Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition

On today's podcast:1) President Trump said he made “a lot of progress” in talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over a possible peace deal, but that it might take a few weeks to get it done and there’s no set timeline. The pair met at the US president’s Mar-a-Lago resort Sunday, where they had lunch and later spoke on the phone with a group of European leaders to brief them on their progress. Among the major sticking points left to be resolved: the future of Ukraine’s Donbas region, which is partially occupied by Russian forces. Trump told reporters the issue was still unresolved, but “getting a lot closer.”2) President Trump has another high profile meeting on the docket at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. He is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this afternoon. The two aim to boost a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, which faces challenges as it looks to move into a more complicated second phase. That phase involves rebuilding Gaza under international supervision, creating an international security force and normalizing relations between Israel and the Arab world.3) China kicked off military maneuvers around Taiwan that will include live-fire drills, a move that comes after the US announced one of its biggest arms packages ever for the self-run democracy. The exercises starting Monday would involve the army, navy, air force and Rocket Force, the Chinese military said in a statement. The exercises named “Justice Mission-2025” would “test the actual combat capability of theater troops in joint operations.” The People’s Liberation Army said in a separate statement that from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday it would hold live-fire exercises in five blocks around Taiwan, saying “any irrelevant vessel or aircraft is advised not to enter” the area.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. John Authers, Bloomberg Opinion Columnist, discusses the five forces that broke Capitalism Tim Craighead, Bloomberg Intelligence Bloomberg Intelligence Global Chief Content Officer, describes the European stocks to watch in 2026 John Lee, Bloomberg Intelligence APAC content manager, looks at what we can expect from Asian stocks in 2026 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast:1) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he plans to meet his US counterpart Donald Trump “in the coming days,” signaling optimism about reaching a peace deal to end Russia’s almost four-year war.“A lot could be decided before the New Year,” Zelenskiy said Friday in a Telegram and X post after receiving an update from Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s top negotiator with the US and head of the National Defense and Security Council. The Kyiv Post reported earlier that Zelenskiy is expected to travel to Florida, where Trump is spending the Christmas break, as soon as Sunday. It cited a person familiar with the matter who wasn’t identified. Kyiv and Washington are seeking to align on a 20-point peace plan to present to Russian President Vladimir Putin, including the provision of strong security guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5, and a global post-war development program for Ukraine.2) The US launched a military strike in Nigeria against Islamic State targets in a security and intelligence collaboration with the African nation’s government, which has been struggling to contain increasing levels of terrorist attacks in parts of the country. President Trump said he directed American forces to carry out “a powerful and deadly strike” against ISIS. Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry confirmed the “precision hits on terrorist targets” and said it remains engaged with international partners including the US to address the “persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism.”3) Gold, silver and platinum jumped to all-time highs to extend a historic end-of-year rally for precious metals, with support from escalating geopolitical tensions and US dollar weakness. Frictions in Venezuela, where the US has blockaded oil tankers and ramped up pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro, have added to the precious metal’s haven appeal. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, a key gauge of the US currency’s strength, was down 0.7% for the week, its biggest drop since June.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special Christmas edition of Bloomberg Daybreak, host Nathan Hager speaks with: Cameron Dawson, Chief Investment Officer at Newedge Wealth and Brian Levitt, Global Market Strategist at Invesco discuss what we should expect from markets in 2026 Amanda Agati, Chief Investment Officer at PNC, breaks down the cost of the 12 days of Christmas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast:1) The US Justice Department released another tranche of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, including some that add fresh pressure on President Trump over his past relationship with the late, disgraced financier. The trove includes thousands of additional pages of material related to investigations of Epstein, including a 2020 email from a prosecutor that contains new detail about Trump’s trips on Epstein’s private jet in the 1990s, which the president has said never took place. There are also fresh details on Epstein’s relationships with financial firms and figures.2) The US Supreme Court has refused to let President Trump start deploying National Guard troops in Chicago, dealing a setback to his drive to use the military in liberal cities across the country. Rejecting a Trump request in a 6-3 decision, the court on Tuesday left in force a judge’s ruling that has blocked the deployment since Oct. 9. The president wanted to use hundreds of troops to aid immigration enforcement in the third-largest US city. The court said the legal provision Trump sought to invoke probably doesn’t permit deployment of the National Guard in situations where the president wouldn’t have authority to send in active-duty military. The court said that under federal law, the president can deploy the armed forces to help execute the laws only in “exceptional” circumstances.3) A federal judge says the Trump administration can move ahead with a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, providing a setback for US technology companies that rely on hiring skilled foreign workers. US District Judge Beryl Howell said in a ruling Tuesday that President Trump’s move to radically increase the cost of the popular visa is lawful. The decision provides a boost to the administration’s campaign to restrict immigration and push demand for US workers. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which sued to block the proposal, can appeal. Howell rejected the Chamber’s argument that the president doesn’t have the power to impose the fee, finding that his proclamation was issued under “an express statutory grant of authority to the President.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.