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Kansas daily brief

Kansas and US news for busy people - Jan 5, 2026 edition

Greg Loving

05 Jan 2026 • 2 min read

🌾Kansas

Venezuela Military Strike Splits Kansas Delegation Along Party Lines: Republicans praised Trump's military operation that captured Maduro as necessary to combat drug trafficking, while Democrat Sharice Davids criticized the strike for lacking congressional authorization.
Federal Tariff Relief Package Provides Kansas Farmers Temporary Aid Amid Market Disruptions: Kansas farmers will receive payments from a $12 billion federal aid package by February 28 to offset tariff-related losses, though they say long-term market solutions are still needed.
Warm Dry Weather Continues Through Midweek Before Rain and Possible Snow Return: Kansas will see warm, dry 60-degree weather through Wednesday before a Thursday cold front brings rain that may transition to snow by Friday morning.
Kansas Abortion Total Surpasses 19,000 for Second Year as Neighboring State Restrictions Drive Patient Travel: Kansas performed over 19,000 abortions in 2024, with three-fourths of patients traveling from states with restrictive abortion laws, primarily Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Teen Dies Following Friday Shooting at South Salina Home: A 14-year-old boy died Saturday from injuries sustained in a Friday shooting, and police arrested a 15-year-old acquaintance on aggravated battery and weapons charges.

🇺🇸 US

U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a 2-hour military operation that killed 80 people, including 32 Cuban troops, with no American deaths.
Trump declared the U.S. "in charge" of Venezuela and demanded "total access" to oil and resources, while Secretary of State Rubio emphasized maintaining a military quarantine on oil exports.
Trump stated the U.S. would govern Venezuela indefinitely without elections until a "safe transition" occurs.
Latin American nations split sharply: leftist governments condemned the intervention as setting a "dangerous precedent," while Argentina's Milei praised it; Trump invoked his "Donroe Doctrine" claiming American dominance of the Western Hemisphere.
U.S. energy stocks surged on Trump's pledge to deploy American drillers to Venezuela, while gold and silver rallied 2.5-6% as investors anticipated geopolitical tensions.

Weather

January 2 1933: Construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge

From groundbreaking on January 5, 1933 to opening on May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was built in just over four years. In many U.S. cities today, environmental review, community processes, and litigation can make permitting alone take longer than that entire construction timeline.