Squawk Pod

25 years since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Squawk Box remembers those who were lost and those who rebuilt. KBW CEO Tom Michaud, spared that day by mere chance, remembers the third of his colleagues who were killed in the south World Trade Center tower. Michaud also celebrates the heroism and unity that came after that day and highlights ways to foster a resilient community in New York today. In 2026, AI is becoming a flashpoint for concern and for unity. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang has suggested that cybersecurity companies stoking the fires of alarm, while President Trump dismissed AI fears an...

Former Google Design Ethicist Tristan Harris is now co-founder and president of the Center for Humane Technology, and he explains the alarm from AI researchers, executives, and investors on rogue and “uncontrollable” AI. Harris comments on AI regulation, leadership, the new opinion piece from Paul Tudor Jones, and recent departures from frontier labs like Anthropic. Canada’s Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre discusses the U.S.-Canada trade relationship and the future of his country’s politics. Plus, President Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Democrat Senator John Fetterman spoke at the GOP Midterm Convention in Dallas.

Tris...

Microsoft has teamed up with the American Federation of Teachers to create guardrails for AI in classrooms. Microsoft President Brad Smith and AFT President Randi Weingarten discuss data protections for students using AI as well as the ongoing challenge of matching the paces of AI safety and AI innovation. A year after Charlie Kirk’s assassination in Utah, Governor Spencer Cox (R-Utah) has released his book, “Off Ramp: How to Be a Peacemaker in an Age of Contempt.” Gov. Cox discusses the importance of bipartisan discussion in a healthy democracy, and addresses concerns about data center construction in his state...

Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods–including on U.S. steel and dairy–have taken effect as fallout continues from the collapse of trade talks last month. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is celebrating AGI after OpenAI released GPT-6 while the lab’s chief scientist issued a warning about AI scaling. Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, discusses fraud in America’s healthcare system, global drug pricing and innovation, and the widespread impact of obesity drugs. Plus, a new documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes was unveiled at Telluride, and investor Kevin O’Leary ha...

: The long tail of the NBA’s shocking punishment of LA Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.  Podcaster Pablo Torre has been at the center of this story; he and Washington University’s Patrick Rishe discuss the latest reporting and the future options for the NBA. Rep. Greg Casar, the Texas Democrat who chairs the House progressive caucus, describes the need for legislation he’s introduced with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to ban artificial superintelligence, when concerns are high about hacks by rogue agents. Plus, diesel prices hit a new high, global bonds remain vulnerable and Vice Preside...

Nvidia has officially agreed to buy open-source artificial intelligence platform Hugging Face for $12.9 billion, as the chipmaker and world’s most valuable company moves into a future beyond hardware. The CEOs of both companies, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Hugging Face’s Clement Delangue,  join exclusively to discuss the terms of the courtship and the deal – and the future of artificial intelligence’s open source commitment. Plus, the NBA suspends Clippers’ owner Steve Ballmer for violating terms of the league’s salary cap in signing Kawhi Leonard. And, New York City schools ban AI from elementary school classrooms

Jensen Huang...

Berkshire Hathaway’s new CEO Greg Abel is in Tokyo, where he’s discussing the firm’s stakes in Japanese trading houses. Abel also discusses Berkshire’s Alphabet stake, a portfolio shift spearheaded by Warren Buffett. Then, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick joins the show from the G20 in North Carolina. Ahead of a fireside chat with Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Sec. Lutnick discusses the data center boom, semiconductor tariffs, American competitiveness, and his own perspective on the collapse of trade talks with Canada. 

Greg Abel - 5:19

Sec. Howard Lutnick - 30...

Anthropic has secured a $35 billion deal with Nvidia-backed Lambda for a Texas data center, and today Apple welcomes its new CEO John Ternus, after Tim Cook’s 15 years on the job. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani has assembled a 15-person business advisory council to bridge his office with Wall Street. One councilmember, RXR CEO Scott Rechler, discusses why he agreed to participate, despite initial uncertainty about the Mayor’s plans for New York. Plus, pioneer of index-fund investing David Booth has written a book on his investing philosophy: “Stay Calm: Learn to Embrace Uncertainty in Investing and Life.” The legendary investor...

