuelan voters overwhelmingly choosing opposition leader Edmundo González, yet he didn’t end up getting elected due to Maduro using his incumbency powers (power of already being President during the election) to declare himself the winner (Washington Post, BBC). 

You may recognize the name of another rising Venezuelan opposition leader – Maria Corina Machado – who was recently awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to democratize Venezuela against Maduro’s actions (Nobel Peace Prize). However, going back to the criticism of those who disapprove of the U.S. handling, they argue that the Trump administration should work with these democratic opposition leaders. Instead, the United States has appointed the existing Venezuelan vice president to be promoted to president, which Brookings notes fails to actually change the regime (think of it like if you were sick the day of a presentation but gave your friend all your notecards so the exact same stuff was said). 

There are also questions as to how involved the United States has now become in Venezuela’s political operations as well as its lucrative oil business (Brookings). So, the debate of the capture comes down less to the need for Venezuelan change, but rather if the supposed benefits warrant the methods that the United States took. 

In the coming days, I think that the key things to watch will be firstly, how effective the United States is in helping Venezuela get new leaders; will we see them meeting with those opposition parties or continuing down this path of uncertainty and quasi-American control that we see today? Second, it will be interesting to see exactly what happens to Maduro, namely if he stays in New York City for further trial or (in an unlikely event) is able to gather enough bail to return home (CNN). No matter what happens or your opinions on it, this developing case undeniably raises many questions about what exactly the role of America is in foreign politics today.

For the 52 senators (all democrats and 5 republicans) who narrowly passed a bill Thursday in the Senate to remove all military from Venezuela, the consensus against further action by the administration is clear (AP News). However, for the republican-led house that reporters predict will swiftly kill this bill, action in Venezuela could be the beginning of a new expansionist era for the United States (AP News). 

Of course, this doesn’t even begin to cover the immense amount of news this week. Between the death of former Kansas Citian Renee Good at the hands of  an ICE officer (AP News), the House voting to extend healthcare subsidies after the “Big Beautiful Bill” and 2025 government shutdown debacle initially ended them (AP News, new vote; AP News, context of shutdown)  and reports of the United States considering military action into Greenland next (AP News); the start of 2026 has already produced enough news to fill an APUSH textbook.

Thanks for tuning in for the first installment of “The Falcon Flash,” and I can’t wait to see you back here next Friday to break down what will undoubtedly be another complicated week. Remember to always stay informed, stay active and stay passionate, Falcons. The future is still ours to change!