Squawk Pod

Former President Donald Trump's political allies are crafting a plan to increase his influence over the Federal Reserve, potentially even making him an "acting" member of the central bank’s board, according to The Wall Street Journal. Nick Timiraos, the Journal's Chief Economics Correspondent, discusses the implications if Trump wins in November. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb weighs in on Moderna's partnership with Ope...

The Federal Trade Commission voted for a nationwide ban against noncompete agreements, which companies use to prevent employees from taking jobs with competitors in the same industry. FTC Chair Lina Khan addresses the agency's decision for the ban, as well as the potential impacts on businesses and workers. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson and his Republican colleagues faced opposition when they appeared at Columbia University...

Google has fired 50 employees over sit-in protests at the office. Yale Lecturer Joanne Lipman and The Verge’s Alex Heath discuss activism in the office, and tech’s inflection point with its employees. Jason Furman, a Democrat economist, is making his case against President Biden’s student debt relief plan, arguing that it will make inflation worse. CNBC’s Steve Liesman is breaking down U.S. productivity data and what it means for t...

Elite university campuses are fraught with tension as students clash with each other and college administrations over the Israel-Hamas War. Over 100 students have been arrested from pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Yale, NYU, and Columbia campuses, videos of brazen antisemitism have gone viral, and one Rabbi in Columbia’s community encouraged Jewish students to go home for their own safety. NYC Rabbi David Ingber explains the esca...

At Columbia in New York, protests and antisemitism on campus have prompted a day of remote learning for student safety, as well as commentary from Mayor Eric Adams. In DC, the House has passed a series of bills securing aid funding for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, as well as the divest-or-ban TikTok bill. CNBC’s Emily Wilkins reports on the legislation and its impact on Speaker Mike Johnson’s career. In the thick of Wall Street’s e...

After Israel’s retaliatory strike at Iran, NBC’s Raf Sanchez is on the ground in Tel Aviv, reporting that both countries are downplaying an escalation. Stateside, CNBC’s Emily Wilkins discusses the TikTok divest-or-ban bill’s road through Congress, including its vote this weekend. Former White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra explains the national security threats and TikTok’s road ahead. Plus, Meta has launched its new...

Caitlin Clark will make under $77,000 a year as the WNBA’s top pick, while her counterpart in the NBA will make $10.5m. CNBC’s Jon Fortt explains the gender gap in sports salaries and in revenues. Microsoft has found that Russia’s election interference is already underway; the company’s former cyber policy head and current chief public policy officer at SentinelOne Chris Krebs says it’s a group effort, to keep global votes safe fro...

Months after a Delaware judge voided Elon Musk’s pay package from Tesla, Tesla is asking shareholders to vote again on Musk’s $56B compensation deal. In a proxy statement, the company is also asking shareholders to approve moving Tesla’s incorporation from Delaware to Texas. Tulane Law professor Ann Lipton parses the proxy and the legal precedent for this shareholder vote. President Biden is hoping to triple the China tariff rate o...

Days after bitcoin’s weekend plunge and days before the bitcoin halving, Galaxy Digital CEO Michael Novogratz discusses the trajectory of crypto assets amid geopolitical and monetary policy uncertainty. Shares of Trump Media are down 60% from the company’s high in March, after its debut. Semafor business and finance editor Liz Hoffman discusses Truth Social, the platform Trump Media owns, and she considers who owns the volatile sto...

In a first-ever direct attack, Iran launched 300 drones and missiles at military targets inside Israel. The New York Times National Security Correspondent David Sanger explains the geopolitics at play in the Middle East and beyond, including the roles of China and Russia in a conflict between Iran and Israel. CNBC’s Eamon Javers discusses the US response in Washington, and CNBC’s Steve Liesman explains the impact of escalating tens...

The Anti-Defamation League has released its Antisemitism Report Cards, grading U.S. universities on rates of antisemitism and administration responses to discrimination against Jewish students. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt explains why institutions like MIT, Harvard, and Princeton got failing grades, and what it means for prospective students. As food inflation rises, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack discusses rising costs, dwindli...

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sits down with Andrew Ross Sorkin at Amazon headquarters in Seattle, the morning Jassy published his annual letter to shareholders. In an extended, wide-ranging conversation with Andrew, Andy Jassy discusses AI-enabled transformations (like delivery drones!), building out technology for every part of the tech stack, and streaming sports on Amazon Prime. Plus, Jassy weighs in on regulator scrutiny on the tech i...

The Consumer Price Index came in hotter than expected, rising 3.5% from a year ago and 0.4% on the month. CNBC’s Rick Santelli and Steve Liesman break down the report and its implications for the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy with former Labor Department Chief Economist Betsey Stevenson. A Boeing engineer has turned whistleblower, alleging issues on the Boeing aircraft assembly line. Former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt discu...

President Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the first White House visit from Japan’s PM since 2015. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel discusses geopolitics in Asia and managing a “frenemy” relationship with China. YouTuber group Dude Perfect has secured over $100m from investor Jason Illian, the general partner at Highmount Capital. They discuss the group's expansion beyond YouTube and the many trickshots...

Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino is watching the eclipse from Arkansas, square in the path of totality. He explains how to safely view the event, either with special glasses or with a pinhole camera. South Carolina women’s basketball defeated Caitlin Clark’s Iowa team in the NCAA championship. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, former Deloitte CEO, discusses the victory’s momentum for women’s sports and record breaking viewersh...

After the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, Baltimore is hoping to clear debris in the port and rebuild. Ahead of President Biden’s visit to the city, Maryland Governor discusses Baltimore’s importance to the entire U.S. economy, and delivers a message to lawmakers in Washington reluctant to approve federal funds for the rebuild. Venture capitalist Alan Patricof has seen many tech revolutions, and he’s optimistic about AI’s. At 89...

Disney’s Bob Iger has won his boardroom proxy battle against Nelson Peltz. Media mogul and IAC Chairman Barry Diller weighs in on the evolution of entertainment, including the path forward for Disney, for Paramount Global, and for streamers competing with Netflix. As founder of Fox Broadcasting and former CEO of Paramount, Diller shares his perspective on TikTok, AI, and a four-day workweek. Plus, Snapchat is testing a new feature ...

Billionaire hedge funder and Point72 CEO and Chairman Steve Cohen discusses his $2.4B purchase of the New York Mets, his investment in golf via the PGA and Tomorrow Golf League, and his bet on sports business. Cohen shares his view on AI equities and on the Federal Reserve’s goal of a 2% inflation rate. Plus, an update on the boardroom drama at Disney. 

Steven Cohen - 10:52

In this episode:

Steven Cohen, @StevenACohen2

Joe Kernen, @J...

Neuberger Berman senior portfolio manager Steve Eisman weighs in on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate debate; Eisman says, the economy is fine, and the Fed has no reason to cut rates this year. Former Flywheel CEO Sarah Robb O’Hagan explains her experiment with a four-day-workweek at her new company, Exos. Plus, Disney’s future hangs in the balance of a board vote this week, shares of Trump Media stock DJT jumped and then stumble...