Microsoft’s enormous deal for Activision Blizzard might be the catalyst for consolidation of metaverse projects in 2022 . AT&T and Verizon have turned on a major new part of 5G coverage , but alarm from some airlines has delayed the launch near U.S. airports. Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg discusses 5G safety and how the new 5G C-band coverage could supercharge the internet, just in time for more metaverse projects. Plus, Pfizer’s new Covid antiviral drug is effective against the omicron variant,...
Jan 19, 2022•34 min
Microsoft announced it will buy video game giant Activision Blizzard in a $68.7 billion all-cash deal . Under the deal, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who has faced calls to resign over the cultural problems within his company, will remain CEO during the transition. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner and CNBC contributor, discusses the omicron Covid variant and says its global spread is inevitable. CNBC’s Eunice Yoon reports on China’s latest efforts to tamp down a recent uptick in Covid-...
Jan 18, 2022•29 min
Carl Bernstein, the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist behind Watergate, discusses the evolution of the news industry, what constitutes good journalism, and his new book, ‘Chasing History’. The Transportation Department is launching a $27 billion program to repair and upgrade roughly 15,000 highway bridges across the nation as part of the infrastructure law approved in November. White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese discusses the Build Back Better bill, rising i...
Jan 14, 2022•38 min
Delta and other airlines are facing headwinds from weather and rising cases of omicron, but Delta CEO Ed Bastian predicts a travel rebound at the end of February. Speaking with CNBC’s Phil LeBeau and the ‘Squawk Box’ team, Bastian reacts to the company’s latest quarterly earnings report , the rising cost of oil, and Delta’s ranking on 2022′s “Just 100” list. After lobbying the CDC to shorten quarantine guidelines from 10 to 5 days to mitigate airline staffing issues, Delta is now facing backlash...
Jan 13, 2022•20 min
Investors are considering what Fed Chair Powell’s second term means for their portfolios, particularly after the Labor Department revealed that inflation grew at its fastest 12-month pace in nearly 40 years during December. CNBC’s Ylan Mui reports on the growing calls for new stock trading rules for Capitol Hill lawmakers and for Fed officials. Also in DC, Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) discusses common ground between Democrats and Republicans, and whether Congress can build back the Bide...
Jan 12, 2022•34 min
Legendary trader and Just Capital co-founder Paul Tudor Jones discusses this year’s “Just 100” list, which ranks companies based on ESG issues. Julie Sweet, CEO of number 17 on the list Accenture, shares how her focus on sustainability and diversity has helped her company’s bottom line. Paul Tudor Jones lays out his outlook for the U.S. economy in 2022, including the Fed, crypto, and more. As new Covid cases rise, consumers are scrambling to buy tests online, especially as brick-and-mortar retai...
Jan 11, 2022•36 min
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says the company will have an omicron vaccine ready by March, just in case. He discusses global vaccine distribution, the covid treatment pill, and what he’s hoping for in 2022 with CNBC’s Meg Tirrell, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin. SEC Chairman Gary Gensler discusses regulatory goals on his 2022 docket, including bolstering transparency for investors. Plus, China is attempting to mitigate a surge of Omicron before the Winter Olympics, and tennis champion Novak Djo...
Jan 10, 2022•38 min
The tech stock darlings of the pandemic have finally hit a pullback. For the first time in five years, the Dow is outperforming the Nasdaq. The Fed’s signals for rate hikes on the horizon has prompted a reversal for high-growth cloud stocks, which could spell trouble for portfolios of tech bulls like Cathie Wood. Omicron is weighing on the markets and a group of former advisers to President Biden, who urge, “We need to do better.” Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses test and vac...
Jan 07, 2022•38 min
One year after the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, we consider leadership, complicity, and the future of American democracy with New York Times columnist Tom Friedman. President Biden delivered remarks from Statuary Hall of the Capitol building, a space that a year ago was overrun by rioters discontent with the 2020 election results: “You can’t love your country only when you win.” In this episode: Tom Friedman, @tomfriedman Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin Katie K...
Jan 06, 2022•18 min
President Joe Biden’s overall disapproval rating reached a new high in December as more voters signaled their unhappiness with his handling of the economy and the Covid pandemic. Harvard University’s Arthur Brooks, AEI president emeritus, contributing writer for the Atlantic, and host of “The Art of Happiness,” breaks down why Americans are feeling disappointed with the U.S. economy despite strong employment and economic metrics. Walmart and Kroger have raised the price of Abbott’s at-home Covid...