In the first attack since July, the U.S. struck Iran at Larak Island. CNBC’s Dan Murphy reports on the latest exchanges from Dubai. OpenAI will end access to Cursor after SpaceX’s acquisition of the AI startup. At the G20 in Asheville, North Carolina, former U.S. Treasury official Joe LaVorgna explains his optimism about America’s economic trajectory and weighs in on both the Treasury’s bond buyback plan and Kevin Warsh’s next interest rate announcement. Plus, Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes correspondent Erik Davis discusses the busy summer movie season and the five impressive weeks at the box...

After reporting a strong Q4, Affirm’s stock surged. Affirm CEO Max Levchin discusses his view of the consumer and the economy, from his position in buy-now, pay-later platform that also offers credit cards. Meta reached an $18 billion multi-state settlement in its social media addiction trial, as CNBC’s Julia Boorstin reports, and a judge ruled in favor of Anthropic, finding that the Pentagon took illegal action in categorizing the company as a supply chain risk.  The Information CEO and Editor-in-Chief Jessica Lessin discusses both tech headlines, as well as reports of an Anthropic IPO in October. Plus, President Trump...

Nvidia reported a blowout quarter, issuing optimistic revenue guidance that’s pushing the stock higher. CNBC’s Kristina Partsinevelos discusses CEO Jensen Huang’s comments after the report and the response on Wall Street. Senator Dave Mccormick (R-PA) discusses inflationary pressures on Americans in his own state, particularly in the context of the ongoing war in Iran. Ahead of the midterms, Sen. McCormick discusses the future of Democrats, Republicans, and bipartisanship. Amid summer travel, CEO of Chase Travel Jason Wynn sees Americans sticking to their vacationing plans despite cost pressures. He calls it an “E-shaped economy.”

Kristina P...

Labor Secretary under President Clinton Robert Reich discusses the tariffs between the U.S. and Canada and AI’s impact on the workforce, as well as wealth taxes, the rise of populism in the U.S., and the K-shaped economy that he says is driving them both. One of the largest hurdles for AI and the data center race is power. Emerald AI CEO Varun Sivaram has built a solution in flexible power sourcing to ease strain on the grid, and backers like Samsung, Nvidia, and Salesforce have bet on his success. Plus, Bill Gates has issued a lengthy war...

Legendary investor Stanley Druckenmiller has penned a sharp op-ed criticizing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s new bond buyback strategy. In “Operation Economic Outcast,” President Trump is attempting to pressure Iran by way of its trading partners. CNBC’s Eunice Yoon explains China’s role in the strategy and in Iran’s oil economy. After U.S.-Canada trade talks collapsed, tariffs set in on some Canadian exports to the U.S. Canadian Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc shares his country’s side of the negotiations. Plus, the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael discusses the Department of Defen...

After the U.S. treasury yields surged to levels not seen in nearly 20 years, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Treasury would double the size of its government debt repurchases. Treasury Department officials tell CNBC’s Steve Liesman that the plan could be funded by the Treasury’s General Account Fund, or its “rainy day” fund. Trade talks between the U.S. and Canada have collapsed, bringing 50% tariffs into effect on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods coming over the border. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer explains his own perspective on the negotiations. Nvidia is reportedly considering...

Proposition 40, a proposed wealth tax in California, has sparked heated debate among investors, tech founders, and billionaires. Venture capitalist Ben Narasin argues that the tax and the solutions put forward by politicians including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) would harm the businesses that drive a large portion of America’s economy. Teletherapy platform Talkspace is betting that AI can do more good than harm in mental healthcare. CEO Dr. Jon Cohen explains how therapists and patients are using AI in and outside of traditional therapy. Plus, Joe Kernen and Andrew Ross Sorkin discuss the latest on bitcoin’s boom, Treasury Secreta...

