Social media giants Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube each have differing policies on how the Taliban can interact with their platforms. As the group gains control in Afghanistan, investor Kevin O’Leary and Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt debate social media’s responsibility to censor the Taliban, or not. A third vaccine shot in the U.S. has prompted a global debate about vaccine access and public health, but the Biden administration is moving forward with a plan to boost eligible po...
Aug 19, 2021•33 min
After Target delivered second quarter financials topping all analyst expectations, CEO Brian Cornell sits down with Becky Quick to discuss his business investment strategies. The two talk omnichannel growth, employee support, and consumer tastes. The U.S. government is recommending vaccinated adults take a booster Covid-19 vaccine, and former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb explains who, when, and why a booster is necessary for a safe public. Plus, Chinese tech giants are under scrutiny, and...
Aug 18, 2021•34 min
New York is not dead, according to Jerry Seinfeld, New Yorkers, and real estate mogul Jeff Blau, CEO of Related Companies. Blau discusses the real estate rebounds in NY-based rentals and sales, and shares his outlook for Hudson Yards tenants and Covid safety. CNBC’s Robert Frank shares statistics on the city’s rebound, but flags low subway ridership and office presence as potential obstacles to recovery. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel talks Hollywood talent and entertainment’s own recovery, from live ...
Aug 17, 2021•38 min
The Afghan government has fallen to the Taliban, and global politics are shifting in response. CNBC’s Dan Murphy in Abu Dhabi considers the global and regional ramifications of the Taliban’s movements, as well as what’s at stake for President Biden, as he weighs an American response. Former State Department Official Evelyn Farkas, a longtime proponent of withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan, considers what’s next for actors across the international stage. As the United States continues to gr...
Aug 16, 2021•30 min
Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses the FDA’s approval of a booster Covid-19 vaccine for immunocompromised Americans. In an extended interview, he discusses cases of the Delta variant, longevity of vaccine efficacy, and what’s to come in the fall. Plus, CNBC’s Kate Rogers explains what all this means for small businesses and restaurants. In a conversation exclusive to Squawk Pod, Rogers reveals entrepreneurial optimism and service industry innovation in the face of an ongoing pa...
Aug 13, 2021•40 min
Bitcoin, ethereum, blockchain, the Senate, and a whole lot of volatility. Andrew Ross Sorkin explains why so many people are talking about the cryptoeconomy, in a conversation exclusive to Squawk Pod. Capitol Hill, the SEC, and the global public are grappling with what these tokens are--securities, maybe--and how to regulate them. Alesia Haas, CFO of Coinbase, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, discusses the company’s recent financial results, the volatility that’s supported its succes...
Aug 12, 2021•20 min
In an extended interview, legendary short-seller Jim Chanos discusses AMC’s meme stock journey, movie theaters, apes, Reddit, and all. Short interest in AMC is rising in the wake of AMC’s quarterly financial report, but Wall Street is warning retail investors that the “Mother of All Short Squeezes” that they’re waiting for, may not be as fun a play as they’re expecting. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal ...
Aug 11, 2021•33 min
While President Biden and leaders across corporate America have been encouraging, incentivizing, and even requiring that employees get vaccinated, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has vocally opposed mask mandates, vaccine mandates, and Covid-19 passports. In a lively interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin and Becky Quick, Senator Cruz defends his stance on masks in schools and weighs in on employer rights to require behaviors from their workers. Plus, CNBC’s Senior Economics Reporter Steve Liesman shares dat...
Aug 10, 2021•24 min
U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo are teaming up to expand and prepare America’s workforce. The bipartisan infrastructure bill working through Congress aims to invest $100 billion in job creation, supporting small businesses as they recover from and power through the pandemic. In an extended interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin, the two secretaries discuss the infrastructure bill, diversifying the private sector’s talent pipeline, and the future of the...
Aug 09, 2021•23 min
The economy added 943,000 jobs in July, the best pace in nearly a year and nearly 100,000 more than economists expected. Kate Moore, head of thematic strategy for BlackRock’s global allocation team, Austan Goolsbee, former Council of Economic Advisers chairman, break down the numbers. CNN has terminated three of its employees for lying about their Covid-19 vaccination statuses and coming to the office, according to a memo sent to staff internally. Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of staffing firm LaS...
