Squawk Pod

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is betting on widespread vaccination to help the ride sharing business recover in 2021. He discusses UberEats, the competition, and accepting Bitcoin for rides. Surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and staff writer for The New Yorker Dr. Atul Gawande discusses vaccination strategies across the U.S., and considers best practices for reaching underserved populations. Pl...

Strategist and pollster Frank Luntz breaks down America’s response to the “Reddit Rebellion,” and considers the collective power of the public, threatening to topple the U.S. financial system as we know it. New Jersey has vaccinated over 1 million people, and Governor Phil Murphy discusses the state’s (long) path to the end of the pandemic. Plus, Bitcoin is once again on the move after yet another...

As valuations for Tesla and Bitcoin climb higher and higher, Joe, Becky, and Andrew consider the roots of the hype and the consequences for the market. Operation Hope’s John Hope Bryant delves into what the “Reddit Rebellion” is teaching America about equity and financial literacy in this country. Plus, DoorDash is betting on restaurant robots; automation is coming soon to a salad near you.  Hoste...

Elon Musk’s Tesla announced that it has bought $1.5B in bitcoin, and the company plans to accept the currency as payment for its products. Galaxy Digital’s Michael Novogratz says this should be the first corporate move of many, but Tesla’s announcement intensifies concerns that Elon Musk is irresponsibly wielding his power to hype stocks and cryptocurrency--like Dogecoin--on his social media. Sout...

23andMe is set to go public in a merger with a SPAC backed by Sir Richard Branson. Company co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki and Branson himself discuss the “delight” offered by the company’s genetic sequencing, and they look ahead to what they’re hoping is a lucrative future. In a special conversation exclusive to Squawk Pod, Joe Kernen reflects on his own family’s journey with 23andMe, including...

Apple is finally hitting the road, closing in on a deal with Hyundai-Kia to manufacture an Apple-branded autonomous electric vehicle in Georgia. Merck CEO and social justice leader Ken Frazier is stepping down from his role, effective in June. CNBC’s Meg Tirrell discusses his legacy while at the helm of the pharma giant, as well as his role in pushing progress in corporate America. Senator Amy Klo...

 Jeff Bezos is stepping back from his role as Amazon CEO, passing leadership to AWS head Andy Jassy. Walter Isaacson, author of the introduction to Bezos’s book, “Invent and Wander,” discusses the Amazon founder’s infinite thirst for innovation and the transition of power at the “store” that changed everything. In the wake of the Redditor rebellion, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is calling for a...

The endgame may be near for the GameStop squeeze trade as investing enthusiasm and volume wane. Silver prices, another hill in the battle between Redditor retail investors and Wall Street hedge funds, fell after hitting an eight-year high on Monday. Ray McGuire, Democratic candidate for New York City mayor and former Citigroup vice chairman, discusses his strategy for overcoming the pandemic and s...

Starting off a new week and a new month, Wall Street continues to weather concerns about the Reddit-sparked retail trading frenzy around GameStop. Joe Moglia, former chairman and CEO of TD Ameritrade, puts the Reddit traders’ short squeeze into perspective with the broader market. Elon Musk turned to social media audio app, Clubhouse, for a conversation with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev about the reta...

In a conversation exclusive to Squawk Pod, singer, actress, activist, and Presidential Inauguration performer Lady Gaga shares her hopes for rebuilding community spirit post-pandemic. She and Becky Quick discuss her inauguration performance, mental health amid Covid, and the WELL Health-Safety Seal initiative to bolster consumer confidence in shared indoor spaces like live concert and sport venues...

In this Squawk Pod bonus episode, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev returns to speak to Andrew Ross Sorkin following the free brokerage’s controversial decision to suspend buying of certain volatile stocks like GameStop. Near the end of a wild week, Tenev is getting criticism from a virtual army of Reddit-reading retail investors for the move.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian reflects on social media’s role in the GameStop short squeeze drama. He considers the evolution of the Internet and the advent of a new normal where equity investing and communication are democratized. Plus, Mavericks owner, entrepreneur, and investor Mark Cuban weighs in on the Wall Street heat, the role of regulators, and the importance of an investing education-...