The morning after crypto and tech leaders met President Trump at the White House, attendee and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong discusses the Clarity Act vote in September. Armstrong is optimistic that crypto will begin a new bull run in the fall. AI data center construction has become a political flashpoint in the primaries and upcoming midterms as candidates navigate support and pushback in their communities. Pollster and political strategist Frank Luntz discusses data center marketing among constituents, as well as the future of the Democratic Party as the Democratic Socialists of America gain traction nationwide. Plus, President Trump has th...

Shares of Moderna and Merck are surging on positive results from a Phase 3 trial of a groundbreaking cancer treatment. After a decade in development, individualized mRNA “vaccines” and established cancer treatment Keytruda result in reduced risk of recurrence or death. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel and Merck Research Laboratories president Dr. Dean Li discuss this pivotal moment in medicine and how it fits into the long term visions for both Merck and Moderna. CEO of design and coding platform Figma Dylan Field discusses his company’s wild year as a public company and building public trust in AI. Plus, it was pri...

In an exclusive, rare interview, CEO and co-founder of Hims & Hers Andrew Dudum sits down with Andrew Ross Sorkin. Dudum maps out his vision for an AI-enabled American healthcare system, comments on the FTC’s lawsuit, and reflects on his company’s impact on GLP1 access and affordability. CNBC’s Alex Sherman reports on the Buss family drama playing out on the Lakers, and Meta is once again on trial over social media addiction allegations. AI avatar startup Genies has made an AI version of CNBC’s Becky Quick, trained on Becky’s mannerisms, history, and perspectives. CEO Akash Nigam discusses...

OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman issues a call to amp up cybersecurity in the age of AI. Brockman addresses recent leadership departures at OpenAI, the open-weight model debate, and AI safety standards. Keller Cliffton, CEO of drone delivery company Zipline, discusses his company’s scaling deal with Uber. Together, the companies aim to notch one million drone deliveries a day. Berkshire Hathaway added $17 billion to its Alphabet stake, making the Google parent Berkshire’s third-largest holding. Plus, Congressman for Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) has sparked heated pushback from the likes of Mark Cuban and Bill Ackman with...

Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor delivers a surprising result as pollster and strategist Frank Luntz discusses what it says about the state of the race and the growing influence of prediction markets on politics. Gary Vaynerchuk, founder of VaynerX and an investor in alternative sports, talks about the business of sports, his love of whiffle ball and his dream of one day owning the New York Jets. Plus, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman discusses the future of American space exploration and the space race now underway.

Frank Luntz - 03:20
Gary Vaynerchuk - 13:53
Jared Isaacman - 24:58

A lawsuit claims Truth Social is giving paid subscribers an unfair advantage by allowing them to see President Trump’s posts fractions of a second before other users. Former Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter discusses the case and what it could mean for investors. Senator Bill Cassidy weighs in on changes to the recommended vaccine schedule for kids and what the new guidance could mean for parents. Plus, an exclusive CNBC and Generation Lab survey looks at how young adults feel about AI, the economy and the rapid pace of technological change.

Jonathan Kanter 5:14
Bill Cassidy 14:55
...

Nvidia’s $500 billion deal with top Wall Street firms has sparked a debate about circular spending in the AI ecosystem. Ed Zitron is a critic of the investments pouring into the industry, and he shares his bearish take on AI. Brett Schulman, CEO of fast casual chain Cava, is keeping his eye on consumer confidence amid salmonella and cyclospora outbreaks in the U.S. Schulman discusses the impact foodborne illness has had on the restaurants, despite Cava’s food supply chain being unimpacted by issues. Plus, former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses President Trump’s Executive Order on childhood...

Nvidia is taking in $500 billion in new financing from major Wall Street firms as CEO Jensen Huang touts chips as the next “investable asset.” Former senior White House policy advisor on AI Sriram Krishnan discusses America’s tech race with China and the next opportunities in artificial intelligence, including in cyber security. CNBC’s Dan Murphy reports on the new normal in the Strait of Hormuz, a Tesla-SpaceX merger could fast-track Elon Musk’s pay package, and a Staten Island judge has ordered an emergency pause on Mayor Mamdani’s new pied-a-terre tax. Plus, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger is intervening in...

