Squawk Pod CNBC

Elon Musk took a brief surprise meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, securing tentative approval for self-driving Teslas in China. America’s college campuses are divided over the Israel-Hamas war and the U.S. involvement in it; former SEC Chairman and Ivy League educator Jay Clayton discusses the sentiment among activists and young people across the country. Retired real estate developer Bruce Ratner issues a warning for his industry. The man behind the redeveloped Times Square and Downtown Brooklyn is also on the board of Memorial Sloan Kettering, and he’s pushing for early cancer detection in his new book. Plus, regulators seized Republic First Bank in the first bank failure of 2024, and journalists are catching up on the jokes from this weekend’s White House correspondents’ dinner.

Jay Clayton - 12:23
Bruce Ratner - 23:19

In this episode:
Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk
Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick
Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin
Katie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

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 OpenAI, the AI drug revolution, his own AI venture, and updates on the bird flu presence in America’s pasteurized milk. Plus, CNBC's Steve Kovach breaks down Alphabet and Microsoft earnings and explores the future of AI investment for the megacap tech companies.

Nick Timiraos - 10:08
Steve Kovach - 17:22
Dr. Scott Gottlieb - 22:12
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In this episode:
Nick Timiraos, @NickTimiraos
Scott Gottlieb, @ScottGottliebMD
Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk
Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick
Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin
Zach Vallese, @zachvallese

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 amid ongoing protests against Israel's conflict with Hamas. Robert Kraft, New England Patriots owner and founder of the Kraft Group and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, discusses the recent protests at Columbia University and other campuses and the concerning rise of antisemitism and his efforts to combat it. Plus, the Biden administration introduces new rules for airlines, mandating automatic cash refunds and prohibiting surprise fees.

Lina Khan - 04:05
Robert Kraft - 24:14

In this episode:
Lina Khan, @linakhanftc
Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk
Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick
Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin
Katie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

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 the Federal Reserve. Plus, the Federal Trade Commission has voted to ban non-competes for employee contracts, Jamie Dimon is speaking out with his concerns for the economy, and Meta’s AI glasses are getting an update.

Joanne Lipman & Alex Heath - 19:35
Steve Liesman - 27:14
Jason Furman - 30:28

In this episode:
Joanne Lipman, @joannelipman
Alex Heath, @alexeheath
Steve Liesman, @steveliesman
Jason Furman, @jasonfurman
Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk
Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick
Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin
Katie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

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 escalations and safety concerns, while donor and Columbia Business School alumnus Leon Cooperman discusses the responsibilities of higher education institutions. Plus, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz maps out the Federal Reserve’s road ahead, and Elon Musk is at odds with Australia’s Prime Minister over posts on X.

Rabbi David Ingber - 12:11
Leon Cooperman - 22:44
Joseph Stiglitz - 26:26

In this episode:
Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk
Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick
Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin
Katie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

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 earnings season, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg discusses his company’s latest financial results and inflation’s pressures on consumers. Plus, pollster Frank Luntz is taking stock of Gen Z’s opinions on capitalism and democracy. He urges corporate America to pay attention to their grievances.

Emily Wilkins - 03:16
Frank Luntz - 09:55
Hans Vestberg - 19:42

In this episode:
Emily Wilkins, @emrwilkins
Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk
Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick
Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin
Katie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie