Roundup: Health care costs / Nancy Landry / Oil prices

Credits expire: Enhanced tax credits that have helped reduce the cost of health insurance for the vast majority of Affordable Care Act enrollees expired overnight, cementing higher health costs for millions of Americans at the start of the new year. The change affects a diverse cross-section of Americans who don’t get their health insurance from an employer and don’t qualify for Medicaid or Medicare—a group that includes many self-employed workers, small business owners, farmers and ranchers. Read more from the Associated Press.

Guest speaker: Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry will be the guest speaker at the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday. She will discuss election changes brought about by the ending of Louisiana’s “jungle” primary for certain seats. The Press Club meets on Mondays in the ballroom at Drusilla Place Catering, with doors opening at 11:30 a.m. and the program beginning at 12:15 p.m. Learn more about the event. 

Down start: Oil declined on the first trading day of 2026 as expectations for a swelling supply surplus offset geopolitical risks to production in several OPEC+ nations. Brent crude futures traded near $60 a barrel, after capping an 18% slump last year—the biggest loss since 2020—while West Texas Intermediate was at about $57. Read more from Bloomberg. A subscription may be required.