Squawk Pod

States across the country are relaxing of pandemic rules as more Americans are vaccinated against Covid. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy discusses vaccine eligibility, reluctance, and efficacy as he reopens business across his state. Union Square Hospitality Group and Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer says the restaurant industry has learned helpful lessons from the pandemic despite its struggles. “...

Description: In a surprise move, Ulta Beauty CEO Mary Dillon announced her departure from the company she’s led since 2013. She reflects on the business’s massive turnaround under her leadership, and she considers the future of beauty, above and below the mask line. In a conversation recorded exclusively for Squawk Pod, Becky Quick discusses Dillon’s legacy on Wall Street. CNBC’s Jon Fortt offers...

Fashion icon Diane Von Furstenberg shares her “secret to life” in a conversation about her new book; she discusses “owning it” and dressing to impress ourselves in a post-pandemic world. Plus, in a conversation exclusive to Squawk Pod, Andrew Ross Sorkin is spilling his wardrobe secrets to this at-home Zooming, broadcasting, reporting reality. Tom Gimbel, CEO of staffing and recruiting firm LaSall...

One year after markets tanked on fears of the coronavirus pandemic, stocks are looking up, and travel is picking up. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby and CNBC’s Phil LeBeau discuss why the airline industry is optimistic about long-term travel demand as more and more people get vaccinated, and why a global minimum tax rate for corporations could mean industry turbulence ahead. Sotheby’s is partnerin...

White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning state leaders that the nation’s battle with the coronavirus is still “not in the end zone.” He urged Americans to adhere to public health measures despite the ramp-up of vaccinations, pointing to new infection spikes in Europe as a cautionary tale of relaxing too soon. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, member of the boards of Pfizer and biotech comp...

A $69 million price tag for a digital piece has taken the art world by storm. CNBC’s Wealth Reporter Robert Frank shares details of Beeple’s enormous deal. Reddit co-founder and venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian weighs in on NFTs and Leore Avidar, founder and CEO of alternative assets, shares his vision of a world beyond cash. Plus, the Grammy Awards are this weekend; Kevin Liles, CEO of 300 Enter...

It’s been a year since the World Health Organization officially declared Covid-19 a pandemic on March, 11, 2020. In that time, there have been more than 29 million Covid cases in the U.S. and 527,720 people have died. Today, Pfizer said its Covid-19 vaccine blocked 94% of asymptomatic infections in an Israeli study – a result CEO Albert Bourla called “extremely important.” The study also found the...

Eli Lilly says its Covid-19 antibody therapy reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 87% in a study of more than 750 high-risk coronavirus patients. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, member of the boards of Pfizer and biotech company Illumina and former FDA commissioner, discusses the news from Lilly and the difficulties around distributing Covid antibody drugs. Kids online gaming company Roblox (RBLX)...

Meme stock trading has changed the trajectory of GameStop, now pushing its own e-commerce transformation, but the trend may also change the game for legacy brands like Discovery and Disney. Sarah Needleman, reporter at the Wall Street Journal, and Nigel Vaz, CEO of one of the world’s largest advertising firms Publicis Sapient, consider which companies can ride the digital wave. Suitsupply CEO Fokk...

Cue Health has received emergency use authorization from the FDA for over-the-counter and at-home use of its rapid Covid-19 test. CEO Ayub Khattak discusses his vision for at-home health and putting a price on safety. Author and professor Walter Isaacson is out with his new book, “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race.” Isaacson shares the stories of sci...

Fed Chair Jay Powell spooks the markets talking about inflation and the Senate is hiding a tax on executive compensation in the 600+ page stimulus bill. The semiconductor supply chain took a hit early in the Covid pandemic since much of the world’s chips are manufactured in places like China and Taiwan. Now the shortage is impacting several companies including Ford and GM. Mark Fields, former Ford...

After making a controversial decision to eliminate the mask mandate in Texas and completely reopen businesses in the state, Governor Greg Abbott has faced backlash from across the country. He defends his decision to the Squawk team, claiming vaccines and patterns of behavior render a state-mandated mask policy unnecessary. Plus, the markets reveal an investor’s hope for the pandemic’s end, and sec...

