Squawk Pod

Former Chair of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke weighs in on the US economic recovery from Covid-19, the likelihood of an impending recession, and the Fed’s strategy to combat inflation. In an extended, exclusive interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin, Bernanke explains how he uses history to inform his perspective on today’s economy in his new book, “21st Century Monetary Policy: The Federal Reserve...

Elon Musk announced today that his Twitter deal is on hold  “temporarily” until he receives more information about how many fake accounts exist on the social media platform. In a follow-up tweet a few hours later, Musk added that he was “still committed to the acquisition.” Wedbush’s Dan Ives discusses the implications of the tweet and the future of the deal. Coinbase shares hit a new 52-week low...

Bitcoin fell to its lowest in 16 months today, leading a rush out of risk assets, while the collapse of TerraUSD, a so-called stablecoin, underscored the strain on cryptocurrency markets. Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, has lost a third of its value in the last eight sessions. Disney reported stronger-than-expected growth in streaming subscribers across all of its media platforms, but...

Inflation rose again in  April, continuing a climb that has pushed consumers to the brink and is threatening the economic expansion. The consumer price index accelerated 8.3% in April, more than the 8.1% estimate and near the highest level in more than 40 years. Bitcoin dropped  below $30,000  for the second time this week before turning positive as the hot inflation report causes investors to shu...

The technology sector attempted a comeback today after suffering some of the biggest losses in recent weeks. Tim Armstrong, founder and CEO of tech startup Flowcode and former CEO and chairman of AOL, discusses the latest tech sell-off. Shares of Peloton Interactive  plummeted 15% after reporting a wider-than-expected loss in the recent quarter. AMC Entertainment posted a narrower-than-expected lo...

The S&P 500 is at a fresh 52-week low as the market sell-off continues. Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari says he’s confident inflation will come back to normal - though it’s taking  longer than he expected . His comments come less than a week after the FOMC  raised benchmark rates by half a percentage point. The 50-basis-point hike was the largest increase in 22 years and sets t...

April’s job growth was strong and wage gains were solid, yet for some reason fewer Americans were working or looking for jobs than in March. Saira Malik, chief investment officer for Nuveen, Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP, Austan Goolsbee, former CEA chairman and Booth School of Business professor, and Georgetown University’s Nada Eissa react to the better-than-expected April jobs report....

Stocks fell sharply Thursday and erased large gains seen in the previous session after the Federal Reserve raised rates by half a point. CNBC’s Steve Liesman breaks down the Federal Reserve’s move – and his role in the initial relief rally. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has lined up additional funding for his takeover of social media giant Twitter, according to a new filing. Meanwhile Bill Gates has warned...

Uber reported surging revenue during the first quarter as the ride-hailing company said it’s recovering from its coronavirus lows and wouldn’t have to put up “significant” investments to keep drivers on the platform. CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa reported on Uber and Lyft's latest first-quarter earnings report. John Zimmer, president and co-founder of Lyft, also discussed the ride-hailing company’s latest q...

Legendary investor Paul Tudor Jones, CIO at Tudor Investments, discusses the Robin Hood Foundation’s annual benefit to fight poverty in New York City, markets, the Federal Reserve and more. Jones says he “can’t think of a worse environment than where we are right now for financial assets.” Employees at an Amazon warehouse on Staten Island overwhelmingly rejected a unionization effort, a significan...

Becky Quick highlights the biggest takeaways from the first in-person Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting since 2019. At what’s affectionately nicknamed the “Woodstock for Capitalists,” Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger answered hours of shareholder questions about their $40 billion March buying spree, inflation, bitcoin, and why the Robinhood trading app is justly ‘unraveling’. Among t...

Amazon shares fell as much as 12% after the company gave revenue outlook for the current quarter that fell short of Wall Street’s estimates. It could mark Amazon’s worst day since January 2014 if the losses hold through the close. Apple shares also dipped after management said supply chain constraints could hinder fiscal third-quarter revenue. Toni Sacconaghi, Bernstein senior research analyst, re...