Aug 06, 2021•33 min
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is prioritizing his customers’ experiences, investing in driver acquisition to alleviate price surging and wait times as ride hailing gets back on track. Khosrowshahi also defends his decision not to mandate vaccines for all riders and drivers. The meme stock mania continues with the company that started it all: Robinhood. Now a meme stock itself, Robinhood has announced a stock sale as the retail “apes” push its price higher. In an effort to combat climate change, the...
Aug 05, 2021•30 min
SEC Chair Gary Gensler shares his plan for taming the “Wild West” that is the cryptocurrency ecosystem. After years of leadership in finance regulation and teaching blockchain technology at MIT, Gensler praises innovation, but calls for “guard rails.” China is aiming to curb new Covid cases, and New York City has a new access pass for its social scene: proof of vaccination. Plus, CNBC’s Eamon Javers reports that the CDC is stepping in to extend the eviction moratorium. Hosted by Simplecast, an A...
Aug 04, 2021•29 min
After 17 months and three vaccines, Covid cases continue to tick up, even in the U.S. Senate. Operation Hope Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant offers a progress report of his nonprofit’s efforts to alleviate financial strain on American workers amid the pandemic; he’s partnered with various U.S. corporations to provide financial coaching to employees. Delta CEO Ed Bastian attests to the impact this initiative has had for his own employees. Bastian also discusses maintaining Delta workers’ physic...
Aug 03, 2021•29 min
Jack Dorsey’s Square is acquiring Australian buy-now-pay-later company Afterpay in a $29 billion deal that deepens its foothold in digital payments. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses potential booster vaccines to curb continuing illness, and he considers the CDC’s data delivery and transparency. Plus, Disney's latest box office debut is straight out of the jungle, and an infrastructure package could mean a smoother ride for road trippers in the years to come. Hosted by Simplec...
Aug 02, 2021•29 min
The Covid Delta variant is likely infecting more people than are being recorded, according to former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. He discusses transmission and hospitalization rates and responds to concerning data from an internal CDC presentation obtained by The Washington Post. Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie considers what the variant data means for leisure travel, and explains why he hasn’t required vaccinations for his own employees or passengers. Scarlett Johansson and Disney are ...
Jul 30, 2021•29 min
Vlad Tenev, Robinhood CEO, says meme investing is no joke, “it’s a real thing.” Free stock trading app Robinhood surged in popularity among retail investors through the Covid-19 pandemic and the meme stock mania of 2021. The company sold shares in its Nasdaq launch at $38 a piece, valuing it over $30 billion. Tenev celebrates Robinhood’s IPO, the role of ‘payment for order flow’ in the next generation of investing, cryptocurrencies, and what the road to the public market means to him personally....
Jul 29, 2021•31 min
Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she’s skeptical that Bitcoin will prove to be a reliable hedge against inflation over the long run, a key reason some investors choose to own it -- and why she’s warning for tighter regulation, suggesting it will help root out “snake oil salesmen” and may shore up the confidence of investors in the nascent asset class. And, Warren’s tax proposal on the wealth of ultra-millionaires and billionaires garnered a lot of attention from Wall Street during the early days of th...
Jul 28, 2021•34 min
Beijing’s sweeping regulatory crackdown on technology, education, food delivery and property sectors has sent shockwaves across global markets, driving Chinese markets down. Kyle Bass of Hayman Capital Management says it's 'unconscionable' for global fund managers to invest in China. CNBC’s Eunice Yoon reports from a tutoring company in China as new rules in that once under-the-radar industry shed light on the demographic and industrial changes in the world’s second-largest economy. Tesla releas...
Jul 27, 2021•34 min
Luxury electric vehicle maker, Lucid Motors, debuts today under the ticker LCID. Lucid’s first electric vehicle, the $77,000 Lucid Air, is expected to be delivered to customers in the second half of 2021. Peter Rawlinson, chief executive officer at Lucid Motors, discusses the trading debut and the future of electric vehicles. Ratings for the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony were down 36% compared to 2016. Axios Media Reporter, Sara Fischer, and CNBC’s Jabari Young weigh in on the ratings, logisti...
Jul 26, 2021•31 min
Everybody’s online. Twitter’s second-quarter earnings came in stronger than analysts had anticipated as revenue grew 74% year over year in the quarter due to “a broad increase in advertiser demand.” Twitter’s Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal breaks down the earnings results, Bitcoin, and fighting misinformation on the platform. The Covid-19 Delta variant is highly-contagious. Former FDA Commissioner and Pfizer board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb says he expects businesses and organizations to take ...
