Squawk Pod

7.5 million travelers are hitting the skies between Christmas and New Years this year, passing the pre-pandemic record of 7.2 million. International president of the Association of Flight Attendants Sara Nelson discusses the  pilots and flight attendants renegotiating contracts and managing unruly passengers during a busy holiday schedule. And the  “she-cession” may be over, but Yale Lecturer and...

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) returns to Squawk Pod for its annual tradition:  tracking Santa Claus’s Christmas journey through the night sky. Deputy Commander of the Continental US NORAD Region Major-General S.T. Boyle explains how Rudolph helps light the way for Santa and for NORAD tracking his progress. Also spreading holiday cheer, chef, restaurateur, and author of “Eat,...

Markets are confused, at least  according to some economists . The markets snapped 7 straight weeks of gains this week, as  Wall Street interpreted the Federal Reserve’s pivot from hiking rates to cutting them. Chief economics correspondent at The Wall Street Journal Nick Timiraos penned a  splashy op-ed pointing to confusion among investors and Fed governors. Elon Musk biographer and Tulane profe...

The market rally surges on , after the  Federal Reserve announced its pivot . Former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh discusses the rally and the Fed’s next move.  FedEx shares tumbled  after disappointing Wall Street in its second quarter report and lowering its revenue guidance; Broughton Capital’s Donald Broughton explains why this company is often considered a bellwether for macroeconomic conditions....

The Houthis, a Yemeni rebel group backed by Iran, have amped up attacks on  ships traveling through the Suez Canal since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War. Director of Harvard’s Belfer Center Meghan O’Sullivan explains the  disruptions to global shipping and the geopolitics at play in the Red Sea. The AI arms race is set to enter a new year, as 2023 winds down. CNBC’s Technology Correspondent...

As holiday travel ramps up,  Southwest Airlines is landed with a $140 million fine for last holiday season’s travel meltdown. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasizes airline obligations to passengers, as well as the infrastructure needed to protect American consumers and travelers. Companies must now disclose cyberattacks in a timely manner, in compliance with new rules from the SE...

The Senate will wait another week to go on holiday recess, after Senate Majority Leader Chuck  Schumer delayed the break until lawmakers reach a deal on immigration and foreign aid. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Ok.) discusses the packages for Ukraine, Israel, and securing America’s own border. After a meeting in St. Vincent & the Grenadines,  Venezuela President Maduro and Guyana President Arfaan A...

Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell surprised Wall Street with his announcement of a  more dovish approach to inflation , moving forward. Powell signaled a 2024 of rate cuts from the central bank.  OpenAI scored a deal with Politico and Business Insider parent Axel Springer, the company’s second deal with a news organization. Tulane Professor and Perella Weinberg Advisory Partner Walter Isaacson disc...

Billionaire investor, Home Depot co-founder, and NYU Langone Health board chair Ken Langone discusses his latest market buys, his calls for pharma stocks, and his apprehension about investing in China. Former SEC Chair and University of Pennsylvania professor Jay Clayton joins Ken Langone in a discussion about  leadership on American college campuses in the aftermath of  controversial testimonies...

In a recent op-ed , Ariel Investments Co-CEOs Mellody Hobson and John Rogers predict investors’ best bets for 2024. Hobson and Rogers explain why, after a big year for  tech’s ‘magnificent seven, ’ it may be time to cash in on smaller stocks. Boomers are driving spending! Bank of America Institute has released new data on consumer spending in November; head of the Institute Liz Everett Krisberg di...

Occidental Petroleum will buy CrownRock for $12 billion, deepening its foothold in the Permian basin. Energy expert and author of “The New Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations” Daniel Yergin explains what the recent flurry of oil industry mergers means for geopolitics. The FDA has  approved treatment for sickle cell disease , the first treatment to use the gene-editing tool CRISPR. Former...

After the  presidents of Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania testified on Capitol Hill this week, UPenn President Elizabeth Magill’s comments sparked backlash among the public and one of her colleagues. Concerns that university presidents are equivocating on the issue of condemning antisemitism on their campuses has prompted a nationwide debate over the role of academia and  the busin...

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) discusses her concerns about cryptocurrency, after big bank CEOs appeared before Congress this week. It turns out, Sen. Warren and JPMorgan Chase CEO  Jamie Dimon agree on the dangers of bitcoin .  JetBlue and Spirit await the fate of their proposed merger. Columbia Law School Professor and former advisor in the Biden administration Tim Wu explains his perspectiv...

