Squawk Pod

The omicron variant lands in the United States with its first known case appearing in California. The White House is out with new guidance on how to deal with the new variant by tightening travel restrictions, extending mask mandates, and rapid tests that may be costing consumers. Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin discuss how this news might be influencing investors and the Fed. And the largest Southeast Asian company to list in the U.S. has gone public on the Nasdaq. SoftBank-backed “super app” Grab debuted in the largest SPAC merger of all time. Grab CEO & Founder Anthony Tan discusses the size of the company’s market. Plus, the Women’s Tennis Association announced they will boycott tournaments in China to protect the safety of their players, a move in support of Peng Shuai.In this episode:Anthony Tan, @AnthonyPY_TanJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 Des 202131min

The markets are reacting to comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who announced a plan to taper its asset purchases faster. He--and the rest of the economist community--is ready to retire the word “transitory,” but his comments have not retired questions and concerns from investors. CNBC’s Steve Liesman explains Powell’s comments. CEO of Lazard’s Financial Advisory business Peter Orszag discusses Fed leadership and Lazard’s efforts to quantify climate issues in the equities market. The FDA has narrowly endorsed Merck’s oral Covid treatment pill; former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses therapeutics, vaccine efficacy against the omicron variant, and Covid-19’s evolution. Plus, how much do you love Tesla? Enough for a tattoo? In this episode:Dr. Scott Gottlieb, @ScottGottliebMDPeter Orszag, @porszagSteve Liesman, @SteveLiesmanJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1 Des 202139min

Bridgewater Associates’ Ray Dalio holds firm in his belief that cash is not king, despite the market volatility triggered by the Covid omicron variant. Dalio discusses competing with China, the global economy, and his new book, “The Changing World Order.” Comments about omicron from Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel have spooked investors, and Jack Dorsey’s decision to step down from his role as Twitter CEO took the markets by surprise. Plus, for Giving Tuesday: a conversation about the potential for NFTs to innnovate philanthropy with venture capitalist, crypto optimist, blockchain backer and kite surfer Bill Tai. Founder of Metagood and one of the first to make an NFT for charity, Tai discusses paths forward for the metaverse and tech’s opportunity to impact positive change. In this episode:Ray Dalio, @RayDalioBill Tai, @KiteVCJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinCameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

30 Nov 202140min

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says he’s “very, very confident” that the company’s Covid-19 treatment pill will be effective against the omicron variant of Covid-19, and that Pfizer will be able to manufacture a vaccine for this variant within 100 days, to be used if necessary. Pfizer submitted its application earlier this month to the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the pill, Paxlovid, for emergency use. Bourla spoke with CNBC’s Meg Tirrell and the ‘Squawk Box’ team to discuss managing the new variant. Plus, oil prices jumped today as traders bet that Friday’s sharp sell-off was overdone. CNBC’s Brian Sullivan reports on how the omicron Covid variant concerns are impacting energy markets.In this episode:Albert Bourla, @AlbertBourlaBrian Sullivan, @SullyCNBCJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

29 Nov 202130min

The World Health Organization will meet today to discuss a new heavily-mutated variant of Covid-19. The variant has been detected in small numbers in South Africa, with reports of cases in Israel and Hong Kong. CNBC’s Meg Tirrell reports on how Covid-19 drugmakers like Moderna and Pfizer are responding to the variant. Dr. Kavita Patel, former White House health policy director and fellow at the Brookings Institution, also reacts to the new variant but says we shouldn’t “get ahead of ourselves” just yet. NBC’s Raf Sanchez reports from Tel Aviv that Israel has barred travel to several southern African nations over the new variant, as well as Singapore and several other nations. The U.K. immediately moved to ban flights from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini and Zimbabwe. Plus, Priceline CEO Brett Keller discusses holiday travel demand, and how the coronavirus variant could impact bookings. In this episode:Kavita Patel, @kavitapmdMeg Tirrell, @megtirrellBrett Keller, @pricelineRaf Sanchez, @rafsanchezBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinCameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

26 Nov 202122min

Billionaire investor Ken Langone and Larry Bossidy, former Honeywell CEO, speak about the RADical Hope Foundation, their effort to reach young people struggling with mental health. The two united after Bossidy’s grandson Chris Martin, a Gonzaga University student, died by suicide aged 20. Bossidy first discussed the tragedy in a moving 2018 Squawk Box appearance, that caught guest William Shatner by surprise. RADical Hope’s new program -- RADical Health, being pioneered at NYU -- encourages students, parents and college communities to talk openly about mental health and teaches freshmen the skills to “stay well and resilient.”  Plus, only on Squawk Pod, Joe Kernen reflects on what talking about mental health means for a proud college dad. To find out more, visit https://radicalhopefoundation.org/If you or someone you know needs immediate help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800.273.TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.In this episode:Ken LangoneLarry Bossidy, @RADICALHOPE_FdnJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

25 Nov 202118min

ARK Invest founder and CEO Cathie Wood explains why she thinks ARK’s funds should be more valuable over the next five years despite a recent dip in tech shares. Wood’s flagship fund, ARK Innovation ETF, is down nearly 15% in 2021 while the S&P 500 is up 25%. Retailers Nordstrom and Gap both saw their quarterly results fall short and their shares prices hit by supply-chain disruptions even as more customers returned to their physical stores. Several hundred Google employees have signed and circulated a manifesto opposing the company’s Covid vaccine mandate, posing the latest challenge for leadership as it approaches key deadlines for returning workers to offices in person. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to launch a first-of-its-kind planetary defense mission for NASA in the early hours of Wednesday morning, sending the spacecraft on its way to intentionally crash into an asteroid. Plus, need help preparing the perfect turkey this Thanksgiving? Butterball’s Bill Nolan breaks down the latest tips and tricks for turkey success.In this episode:Cathie Wood, @CathieDWoodBill Nolan, @butterballBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 Nov 202138min

Palantir CEO Alex Karp reflects on the software firm’s first year as a publicly traded company and breaks down its growth trajectory. Karp discusses the company’s controversial position in American politics, his decision to relocate from Silicon Valley, the recently passed infrastructure bill, and U.S. climate policies. Karp weighs in on Palantir’s anti-terrorism efforts and the patriotism of other American tech CEOs; he thinks companies that work with adversarial governments, rather than the U.S., should disclose their reasoning. Plus, Elon Musk is feuding with Jamie Dimon, President Biden has renominated Jay Powell for a second term as Fed Chair, and CNBC’s Scott Cohn is at the Theranos trial, where Elizabeth Holmes takes the stand. In this episode:Alex Karp, @PalantirTechScott Cohn, @ScottCohnTVJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

23 Nov 202127min