January 2026 in the United States

On 3 January 2026, the United States launched a military strike in Venezuela and captured incumbent Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The US operation, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, began around 2 a.m. local time, when explosions were observed. The US Armed Forces bombed infrastructure across northern Venezuela to suppress air defenses as an apprehension force attacked Maduro's compound in Caracas. Maduro and Flores were transported to New York City by US forces to face their trial there. If the operation is considered a military conflict, at 2 hours and 28 minutes it would qualify as one of the shortest wars in history.

Renée Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old American woman, was fatally shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross, on January 7, 2026. Good was in her car, stopped sideways in the street, which led Ross to circle her vehicle on foot. Other agents approached, and one ordered her to get out of the car while reaching through her open window. Good briefly reversed, then began moving forward and to the right, into the direction of traffic. At this point, Ross was standing at the front-left of the vehicle and fired three shots, killing her, as her vehicle passed him, turning away from him. The killing sparked national protests and multiple investigations.

The 83rd Golden Globes was an awards ceremony that honored excellence in film and American television productions of 2025. The winners were unveiled during the live telecast, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ on January 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton. Nikki Glaser returned to host for the second consecutive year.

peace walk by Buddhist monks from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. in 2025-2026

The 31st Critics' Choice Awards were presented on January 4, 2026, at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica, California, honoring the finest achievements of filmmaking and television programming in 2025. The ceremony was broadcast on E! and USA Network, and was hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler for the fourth consecutive year.

US immigration operation

North American winter storm in 2026

NASA small satellite space telescope