Marketplace Morning Report
In less than 10 minutes, we'll get you up to speed on all the news you missed overnight. Throughout the morning, Marketplace's David Brancaccio will bring you the latest business and economic stories you need to know to start your day. And before U.S. markets open, you'll get a global markets update from the BBC World Service in London.
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Skyrocketing health insurance premiums for millions after today
<p>Enhanced subsidies for health insurance policies on the Affordable Care Act exchanges are set to expire at the end of today. That means skyrocketing premiums for some Obamacare enrollees. Premiums are expected to more than double, according to the nonpartisan health research organization KFF, and some healthier people are expected to drop their insurance. Plus, 2025 was the year that generative AI exploded, divided, and created trust issues. We'll take a look back.</p>
An unwelcome surprise for some student loan borrowers
<p>People who are in default on their federal student loans could start seeing their wages garnished in the new year. Next week, the Department of Education plans to start sending out letters to borrowers who have missed at least nine months of payments, letting them know the government will begin taking 15% from their paychecks. Also, the U.S. Mint pressed the final batch of pennies last month. We examine the penny's 232-year run.</p>
A gig worker strike threatens New Year's Eve deliveries in India
<p>From the BBC World Service: Tens of thousands of app-based delivery workers in India are holding a day-long strike that is likely to impact food delivery services on the final day of the year. They're demanding better wages and improvements in safety conditions, among other things. We hear more. Then, a British company says it's a step closer to manufacturing materials in space, and we look at the role of AI over the past year.</p>
A housing roundup and lookahead
<p>This morning, we're recapping the 2025 housing market, which was — in a word — sluggish. Even though mortgage rates have come down, affordability remains an issue, and many would-be sellers are locked into ultra-low rates. But economists and real estate agents expect some modest pickup in the year ahead. Then, there's renewed focus on the vulnerability of the global auto supply chain after hackers targeted Jaguar Land Rover in September.</p>
US humanitarian aid — with an asterisk
<p>The Trump administration is pledging $2 billion in humanitarian aid to the United Nations. The official State Department announcement of the U.N. donation says it “reaffirms the United States’ ironclad commitment to supporting critical life-saving humanitarian action around the world,” but the last paragraph warns that the UN has to reduce bureaucratic overhead. Plus, IPOs made a comeback this past year, and solar panel installers look to incentives as federal tax credits end.</p>
Frustrations over state of Iran’s economy
<p>From the BBC World Service: Annual inflation in Iran is running at more than 40%, and business owners are angry at the rapid devaluation of the nation's currency, in part due to the pressure of Western sanctions. In response, shopkeepers in the capital, Tehran, have been demonstrating for a third successive day. Plus, this year's hack at British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover showed just how vulnerable the global auto supply chain could be.</p>
The new "Be Kind, Rewind"
<p>Move over “Be Kind, Rewind.” The new slogan is “Take a Movie, Leave a Movie.” That’s right. A Blockbuster nostalgia trip could be coming to a yard near you. Today, we visit Salt Lake City, which just got its very first Free Blockbuster — like a lending library but for DVDs and VHS tapes. Also on today's show: divisions at the Federal Reserve and a coin buried for centuries in the Scottish woods.</p>
"Uncertainty" marked this year's economy. What about 2026?
<p>You might have heard the word "uncertainty" muttered more than a few times over the last 12 months. Today, we're chatting with an economist brave enough to look uncertainty in the eye and make some predictions for 2026 about the stock market, job market, inflation, and the fate of President Donald Trump's tariffs. And later: Applications for adjustable-rate mortgages have more than doubled over the past year, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.</p>
The data breach that hit two-thirds of a country
<p>From the BBC World Service: The South Korean e-commerce company Coupang has announced a compensation deal worth $1.18 billion for customers after a massive hack that affected two-thirds of the country's population. Coupang is often called “South Korea's Amazon,” and nearly 33 million accounts were exposed. Plus, following the major hack that hit production facilities for Jaguar Land Rover, we look back at this year in cyberattacks. Also: the earliest-known coin minted in Scotland.</p>
The end of 'de minimis' exemption, four months on
<p>The "de minimis" tax exemption on packages under $800 shipped to the U.S. came to an end in August. It's a move that's boosted business for logistics companies but has hit some smaller businesses at home and abroad hard. This morning, we'll learn outline the effects the change has had. Also on this morning’s show: an Nvidia licensing deal and the factors driving up precious metal prices.</p>
