Squawk Pod

Consumers are taking longer to pay their bills, says AT&T CEO John Stankey.  In an extended interview, Stankey discusses the pulse of the American consumer, as well as his company’s renewed focus on 5G and smart devices after the company spun-off its content business, WarnerMedia. In a surprise decision, the European Central Bank has raised interest rates for the first time in over a decade; CNBC’s Steve Liesman, Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin explain the significance of the move, particularly in light of the bloc’s energy turmoil. Tesla, once a crypto-believing company, has swapped 75% of its bitcoin holdings for fiat currency. Plus, the latest in Joe Kernen’s up-and-down viewing relationship with “The Old Man.”   In this episode: John Stankey, @ATTSteve Liesman, @SteveLiesmanBecky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKatie 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.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the main route for Russian energy passage to the rest of Europe, is set to start functioning again on Thursday, but EU leaders are concerned that the Kremlin won’t restart flows, especially after the majority state-owned energy giant Gazprom originally cut flows to 40% and is now suggesting that it cannot fulfill its energy contracts with the EU, even if the pipeline reopens as planned. Europe’s energy turmoil could spell bigger supply and cost problems in the U.S.; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg discusses what’s next in energy geopolitics, at home and abroad. After an alarming first quarter, Netflix is quelling investor concerns with its Q2 report. Variety’s Cynthia Littleton and Engine Media’s Tom Rogers discuss what these financial results mean for the rest of the streaming landscape. Plus, the Elon Musk-Twitter saga could finally be reaching an end…maybe.  In this episode:Pete Buttigieg, @SecretaryPeteCynthia Littleton, @Variety_CynthiaBecky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKatie 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.

Johnson & Johnson beat analysts’ estimates on the strength of its pharmaceuticals unit despite the company cutting its profit forecast due to a stronger dollar. CFO Joseph Wolk blamed the forecast cut on currency fluctuations, pointing to the parity between the euro and the dollar. As the job market starts to cool down and companies begin to look for ways to save with a possible recession on the horizon, there is a renewed return-to-office debate. CNBC’s Hugh Son reports on slowed hiring at Goldman Sachs, and Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley whether business leaders need to keep hybrid work to retain top talent, and if remote workers are at higher risk of being cut.  In this episode:Hugh Son @Hugh_SonTsedal Neely @tsedalBecky Quick @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKatie 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.

In this episode:Amos Hochstein, @amoshochsteinClaire Atkinson, @claireatkiMatt Belloni, @MattBelloniJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinCameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The U.S. Congress is set to go on August recess, but Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has a tough message for them before they go: pass the CHIPS Act, ASAP. America’s manufacturing industry has been waiting on government funding to produce tech’s all-important semiconductors for over a year, and Gelsinger says, it’s a matter of national security. We track the holdup in DC, the impact it’s having on job creation in America’s heartland, and the global chips supply chain. Plus, the USD is nearly at parity with the Euro, and President Biden is halfway through his Middle East travels.  In this episode: Pat Gelsinger, @PGelsingerBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkCameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode: Sara Fischer, @sarafischerFrank Luntz, @FrankLuntzDom Chu, @TheDominoJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKatie 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.

Inflation jumped 9.1% to a new 40-year high in June. CNBC’s Steve Liesman, Rick Santelli, and Mike Santoli unpack what today’s Consumer Price Index data means for the Federal Reserve and for consumer wallets. As a crypto winter puts serious pressure on the industry, some crypto lenders are collapsing. BlockFi found a lifeboat in crypto exchange FTX; in a CNBC-exclusive interview, BlockFi CEO Zac Prince explains why he discounted his company 95% to strike a credit and possible acquisition deal with FTX. Plus, Twitter is suing Elon Musk in hopes that he’ll keep his $44 billion word to buy the company, and Tulane law professor Ann Lipton lays out the possible legal moves from here–as well as any tricks Musk might have up his sleeve.  In this episode:Zac Prince, @BlockFiZacAnn Lipton, @AnnMLiptonJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKatie 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.

It’s YOLO summer! Travelers are on the move, but airline and airport shortages are causing speedbumps. London’s Heathrow Airport is managing a staffing shortage by capping the number of passengers traveling per day and requesting that airlines stop selling tickets. Still, with so many people on the move, retail watcher Jan Kniffen wonders how many consumers will be around to take advantage of retailer sales like Amazon Prime Day. CNBC’s Courtney Reagan shares retail’s biggest sales and hurdles for the second half of the year, and Cleo Capital’s Sarah Kunst discusses the stickiest purchases for Amazon. In other retailer news, Gap CEO Sonia Syngal is stepping down. Plus, the Saudi Arabia-funded LIV Golf series has upended the sport; multi-million dollar payday offers for athletes have prompted backlash for pro-golfers and an investigation from the Department of Justice. On the Elon Musk front, his Twitter drama continues, and his latest SpaceX launch was “actually not good.” In this episode:Jan Kniffen, @JRogersKSarah Kunst, @sarahkunstCourtney Reagan, @CourtReaganJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin, @AndrewrsorkinKatie 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.

Elon Musk is over Twitter. He’s aiming to terminate the $44 billion dollar deal, and Twitter’s ready to take him to court over it, but Musk is seemingly unbothered by the drama. Former SEC Chair Jay Clayton maps out the various outcomes at this stage in Twitter-Musk saga. Covid cases are ticking up as we head into the end of the summer, and while most of us have readjusted our individual risk calculus to allow for normal life, former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb suggests keeping our masks on. Leaked documents from Uber’s past are raising questions about the company’s ethical foundation, and Starbucks is rolling back a new, potentially questionable offering. Plus, President Biden is gearing up for his first in-office trip to Saudi Arabia. In this episode:Dr. Scott Gottlieb,@ScottGottliebMDJoe Kernen,@JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin,@AndrewrsorkinCameron Costa,@CameronCostaNY Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some recession we’re having, huh? A surprisingly positive jobs report for the month of June may defy fears of a looming economic slowdown.  Payrolls increased by 372,000 jobs, above expectations.  CNBC’s Steve Liesman and SoFi Head of Investment Strategy Liz Young discuss the robust labor market with Joe Kernen and Melissa Lee.  Elon Musk and Twitter are still dancing around a possible deal; The Washington Post reports that Musk’s proposed $44B bid to buy the social media platform could be in jeopardy.  Axios’ Sara Fischer and Cowan merger strategist Aaron Glick say that Twitter’s board is the one that could be flexing its power – Musk faces a billion-dollar break-up fee if he walks away.  And, the latest from the mother of meme stocks: GameStop’s latest move to reinvent the brick and mortar video game retailer puts its CFO and other corporate employees out of jobs. In this episode:Sara Fischer, @SaraFischerSteve Liesman, @SteveLiesmanLiz Young, @LizYoungStratJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkMelissa Lee @MelissaLeeCNBCKatie 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.