Squawk Pod: Minneapolis: officer training, DHS funding, & the American brand - 01/26/26 | Audio Only
Speakers
Phil LeBeau
— Auto & Airlines Reporter, CNBC
Emily Wilkins
— CNBC Reporter
Walter Isaacson
— Author, 'Elon Musk'; Perella Weinberg advisory partner; Tulane University professor; CNBC contributor
Andrew Ross Sorkin
— Co-Anchor, Squawk Box
Becky Quick
— Co-Anchor, Squawk Box
Sean Duffy
— Transportation Secretary
Summary
The episode focuses on the aftermath of a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, the corporate and political response, and a Senate standoff over DHS funding that raises partial government shutdown risk. It also covers a major winter storm disrupting travel, airline stock pressure, and expectations for normalization by midweek. Walter Isaacson discusses the damage to America's international reputation, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addresses storm recovery and the Minneapolis situation.
- Second fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis sparks protests and debate over training and accountability.
- More than 60 Minnesota CEOs call for calm in a Minnesota Chamber of Commerce letter.
- Senate Democrats oppose DHS funding, raising the odds of a partial government shutdown.
- Walter Isaacson says the unrest is harming America's global reputation and urges business leaders to speak out.
- A massive winter storm cancels thousands of flights and leaves over a million without power.
- Phil LeBeau reports airline stocks are under pressure but storm impact may be cushioned by advance planning.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expects FAA and travel operations to normalize by midweek.
- Canada says it will not pursue a free trade deal with China after Trump's 100% tariff threat.
Ideas
Storm pressures airlines; watch midweek normalization.
A massive winter storm forced more than 16,000 flight cancellations over the weekend and thousands more on Monday, pressuring major airline stocks. The impact may be cushioned because airlines had advance warning and repositioned aircraft, and late January is the slowest travel period; operations are expected to improve and normalize by midweek, making this a monitoring setup rather than a clean directional call.