Jul 23, 2021•36 min
A failed Senate test vote dealt a blow to the bipartisan infrastructure framework, but the plan could have a chance to move forward again as soon as Monday. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg believes there will be an infrastructure deal and said the Biden Administration’s “not trying to get gold-plated water pipes, just ones without lead.” AT&T beat analysts’ estimates for monthly phone bill paying subscriber additions in the second quarter, fueled by more Americans converting to 5G ph...
Jul 22, 2021•30 min
Verizon reported better-than-expected revenue and subscriber growth, raising its full-year outlook. Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg breaks down the results and how much our smartphones show about post-pandemic consumers. Famed visual artist Damien Hirst says he believes in the staying power of nonfungible tokens, or NFTs. He discusses his NFT project where the buyer eventually chooses whether to keep - or destroy - digital or physical art, aptly named “The Currency.” The Opening Ceremonies are still a...
Jul 21, 2021•32 min
World’s richest man leaves Earth. Jeff Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin, launched him into spaceflight history, riding in the inaugural human crew of the New Shepard rocket. Adam Jones, Morgan Stanley Head of Global Autos and Share Mobility discusses the investment implications of the Blue Origin launch and the road ahead for space tourism. New Covid-19 cases are up in the U.S., as the highly-contagious Delta variant spreads among unvaccinated Americans. Former Obama administration official Dr....
Jul 20, 2021•33 min
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman’s blank-check company Pershing Square Tontine Holdings has dropped a deal to buy 10% of Vivendi’s flagship Universal Music Group, following regulator concerns. Ackman discusses why he decided to pull his SPAC deal -- but is still investing in Universal Music -- the markets and his thoughts on Covid. He says the spread of the Delta variant doesn’t pose a significant threat to the economic reopening, and he sees interest rates rising on the back of the big comeback...
Jul 19, 2021•39 min
As Jeff Bezos prepares for his upcoming spaceflight, the Franklin Institute’s chief astronomer Derrick Pitts discusses details of the unpiloted Blue Origin craft and the differences between this billionaire’s trip to space and Sir Richard Branson’s. A Covid outbreak in California has prompted L.A. County to reinstate its mask mandate. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb identifies who’s at risk of contracting the Delta variant, and who’s spreading it. Plus, Cleveland Clinic and Mt. Sinai ...
Jul 16, 2021•33 min
Activist short seller Spruce Point Capital Management is accusing Oatly of shady accounting and greenwashing, claiming the stock is up to 70% overvalued. Spruce Point Founder and CIO Ben Axler explains his short position on the oat milk brand and defends the allegations. Netflix is making moves to enter the gaming space, but not without some watch list and content suggestions from Joe Kernen. Plus, the National Urban League is out with its annual “State of Black America” report. President and CE...
Jul 15, 2021•30 min
Founder, chairman, and CEO of the world’s largest asset manager, Larry Fink discusses inflation and the Delta variant as they impact the global economic recovery in an extended interview. With $9.5 trillion in assets under management, Fink’s BlackRock has participated in the Federal Reserve’s efforts to buoy the American economy--during the Covid-19 pandemic and during the financial crisis of 2008. New to the helm of Marriott, Tony Capuano offers a look at rising consumer interest in vacation an...
Jul 14, 2021•41 min
Pfizer executives shared data about vaccines and Covid-19 boosters with government agencies this week. After attending the meeting, NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci shares his expected timeline for boosters, confidence in vaccines, and global health outlook. CNBC Special Correspondent Scott Cohn unveils the network’s annual ranking: America’s Top States for Business. All 50 states are measured against each other with an extensive set of metrics, but only one claims the #1 spot. Plus, Chipotle, V...
Jul 13, 2021•36 min
Virgin Galactic successfully brought founder Sir Richard Branson and three other crew members in a suborbital space flight, its fourth spaceflight to date. Joe, Becky, Andrew, and discuss the trip’s implications for the space race and for aviation with CNBC’s Morgan Brennan, who was on the ground in New Mexico for the launch. Former Astronaut and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson shares his perspective on the billionaires’ space race and considers innovation, exploration, and competition on the glo...
Jul 12, 2021•41 min
In the final episode in Squawk Pod’s Berkshire Hathaway series, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger share their combined 187 years of wisdom, both in life and in finance. The two consider history’s patterns, from fiscal stimulus to global pandemic, and offer perspective on today’s economic and social problems. Buffett and Munger discuss wealth’s impact on character, both for individuals getting rich, and America, growing ever more prosperous. Reflecting on their years together, Buffett, Munger, an...
Jul 09, 2021•37 min
