Squawk Pod

Ten years and $260 million later, IAC Chairman Barry Diller and his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg have unveiled Little Island, the floating park along the west side of Manhattan. In Squawk Box’s first on location interview in over a year, Andrew Ross Sorkin sits down--outside and 6 feet away--with Barry Diller in the 2+ acres of green space now open to the public. The two discuss New York’s sunny reopening after a long, dark year. Plus, the media mogul shares his thoughts on the AT&T-Discovery deal, Amazon’s play for MGM Studios, and where media consolidation leaves Comcast, Disney, and Netflix. Ahead of the Apple vs. Epic Games courtroom drama, Diller weighs in on tech power and regulation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Swedish oat milk brand Oatly makes its market debut on the Nasdaq after pricing its initial public offering at $17 per share and raising $1.4 billion, the top of the expected range. Oatly CEO Toni Petersson discusses the company’s sustainability mission and business outlook. The Federal Reserve is hinting at pulling back from its pandemic-prompted bond buys. David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-executive chairman of the Carlyle Group, discusses the resulting market whiplash, crypto's roller coaster ride, and post-Covid investor sentiment. Plus, Colonial Pipeline made a $4.4 million ransom payment to its cyber attackers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Target CEO Brian Cornell shares the retailer’s big quarterly results; with sales up over 20% Cornell says American shoppers are finally back--and buying--in stores. Cryptocurrencies are selling off, with bitcoin hitting three month lows. Joe, Becky, and Andrew break down the bitcoin and ethereum meltdowns and consider the risks of speculative assets. Plus, website builder Squarespace went public on the New York Stock Exchange via direct listing. CEO Anthony Casalena explains building the internet, and his company’s path forward as a public, profitable company. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Retailers are reporting a boom in consumer demand in their quarterly results; Walmart and Home Depot impressed Wall Street with their most recent financials, and they’re betting that the shopper appetite is healthy and here to stay. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) considers the country’s post-Covid employment realities as job opportunities grow faster than hiring. Plus, CNBC’s Eamon Javers reports on the group pushing back on American CEOs getting involved in politics; he explains “woke capitalism” and why this cohort of conservatives is campaigning against it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a surprise move, AT&T has announced a $43 billion deal to merge WarnerMedia with Discovery Inc. Joe, Becky, and Andrew digest the news and what it means for media, from Hollywood to Wall Street. Media watcher and LightShed Partners co-founder Richard Greenfield considers content and business possibilities for the new entity and explains how he sees the deal affecting HBO Max and Discovery Plus subscribers. Plus, the “new” normal is finally on its way: former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb says that by June, most Americans won’t be wearing masks, and vaccinated people have very little reason to continue wearing them. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jet.com founder Marc Lore left his post heading Walmart’s e-commerce business for his own adventures in entrepreneurship and investing. In his first interview since his departure, Lore shares his vision for venture capital (with Alex Rodriguez) and his expectations for online shopping in a post-pandemic world. Tech stocks have had a rough month so far, but Insider CEO Henry Blodget says the tech sector may finally be settling into realistic valuations. He tracks bitcoin’s journey to 2021 and where crypto may go from here. Plus, Elon Musk is tweeting about dogecoin (again), and masks up--or down! The CDC says it’s your choice, if you’re vaccinated. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a surprise reversal, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that his EV company will no longer accept Bitcoin as payment for its cars. His move comes as concerns about crypto’s environmental impact ring louder and louder: 1 bitcoin transaction has the same carbon footprint as over 735,000 Visa transactions and over 55,000 hours on YouTube. In an exclusive interview, SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son speaks to Andrew Ross Sorkin about his winning--and losing--bets, from Uber, Alibaba, and DoorDash to WeWork. The legendary tech investor admits that he missed out on opportunities like Airbnb, and explains some of his investment philosophy. Plus, the Japanese billionaire reveals his own concerns about the Tokyo Olympics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the wake of the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-VA) plans to introduce bipartisan legislation that requires mandatory cyber incident reporting. Sen. Warner discusses the need for a coordinated cyber response team to protect American companies from malicious foreign actors employing cyber warfare. A set of NFTs sold for $17 million at a Christie’s auction this week; CNBC’s Robert Frank shares details of the CryptoPunks sale and explains how tech stock performances have affected the Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos fortunes. Plus, Wall Street is reeling from inflation concerns and a market sell-off. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In an extended, CNBC exclusive interview, billionaire investor and hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller shares his concerns about the Federal Reserve’s extended accommodative monetary policy over a year into the pandemic. He considers risks to the markets and to the US dollar, and he highlights foreign bond buys, retail sales, and historical statistics in his case against the Fed Powell’s current course of action. Plus Druckenmiller, CEO of Duquesne Capital Management, ponders the next big thing in crypto and his exit from the US stock market. Pfizer’s Covid vaccine is approved for teens and children, and inflation anxieties mount on and off of Wall Street. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The United States’ largest fuel pipeline has been shut down since Friday after a cyber attack, and it’s not clear how long the outage will last. CNBC’s Brian Sullivan reports that the outage could lead to spot shortages of gas, diesel, and jet fuel, and CNBC’s Eamon Javers details the “DarkSide” hacking group reportedly responsible for the attack. The disappointing April jobs report sparked debate about why American hiring hasn’t picked up as quickly as economists expected. CNBC’s Steve Liesman and Rahel Solomon discuss whether the U.S. economy might experience a lasting shortage of labor after the jobs miss. Anthony Scaramucci, founder of Skybridge Capital, says unemployment benefits are not to blame; most Americans want to work. Scaramucci also recaps Elon Musk’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and the resulting dogecoin nosedive. The Biden administration announced last week that it supports waiving intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines in order to address the global shortage. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, member of the boards of Pfizer and biotech company Illumina and former FDA Commissioner, says the patent won’t solve the immediate problem of global vaccine distribution. Gottlieb also discussed his thoughts on the quickly-changing federal guidance on coronavirus restrictions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.