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta will open source its most powerful AI models, including a new model called Muse Glimmer. AI investor Vinod Khosla discusses the evolution of AI, investment opportunities in the space, and tech’s ability to support communities displaced by data centers by way of tax changes. Plus, President Trump has renewed his effort to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook, and Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick says the Grand Theft Auto VI extended trailer will be worth watching on Netflix in a few weeks…but it’s likely not the beginning of an acquisition. 

Vino...

In a surprise to Wall Street, the Labor Department reported a loss of 23,000 nonfarm jobs in July. CNBC’s Rick Santelli and Steve Liesman break down the report and what it means for the broader health of the economy. Representative Greg Casar (D-TX) is focused on AI’s impact on the labor force in his latest legislation to tax hyperscalers, while MIT Associate Professor Kevin Esvelt is closely watching AI’s achievements in science. He considers the implications of a new study from the Arc Institute that showed AI-created viruses are viable in the real world. Plus, in a child...

Google is reshuffling its AI team, moving Demis Hassabis from CEO to chairman of Google DeepMind. Hassabis will also take over the chief scientist role of Alphabet after the current chief scientist Jeff Dean leaves the company. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that President Trump has called Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh multiple times since Warsh stepped into his role. Google board member and former Fed vice chairman Roger Ferguson weighs in on both Google’s AI strategy and the relationship between the central bank and the White House. Plus, Jamie Dimon has a warning for investors, CNBC’s Sh...

Former Fed Chair and former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discusses Kevin Warsh’s new regime at the Federal Reserve and the persistent inflation in the United States. After the first U.S. intervention in the Japanese yen in decades, she discusses global economic stability and the changes still to come, thanks to AI. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi discusses the road ahead for autonomous vehicles and safety after Uber reported weaker-than-expected second quarter results and guidance. Plus, SpaceX’s spending surge has rattled investors, the markets are digesting news of a potential deal with Iran, and Chipotle’s jalapenos are causin...

In a newsmaking–and market-moving–interview, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggests that the U.S. may have a deal with Iran as soon as today or tomorrow. He says, the “K-shaped economy is over,” and the era of the “C-shaped” economy has arrived. Plus, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel is at the Aspen Economic Strategy Group meeting for his company’s latest earnings release; he’s looking forward to new innovations like Snap’s Specs to drive demand for AI compute.

Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent - 14:10

Evan Spiegel - 44:59

In this episode:

After months of negotiations broke down, New York State filed a lawsuit against prediction market Kalshi. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour responds to the allegations that his platform is “quintessentially gambling” and that it seeks to avoid paying the appropriate taxes. Then, Adam Isles, head of cybersecurity for the Chertoff Group, discusses the cyberattacks on water systems across seven U.S. states. He considers the likelihood that Iran is behind the attacks, as well as how vulnerable Americans are to attacks with the newest forms of technology. Plus, the U.S. is intervening to prop up the Japanese yen, and it’s a...

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The Federal Reserve, under Kevin Warsh, has decided to keep interest rates steady. Former Fed vice chairman Roger Ferguson discusses the decision and the FOMC member dissents. After Dr. Anthony Fauci’s testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Committee Chair Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) discusses his plan to consider holding Dr. Fauci in contempt for exercising his Fifth Amendment rights 111 times throughout the hearing. CNBC’s Dan Murphy reports on the latest strikes between the U.S. and Iran, and Amos Hochstein, former White House Senior Advisor for President Biden, discusses strategies in regional conflict and its impact on g...

After OpenAI released new information about its model’s hack of Hugging Face, the debate about open-source and closed-source AI wages on. Kindred Ventures founder Steve Jang, an AI, tech, and robotics investor, discusses the future of AI, including the moat around memory chips player SK Hynix, despite recent stock moves. Mark Zuckerberg is on an AI optimism press tour, penning an Opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal and giving interviews to The Financial Times and others. Plus, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) are both members of the Aging Committee, working to inform senior ci...

Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman has  changed his mind on the filibuster. Sen. Fetterman discusses where he differs from his party lines, including Democratic Socialist efforts around the country. Stephen Miran was appointed by President Trump to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Ahead of the central bank’s two-day policy meeting, Miran discusses money supply, its relationship to inflation, and the future of United States monetary policy. He’s expecting the Fed to hold rates steady. Plus, Sherwin-Williams has reported a quarterly beat, Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $5.5B to settle the talc lawsuits that have hung over...

Nvidia is in talks with OpenAI to finance a new data center project in Ohio, according to reports. As markets kick off the busiest week of earnings season, investor Steve Eisman shares his perspective on the AI trade, big tech’s big capital expenditures, the moats around tech and AI companies, and how he’s hedging his own portfolio. CNBC’s Dan Murphy reports on the current pause in fighting between the U.S. and Iran, and RBC Capital Markets’ Helima Croft discusses the conflict’s impact on the energy markets. Plus, PharmatrophiX co-founder and Stanford Professor Dr. Frank Longo explains...

In a nearly 90 minute interview, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk sat down with The Economist’s editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes. Beddoes shares her biggest takeaways from the conversation, including the most viral moments about AI regulation and Musk’s own relationship with the alt-right. Partnership for NYC President and CEO Steven Fulop discusses Mayor Mamdani’s appointment of former FTC Commissioner Lina Khan to lead the city’s Economic Development Corporation. He airs concerns about the appointment within the business community. Plus, Wall Street Journal reporter Gunjan Banerji discusses Wall Street’s rush to get first access to President...

Former CFTC Commissioner Brian Quintenz is now on the board of Kalshi Exchange and a senior advisor to the Coalition for Prediction Markets. The morning after Kalshi unveiled a “Midterms Hub” for election contracts, Quintenz discusses prediction markets regulation and impact on U.S. elections. AI-native IT startup Serval is helping customers like SeatGeek bring IT engineers off of IT help desks and into business units, where they can focus less on support tasks and more on big picture problem solving for the organization. Serval CEO and founder Jake Stauch and SeatGeek CEO Jack Groetzinger discuss the future of work...

AT&T reported better-than-expected earnings for its second quarter. CEO John Stankey discusses the results, the future of connectivity, and the potential for partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink. In AI news, Elon Musk announced that Grok Imagine will produce a full length AI adaptation of The Odyssey, and OpenAI has disclosed an “unprecedented cyber incident” in which its models escaped a sandbox and found ways to cheat an internal evaluation by hacking Hugging Face. Plus, president of the National Association of Evangelicals Reverend Walter Kim has penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on the future of AI–and human...

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer signaled another round of President Trump’s tariffs is on the way, on the heels of a new 50% levy on Canadian goods as varied as wine and hockey sticks.  Greer says he expects action soon.  The cyclospora pathogen is sparking fears – and false positives - as regulators struggle to determine the source of the recent explosive diarrhea outbreak. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb describes why this parasite is harder to track down than others. Plus, the U.S. has carried out its 10th consecutive evening of attacks on Iran, as the Middle East confl...

After The Odyssey’s strong opening weekend at the box office, AMC CEO Adam Aron discusses the shifting entertainment landscape and AMC’s financial results this quarter. Aron also discusses audience appetite for films using AI tools and AI actors. AI is also on the table for the next interview, with OpenAI chairman and Sierra co-founder Bret Taylor. Taylor weighs in on the debate about tokenmaxxing, Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI, and what the future of data sovereignty might look like. He comments on Sam Altman’s public spat with Elon Musk, as well as the push to innovate both statesi...

Netflix shares are under pressure after its quarterly earnings forecast disappointed investors, and chip stocks are down amid concern about AI investment. JPMorgan Asset Management global market strategist Hugh Gimber explains why the pressure on chip and memory stocks might continue until hyperscaler companies report their own earnings in a few weeks. In Shanghai, CNBC’s Eunice Yoon reports on President Xi’s latest remarks pitching China to the global community as a leading partner in AI. President Trump has delivered his own remarks on China stateside, and LeBron James isn’t ready to announce his next move in the NBA. Pl...