Squawk Pod

Congressional leaders have unveiled a 1,547-page stopgap spending bill that intends to avoid a government shutdown by the end of the week. The bill includes funding for disaster aid and farmers, reforms for pharmacy benefit managers, pay raises for lawmakers, and more. CNBC’s Emily Wilkins has the latest on the hurdles Congress faces to pass the legislation. Next, MSNBC Morning Joe co-host Joe Sca...

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan sits down with Becky Quick on the Bank of America trading floor. He discusses his market outlook for 2025, the current state of the consumer, the Federal Reserve’s next move, and the incoming Trump administration, including M&A and tariffs. Next, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) discuss their bipartisan bill: the “Take It Down” Act would f...

Drones have been spotted flying above New Jersey over the past several days, sparking concern among residents and local lawmakers. New Jersey Representative Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) serves on the House Armed Services Committee and is urging action and clear communication from the federal government to quell public concern. Elon Musk biographer Walter Isaacson discusses Musk’s DOGE leadership and his...

President-elect Trump has reportedly invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington for his inauguration next month. CNBC Beijing Bureau chief Eunice Yoon says it’s unlikely that Xi will attend, but shares her insight on Trump’s China policy, including the threat of tariffs and his stance on Taiwan. Next, Spanx founder Sara Blakely has a new venture: a high-heeled sneaker called “Sneex.” The s...

New bipartisan legislation in Washington aims to break up pharmacy benefit managers after years of scrutiny on PBMs from Congress and the FTC. Health care insurance executive Mark Bertolini is now CEO of Oscar Health, and he spent years leading Aetna and CVS Health. Today, he reflects on American health care, his vision for an improved system, and his own security detail in the wake of UnitedHealt...

Two major corporate deals withered on Tuesday. A judge blocked the pending $25 billion merger of grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons , and President Biden reportedly plans to block U.S. Steel’s $14.1 billion sale to Nippon Steel. Dealmaking on public markets will continue in 2025, according to Lead Edge Capital founding partner Mitchell Green. The Alibaba, Uber, and Spotify backer discusses the I...

New York prosecutors have charged Ivy League grad Luigi Mangione with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , court records show. Though a manhunt is over for now, the health care industry may be ready for change. Next, Carnegie Endowment senior fellow Karim Sadjapour examines the power vacuum in Syria and the new leadership’s agenda for the nation. Plus, Dunkin' Donuts is making waves...

Rebel forces led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham overtook Damascus, prompting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to flee the country and seek refuge in Russia . NBC’s Raf Sanchez joins from the Golan Heights border with the latest developments in Syria. Council on Foreign Relations President Michael Froman explains what the Assad’s fall could mean for politics in the Middle East...

Two days after a man fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, NYPD’s manhunt is ongoing . Former Boeing Chief Security Officer Dave Komendat explains how executive security details assess threats to executive leaders, especially as negativity abounds on social media. New York City Mayor Eric Adams discusses safety in the city, as well as housing and immigration in his city. Next, Taylor S...

Andrew Ross Sorkin shares highlights from The New York Times DealBook Summit yesterday, including his interviews with Jeff Bezos, Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Prince Harry and former President Bill Clinton. Notable moments included Jay Powell comparing bitcoin to gold , OpenAI CEO Sam Altman calling Elon Musk a “mega hero,” and Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s comments on DEI. Plus, bitcoin has hit $100,000...

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol abruptly announced a period of emergency martial law on Tuesday, but reversed the order hours later after backlash from citizens and South Korean Parliament. In France, lawmakers will hold a vote of no-confidence today in Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s minority government. CNBC contributor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera discusses the international politics and econom...

Following news that Tesla buyers could be excluded from lucrative EV credits in California, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California) is urging the state’s leaders to keep manufacturing in the state. In the name of bipartisanship, Rep. Khanna shares a list of agenda items ripe for collaboration across the aisle. Next, Crunch Labs founder and YouTuber Mark Rober discusses how he’s making science cool for kids....

The holiday season is in full swing, and happiness guru Arthur Brooks is offering advice to maximize gratitude into the new year. Host of the “How to Build a Better Life” podcast says Thanksgiving offers a helpful psychology, and that an emphasis on being “grateful, not cheerful” can improve mental health. Next, on this Cyber Monday, Amber Venz Box discusses the rise of live shopping on social med...

