Squawk Pod

In a move that’s pushing telecom stocks lower, SpaceX has agreed to purchase a nationwide spectrum portfolio. Elon Musk biographer Walter Isaacson explains how this move fits into the rest of Musk’s vision for connectivity around the world–and around the solar system. As concerns about AI-fueled job displacement mount around the world, Chieh Huang–founder of Boxed–has started a new re-training venture for laid off employees. Huang explains how Pelgo translates layoffs and employer investment into a more skilled, less anxious workforce. Plus, Starbucks could be prepping to acquire Chipotle, and the Gulf Coast is bracing for Hurricane Isaias.

Walter Isaacson 17:29
Chieh Huang 32:06

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

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President Trump has suggested that the U.S. may initiate more attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure, and tariffs remain on center stage as the midterm elections draw nearer. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer discusses both from the White House North Lawn. Mathematician and NYU professor Tristan Buckmaster has been working on solving the Navier-Stokes Problem for years; now OpenAI agents have solved it, but Buckmaster believes his work was used in the process. The mathematician discusses his conversations with OpenAI’s leadership and his own concerns about models training on private work. Plus, CNBC’s Contessa Brewer is in Macao for the NBA’s latest push, and a missed email at UPS resulted in China’s receipt of U.S. F-35 parts.

Contessa Brewer - 04:39
Jamieson Greer - 11:34
Tristan Buckmaster - 24:24

In this episode:
Amb. Jamieson Greer, @USTradeRep
Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk
Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick
Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin
Contessa Brewer, @contessabrewer
Ryan Anastasio, @Ryan_Anastasio

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s day two of a new media behemoth under David Ellison’s Skydance umbrella. Founding partner of Puck Matt Belloni details the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, and he considers the giant’s headwinds, including cable’s declining profits and ~$80 billion in debt. Michael Lewis wrote “Moneyball,” “The Big Short,” “Going Infinite,” and “The Blind Side,” and he’s now out with a new book: “Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State.” The bestselling author discusses government efficiency and his own dive into the federal workers who resisted in the early days of Elon Musk’s DOGE effort. Plus, protests rage on in France, young people are leaning away from beer, and tech billionaires are only getting bigger.

Robert Frank - 08:23
Michael Lewis - 21:55
Matt Belloni - 35:07

In this episode:
Matt Belloni, @MattBelloni
Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk
Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick
Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin
Robert Frank, @robtfrank
Katie 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.

28 days from the midterms, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) reflects on his tenure in government as documented in his new book, “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents.” Sen. Tillis shares his own regrets and his hopes for a Republican Party under pressure from a fractured voter base. As AI innovation continues to spark moral and ethical questions about humanity, machines, and the dignity of work, religious leaders have begun to participate in discussions of the technology’s future. Reverend Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, discusses the paths forward for humans and for society on the whole. Plus, President Trump has signed an executive order to make cheaper diesel more accessible, SpaceX shares jumped this week, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a State Disaster Emergency as measles cases rise in the state.
Senator Thom Tillis - 13:18
Rev. Walter Kim - 27:40
In this episode:
Thom Tillis, @SenThomTillis
Walter Kim, @revwalterkim
Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk
Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick
Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin
Katie 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.

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton has been picked to serve as AI czar, leading a “Super Intelligence Force” to address growing concerns about AI. Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is suggesting people “accept some bad things” in exchange for the benefits of AI. Professor, columnist, author, and happiness expert Arthur Brooks counsels AI users to retain control of their relationships in the AI era, and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) discusses potential AI regulation. Plus, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent goes on the record about the bond market, nearly 200 were hospitalized in Siberia after exposure to the plague, and elections in Brazil and Spain are coming in the next month amid unrest in each country.

Arthur Brooks - 11:58
Sen. Chris Coons - 22:45

In this episode:
Arthur Brooks, @arthurbrooks
Sen. Chris Coons, @ChrisCoons
Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk
Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick
Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin
Katie 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.