Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition

President Donald Trump said the US would run Venezuela until a transition could be organized, hours after a US operation captured leader Nicolás Maduro, ousting the strongman from power after months of mounting military and economic pressure on his regime.“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said Saturday at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “So we don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years.”Trump said the US administration of Venezuela would include deploying US oil companies to the country, though indicated that his embargo “on all Venezuelan oil remains in full effect” and that US forces would stay on alert. Bloomberg's Joe Mathieu and Christina Ruffini speak with: Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Illinois) Justin Logan, director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute. Jeanne Sheehan Zaino, Democracy Visiting Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center and Bloomberg Politics Contributor & Lester Munson, Principal of the International Practice at BGR Group and Republican Strategist 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. In the US – a look ahead to what’s in store for commodities and housing in 2026. In the UK – a look at the culinary and cultural trends to watch for in Europe next year. In Asia – a look ahead to why the Reserve Bank of Australia may be set to pivot to interest rate increases in the new year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast:1) Zohran Mamdani unapologetically promised to lead New York City as a democratic socialist during a frigid inauguration ceremony on the steps of City Hall, a warning to those who believed he might moderate his positions after taking office. The nearly two-hour long event Thursday featured speeches by two of the US’s most liberal members of Congress, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders. New York Attorney General Letitia James, a frequent target of President Trump, also had a speaking role. The ceremony served as a not-so-subtle statement of resistance to White House policies from the nation’s largest city.2) The Trump administration stepped up a pressure campaign against Venezuela’s oil exports by sanctioning companies based in Hong Kong and mainland China, along with related oil tankers it accused of evading restrictions. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Wednesday added four companies with links to Venezuela’s oil industry to its specially designated nationals and blocked persons list, while also sanctioning four vessels connected with those firms. The US already has a list of vessels and companies under sanction for their connections to Venezuela’s oil trade. But targeting Chinese firms doing business there is rare, and could be a signal to Beijing to steer clear of the stand-off between the Trump administration and the regime of Nicolás Maduro. China is Venezuela’s biggest customer for oil exports, which represent about 95% of Venezuela’s revenue.3) President Trump pledged in a late night social media post that the US will come to the rescue of Iranian protesters if they are attacked by Islamic Republic authorities. The post, around 3 a.m. Washington and late morning in Iran on Friday, comes after protests erupted this week in Tehran after the currency slumped to a record low, worsening an economic crisis in a country already wracked by sanctions. Demonstrations have since spread to other parts of the country, setting off clashes between civilians and security forces. Trump didn’t provide any specifics on what actions he would consider taking.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial Intelligence and Big Tech dominated market sentiment in 2025. Now, we look to what may come in the new year. In this episode, Nathan Hager speaks with Wedbush Managing Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst Dan Ives and Deepwater Managing Partner and Co-Founder Gene Munster. Ives and Munster offer their short and long-term outlook for the technology industry heading into 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast:1) Covid-era subsidies that help Americans pay for Obamacare health plans will expire today. It will result in more than 20 million Americans paying higher premiums next month. Democrats have tried to extend the additional support beyond the December deadline, but Republicans have balked, citing the cost of some $350 billion over the next decade. Meantime, a handful of House Republicans have joined Democrats in a maneuver that will put a three-year extension of the subsidies to a vote next month. 2) Russia and Ukraine struck each other’s Black Sea ports overnight, damaging infrastructure including an oil refinery. A drone attack on the Russian coastal city of Tuapse damaged a berth at the port and equipment at the local refinery, according to a statement from the emergency services. Fires at both sites were put out, while several residential buildings were also damaged. Two people were hospitalized. The Tuapse refinery, owned by Rosneft PJSC, has a processing capacity of about 240,000 barrels a day and produces mainly fuel oil, naphtha and diesel for export. In Ukraine, Russian forces struck the port city of Odesa, injuring at least six people and damaging residential properties and infrastructure, according to the local authorities. Some residents are without power, water and heating.3) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran should heed President Trump Warning's about not restarting its nuclear program. Speaking Tuesday to Fox News, he added that Iran is 'trying to' rebuild its missile capacity at new sites, and said he is aligned with Trump on wanting to give the new Syrian government a chance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.