Squawk Pod

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives  narrowly passed a multi-trillion-dollar budget plan late Tuesday, advancing President Donald Trump’s tax-cut and border security agenda. CNBC’s Emily Wilkins joins to outline the details of the bill. Then Rep. Ro Khanna discusses the budget’s passage, its impact on Democrats, who benefits from the Trump tax cuts, and his thoughts on proposed...

“Zero Day” writers and producers Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim, and Michael Schmidt discuss their limited series political thriller on Netflix. The team discusses Robert De Niro’s performance on the show, as well as the well-timed plotline in today’s political climate. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis weighs in on his DOGE efforts in his own state, Elon Musk’s agenda in Washington, and the evolving rel...

The Department of Justice’s investigation into United Healthcare’s billing practices has highlighted problematic practices across the American health care system, including upcoding. Former CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Dr. Toby Cosgrove explains common abuses in the system, their legacy, and potential solutions. New York Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres stops by the set to discuss how city res...

UnitedHealth stock fell  on a Wall Street Journal report that the DOJ is investigating the insurer’s Medicare billing protocol. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb explains the nuances of the health insurance system, and he considers how the Trump administration will handle rising cases of bird flu. And big news from Coinbase: CEO Brian Armstrong says the SEC will drop its case against the...

President Trump has declared New York City “saved” from congestion pricing in a recent Truth Social post. President and CEO of the Partnership for New York Kathryn Wylde weighs in whether the state is his to save, and shares the pros and cons for the city’s plan. Palantir is plunging after the CEO Alex Karp unveiled his share sale plan, and President Trump is weighing a plan to offer DOGE dividend...

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has met with NYC officials amid resignations and corruption and quid pro quo allegations in Mayor Eric Adams’s office . NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, who attended Gov. Hochul’s meeting and is currently running against Mayor Adams in the 2025 mayoral race, explains his concerns about a “leadership vacuum” in New York . Lander weighs in on immigration policy and the cit...

Palantir CEO and co-founder Alex Karp has written a new book: “The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West.” Karp explains his call to arms for Silicon Valley, underscoring the geopolitics ingrained in Western tech innovation. In Riyadh, the Saudis hosted the U.S. and Russia for discussions to end the Ukraine-Russia War– without the Ukrainians or any other Europ...

Maryland's proposed tax overhaul aims to address a $3 billion budget deficit by increasing taxes on the wealthiest residents. Governor Wes Moore discusses the details of the state’s new budget proposal, weighing spending cuts versus raising taxes and strategies to spur growth in the state. Then, "Saturday Night Live" celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special three-hour live broadcast . Former...

Elon Musk will withdraw his $97.4 billion bid for OpenAI’s nonprofit arm if the ChatGPT maker stops its conversion into a for-profit entity, according to a court filing. Geoff Lewis, Bedrock founder and an investor in OpenAI, discusses AI competition, Elon Musk, and more. President Trump announced new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., on top of existing metals duties, in...

President Trump and Elon Musk defended DOGE’s sweeping government reforms during a joint Oval Office appearance , highlighting their effort to curb what they call excessive federal spending. Trump signed an executive order providing new guidelines for agencies to implement DOGE, reinforcing Musk’s vision of a leaner bureaucracy. Joe Lonsdale, 8VC founding partner, Palantir co-founder, and friend o...

Hamas has postponed its next hostage release , alleging Israel of breaching their ceasefire agreement. Amos Hochstein, former Biden senior advisor and lead broker of the Israel-Lebanon deal, maps out the next incremental steps toward a stable Middle East. In the U.S., a judge has blocked the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health's research funding. Dr. Scott Got...

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 to win their second Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl 59. In interviews before and after the game, President Trump announced he would ask Elon Musk to review the Education Department’s spending and suggested “irregularities” at the Treasury. CNBC’s Eamon Javers wraps up the latest Trump administration headlines, and NEC Director...

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) are pushing bipartisan legislation to ban Chinese AI app DeepSeek on government devices. The two lawmakers discuss their concerns about CCP espionage on American data. Also in Washington, the Trump administration offered buyouts to millions to federal workers as part of a “deferred resignation” program, but a federal judge paused the offer just...

DOGE’s cuts in Washington have begun; former Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney explains the costs of running the government, the friction between Congress and the White House, and Elon Musk’s grand plan for efficiency. As we close in on the Super Bowl , CNBC’s Contessa Brewer reports on the game day bets, and sports entrepreneur Rich Kleiman discusses the networking opportunit...

China has retaliated against President Trump’s tariffs with trade restrictions on American imports. CNBC’s Eunice Yoon is on the ground in Beijing, reporting on the CCP’s strategy. In DC, CNBC’s Megan Cassella explains the status of tariff negotiations between the U.S. and both Canada and Mexico . Amazon Prime Vice President Jamil Ghani weighs in on the tariffs’ impact on his own business. Amazon’...

President Trump’s plans for tariffs on Canada and Mexico have prompted promises of retaliation from Canada, as well as concerns of a brewing trade war among America’s neighbors. In a newsmaking interview, the Trump administration’s National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett underscores a “misinterpretation” of President Trump’s executive order on tariffs. He says, it’s a drug war, not a trad...

Jason Wright has ended his tenure leading the NFL Washington Commanders and has joined Ariel Investments co-CEO Mellody Hobson in a women’s sports investing venture. The venture, Project Level, is a part owner in the newest National Women’s Soccer League franchise in Denver. The two leaders discuss investing in women’s sports and betting on diversity in boardrooms to boost corporate bottom lines....

In the wake of the deadly aircraft crash over the Potomac River outside of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, CNBC’s Phil LeBeau and Eamon Javers report the details of the fallout. American Airlines pilot and spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association Dennis Tajer explains how planes typically navigate the heavy flow of air traffic around this airport. Separately, Blackstone’s Preside...

With DeepSeek continuing to dominate the tech headlines , LinkedIn Co-Founder Reid Hoffman weighs in on the state of the AI race and the level of competition as the U.S. and China gear up for an innovation stand-off. Also, the market tries to keep up with the tech world’s reaction to DeepSeek. Plus, billionaire Elon Musk is working with Boeing to find ways to deliver delayed Air Force One replacem...

The fate of the Panama Canal hangs in balance as lawmakers spar over whether the U.S. will try to take control of it. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, offers his thoughts on the geopolitical battle ahead of the committee’s hearing. Plus, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes gives a preview of his new book, “The Sirens' Call: How Attention Became the World's...

A massive market sell-off prompts discussion – and fear – around  Chinese AI startup DeepSeek ; the company’s latest large language model innovation has displaced OpenAI’s ChatGPT in popularity and, possibly, effectiveness.  AT&T CEO John Stankey weighs in on the rate of innovation and evolving business models, as well as the state of the wireless market. Plus, Former U.S. Congressman Patrick McHe...

In an extended interview at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff tells Andrew Ross Sorkin about the future of technology innovation. Benioff discusses AI, Microsoft, working with the Trump administration, and the White House’s joint venture Stargate, in partnership with SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle.   Marc Benioff -  3:37   In this episode: Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andr...

At the 55th annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Andrew Ross Sorkin sits down with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. They discuss Anthropic’s large language model Claude, the future of artificial intelligence, and the AI arms race underway globally.    Dario Amodei - 4:50   In this episode: Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin Cameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz c...

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink sits down with Andrew Ross Sorkin and Becky Quick at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Fink discusses the $500 billion Stargate AI project, its potential impact on the economy, and the Fed's fight against inflation .  Plus, Fink shares his vision for the future of finance, advocating for the tokenization of equities. He believes this technology could revoluti...

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