Squawk Pod: Corporate responses to Minneapolis - 01/27/26 | Audio Only

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  January 27, 2026 at 18:02  |  26:56  |  CNBC
Speakers
Bill George — Former Chairman and CEO, Medtronic; Senior Fellow, Harvard Business School
Becky Quick — Co-Anchor, Squawk Box
Steven Fulop — President and CEO, Partnership for New York City

Summary

The episode covers corporate responses to the fatal ICE shootings in Minneapolis, with former Medtronic CEO Bill George discussing the letter from 60 Minnesota CEOs and the business impact of political backlash. Steven Fulop, new president of Partnership for New York City, discusses the city's business climate under Mayor Mamdani and tax policy concerns. The hosts also recap the EU-India trade deal, new South Korea tariffs, Netflix-Warner Bros antitrust scrutiny, and Meta's $6 billion fiber optic agreement with Corning.

  • 60 Minnesota CEOs signed a letter calling for calm after a second fatal ICE shooting.
  • Bill George praised corporate calls for calm and criticized Target while praising Costco's values consistency.
  • Steven Fulop warned New York City's business environment is fragile and tax increases could drive out jobs and wealthy residents.
  • EU and India reached a free trade agreement after nearly two decades of negotiations.
  • Trump threatened to raise tariffs on South Korean autos, pharmaceuticals, and lumber.
  • Netflix's deal for Warner Bros assets faces antitrust concerns from Senator Mike Lee and UK politicians.
  • Meta announced a multi-year fiber optic supply agreement with Corning valued up to $6 billion.
Ideas
Becky Quick Co-Anchor, Squawk Box 4:15
Corning's Meta fiber deal has risk-sharing.
Meta's up to $6 billion multi-year fiber optic supply agreement gives Corning demand visibility for AI data centers, but the deal also requires Meta to share risk and fund capacity, so it is not simply circular; the setup is worth monitoring.
GLW LOW
Bill George Former Chairman and CEO, Medtronic; Senior Fellow, Harvard Business School 25:52
Costco values consistency beats Target's political flip-flops.
Companies that stay true to their values and listen to employees, like Costco, build long-term trust and avoid political wind-flipping; Target has been hurt by failing to do so, damaging its business and ability to attract talent.
TGT MED
Bill George Former Chairman and CEO, Medtronic; Senior Fellow, Harvard Business School 25:52
Costco values consistency beats Target's political flip-flops.
Companies that stay true to their values and listen to employees, like Costco, build long-term trust and avoid political wind-flipping; Target has been hurt by failing to do so, damaging its business and ability to attract talent.
COST MED
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This CNBC video, published January 27, 2026, features Becky Quick, Bill George discussing GLW, TGT, COST. 3 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Becky Quick, Bill George  · Tickers: GLW, TGT, COST