Marketplace Morning Report

China offers the U.S. an olive branch by unloading a bunch of soybeans. In a rare bipartisan move, legislators promise criminal justice reform that could mean early release from prison into transitional programs for many. Plus, a look at Division II colleges and the multimillion-dollar investments in their sports facilities. Today's show is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington School of Business, Selligent and Indeed.

Off-shore property on the East Coast goes up for sale in an effort to spur the move towards wind energy, classically Europe's thing. In a rare bipartisan move, legislators promise criminal justice reform that could mean early release from prison into transitional programs for many. Plus, one 2018 trend you might have missed: health care mergers. Today's episode is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington School of Business, Selligent and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

From the BBC World Service… A day after surviving her party's confidence vote, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will meet with European leaders in Brussels to try to secure concessions to get her Brexit deal through Parliament. But what can they offer that will make it palatable to British politicians opposing it? Then, as if Brexit turmoil, an Italian budget crisis, violent protests over taxes in France, and a looming global economic slowdown weren't enough on the list of tail risks for global markets, add tightening monetary policy to the agenda as the European Central Bank is expected to wind down its bond-buying program.

Investors are desperate for signs the trade war between the U.S. and China is cooling, as China is reportedly offering at least one olive branch. An $867-million farm bill is up for a vote this week. Plus, the new president of oil-rich Mexico wants to end its dependence on imports of petroleum from the U.S. Today's show is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington School of Business, Selligent  and Indeed.

The White House nominates a libertarian economist as the country's top housing regulator. Costco gets into the chicken-raising business. And what does a mistake in the text of the new tax law have to do with the drive-thru window at White Castle? Today's show is sponsored by the University of Florida Warrington School of Business, Selligent , Indeed and the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

From the BBC World Service… U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May faces a confidence vote in Parliament these evening, which could result in a leadership contest if she loses. She’s vowed to fight with all she’s got, but what does it mean for Brexit with three months to go, and what happens from here?  Then, as uncertainty around Britain’s E.U. exit grows, we hear from one business owner who is increasingly worried about what a no-deal scenario will mean for his business, half of which comes from the European Union. Plus, a look at how and why non-E.U. member Switzerland is prepping for all Brexit scenarios.

Main Street doesn't seem to know Wall Street is having a rough December. A state program in Tennessee is giving students free tuition to get into college, but with the remaining costs of books, rent and food, administrators are trying to figure how to keep them enrolled... and fed. Plus, Anu Anand breaks down the drama in India's economy following the resignation of the head of their reserve bank. Today's show is sponsored by the Alliance for Lifetime Income.

The head of Google is in the Congressional hot seat today answering questions about how the company handles users' private information. The EPA is set to release a plan that will replace an Obama-era definition of what waterways are and are not federally protected. Plus, a new book explores the history of fabric beyond what we put on every morning.

From the BBC World Service… The U.K. parliament's vote on Brexit has been indefinitely delayed. Now what? Prime Minister Theresa May is already on her way to the continent in a last-ditch effort to bring back concessions to push her deal over the finish line at home. Plus, it's already been a big week for business in India with the central bank governor's resignation and the possible extradition of a billionaire businessman facing unpaid loan charges. We'll explain how the flow of money between public banks, industrial tycoons and political parties have landed the country in rough economic waters.

Qualcomm has won an injunction to block Apple from importing old iPhone models to China. It's the latest in a legal battle between the two tech giants over intellectual property. Then: A new solar energy rule in California that could make houses more expensive but panels cheaper for rest of the country. Plus, what it's like to have an ESOP, or employee stock ownership plan, where workers become part-owners.