Jan 05, 2022•35 min
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty on four of eleven charges in her criminal fraud trial; CNBC’s Scott Cohn breaks down the jury’s verdict and the life that now awaits Holmes. The U.S. reported a record 1 million cases of new Covid infections on Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The record single-day total may be due in part to delayed reporting from over the holiday weekend. Dr. Kavita Patel, former White House health policy director and fellow at t...
Jan 04, 2022•28 min
Kicking off 2022, CNBC’s Meg Tirrell discusses the latest surge in Covid-19 cases, up more than 200% in the last two weeks. 2021’s issues at the airport continue in 2022, as well: over 13,000 flights were canceled in the U.S. between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. CNBC’s Phil LeBeau reports on the latest wave of flight cancellations and says airlines have blamed the disruptions on a combination of bad weather and omicron infections that sidelined staff. While a problem for air travel, Covid-1...
Jan 03, 2022•36 min
In the final episode in Squawk Pod’s special series on the wealth and wisdom of the leaders behind Berkshire Hathaway, 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. ...
Dec 30, 2021•37 min
In part three of our most popular episodes of Squawk Pod, featuring real stories behind the leadership of Berkshire Hathaway, CEO Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger share lessons learned from investing through nearly 7 decades of economic history. In conversations with Becky Quick, the two share their perspective on axe murderers, “swingers,” and the costs of a free market, and the two speak candidly on the dangers of Robinhood, bitcoin, and stock market “gambles.” Buffett identifie...
Dec 29, 2021•35 min
In part two of a series of Squawk Pod episodes - Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman and long-time partner and friend Charlie Munger recount their humble origins at the same Nebraska grocery store, tracing their nearly 70-year-long journey through their worst trades and best influences. The two discuss Berkshire Hathaway succession plans and the links between being the bigger person and making the bigger profit in conversations with CNBC’s Becky Quick spanning the last 15 yea...
Dec 28, 2021•29 min
In the first of a special series of Squawk Pod episodes, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger speak with CNBC’s Becky Quick about their 60 years of friendship and their journey building Berkshire Hathaway. In this special, refreshed episode, hear archival audio of Buffett through history: from the 1960s, the early 2000s, and pandemic-era America. Buffett and Munger recall their earliest days in the insurance business, how the two became friends, and how failure taught them lessons that they still l...
Dec 27, 2021•32 min
As the rush for pre-holiday Covid tests continues, new studies suggest that omicron may have lower hospitalization risk than other Covid-19 variants. CNBC’s Meg Tirrell discusses the new data as well as the FDA’s approval of Pfizer’s therapeutic pill and the other oral treatments that could come in 2022. While the variant puts extra pressure on an already squeezed supply chain, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg provides an update on the nation’s supply chain bottlenecks and collaboration b...
Dec 23, 2021•33 min
In light of rising Covid-19 cases in New York, restaurateur Danny Meyer has made the call to temporarily close a number of establishments owned by his company, Union Square Hospitality Group. Meyer discusses a new vaccination policy that he hopes will help keep staff and patrons safe. As founder of Shake Shack, Meyer also weighs in on the french fry shortage, as well as the superior fry shape. Biotechs aiming to increase our lifespans and reverse aging-related diseases have garnered billions fro...
Dec 22, 2021•39 min
Dr. Syra Madad, senior director of the system-wide pathogens program at New York City Health and Hospitals, considers the pandemic still in its “emergency” phase as cases of omicron outpace those of other variants. But, the game must go on--for the NFL, at least. While the NHL and college basketball teams have paused and postponed their games, the National Football League is taking a new approach to managing Covid-19 cases after over 100 players in the league tested positive. HGGC president and ...
Dec 21, 2021•30 min
Global markets are wavering as cases of the omicron variant ticks up around the world. Moderna says its Covid booster dose does bolster antibodies against the new variant, but even so, CNBC’s Robert Frank reports that big banks are reversing their return-to-work policies. CNBC’s Meg Tirrell explains the Moderna news and compares data on cases of Covid’s omicron and delta variants, and former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb offers best testing practices to families hoping to gather for a safe...
Dec 20, 2021•36 min
Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor, weighs in on holiday parties with vaccinated family and friends as Covid-19 omicron variant spreads throughout the United States. The nation’s top infectious disease doctor discusses a possible redefinition of what it means to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Changes are certainly “on the table,” said Dr. Fauci, who emphasizes there is no doubt that optimum vaccination is with a booster dose. Currently, individuals are considered to be f...
Dec 17, 2021•31 min
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is developing new antibodies that work against the omicron variant of Covid-19, after the company confirmed that its current cocktail has diminished potency against the heavily mutated strain. CEO Leonard Schleifer says Regeneron plans to conduct trials on the new antibodies in the first quarter of 2022. The Federal Reserve’s move to accelerate its taper but not yet move the needle on interest rates has left market analysts in disagreement over whether it was the right ...
Dec 16, 2021•28 min
In this special podcast, Andrew Ross Sorkin spoke with Galleon Group Founder, Raj Rajaratnam , who was convicted in 2011 of 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy in one of the biggest insider trading cases in history. Prosecutors accused him of making tens of millions of dollars by trading illegal information about stocks like eBay, Goldman Sachs and Alphabet, then known as Google. Now he’s spent seven years in prison, paid more than $150 million in fines and his first interview after bei...
Dec 15, 2021•38 min
As the specter of omicron looms large over the festive season, governments around the world are desperately trying to deploy Covid-19 booster shots in order to bolster people’s protection against the more transmissible variant. Meanwhile, Pfizer is working on the first antiviral Covid-19 pill. CNBC’s Meg Tirrell broke down the final analysis of Pfizer’s Covid-19 pill that showed a near 90% efficacy in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk patients. Companies from Lyft to Ford have ...
Dec 14, 2021•27 min
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed today that at least one patient infected with the new omicron variant of Covid-19 has died in the country. In a televised statement yesterday, Johnson warned Britain faces a “tidal wave” of omicron infections. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner and CNBC contributor, discusses the latest developments surrounding the worrisome omicron coronavirus variant and says the world should take notice. The biggest question looming over Capitol Hill is whe...
Dec 13, 2021•38 min
Inflation accelerated at its fastest pace since 1982, putting pressure on the economic recovery and raising the stakes for the Federal Reserve. CNBC’s senior economics reporter, Steve Liesman, breaks down the latest consumer price index data. Dr. Kavita Patel, former White House health policy director and fellow at the Brookings Institution, reports on the latest CDC recommendations around Covid-19 booster shots. Restaurateur Lidia Bastianich discusses the pandemic’s impact on the restaurant ind...
Dec 10, 2021•30 min
Cathie Wood, CEO and CIO of Ark Invest, says bitcoin’s value could go up by $500,000 over time as hedge funds and other large investors move in. She also shared her most recent thoughts on Twitter, Tesla, as well as details on Ark Invest’s newest exchange-traded fund. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, testified for the first time before Congress and refused to commit to permanently ending the paused plans to create a version of the platform for kids under 13. Lawmakers expressed frustration and distru...
Dec 09, 2021•34 min
Pfizer and BioNTech say three doses of their vaccine provide a high level of protection against the omicron variant of the virus that causes Covid-19. CNBC’s Meg Tirrell breaks down the latest data and reports the third shot shows virus-fighting abilities comparable with the 95% protection provided by two doses against the original strain of the virus. CNBC’s Ylan Mui reports how Congress is trying to block the Biden administration’s nationwide Covid-19 vaccine mandate on businesses. Sen. Mark W...
Dec 08, 2021•27 min
Congress and the Federal Reserve will have more impact on what happens to the economy and markets than the pandemic, according to Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, who joins Squawk Box exclusively from the bank’s headquarters in Manhattan. With support from both starting to fade in the days ahead, Solomon says investors should take heed and plan accordingly. He also discussed China, recent market uncertainty, cryptocurrencies, and why he thinks inflation could run ‘above trend’ for a period of ti...
Dec 07, 2021•30 min
At least 17 states have detected the omicron coronavirus variant and that number is expected to rise according to the CDC. Former FDA Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb and CNBC’s Meg Tirrell report on the spread and severity of the omicron variant. Buzzfeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti discusses the digital media company’s debut as a public company through a SPAC merger, after an unusually high number of investor redemptions. Peretti also breaks down the company’s planned path to profitability and i...
Dec 06, 2021•38 min
