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Squawk Pod

Squawk Pod is a daily, guided curation of the top moments and takeaways from CNBC’s flagship morning show, “Squawk Box”, anchored by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin. Each day, the podcast includes news making interviews, perspective and analysis from iconic guest hosts, and slices of debate and discussion—from the heated to the hilarious— all wrapped with exclusive context and color from Senior Producer Katie Kramer.
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Episodes

September 11th, 20 Years Later

In remembrance of September 11, 2001, New York Times foreign affairs columnist Tom Friedman, Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Partners CEO and chairman Howard Lutnick, and CNBC’s Contessa Brewer reflect on that tragic day, how the world was shaped by it, and what’s next, at home and abroad. Lutnick remembers over two thirds of the Cantor Fitzgerald employees lost in the 9/11 attacks, and speaks to the Cantor Fitzgerald-BGC Partners annual Charity Day, in support of their families. CNBC’s Contessa Brewe...

Sep 10, 202139 min

ABCs with Lululemon CEO & “The Anti-Social Network” with Ben Mezrich

GameStop’s latest quarterly report did little to answer Wall Street’s--and Reddit’s--concerns about the company’s turnaround plan and sky-high stock price. Ben Mezrich, author of “The Anti-Social Network,” joined to discuss his book about the Gamestop saga and how it continues to shake up Wall Street. Lululemon shares hit a fresh, all-time high after the retailer blew past Wall Street’s expectations in its latest fiscal quarter. Famous for its women’s leggings and “ABC” jogger pants for men (Joe...

Sep 09, 202131 min

Board Diversity Data; Fed Investment Ethics; The Homes of Holmes

Private venture- and private equity-backed companies have a homogeneity problem: Black directors have consistently held only 1 percent of board seats at these companies, and Latinx directors have held even less. Gabrielle Sulzberger of Two Sigma and Ursula Burns, former Xerox CEO, founded the Board Diversity Action Alliance, and they have data to prove that now is the time to make a change. CNBC’s Steve Liesman reports on Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan’s portfolio holdings after Kaplan made ...

Sep 08, 202131 min

Microsoft’s Cyber Walls; “Shang-Chi” at the Box Office; SoftBank Strikes a Deal

Microsoft President Brad Smith discusses cyber risks in the digital age, and explains his company’s effort to support federal, state, and local governments in building safe online infrastructure. He details Microsoft’s pledge to invest $20 billion in cybersecurity over the next 5 years and the chip shortage hitting global markets. Disney and Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” broke box office records in the U.S., garnering an estimated $71.4 over the holiday weekend. Whi...

Sep 07, 202130 min

The Job Hunt; Cathie Wood’s Car Call; The Delta Wave

In August, the US economy added only 235,000 jobs, much less than economists were expecting. The hiring blitz at bars and restaurants came to an abrupt halt in August as more Covid-19 cases and a scarcity of willing workers kept employers from adding to payrolls. CNBC’s analysis of the August 2021 jobs report shows a loss of 42,000 jobs in food services and drinking places last month. Nela Richardson of ADP, Jason Furman of Harvard, and CNBC’s Steve Liesman and Rick Santelli discuss the disappoi...

Sep 03, 202127 min

Ida Heads North; Building Better with Walter Isaacson; Box Office Blues

At least 22 people were killed as the remnants of Hurricane Ida battered New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. NBC meteorologist Bill Karins reports on Ida’s path and the record rain and flooding that deluged the region and triggered states of emergency on Thursday. CNBC’s Ylan Mui and Walter Isaacson, history professor at Tulane and renowned author, discuss how the extreme weather may impact priorities for Washington’s infrastructure deal. CNBC’s Meg Tirrell reports that new data from GoodRx ...

Sep 02, 202127 min

Kids, Covid, & Classrooms; KPMG’s C-Suite Survey

As students return to physical classrooms, cases of Covid-19 are ticking up among children. The Academy of American Pediatrics President Dr. Lee Savio Beers discusses classroom safety and a timeline for a kids’ vaccine. In a survey of 400 U.S. CEOs, KPMG found that American executives are optimistic about the economy, despite more and more delays to the return to office. Paul Knopp, KPMG U.S. CEO and chair, discusses the c-suite outlook on inflation, hybrid work, and taxation. Plus, August was a...

Sep 01, 202126 min

Evacuation Complete; Energy at Home & Abroad; Fed Talk with Mohamed El-Erian

America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan came to an end as the Americans stationed there finished their evacuation. CNBC’s Eamon Javers details the military’s next steps for extracting the remaining group of Americans in the country, as well as the Biden administration’s strategy to monitor the Taliban. CNBC’s Frank Holland reports on how residents of New Orleans are planning for the days ahead as the city remains without power and with limited access to other resources in the wake of Hurricane Ida....