Ford is cutting 580 U.S. salaried and contract employees as it restructures to  focus on EVs . The automaker also reported a net loss of $3.1 billion in the first quarter, largely due the loss in value of a 12% stake in electric vehicle start-up Rivian Automotive. Facebook parent Meta surged 15% after the company reported better-than-expected profit in the first quarter. Rich Greenfield, LightShed...

U.S. stocks rose in volatile trading today after the Nasdaq Composite closed yesterday at a new low for the year, attempting to rebound from a tech-led sell-off in April. Archegos Capital Management’s owner, Bill Hwang, and its former chief financial officer, Patrick Halligan, were arrested today in connection with the  implosion of the family office last year . The men are being charged with  rac...

Twitter has accepted  Elon Musk’s $44B buyout deal . Musk, adamant that Twitter champions free speech, will take the company private. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt discusses what Musk’s idea of free speech means for a safe, productive virtual town square, and investor Kevin O’Leary shares why this move might bring many former Twitter users back to the platform. One noticeably abse...

In France, President Macron is celebrating victory, American diplomats will return to Ukraine, and all across the globe, markets are under pressure. In Washington, DC, the Biden administration is working to get more Democrats on board for the President’s tax plan; White House Council of Economic Advisors member Jared Bernstein defends different aspects of the wealth tax, the current voting breakdo...

The streaming wars have left big players with some battle scars: Netflix is recovering from a rough year so far, and CNN+ is no more. Axios media reporter Sara Fischer and The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern discuss what went wrong for the service, and why Warner Bros. Discovery has opted to shut it down. Political strategist and pollster Frank Luntz discusses America’s complicated response to...

Famed shortseller Bill Ackman and his firm  Pershing Square dumped its stake in Netflix  yesterday following the streaming service company’s disappointing quarterly report. Netflix lost 200,000 subscribers in its latest quarter and expects to lose an additional 2 million subscribers in its next quarter, prompting the stock’s worst trading day in over 17 years. CNBC’s Phil LeBeau breaks down the ke...

In a shocking and disappointing report on Wall Street,  Netflix revealed a loss of subscribers  in the last quarter–its first loss in 10 years. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking aim at Disney by presenting a bill that could revoke the company’s near-autonomy over the 40 square miles it inhabits in the Sunshine State. Skybridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci discusses the clash of politic...

Masks are no longer mandated on public transportation, after a federal judge in Florida ruled that the CDC had overstepped its authority when it issued a mask mandate for planes, trains, and buses. Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, discusses whether customers and employees will continue to use masks to protect fellow travelers. Plus, as Elon Musk explore...

Elon Musk’s bid for Twitter has prompted questions about his own financial liquidity, and free speech on the platform. While Wall Street is eyeing Musk’s offer, Musk is bringing the entire Twitter board  under scrutiny,  calling out their online presence and potentially  suggesting that the platform’s power rest with shareholders , instead of the board. The World Health Organization maintains that...

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says workers may be “better off” not joining a union.  In an extended interview at Amazon’s Seattle campus, Jassy spoke with Andrew Ross Sorkin to break down his first annual letter to shareholders. Jassy explains how the company quickly grew its fulfillment center capacity amid a rapid pandemic rise in e-commerce sales and he reacts to unionization efforts inside Amazon ware...

The Producer Price Index , which measures prices paid by wholesalers, rose 11.2% from a year ago, hitting a record high. Inflation around the world continues to rise as Vladimir Putin presses on in his war in Ukraine. Hermitage Capital CEO and author of “Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin’s Wrath” Bill Browder, shares details of his life under Pu...

The Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation by tracking the prices of everyday items, rose 8.5% in the last year–the fastest annual gain since 1981. CNBC’s senior economics reporter Steve Liesman and on-air editor Rick Santelli explain the hot inflation data, pains for consumers, and whether the Fed’s aggressive policies to combat it will result in a broader economic slowdown. Former Austra...

China’s strict “no-Covid” policy is prompting lockdowns across the country, and residents are sharing reports of food shortages and hoarding as they weather the latest wave of the pandemic. CNBC’s Eunice Yoon reports from China on  the quarantines and the inflation sweeping the nation . Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb details the low vaccination rates in China that might be contributing...