Squawk Pod

In an interview exclusive to CNBC, TikTok’s acting chief Vanessa Pappas underscores her priorities for the platform and its users as Microsoft, Walmart, Oracle, and the U.S. government attempt to reach a deal for its control. The final night of the 2020 Republican National Convention came to a close with President Donald Trump’s nomination acceptance speech and promises of an agenda “made in the U...

In protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, NBA players boycotted playoff games on Wednesday. Basketball teams across the league have postponed games in support of the protest, and teams in the WNBA, MLB, and MLS have all followed suit. CNBC’s Jabari Young and Patrick Rishe, Sports Business Program Director at Washington University in St. Louis, explain the power of the player in sports and...

The second night of the Republican National Convention featured a varied lineup of speakers who focused on the economy, foreign policy and social issues in their push for President Donald Trump’s reelection. CNBC Washington Correspondent, Eamon Javers, discusses Trump’s approval rating and COVID-19 response. Sam Zell, chairman of Equity Group Investments and billionaire real estate investor, says...

Google’s long-time former CEO, Eric Schmidt, says that a pandemic proves big tech isn’t all bad. Schmidt discusses the growth of trillion-dollar technology, the importance of Apple’s App Store and his concerns with the U.S. action toward TikTok’s U.S. operations. The Republican National Convention kicked off Monday, featuring speeches from Donald Trump Jr. and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. H...

The Food and Drug Administration announced on Sunday the emergency use authorization for using convalescent plasma to treat coronavirus patients. Former FDA Commissioner and CNBC contributor, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, says “it doesn’t look like a home run, but right now we’re looking for singles and doubles”. While movie theaters were closed during the pandemic the shift to streaming accelerated. Roku’s...

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed lingering tension between the United States and China over TikTok’s sale, trade and threats to national security. America’s top diplomat urged United Nations colleagues to restore sanctions on Iran, and Pompeo vowed to continue to go after China for policies demanding that all Chinese companies are “beholden to their security apparatus.” Former Vice Preside...

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), the first Black woman and Asian American on a major presidential ticket, formally accepted the nomination to become vice president. Frank Luntz, pollster and political strategist, breaks down day 3 of the Democratic National Convention and says the Democrats “have successfully criticized Trump but have not built up Joe Biden as of yet”. Apple hit a market cap of $2 trill...

Day 2 of the all-virtual Democratic National Convention featured the formal nomination of Joe Biden for president. CNBC’s Washington Correspondent, Eamon Javers, reports the highlights, saying “it’s basically a 2 hour advertisement for the presidential candidate of the Democratic party.” Target reports a monster second quarter with profit up 80% and set a record for same store sales. Target CEO Br...

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and former first lady Michelle Obama headlined the first night of the 2020 all-virtual Democratic National Convention. James Pethokoukis, Economic Policy Analyst and CNBC Contributor, and Julie Margetta Morgan, Vice President of Research at the Roosevelt Institute, discuss the big takeaways from the first night and look ahead to what voters and viewers can expect in this...

The U.S. Postal Service is suddenly at the center of debates in Washington, and CNBC’s Ylan Mui explains why snail mail is making headlines ahead of the 2020 election. The Democratic National Convention begins Monday night, and for the first time in its near 200-year history, speakers and the nominee will be speaking virtually. Harvard Professor, AEI President Emeritus, and contributing writer for...

Epic Games is suing Apple after the tech giant removed Fortnite’s “Battle Royale” game from the App Store. Fortnite is attempting to bypass Apple’s standard 30% App Store fee, and CNBC contributor Alex Kantrowitz says the gamer’s move is a smart one. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy lays out his steps for the Garden State’s economic comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, mail-in COVID-19 testin...

Movie and television producer behind “Apollo 13,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Empire,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Parenthood,” and “Arrested Development” Brian Grazer reflects on the legacy of friend and media titan Sumner Redstone. Grazer considers which media giants will be able to set themselves apart from the rest in a crowded content landscape. President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Wei...

