Squawk Pod

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...

After a whirlwind few days,  OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman has been reinstated as CEO. Plus,  Binance founder  Changpeng Zhao has pleaded guilty to money laundering violations. CNBC’s Eamon Javers discusses crimes in the crypto world with Andrew Ross Sorkin, Joe Kernen, and Becky Quick, including the Department of Justice’s efforts to keep crypto in line with the law. And, ahead of Thanksgiving, th...

OpenAI’s implosion might not be so bad for Microsoft, whose stock closed at an all-time high amid the AI drama. Semafor’s tech editor Reed Albergotti explains the good news for  Satya Nadella , the fate and governance structure of OpenAI, and the many  big tech offers to OpenAI’s talent . In its third quarter,  Lowe’s has said its DIY customers are slowing down their projects, and it’s taking a to...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was ousted from his role by his own board, and he was promptly hired by Microsoft in a tumultuous weekend for tech. Internally at OpenAI,  employees have reportedly threatened to follow Altman , requesting resignations from  the OpenAI board , and externally, investors and news outlets are following the drama at one of the highest profile companies pushing AI forward. Also in...

Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, says the U.S. and China have entered an  environment of fierce competition . The billionaire investment mentor delves into U.S.-China relations, China's military agenda, social media influence, the economy, Treasury yields, A.I. impact, and more. Becky Quick sits down with Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chair Charlie Munger in  response to a ProPublica report...

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries shares insights on the recently  passed short-term funding bill , what's at stake in the next round of spending talks on Capitol Hill, and the potential for bipartisan collaboration in Congress. Plus, the Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, delve into the challenge of  rising housing costs , offer renovation tips, and explore strategies for creati...

Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the UN, former governor of South Carolina and 2024 presidential candidate, discusses the state of the 2024 presidential race, why she believes she can be a viable alternative to former president Donald Trump, whether she would accept a hypothetical offer to be his VP pick, and more.  Wholesale prices in October posted their biggest decline in 3½ years , provi...

On today’s super-sized episode,  October's inflation remained unchanged , hinting at a possible easing of high prices in the U.S. economy. House Speaker Rep.  Mike Johnson discusses Capitol Hill negotiations to avert a government shutdown and the 2024 presidential election. Meanwhile, Cathie Wood, ARK Invest CEO, covers ARK Invest's new ETFs, SEC approval of bitcoin ETFs, and broader topics like a...

After  Moody’s revised its outlook for the United States government from stable to negative, investors are watching the Federal Reserve to see where it will take rates next. Former Kansas City Fed President Esther George share’s her thoughts on the Fed's decision to keep their options open on rate hikes and her observations on signs of economic cooling. Plus, Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug  Wegov...

CNBC’s Alex Sherman reports on the inside story of a CEO succession plan gone awry at Disney — a cautionary tale of how good intentions clashed with ego and hubris at the highest levels of corporate America. Sherman spoke with more than two dozen people who worked closely with Disney’s last two CEOs, Bob Iger and Bob Chapek, between 2020 and 2022. His report features many never-before reported det...