CNBC

CNBC political correspondent Justin Pap examines competitive congressional races in Iowa, where Democrats hope to flip seats in a state that has become reliably Republican. Key issues driving voters include inflation, grocery and gas prices, and healthcare accessibility, with candidates debating economic policies and their party's agenda.

CNBC covers Slate Auto's launch of a $24,950 modular vehicle designed as a barebones, customizable car with minimal features. The company, backed by Amazon executives and Dodgers owner Mark Walter, aims to achieve profitability on every vehicle sold through simplified manufacturing and a novel business model centered on ongoing accessory and wrap sales.

Twilio and Datadog are outperforming the software industry by leveraging AI-native solutions and demonstrating clear monetization paths. Both companies have seen significant stock gains (45% and 60% respectively in one month) as they successfully partner with rather than compete against major AI companies.

Barrière is disrupting the supplement industry with transdermal vitamin patches, partnering with Walmart to expand from 50 to 1,700 stores. The company projects 2026 revenue to exceed $10 million with a current $19 million valuation, though expert skepticism remains about the clinical efficacy of patch-based delivery versus established oral supplements.

CNBC tests Tesla's Grok AI navigation system during an NYC drive, where Grok makes an incorrect turn onto West 57th Street instead of continuing straight on Broadway. The segment highlights concerns about over-reliance on AI navigation in complex urban environments and also demonstrates Grok's willingness to engage in adult-oriented conversations without content restrictions.

New SNAP restrictions inspired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA movement are limiting purchases of sugary drinks and candy, with over 20 states implementing these rules affecting nearly one-third of SNAP participants. Food companies face potential losses of $830 million this year as they scramble to understand changing consumer behavior and reformulate products to comply with new regulations.

Former Disney CEO Bob Iger reflects on the 10th anniversary of Shanghai Disneyland, discussing its success, the evolution of Chinese consumers, and Disney's investment plans in China. He also shares thoughts on AI, geopolitical risks, and his philosophy of bold risk-taking as foundational to Disney's identity.

Kevin Warsh has been sworn in as the new Federal Reserve Chair, bringing different communication philosophies and inflation measurement preferences. The Fed faces a challenging balancing act between stable employment and rising inflation above 4%, while Warsh's preference for data-open meetings could introduce more market volatility.

Start-up Silicon Data has partnered with CME Group to launch what could be the world's first AI compute futures market, pending CFTC regulatory approval. The market aims to help companies hedge against volatile GPU rental costs, similar to how airlines use oil futures. Key challenges include standardizing GPU pricing benchmarks and building sufficient market liquidity.

KFC has fallen significantly behind competitors in the U.S. fast food chicken market, now ranking fourth by market share despite the category booming. In 2025, the company launched a turnaround plan featuring boneless menu items, a new beverage lineup, and redesigned restaurants. Meanwhile, KFC's international business continues to thrive, making its U.S. struggles even more pronounced.

President Trump is headed to the G7 summit in Evian, France, where he faces strained relationships with most allied leaders over tariffs, the Iran war, and Ukraine. European and Asian allies feel increasingly sidelined as the U.S. pivots its focus toward Middle Eastern Gulf nations. Key agenda items include the Iran conflict, Ukraine support, AI regulation, troop withdrawals, and supply chain security.

The obesity drug market is rapidly evolving beyond Wegovy and Zepbound, with new pills, triple-agonist drugs, and alternative mechanisms entering clinical pipelines. Lilly's experimental Retatrutide showed unprecedented 28% average body weight loss, the highest ever recorded for a drug. Competition is intensifying across weight loss, tolerability, and dosing convenience dimensions.

One year after Meta's $14 billion acquihire of Scale AI and appointment of Alexandr Wang as chief AI officer, Meta faces scrutiny amid a 19% stock decline. Wang's Meta Superintelligence Labs has shifted away from open source models toward proprietary offerings, with mixed results. Wang now faces pressure to deliver competitive AI models and generate new revenue as Meta's infrastructure spending reaches $145 billion.

Retail investors are weighing whether to buy into SpaceX's IPO despite an aggressive valuation of nearly $1.8 trillion. While analysts and even some investors acknowledge the valuation is hard to justify on paper, many are still pursuing shares due to Elon Musk's track record, SpaceX's multi-business structure, and fear of missing out. Strategies range from short-term hype trades to long-term bets on the space economy.

SpaceX is launching its IPO at $135 per share, targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation, with an unusually high 30% of shares allocated to retail investors. Brokerages like Fidelity, Robinhood, and SoFi are participating, though early sellers face restrictions from future IPO access. SpaceX reported a nearly $5 billion net loss in 2025, primarily driven by Elon Musk's X business and AI infrastructure spending.

The video analyzes SpaceX's anticipated IPO and argues it defies traditional Wall Street valuation frameworks. SpaceX combines hypergrowth, strategic national importance, and minimal regulation — a rare trifecta that creates what the presenter calls a 'strategic tech premium.' However, the same indispensability that justifies a premium also invites eventual government control, potentially capping its upside.

ALT5 Sigma, a little-known crypto company, raised $750 million from hedge funds and used it to buy crypto tokens from World Liberty Financial, a Trump family-affiliated organization, netting the Trump family approximately $500 million. Since the deal, ALT5 Sigma has faced severe turmoil including leadership changes, auditor replacements, a money laundering conviction in its Canadian subsidiary, and a collapsing stock price. Investors who bought into the deal hoping to share in Trump family business success have instead taken significant losses.

The U.S. auto industry has deliberately shifted toward selling fewer, more expensive vehicles since the pandemic, generating higher profits while squeezing consumers out of the new car market. Reduced leasing, lower incentives, and constrained production have created a persistent shortage of used vehicles expected to last through 2030. This dynamic has pushed the average new car buyer's household income to $150,000—nearly double the national average.

d-Matrix, a California-based chip startup, has announced its Corsair AI inference chip is now in full production, claiming it is 10x faster at token generation and 3x cheaper than standalone GPUs. The chip uses on-chip SRAM instead of high-bandwidth memory to bypass the memory bottleneck limiting GPU performance. The company has secured $275 million in funding and partnerships with major players including Microsoft, Arista, Broadcom, and Supermicro.

Mammoth Brands, founded by the creators of Harry's razor company, is challenging legacy CPG giants like Procter & Gamble by using a direct-to-consumer first strategy before scaling to retail. The company has grown through acquisitions and new brand launches, including Flamingo, Lume, Mando, and Coterie Diapers. Mammoth's playbook centers on speed, deep customer knowledge, and premium product quality rather than traditional CPG scale.