Joe Biden has announced Kamala Harris as his pick for Vice President in the 2020 election. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Democratic Whip, discusses implications of Biden’s choice for the party and for the country. Political strategist and pollster Frank Luntz digs into the Biden-Harris relationship and treats Joe Kernen and Andrew Ross Sorkin to a tour of his very own Oval Office. Plus, college athl...

Vladimir Putin announced that Russia has approved the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine, and that it has already been administered to one of his daughters. Without data on safety or efficacy, the rest of the world is speculating on the veracity and implications of the announcement. Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb explains why human vaccine trials are time consuming but necessary. The newly min...

President Trump took unorthodox action over the weekend in an attempt to fast track pandemic relief for Americans. CNBC’s Eamon Javers breaks down each of the four orders, from delayed payroll taxes to unemployment aid. The newly reinvented Kodak is facing SEC investigations into the company’s disclosure of its deal with the US government. Summer is drawing to a close, and Johns Hopkins School of...

Two months of record-setting payroll growth slowed in July, but the Labor Department's monthly report still showed encouraging signs. Jason Furman, Former Chair of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors, Kate Moore, Head of Thematic Strategy at Blackrock and Steve Liesman, CNBC’s Senior Economics Reporter break down the jobs report. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) discusses the latest stimulu...

The markets may be nearing all-time highs, but the real economy continues to struggle amid the pandemic. Senator Bernie Sanders is calling on billionaires to help support their country in need. Stimulus negotiations press on in Washington, and Operation Hope Chairman & CEO John Hope Bryant debates “Shark Tank” co-host Kevin O’Leary on what’s fair, what’s needed, and what’s at stake in the next rou...

Businesses still recovering from Covid-19 shutdowns are now saddled with Tropical Storm Isaias damages. CNBC’s Contessa Brewer shares the storm’s impact on insurers amid the pandemic. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, says the worst relief plan for struggling businesses is no stimulus plan. The Senator weighs in on the stimulus stalemate...

Over three million small businesses in the U.S. have closed amid the pandemic, and former Starbucks Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz says that without any "significant stimulus" plans available, millions more will follow. As the coronavirus crisis wears on, schools across the country are strategizing safe education. Julie Kashen, Director at Women's Economic Justice and Senior Fellow at The Century...

Microsoft is in talks to buy some of the TikTok business from Chinese parent company ByteDance as U.S. government officials raise concerns about the platform’s risks to national security. Microsoft’s largest shareholder, former Microsoft CEO, founder of USAFacts, and Chairman of the NBA LA Clippers Steve Ballmer talks TikTok, big tech, and Covid cases. Plus, Cameron Mitchell operates dozens of suc...

The biggest tech companies and market leaders, Amazon, Apple and Facebook, reported stellar quarterly results. Legendary tech investor, Alan Patricof, says “everybody’s got to face up to the fact they are basically utilities.” Emergency unemployment benefits are set to expire today and Congress and the White House still seem far apart on an agreement. O’Shares ETFs Chairman and ”Shark Tank” Co-Hos...

Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai, leaders of the four tech titans, testified remotely on Capitol Hill for 6 hours this week. Becky Quick, Andrew Ross Sorkin, and Wilfred Frost recap the highlights of the hearings, from antitrust defenses to privacy concerns and technical glitches. Former White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra breaks down the evidence presented b...

Kodak is back. The once-giant corporation responsible for most twentieth century American memories is now reinventing itself as a drug company. Executive Chairman James Continenza explains Kodak’s comeback amid the coronavirus pandemic. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton discusses corporate hygiene as company boards cash in on their own holdings. He issues a word of advice for investors looking to get invol...

In an interview exclusive to CNBC, billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates discusses the efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine and therapeutic, how those technologies may change our new normal, and when. Gates weighs in on big tech ahead of the Silicon Valley giants’ antitrust hearings this week, as well as the other tech giant: Elon Musk. Plus, when would Bill Gates send hi...

As coronavirus cases spike in hot spots across the country, biopharmaceutical companies race to find a vaccine. Moderna Therapeutics has secured an additional $472 million in government funding to develop its own vaccine candidate, which begins phase 3 human trials today. Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel discusses the vaccine development and addresses concerns about his executive team’s lucrative and u...