Aug 31, 202132 min

On the Ground in Ida-Struck Louisiana

Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday as a Category 4 storm with winds of 150 miles per hour, one of the strongest storms to hit the region since Hurricane Katrina. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) discusses the damage caused by Hurricane Ida as over one million people in the region--including his own family--are without power. The United States is a day away from ending its evacuation mission in Kabul, marking the apparent end of a 20-year engagement in Afghanistan. AEI President Emerit...

Aug 30, 202124 min

ISIS-K & Kabul; Covid & Classrooms; US Open with USTA CEO

The U.S. and its allies have warned that more terrorist attacks in Kabul are likely, as the deadline for military withdrawal from Afghanistan draws near. CNBC’s Eamon Javers reports on the latest information gathered after the twin suicide bombings in Kabul. Children are now being hospitalized in record numbers across the United States, and doctors are warning that it could get worse as physical classrooms welcome students back. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, vice provost of global initiatives at the Univ...

Aug 27, 202131 min

Jab Incentives & Ultimatums; A Marketplace for Fakes; The Scoop on Jelly

Delta Air Lines is the first company to raise health insurance premiums for employees that are not vaccinated against Covid-19. Shellye Archambeau, board member of Verizon, Okta and Nordstrom, discusses whether this move is the beginning of a movement from employers, and shares how executives are weighing vaccine incentives and ultimatums in the boardroom. J.M. Smucker CEO Mark Smucker says inflation and supply chain issues are hitting the jelly business, but Smucker’s is still expanding its por...

Aug 26, 202131 min

A Boost for J&J; Tim Cook’s 10 Years at Apple; Meme Stocks Surging

Johnson & Johnson announced that it has enough data to support administering a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Following the announcement, the CDC tweeted that they need more data and information before recommending a booster dose from J&J. CNBC’s Meg Tirrell reports on the new research supporting the booster. Tim Cook was named CEO of Apple 10 years ago. He took over Apple at a turbulent time when Jobs was battling pancreatic cancer and the company's future seemed uncertain. Toni ...

Aug 25, 202131 min

Standstill on the Hill; Vaccines, Mandates, and Workplace Rights

The House has once again delayed a planned vote to advance two key proposals that make up President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) and Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) discuss the path forward for an infrastructure deal and a budget resolution. Major companies – from Walt Disney to Walmart – have already mandated Covid-19 vaccines for some or all of their employees, and now that the FDA has granted the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine full approval, more businesses are poised to follow suit...

Aug 24, 202137 min

Pfizer Vaccine Approval with NIH Director

The FDA has fully approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine. Director of the National Institutes of Health Dr. Francis Collins explains what this approval might mean for vaccine hesitancy across the country. He also answers questions about vaccine safety for children, as young people prepare to return to school amid an uptick in cases of the Delta variant. Beloved game show Jeopardy! is host-less as the show still searches for Alex Trebek’s successor. Variety’s business editor Cynthia Litt...

Aug 23, 202131 min

Billie Jean King: Icon, Champion, Trailblazer

In an extended interview, sports icon and 39-time Grand Slam champion Billie Jean King discusses the 2021 U.S. Open Tennis Championship amid pandemic and her autobiography, “All In.” As more and more professional athletes speak out about mental health in sports, King considers her own experience with mental health, the media, and activism. In a conversation exclusive to Squawk Pod, Joe Kernen shares why he finds her journey so inspirational and emotional, and underlines her role in pushing all o...

Aug 20, 202131 min

Social Media Bans: from Trump to the Taliban; WHO Jabs at the Third U.S. Shot

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, 202133 min

Target CEO Brian Cornell; Boosting Public Safety; Tech Turbulence in China

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, 202134 min

New York Isn’t Dead, & Neither Is Hollywood: Related’s Jeff Blau & Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel

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, 202138 min

The Taliban, A 'Taper Tantrum,' & Tesla

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, 202130 min

The Third Shot: Dr. Scott Gottlieb

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, 202140 min

Into the Crypto-Verse: Coinbase CFO

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, 202120 min

AMC, Meme Stocks, & Short-Seller Jim

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, 202133 min

Ted Cruz & Mandate Madness

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, 202124 min

Getting to Work: U.S. Labor and Commerce Secretaries

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, 202123 min

Vaccinated Only: CNN, United Airlines, & the Corporate Moves (& Jobs) Still to Come

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, 202133 min

A Meme Stock’s Meta Phase; Uber CEO on Surges & Safety; Driving Climate Solutions with Pete Buttigieg

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, 202130 min

NYC All Access Passes & Guard Rails for the “Wild West”

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, 202129 min

Hope, Finance, & Empowerment with Delta CEO; “Spiritual Opium”; Out of Juice

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, 202129 min

A Square Deal; Delta Data; Infrastructure’s Road Ahead

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, 202129 min

A CDC Reversal, Spirit Airlines CEO, & Hood-winked: After the IPO

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, 202129 min
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