Squawk Pod

A Japanese billionaire is taking applications for a life partner...to go to the moon. Fox is pushing to make the day after the Super Bowl a national holiday; Buzzfeed’s Alex Kantrowitz and The New Yorker’s Charles Duhigg discuss NFL streaming and big tech’s path in 2020. Former Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) debate the impact the 2018 tax cuts had on each state, and what it means for the 2020 election. It’s David Calhoun’s first day as CEO of Boeing, and Yale’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and former Boeing VP and GM Gordon Bethune agree that he’s up for the challenge. Plus, China’s delegation is heading to Washington to sign “phase one” of a trade deal, but its ultimate impact on businesses is still up for debate.

13 Jan 202036min

Boeing released hundreds of damaging internal messages between employees, right before a new CEO steps in on Monday. The U.S. Labor Department released the jobs and unemployment numbers for the last month of the decade; Strategas’ Jason Trennert, Blackrock’s Kate Moore, AEI’s Alex Brill, former CEA Chairman Austan Goolsbee, and CNBC’s Steve Liesman digest the metrics and what they mean heading into the 2020 election. Plus, CNBC’s Wealth Reporter Robert Frank and pollster Frank Luntz have the details on the donations keeping 2020 Presidential candidates afloat, as well as which companies those donors work for.

10 Jan 202022min

Twitter is planning to test a new feature that allows users to filter out unwanted tweet replies, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are stepping back from their roles in the Royal Family. Fmr. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz—a longtime Tesla bear—finally has an optimistic outlook for Elon Musk and the big payday he might have coming. He discusses Tesla’s stock and Musk’s wallet with WSJ Reporter Tim Higgins. It’s the revenge of the spammed: RoboKiller CEO Ethan Garr was fed up with robocalls, so he built a business on shutting them down...and having fun with it. Plus, highlights from Michelle Caruso-Cabrera’s one-on-one with ousted Nissan leader Carlos Ghosn, and an update on U.S. tensions with Iran.

9 Jan 202034min

Carlos Ghosn, ousted Nissan-Renault leader, speaks publicly for the first time in over 400 days about his decision to flee house arrest in Japan. CNBC’s Phil LeBeau, Yale’s Jeff Sonnenfeld, and attorney Joshua Dratel analyze Ghosn’s passionate self-defense with Joe, Becky, and Andrew. Katie Kramer and CNBC Wealth Reporter Robert Frank discuss Ghosn’s future, his finances, and the relationship between wealth and justice in a conversation exclusive to Squawk Pod.

8 Jan 202019min

There’s a second act ahead for many serial entrepreneurs of the last decade, including Travis Kalanick and Mike Cagney, CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa reports. Finland’s Prime Minister is hoping to shorten the workweek for her citizens, and Facebook is making some changes regarding deepfakes. Tesla has hit a market cap milestone, Elon Musk is dancing, but Wall Street analysts Gene Munster and Craig Irwin are split on its stock. Plus Blackstone’s Byron Wien and Joe Zidle release their surprise market predictions for 2020, from the S&P to the Senate.

7 Jan 202027min

CNBC contributor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera gives her analysis on U.S. tensions in the Middle East, including possible Iranian retaliation for the American airstrike that killed the Tehran’s top military leader. Joe, Becky, and Andrew recap the Golden Globes and discuss the latest drama at Boeing. More details of Carlos Ghosn’s flight to Lebanon have come to light; crisis management expert Eric Dezenhall explains the best case scenario for the ousted Nissan leader—and for the Japanese government. Plus, Oprah Winfrey is traveling the country for the WW International 2020 Vision Tour. Mindy Grossman, CEO of the company formerly known as Weight Watchers, is cashing in on that partnership, New Year’s resolutions, and a well-rounded wellness strategy.

6 Jan 202029min

Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani has been killed in an airstrike authorized by President Trump. Eurasia Group’s Ian Bremmer discusses possible retaliation from Iran. Axios co-founder Mike Allen runs through reactions from Presidential hopefuls and other politicos with Becky, Joe, and CNBC’s Eamon Javers. Plus, Apple’s share price has crossed $300 for the first time; famed venture capitalist Alan Patricof was one of the company’s earliest investors, and he reflects on how far Apple has come and how far it can go still.

3 Jan 202025min

Former NBA Commissioner David Stern has died at 77. BET Founder and first black majority owner of an NBA team Bob Johnson speaks on Stern’s legacy on the court and in the boardroom. Becky, Joe, and CNBC’s Phil LeBeau discuss the emerging details of Carlos Ghosn’s flight from Japan’s legal system. The FDA plans to ban flavored e-cigarette cartridges as early as this week, but former commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb says the damage is already done. Plus, Google veterans call the company’s culture in 2019 “unrecognizable.” Journalists Ed Lee, Joanne Lipman, and CNBC’s Dierdre Bosa discuss internal strife at Alphabet and how the company’s evolution could affect top talent recruitment.

2 Jan 202034min