News Wrap: Maduro sworn in for 3rd term following Venezuela’s disputed election

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• Geoff Bennett:

  And we start today's other headlines in Venezuela.

  President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term following last year's widely disputed election. Maduro took the presidential oath this morning at the legislative palace in Caracas. He declared victory last summer, even though the U.S. and others recognize opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez as the actual winner.

  Today, Maduro celebrated what he sees as a legitimate extension of his presidency.

• Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan President (through interpreter):

  This Constitution is victorious and Venezuela is at peace. This act is possible because Venezuela is fully exercising its national sovereignty, its popular sovereignty, and its national independence.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Maduro's swearing-in comes a day after key opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was briefly detained during an anti-government protest in Caracas. Today, she posted a video in social media slamming his inauguration.

• Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela Opposition Leader (through interpreter):

  Today, Maduro consolidates a coup d'etat in front of Venezuelans and the world. They decided to cross the red line that makes official the violation of the national Constitution. They trample on our Constitution. Maduro today did not put a sash on his chest. He put it on his ankle like a shackle that will tighten more and more every day.

• Geoff Bennett:

  The U.S. has criticized Machado's detention and today joined Canada, the U.K., and the European Union in announcing a coordinated round of new sanctions on Venezuela. The U.S. also raised the bounty from Maduro's arrest to $25 million.

  The Biden administration is also extending humanitarian protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans already living in the U.S. They fall under what's called Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, and, today, the Department of Homeland Security extended their stay for another 18 months. The measure affects about 600,000 Venezuelans, plus 200,000 people from El Salvador, as well as Ukrainians and Sudanese.

  Officials cited political and economic uncertainty, the dangers of war and weather-related disasters, in offering the extensions. President-elect Donald Trump tried to scale back such protections during his first term.

  The Israeli military says it struck Houthi rebel targets in Yemen today. It comes a day after the Houthis launched drones at Israel. Smoke was seen rising over southern parts of the capital, Sanaa. The Houthis said the strikes came as protesters rallied in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Also today, the Israeli army confirmed that a body it recovered from Gaza was that of hostage Hamza Al Ziyadne.

  Israel says the 23-year-old was found in an underground tunnel earlier this week alongside the body of his father, Youssef Al Ziyadne. They were kidnapped together during Hamas' October 7 attack.

  The Biden administration announced new sanctions against Russia's energy sector today, hoping to deal a massive blow to its economy over the war in Ukraine. The measures punished two of Russia's largest oil and gas companies, plus energy officials and entities that do business with Russia. They also target a fleet of more than 180 vessels Moscow has used to evade previous sanctions.

  Officials say they're the most significant such measures to date, costing Russia billions of dollars per month. But they acknowledge it's up to the incoming Trump administration to keep the sanctions or scrap them.

  More than 80 million Americans are under winter weather alerts tonight as a massive snowstorm pushes across the South. In parts of Northwest Arkansas, they're digging out for more than six inches of snow. Officials warned of slippery and potentially dangerous roads from Missouri all the way to Atlanta, Georgia.

  Children there took advantage of canceled classes by going sledding. Schools were closed for millions from Texas through the Carolinas. Meantime, more than 2,000 flights were canceled nationwide. As the storm trudges north and east, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein warned people that travel could be treacherous.

• Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC):

  The winter storm will likely hit much of our state. At this time, our greatest concern is road safety. The thawing and refreezing of precipitation leads to ice, so that everyone needs to be careful on our roads.

• Geoff Bennett:

  The storm has already dumped more than a year's worth of snow on cities like Memphis and Little Rock. Part of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast will also see snow this weekend on Wall Street.

  On Wall Street today, a strong jobs report raised worries about the pace of Fed rate cuts. As a result, the Dow Jones industrial average sank nearly 700 points. The Nasdaq lost more than 300 points on the day. The S&P 500 also ended firmly in negative territory.

  And a violin made by Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari is estimated to fetch a record price of up to $18 million when it goes to auction next month. The Joachim-Ma Stradivarius was crafted in 1714 during what's considered the violin maker's golden period.

  Its name comes from two of its prior owners, Joseph Joachim and Si-Hon Ma, both accomplished violinists. Ma gifted the violin to the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he had studied. Proceeds of the sale will go towards student scholarships.