Retail investing Redditors are gaming GameStop. The social media-driven roller coaster ride for the GameStop stock has lost Wall Street’s biggest short sellers billions of dollars--and has made everyone else a hefty profit. The Squawk Box team breaks down why it’s happening, what it means, and which stock might be next. In an interview with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, Andrew Ross Sorkin discusses th...

President Biden’s director of the National Economic Council, Brian Deese, shares the new administration’s strategy for combating the simultaneous crises now facing the nation. Axios reporter Sara Fischer discusses MyPillow’s Twitter drama, Washington’s agenda for Big Tech, and hurdles for bipartisan tech regulation. CNBC’s Leslie Picker reports on Wall Street’s ties to infamy: Apollo’s Leon Black’...

Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein speaks out on President Biden’s minimum wage pitch, the SPAC frenzy, and cryptocurrency regulation. He considers the trajectory of markets under a new administration and weighs in on the Fed’s moves in 2021. Presidential-turned-mayoral candidate Andrew Yang discusses New York City’s road to recovery amid the pandemic. He shares his plans for keeping NYC str...

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY), co-chairs of the Problem Solvers Caucus, discuss the legislative path forward under the Biden administration. After a divisive start to 2021, they’re urging for bipartisanship. Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary and Galaxy Digital’s Michael Novogratz debate President Biden’s proposed $15 minimum wage; the two weigh the benefits of higher wages against...

Just over 24 hours in office, President Biden has signed a series of executive actions on the pandemic, immigration, and climate change. CNBC’s Eamon Javers breaks down his agenda to get the nation past the pandemic and back on its feet, some parts of which are a direct rollback of Trump-era policies. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu discusses President Biden’s $1.9T relief plan and expresses h...

Billionaire investor and philanthropist Leon Cooperman, Chairman and CEO of Omega Family Office, discusses his vote for President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Cooperman considers where and when he’ll find alpha in the markets under the nation’s new leader. Plus, CNBC’s Eamon Javers recaps Donald Trump’s last acts in office: a string of pardons.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co...

Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses coronavirus vaccine supply, likelihood of bottlenecks, and threats to equitable distribution. Harvard Professor, AEI President Emeritus, and contributing writer for The Atlantic Arthur Brooks says reconciliation and healing in America are possible, if we refocus on offering opportunities for success. The host of “The Art of Happiness with Arthur Brooks” considers what’...

President-Elect Joe Biden has unveiled his $1.9T Covid relief package, and his newly appointed Council of Economic Advisers Member Jared Bernstein makes the case for the proposal and discusses the pandemic’s “dual shock” to the American financial system. The New York Times media columnist Ben Smith joins OZY Media CEO Carlos Watson to examine what comes next for big tech as Silicon Valley giants g...

In an extended interview, billionaire Republican, Invemed Chairman, and Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone speaks out against reluctance to accept President-Elect Joe Biden as the nation’s next leader. As a trustee of NYU Langone, a philanthropist, and an American billionaire, Langone discusses taxes, pandemic relief, and the country’s public education system. Plus, in a conversation exclusive to S...

Corporate executives across the country are reassessing their political donations in the wake of last week’s violence in the Capitol. Former EY Global Chairman and CEO Mark Weinberger discusses corporate responsibility amid an increasingly polarized American political environment. Plus, former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb explains the current vaccine distribution pipeline and considers the...

Leaders in Washington and on Wall Street are grappling with conservative allegiances as lawmakers approach a vote on impeachment and corporate America cuts off donations to lawmakers who opposed the 2020 Presidential Election results. Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie discusses the fundamentals of big tech regulation and responsibility with Twitter’s former Global Chair of News a...

Parler, the social app favored by conservative Americans, found itself on the wrong side of Apple, Amazon, and Google in the wake of last week’s riots in the U.S. Capitol. Big tech is drawing a line on the internet, suspending President Donald Trump’s content and forcing Parler temporarily offline. Axios business editor Dan Primack and journalist Joanne Lipman track big tech’s journey to today’s p...

In the wake of the riots at the Capitol, America’s C-suites are speaking out, some calling for President Trump’s removal from office, others urging a reevaluation and restoration of the United States’ democracy. Founder and co-executive chairman of The Carlyle Group David Rubenstein calls on his fellow business leaders to help restore America’s reputation as a beacon of democracy, and to restore A...