Black Friday is here, and while many shoppers are hitting the malls, others are taking advantage of deals on social media. Marketing and social media expert Gary Vaynerchuk highlights the rise of live shopping on social media as a potential disruption to the retail industry. Influencers are making millions of dollars each month through live shopping events on TikTok, he says, much like QVC. Next,...

In this bonus episode of Squawk Pod, the beloved “Roundball Rock” NBA theme song could make a return to NBC. CNBC’s Alex Sherman shares the latest on the rights to the iconic song and whether fans will hear it when the NBA returns to NBC starting in 2025. The Roundball Rock composer himself, John Tesh, heard us squawking about his song and  reacted to it on his podcast . Tesh then joined Squawk Bo...

Israel and Hezbollah reached a permanent ceasefire agreement overnight after nearly 14 months of fighting. In Washington, CNBC’s Eamon Javers discusses the latest picks for Trump’s economic team, and in Silicon Valley, OpenAI is allowing employees to sell about $1.5 billion worth of shares in a new tender offer to SoftBank. Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan is turning her nearly 25-year-o...

President-elect Trump says he plans to raise tariffs by an additional 10% on China and impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada . CNBC’s Megan Cassella talks through the latest reporting on Trump’s plans for tariffs on day one of his administration. Next, the U.S. has finalized a $7.9B award to Intel to fund chips projects. Chris Miller, Tufts Fletcher School professor and ‘Chip War’ author, discus...

President-elect Trump’s Treasury Secretary pick Scott Bessent prompted a positive market reaction as the last few cabinet roles are filled. Sports team owner Mark Wilf had a big weekend, scoring a trifecta of wins for his teams: Orlando Pride, Orlando City, and the Minnesota Vikings. He discusses the Pride’s first NWSL championship victory and his return on investment in women’s sports. Plus, Wick...

A big weekend is coming up for the box office, with Wicked and Gladiator II  expected to bring in a combined $200 million . CNBC’s Julia Boorstin explains the stakes and the marketing blitzes for both movies. Puck’s Matt Belloni discusses Wicked-ator and Comcast’s rationale for “SpinCo,” its cable spinoff. Restaurant review platform The Infatuation is out with its best new restaurants of the year....

NHL legend Wayne Gretzky is readying a congratulations for Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals player set to break one of Gretzky’s many career records. The Great One weighs in on the recent growth of the sport, as well as the impact of his most famous quotes. Bitcoin is cruising toward its 100k milestone; Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) is a crypto enthusiast, and she’s supporting a Bitcoin...

Comcast plans to spin off its cable networks , including CNBC, E!, and MSNBC. CNBC’s founder and NBC Cable’s first president Tom Rogers is optimistic about the move and the influx of resources it might present for cable channels. Delta CEO Ed Bastian joins ahead of the airline’s 100-year anniversary and Delta’s annual investor day . Despite retailers like Target reporting inflation-conscious custo...

Department of Justice antitrust officials will reportedly ask a judge to force Alphabet to sell its Chrome browser. Google’s former CEO Eric Schmidt considers the friction between big tech and the government, and weighs how tech regulation might change under another Donald Trump administration. In Schmidt’s new book “Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit,” he explores the fu...

As President-elect Donald Trump quickly reveals his picks for roles in his administration, Axios co-founder Mike Allen suggests what each name means for Trump’s priorities in his next administration. While some picks are surprises, the contenders for Treasury Secretary are predictable, so far. In the AI revolution, platform Perplexity is rolling out a shopping feature to extend user queries from i...

Vaccine stocks are falling after President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his Secretary of Health and Human Services. Former Walgreens Boots Alliance executive, John Driscoll, shares his concerns about the potential impact and what it could mean for the future of healthcare policy. Home Depot CEO, Ted Decker, discusses how inflation is hitting consumers and how the compa...

President-elect Donald Trump said he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz, (R) Florida, to be attorney general . CNBC’s Eamon Javers has the latest from Florida on the surprising selection, as Gaetz is the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct. Tom Barrack, a longtime Trump ally who chaired his 2016 inaugural committee, shares his insight on the pr...