Marketplace Morning Report
Farmers Feel the Big Freeze
Marketplace Morning Report
•January 27, 2026•6 min
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Marketplace Morning Report•Jan 27, 2026
Why It Matters
Understanding the immediate effects of extreme weather on agriculture is crucial for policymakers, investors, and consumers who rely on these commodities. The episode also underscores how federal policy changes, like the student loan enforcement shift, can ripple through the economy, making the discussion timely for anyone tracking economic stability and consumer finance.
Key Takeaways
- •Medicare rate hike under 1% shocks insurers, may cut benefits
- •Student loan payment pause likely ends after July or midterms
- •Private credit funds deliver 7‑8% returns as savings yields fall
- •Freeze damages timber and sugarcane roots, threatens next season
- •Cold snap boosts crawfish molting but shrinks cattle weight
Pulse Analysis
The latest CMS projection of less‑than‑1 % rate increases for Medicare Advantage plans has rattled the nation’s biggest health insurers. UnitedHealth, CVS Health and Humana had been counting on 4‑5 % hikes to offset higher payments tied to chronic‑condition coding. With the government tightening reimbursement to only newly diagnosed illnesses, insurers warn of potential benefit reductions and higher out‑of‑pocket costs for seniors. Analysts see the move as a bid to curb “upcoding” while preserving Medicare’s fiscal balance, but it also pressures profit margins across the private‑insurance sector.
Meanwhile, the pandemic‑era student‑loan forbearance that kept 5.3 million borrowers from paying is winding down. Industry experts, such as Betsy Mayotte of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors, predict a restart of wage‑and‑tax garnishments as early as July, especially if the H.R. 1 provisions or post‑midterm political shifts take effect. The looming repayment surge could strain household cash flow and reignite debates over broader loan forgiveness. Policymakers thus face a tight window to craft sustainable reforms before borrowers feel the full impact.
The historic cold snap sweeping the South has turned farms into disaster zones. In Mississippi, ice‑laden pine trees are snapping, erasing a dozen years of timber growth, while Louisiana’s sugarcane roots risk lethal freezing, jeopardizing next year’s harvest. Texas crawfish producers, however, may benefit as cold‑induced molting doubles crustacean size, even as cattle lose weight and poultry operations confront costly heating bills. These mixed outcomes highlight the vulnerability of agricultural supply chains to extreme weather, prompting growers to reassess risk‑management and explore diversified revenue streams such as private‑credit investments.
Episode Description
Freezing temperatures and ice over the past weekend have impacted agricultural industries across the U.S. This morning, we'll learn about its effects on timber, sugar cane, crawfish, cattle, and more. But first, major U.S. insurance companies are down in premarket trading after a small projected rate increase for privatized Medicare Advantage plans. And, from Marketplace’s "Make Me Smart," federal student loan borrowers in default won't experience wage or tax garnishment — yet.
Show Notes
Farmers feel the big freeze
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Jan 27, 2026
Farmers feel the big freeze
This morning: a check-in on agricultural sectors, a look at U.S. insurance company stocks, and the evolving state of federal student loans.
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Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Segments From This Episode
What's to come for student loans
by Kimberly Adams
The government had planned to resume garnishing paychecks and tax refunds for student loan borrowers in default, but the Trump administration recently had an about-face on this. From Marketplace's "Make Me Smart," Betsy Mayotte, founder and president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, discusses.
PlayShare [Download]
Winter storm takes a toll on agriculture in the South
by Elizabeth Trovall
Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Freezing temperatures and ice of the past weekend have impacted industries from timber to sugar cane, crawfish to cattle.
PlayShare [Download]
The Team
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[Tessa Bloch] Audio Engineer
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[Rachel Brees] Audio Engineer
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[Dylan Miettinen] Digital Producer
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[Emma Condon] Assistant Producer
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[Ashley Rodriguez] Assistant Producer
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[Tamar Faggen] Assistant Producer
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[Erika Soderstrom] Associate Producer
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[Ariana Rosas] Producer
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[Alex Schroeder] Senior Producer
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[Meredith Garretson Morbey] Supervising Senior Producer
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[David Brancaccio] Host
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