We begin with Venezuela, of course, but move on to the startling announcement by Tim Walz that he is not running for reelection as governor of Minnesota owing to the burgeoning fraud scandal there—a staggering fall for a man who was almost vice president. And who's coming up the pike? Why, it's Zohran Mamdani! Give a listen.
The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife are being transferred to a court in New York to face drugs charges -- two days after they were seized by US troops. Meanwhile in Caracas, Delcy Rodriguez is due to be sworn in as Venezuela's interim leader. She's offered to cooperate with Washington, after President Trump threatened further action.
Also in the programme: A French court has found ten people guilty of spreading lies online about President Macron's wife Brigitte; as protests in Iran continue for a ninth day, the Speaker of Parliament has said that the protesters' demands must be heard; and Venezuela has the world's biggest oil reserves, what happens to that now?
Investors see some oil companies as big winners with the U.S. forcing a change of leadership in Venezuela. This morning, we'll hear how U.S. oil companies are faring in light of the news. Then, we'll provide some context for oil production and chat about global demand, what it'd take to develop Venezuela's infrastructure to help spark production, and learn how long it would take for U.S. oil companies to be reimbursed for investments.
New tax laws in Nigeria are drawing criticism just days after taking effect, with many citizens worried about rising costs, shrinking incomes and pressure on small businesses. The government insists the reforms are designed to make the system fairer and more efficient, but scepticism remains over how the money will be used. We unpack what the new laws actually change and hear from officials defending the policy.
We also turn to health, as experts warn that stress-induced overeating is becoming a major problem across Africa, driven by economic pressure, urban life and uncertainty.
Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Blessing Aderogba, Makuochi Okafor, Keikantse Shumba, Priya Sippy, Bella Twine
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
Oil markets and financial markets seem to be shrugging off the major geopolitical story out of the weekend: the U.S. arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. "Investors are looking at the situation and not seeing a dramatic change in the state of affairs that could alter global markets in a major way," said Julia Coronado, founder of MacroPolicy Perspectives. "What makes most sense ... is to wait and see what unfolds," said Ben Kumar, head of equity strategy at investment management business 7IM. On today's show, we unpack it all.
Elaine Miles (Cayuse and Nez Perce) didn’t seek out her breakout role as the humorously deadpan Lingít office manager Marilyn Whirlwind in the hit TV show, “Northern Exposure“, but after she was cast and became a beloved addition to the show, acting was her vocation from then on. She had a hilarious presence in the classic movie, “Smoke Signals“, and just appeared on the acclaimed HBO series, “The Last of Us“. Behind the scenes, Miles is an advocate for Indigenous rights and a steady voice of support for Native veterans. She is our January Native In The Spotlight.
Break 1 Music: Mama (song) LOV (artist) Mama (single)
Break 2 Music: Put Your Feathers On (song) Blue Moon Marquee & Northern Cree (artist) Get Your Feathers Ready (Album)
Breakthrough News journalist Eugene Puryear returns to Bad Faith to discuss Donald Trump's illegal strike on Venezuela and capture of President Nicolas Maduro & his wife. He addresses mainstream media and Democratic Party complicity in supporting Trump's strike, the historical efforts of the US to control Venezuela's oil supply, and the longterm goals of US imperialism. But first, Eugene weighs in on Zohran's inauguration, Zionist police commissioner Jessica Tisch's demotion in Mamdani's administration, and whether/how the left can support electoral progress within the Democraric party without losing revolutionary discipline.
Nicolas Maduro to appear in federal court in New York. President Trump says the U.S. is in charge in Venezuela. The capture in Caracas snarls Caribbean air travel. CBS News Correspondent Steve Kathan has those stories and more on the World News Roundup podcast.
From the BBC World Service: After a rocky 2025, many analysts expect a similarly unsettled 2026. Plus, a new study indicates faster weight gain after quitting GLP-1 drugs, and X has failed to meet a deadline to address explicit content generated by its AI chatbot Grok.