Squawk Pod

After making a controversial decision to eliminate the mask mandate in Texas and completely reopen businesses in the state, Governor Greg Abbott has faced backlash from across the country. He defends his decision to the Squawk team, claiming vaccines and patterns of behavior render a state-mandated mask policy unnecessary. Plus, the markets reveal an investor’s hope for the pandemic’s end, and security concerns mount in the Capitol.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

4 Mar 202126min

NBA Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Earvin “Magic” Johnson is teaming up with sports merchandising e-commerce giant Fanatics. Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises and Fanatics Executive Chairman Michael Rubin weigh in on the partnership, sports, and a new trend in sports collectibles. Plus, President Biden is pushing to vaccinate as many Americans as possible, as quickly as possible. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb expects vaccine supply to surpass demand before the summer.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

3 Mar 202121min

In an extended interview, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) shares the details of her tax plan for the ultra-rich: paying 2 and 3 cents on every dollar over $50 million. She defends her plan as the fairest, most progressive option to level the playing field for Americans, and considers the country’s path forward with the resulting $3 trillion. Plus, Merck is teaming up with Johnson & Johnson to churn out vaccines for the U.S., and the Squawk team is doling out Zoom grooming tips.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 Mar 202134min

Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky discusses the drugmaker’s single dose vaccine as it begins distribution across the United States. 4 million vaccines are en route to Americans across the country, solving the logistical and administrative challenges posed by the dual-dose, refrigerated Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. In his annual letter to shareholders, Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett admitted mistakes, commented on the markets and offered some folksy wisdom. The legendary investor said, “despite some severe interruptions, our country’s economic progress has been breathtaking. Our unwavering conclusion: Never bet against America.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1 Mar 202133min

GameStop shares continue to climb today, keeping alive a rally that restarted this week. In a history lesson soaked in 1990s-nostalgia, Henry Blodget, co-founder and CEO of Insider, says “the entire market is actually at an extreme level relative to all history, including 2000 and that’s because of interest rates.” Etsy blew past earnings estimates. The online retailer has been one of the big pandemic winners with shares up 300% over the past year. Etsy CEO Josh Silverman discusses the company’s quarterly results and its outlook for 2021. Plus, awaiting the newest Covid vaccine from Johnson & Johnson and the latest on the debate to increase the federal minimum wage.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

26 Feb 202129min

The online-driven trading frenzy around retailer GameStop ignited again following the announcement of next month’s departure of Chief Financial Officer Jim Bell. CNBC’s Jim Cramer questioned “are prices real?” on Wall Street anymore, as he exasperatingly tries to make sense of GameStop’s renewed rally. Democrats are set to advance President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus proposal on Friday without Republican support. David Rubenstein, a co-founder of the Carlyle Group, discusses the potential economic impacts of the legislation and the fight over the $15 federal minimum wage. Anheuser-Busch InBev reported better-than-expected revenue for the fourth-quarter, but AB InBev CEO Carlos Brito says consumers are itching for bars to fully re-open. Plus, vaccines, variants and the investing wisdom of 97 year old Charlie Munger. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

25 Feb 202134min

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev and Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy streamed a candid conversation on social media this week, and Wall Street is reacting to their exchange and the continued fallout of the GameStop short squeeze drama. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is pushing back against President Biden’s stimulus plan and its minimum wage plan, but President of the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce Ron Busby says the sooner consumers have more in their pockets, the sooner small businesses will recover. Plus, Elizabeth Holmes is back in the news for yet another development in the unraveling of Theranos, and Michael Bolton is back in the sound booth for a comical ad that’s taken the businessworld by surprise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 Feb 202136min

Former Senior Advisor to President Obama and current President of the Barack Obama Foundation Valerie Jarrett discusses President Biden’s first 100 days in office, the metrics by which Americans will judge his success, and the latest iteration of the stimulus package. Bitcoin’s wild ride continues, catching the attention of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Plus, a former Tesla employee’s electric vehicle SPAC could be the tipping point for the hyped listing process, highlighting all that could go wrong in any public debut.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

23 Feb 202126min