Bitcoin is building on its upward momentum . Robinhood co-founder and CEO Vlad Tenev discusses the 75% increase in crypto trading volume from October to November, what’s behind the crypto rally, and how  the Federal Reserve’s decisions  play out for retail investors. Former Congresswoman and ‘Oath and Honor’ author Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) discusses the 2024 presidential election, her efforts to preven...

Bitcoin hit $42,000  for the first time in over 19 months; crypto investor and bitcoin bull Anthony Pompliano discusses  the asset’s rise , regulatory tailwinds for the U.S. crypto companies, and the crypto community’s worldview on central banks and stores of value. In a thoughtful discussion, author, Harvard professor, The Atlantic contributing writer and fellow podcaster Arthur Brooks considers...

After Fed Chair Jay Powell’s comments on Friday, investors are hopeful that the Federal Reserve is done hiking interest rates, and the interest rate environment has led to highs in the Dow Jones Industrial Average,  gold prices , and bitcoin. Restaurateur Cameron Mitchell shares his consumer’s spending habits in the inflationary environment, including new trends in how Americans are dining out. Pl...

He was irreverent, he was focused, he was one of the world’s most successful investors.  And he was one of a kind. Billionaire investor Charlie Munger - the longtime right-hand man and close friend of Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett  - died at age 99, a few weeks shy of what would have been his 100th birthday.. Becky Quick, Squawk Box co-host, interviewed Munger two weeks before his death. S...

“I’m an accidental guru.” This is the second episode of a series remembering and celebrating billionaire investor Charlie Munger. At age 99, the  right-hand man to Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett sat down with Becky Quick in what became their last interview together - after years of Becky covering the company and facilitating shareholder questions at  the raucous Berkshire Hathaway Annu...

Chris Krebs, cybersecurity expert and former CISA Director, explains the online threats from China, Russia, and others, as the 2024 election draws nearer. As  respiratory illnesses surge in Ohio and in China, Dr. Kavita Patel, Stanford University Professor of Medicine and former White House official, discusses the global health surveillance system set in place since the Covid-19 pandemic. Plus, th...

Elon Musk’s interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin at the NYT DealBook Summit has gone viral, in part thanks to Musk’s message to advertisers pulling their ad spend from his platform: “Go f— yourself.” In a wide-ranging interview, the X owner and Tesla CEO apologizes for the post on X, FKA Twitter, responding to an antisemitic post. He discusses his own mental health, his trip to Israel, his original v...

Academy Award-winning producer and bestselling author Brian Grazer is out with a new book, “A Curious Mind Expanded: The Secret to a Bigger Life.” The creative behind “A Beautiful Mind,” “Apollo 13, “Arrested Development,” and “The DaVinci Code,” among others, weighs in on Hollywood’s strikes, AI in art, and the ways he keeps his mind curious and growing.  Two Federal Reserve governors are pointin...

Amid a  ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War ,  Elon Musk visited Israel for a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli officials. The trip comes as advertisers raise concerns about posts from the X owner and Tesla chief on Musk’s own platform, formerly known as Twitter.  His response to an antisemitic tweet on X alarmed many, and executive consultant Eric Dezenhall says Musk’s trip to...

Black Friday’s first NFL game was a big score for advertisers, who bet on sports viewers going shopping on Amazon, either during or after the game. EDO Inc. President and CEO and former digital advertising executive Kevin Krim discusses Cyber Monday and Black Friday advertising, including the retail advertising wins on field and off. Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna (D-California) underscores...

Wall Street marks the day after Thanksgiving with a holiday-shortened session on Black Friday, but are the door-buster deals a  thing of the  past ?  Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin are joined by CNBC’s Steve Liesman on consumer holiday behavior and WSJ’s Joanna Stern offers her picks for personal technology  gift ideas . Plus, the latest in the drama and the promise of artificial intelligence...

In this holiday pod extra, Gary Vaynerchuk discusses the outlook for advertisers from Amazon’s Black Friday football broadcast on Prime Video. And, yep - flying is miserable, but Vanderbilt Professor Ganesh Sitaraman has some ideas on how to fix it. He’s even written a book,  “Why Flying Is Miserable,” and explains why public policy decisions are responsible for the industry’s problems and its sol...