Squawk Pod

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he wants Congress to pass a coronavirus relief bill with neither legal immunity for businesses nor state and local government relief. Congress is trying to come to agreement on coronavirus relief and government funding before the end of the year, and have a new proposal from the White House to consider. Stimulus checks, liability protections and state an...

The United Kingdom has administered the coronavirus vaccine to its first recipient just 10 months after Covid-19 took hold around the globe. Shopify is making projections for the 2021 shopping season, and President Harley Finkelstein says retail’s future is in the hands of the youngest consumers, entrepreneurs, and social media platforms. Uber sold its self-driving unit to $10B startup Aurora; Ube...

Axios co-founder Mike Allen reveals what he’s watching as we approach the Presidential inauguration on January 20th. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb looks ahead to 2021 as he considers indoor dining safety and vaccine availability. DoorDash and Airbnb are planning their respective IPOs this week, part of a week of debuts that will likely total nearly $8 billion in capital raised. Plus,...

Tom Friedman, New York Times foreign affairs columnist, shares takeaways from his conversation with President-Elect Joe Biden as negotiations for stimulus wear on and coronavirus cases rise. E-document company DocuSign reported a solid third quarter, building on a 200%+ stock rise throughout the pandemic. DocuSign CEO Dan Springer makes the case for all things electronic even after the pandemic en...

Discovery is the latest media company to jump into the streaming wars with Discovery+. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Verizon Consumer Group CEO Ronan Dunne discuss their partnership, the two-tiered streaming service, and the year of ad-free content for 55 million customers. If you’re cashing in some of your Bitcoin this year, the IRS wants to know about it. CNBC’s Sharon Epperson reports that the...

The Nasdaq has proposed a new rule to require its 3,000+ listed companies to disclose Board of Directors demographics. Ursula Burns, former Xerox CEO and board member at Uber, Nestle, and ExxonMobil, joins Ford Foundation president Darren Walker in a discussion about diversity’s impact on the financial bottom line, finding diverse talent, and encouraging evolution in corporate America. Rent the Ru...

In the new normal of distanced, remote activities, video conferencing services like Zoom and gym-free fitness companies like Brooks Running have become staples of pandemic life. Zoom Chief Financial Officer Kelly Steckleberg discusses the company’s most recent financial results and why the virtual shift--and Zoom’s value--is here to stay, through the pandemic and beyond. Brooks Running Company CEO...

In the wake of the Thanksgiving holiday, former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses the rise in coronavirus cases and the troublesome trend that’s likely to continue. Political strategist Frank Luntz considers leveraging rhetoric to end the pandemic, and he digs into the politicization of the current health crisis. As bitcoin marches higher, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, founders of the...

On a Black Friday unlike any other, CNBC’s Bertha Coombs reports on the scene outside a New Jersey mall. Former Saks CEO Steve Sadove and former Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon unpack what 2020’s retail landscape means for shopping seasons to come. Vanity Fair’s Bethany McLean and The NYT’s Kate Kelly discuss what Wall Streeters can expect--or not expect--from their bonuses this year; amid the country...

In a special pandemic holiday episode, singer-songwriter Jewel opens up about her history with mental health, overcoming trauma, and practicing gratitude. As part of a CNBC virtual event for the “Workforce Executive Council,” Becky Quick interviews the musical artist and activist about her self-taught methodology for overcoming anxiety, and her work to share that method with kids and companies aro...

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 30,000 for the first time ever, putting the index up 62% from its pandemic lows in March. The MTA, the biggest public transportation network in the country, is asking the federal government for $12 billion in aid as it struggles to recuperate from low ridership amid the pandemic. Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye explains why the $12B isn’t just for NYC, b...

PayPal customers will soon be able to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrencies on the platform, and starting in 2021, customers will be able use crypto to pay retailers via PayPal. CEO Dan Schulman is betting that crypto confidence and popularity is only beginning. Tim Armstrong, founder of the dtx company and former Oath CEO, has partnered with Olympic skier Bode Miller to make 2020’s ski season safe...

AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine is the third one to prove highly effective in late-stage trials. AstraZeneca Executive Vice President Ruud Dobber explains differentiators of his company’s vaccine, and why between his company, Pfizer, and Moderna, he has high hopes for an accessible vaccine. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman discusses the next steps in the race for a vaccine and in the President...

Pfizer is submitting its application to the FDA for emergency use of its Covid-19 vaccine. If approved, administration of the vaccine could begin before the end of the year. The FDA has approved emergency use of Eli Lilly’s arthritis drug baricitinib in combination with Gilead’s remdesivir to treat Covid-19 patients. Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks and CNBC’s Meg Tirrell discuss distribution, supply, an...

David Boies, the lawyer who counseled former Vice President Al Gore in the 2000 election Florida recount, says President Trump will be unable to overturn the 2020 election results. Covid-19 cases are rising with hopes for an effective vaccine. In light of positive news from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, former Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini considers the current plans for managing supply and distrib...

As Covid cases rise and states impose new curfews to stem the spread, Pfizer & BioNtech have unveiled their coronavirus vaccine’s final data analysis. Their vaccine proved 95% effective in preventing the coronavirus, higher than preliminary data originally revealed. Former FDA Commissioner and Pfizer board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses the bumpy but significantly shorter road to the end of t...

The S&P 500 will finally add Tesla to its index in mid-December. Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company now tops $400B in market cap. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway made some changes to its equity portfolio in the last quarter, trimming its stakes in Apple and JPMorgan and betting on drug stocks and T-Mobile. Amazon is jumping into the pharmacy business with online prescription fulfillment and...

In Moderna’s ongoing clinical trial, the drugmaker’s Covid vaccine proved 94.5% effective in preventing the coronavirus. In an exclusive interview, CEO Stephane Bancel and CNBC’s Meg Tirrell discuss the news, the bright light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, and ensuring a steady supply of vaccines to those who need it most. Plus, former Citigroup chairman and former Time Warner CEO Richard Pars...

Social media entrepreneur and venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian urges Americans to consider the role social platforms should play in society. He examines where the Internet started, where it’s going, and how the “levers of power should be wielded.” He and Aylon Steinhart, founder of plant-based ice cream company Eclipse, outline a positive outlook for the startups and entrepreneurs who’ll emerge f...

Parler, a new social media platform that touts itself as a less censored alternative to Facebook and Twitter, is rising in popularity, particularly among conservative Americans. The Anti-Defamation League’s Jonathan Greenblatt says Parler’s free speech mission might be leaving too wide an opening for harmful content. Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson says this bull market has a long way to run, both in...

In a rare interview, Lyft co-founder and President John Zimmer discusses the ridesharing app’s path to profitability, plans for food delivery (or not), and a post-pandemic boost to business. Plus, the U.S. is celebrating and remembering veterans today; former CIA Director and retired U.S. Army general David Petraeus explains why it’s a good day to thank our servicemen and servicewomen, and an even...

In the wake of Pfizer’s positive vaccine news, markets are rallying on hopes of a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. BET and RLJ Companies founder Bob Johnson is relieved by the news but looking ahead; he discusses the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on Black Americans, and shares his vision for narrowing the racial health and wealth gap under a new administration. Plus, Target has entere...

Ed Clissold, market strategist for Ned Davis Research Group, puts this week’s election in perspective with market and election data going back to 1900. Historically, a Republican incumbent victory prompts a market rally in the short term, but a reversal in the year following. Essayist and “Black Swan” investor Nassim Nicholas Taleb outlined the risks of a pandemic earlier in 2020, and now says the...

In what Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla calls “likely the most significant medical advancement in the last 100 years,” BioNtech and Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine may prove to be more than 90% effective in preventing coronavirus. CNBC’s Senior Health and Science Reporter Meg Tirrell breaks the good news with the Squawk Box anchors, and Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla discusses the success, the implications, and...

Legendary investor Leon Cooperman explains his approach to markets amid the ongoing Presidential vote and the Federal Reserve’s approach to stabilizing the economy. The billionaire explains his personal vote for former Vice President Biden and his bet on equities. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi unpacks his company’s latest financial results and his projection for a transportation recovery post-pandemi...