NBA Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Earvin “Magic” Johnson is teaming up with sports merchandising e-commerce giant Fanatics. Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises and Fanatics Executive Chairman Michael Rubin weigh in on the partnership, sports, and a new trend in sports collectibles. Plus, President Biden is pushing to vaccinate as many Americans as possible, as quickly as possible. Forme...

In an extended interview, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) shares the details of her tax plan for the ultra-rich: paying 2 and 3 cents on every dollar over $50 million. She defends her plan as the fairest, most progressive option to level the playing field for Americans, and considers the country’s path forward with the resulting $3 trillion. Plus, Merck is teaming up with Johnson & Johnson to churn o...

Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky discusses the drugmaker’s single dose vaccine as it begins distribution across the United States. 4 million vaccines are en route to Americans across the country, solving the logistical and administrative challenges posed by the dual-dose, refrigerated Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. In his annual letter to shareholders, Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett admitted m...

GameStop shares continue to climb today, keeping alive a rally that restarted this week. In a history lesson soaked in 1990s-nostalgia, Henry Blodget, co-founder and CEO of Insider, says “the entire market is actually at an extreme level relative to all history, including 2000 and that’s because of interest rates.” Etsy blew past earnings estimates. The online retailer has been one of the big pand...

The online-driven trading frenzy around retailer GameStop ignited again following the announcement of next month’s departure of Chief Financial Officer Jim Bell. CNBC’s Jim Cramer questioned “are prices real?” on Wall Street anymore, as he exasperatingly tries to make sense of GameStop’s renewed rally. Democrats are set to advance President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus proposal on Friday wit...

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev and Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy streamed a candid conversation on social media this week, and Wall Street is reacting to their exchange and the continued fallout of the GameStop short squeeze drama. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is pushing back against President Biden’s stimulus plan and its minimum wage plan, but President of the U.S. Black Chamber of...

Former Senior Advisor to President Obama and current President of the Barack Obama Foundation Valerie Jarrett discusses President Biden’s first 100 days in office, the metrics by which Americans will judge his success, and the latest iteration of the stimulus package. Bitcoin’s wild ride continues, catching the attention of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Plus, a former Tesla employee’s electric...

Music mogul and entrepreneur Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter is selling half of his Armand de Brignac “Ace of Spades” champagne to the Wine and Spirits arm of LVMH, Moët Hennessy. JAY-Z and Moët Hennessy CEO Philippe Schaus discuss the deal, the alcohol landscape, and the impact that both Moët Hennessy and JAY-Z have had on the world of luxury liquor. Plus, Bitcoin’s roller coaster continues, and former FDA...

Two participants in the House Financial Services Committee “Game Stopped” hearing debrief on the marathon day on Capitol Hill. Ken Griffin, the billionaire CEO of hedge fund Citadel, defends his $2 billion investment in short seller Gabe Plotkin’s Melvin Capital amid the height of the GameStop mania. Griffin says that there is “no doubt” that the amount of short selling will be reduced thanks to t...

In an extended interview, business magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates discusses his new book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” with Andrew Ross Sorkin. In a wide ranging conversation, Gates weighs in on Elon Musk and Tesla, the Reddit Rebellion and subsequent GameStop drama, vaccination strategies, Bitcoin, and President Biden’s policies for a greener future.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...

Operation Hope’s John Hope Bryant and Shark Tank co-host Kevin O’Leary discuss what’s at stake in the House Financial Services Committee’s hearing on the Reddit- and Robinhood-fueled market volatility this week. Real estate developer Roderick Hardamon tells CNBC’s Diana Olick how he’s helping to rebuild Detroit and improve access to capital for women and minorities in his community. Plus, Bezos is...

President of the St. Louis Federal Reserve James Bullard shares his outlook for the U.S. economy in 2021, from vaccination and pandemic recovery to the tech sector’s sky high valuations. Haley Sacks, AKA the millennial investing influencer “Mrs. Dow Jones,” discusses social media’s role in gamifying the stock market. Plus, mainstream corporate interest has bumped Bitcoin up and over $50,000, and T...

Cannabis stocks have been on a roller coaster this week, as Reddit traders piled into the biggest names in pot. CEO of Aurora Cannabis Miguel Martin discusses the Reddit-fueled market volatility and his hopes for the marijuana industry. Data shows remote work could become the norm for most companies. Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and author of “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You...