Squawk Pod 5 Things to Know Before the Opening Bell 1/12/26
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Jan 12, 2026 The White House is poised to indict Fed Chair Jay Powell over his comments regarding a renovation project. Allegiant Air is making waves with a $1.1 billion acquisition of Sun Country Airlines. A Senate investigation reveals that UnitedHealth has been employing aggressive tactics in Medicare Advantage. Exciting news as Walmart teams up with Google for AI-assisted shopping experiences. Lastly, the FCC has cleared SpaceX to launch 7,500 additional Starlink satellites, expanding their ambitious satellite network.
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White House Threatens Powell
- The White House warned of possible indictment of Fed Chair Jay Powell over his congressional comments about a Fed renovation.
- Andrew Ross Sorkin frames the White House move as an assault on Federal Reserve independence.
Allegiant Buys Sun Country
- Allegiant is acquiring Sun Country in a $1.1 billion cash-and-stock deal, consolidating low-cost carriers.
- The move signals continued consolidation in the budget airline sector.
UnitedHealth Under Senate Scrutiny
- A Senate probe found UnitedHealth used aggressive tactics to boost payments via diagnosis coding in Medicare Advantage.
- The insurer now faces multiple investigations into turning risk adjustments into a business.