Squawk Pod: 5 Things to Know Ahead of the Opening Bell 2/23/26

Date: February 23, 2026
Host: Andrew Ross Sorkin (with Joe Kernen)

Episode Overview

This episode distills the top five market-moving stories before the opening bell, drawing from CNBC's flagship show "Squawk Box." Host Andrew Ross Sorkin, joined by Joe Kernen, highlights breaking financial, policy, and tech news, as well as notable moves in energy markets and cultural industry updates. The discussion also dives into the complexities of government-tech partnerships and the latest in AI deployment at the highest levels of power.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Reciprocal Tariffs Ruled Illegal

• Summary:
  U.S. Customs will halt the collection of President Trump's reciprocal tariffs following a Supreme Court decision declaring them illegal.
• New Administration Move:
  President Trump is pivoting to a 15% global tax, to be potentially enforced for up to 150 days before reassessing other tariff strategies.
• Impact:
  Immediate changes in trade dynamics; businesses must prepare for policy shifts and new potential global tax impacts.

Timestamps: 00:40–01:10

2. TSA PreCheck Resumes Amid Government Shutdown

• Summary:
  TSA PreCheck lanes are now operational again after a brief pause tied to the Department of Homeland Security’s response to the ongoing partial government shutdown.
• Significance:
  This update relieves some travel bottlenecks and demonstrates infrastructural resilience even during government dysfunction.

Timestamps: 01:10–01:25

3. Pentagon’s High-Stakes Anthropic AI Meeting

• Summary:
  Axios reports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will meet Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to discuss military use of Anthropic’s Claude AI at the Pentagon.
• Key Insights:
  • The meeting is expected to be tense ("not be a friendly sit down").
  • Central issue: Whether the Pentagon can override Anthropic’s restrictions on AI use due to their government contract.
  • "What’s so interesting about Anthropic, which is different than OpenAI and some of the other models, is just this idea that they wanted to preserve certain rights over how their models are used." – Andrew Sorkin [02:01]
  • Anthropic’s model, Claude, is described as the "best model currently out there," and crucial to defense applications.

Timestamps: 01:25–02:40

4. Oil Market Forecasts and Risks

• Summary:
  Goldman Sachs has raised its end-of-year projections for Brent crude and WTI by $6 per barrel for Q4, expecting Brent at $60 and WTI at $56.
• Assumptions:
  The forecast relies on no additional supply disruptions from Iran.
• Strategic Takeaway:
  Traders and investors should monitor geopolitical risks tightly, as any shocks could quickly change forecasts.

Timestamps: 01:43–01:56

5. Bafta Awards: ‘Dark Comedy’ Sweeps Honors

• Summary:
  The film "One Battle After Another" wins Best Film and Best Director at the BAFTAs, seen as a bellwether for the upcoming Oscars.
• Industry Insight:
  The BAFTAs' results are typically a strong predictor of Academy Award winners, setting cultural conversations across entertainment sectors.

Timestamps: 01:57–02:03

Deep Dive: Tech, Government, and AI Ethics

Andrew Sorkin unpacks the tension between government contracts and tech companies' efforts to retain ethical oversight of their artificial intelligence products.

• Anthropic’s Stand:
  "Even though they have a contract with the Pentagon, they can't be used in certain ways if in fact they continue... to either create a board or some kind of model, which I assume Pete Hegseth is going to say, 'Hey, if it's legal, if you're contracting us, we can do whatever we want.'" – Andrew Sorkin [02:13]
• Strategic Importance:
  The Pentagon is actively utilizing Anthropic’s Claude AI, and this meeting could determine future contract terms and government access.
• Industry Ripple Effect:
  "Claude is used in Microsoft... It could break the whole sort of ecosystem. By the way, Microsoft has a contract with the Pentagon too, other tech companies." – Andrew Sorkin [02:50]
• AI Race:
  Sorkin notes the ongoing race for the “best model” between Claude, OpenAI’s offerings, and Google’s Gemini, with implications for both public and private sectors.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Anthropic's Principles:
  "What’s so interesting about Anthropic... is just this idea that they wanted to preserve certain rights over how their models are used." – Andrew Sorkin [02:01]
• On Power Struggles:
  "It’d be very interesting to see whether the Pentagon is going to threaten to either break that deal with Claude." – Andrew Sorkin [02:20]
• Predicting Market & Tech Shifts:
  "If you wanted the government to have access to the best model, that’s the one across the board." – Andrew Sorkin [02:32]
• On Industry Impact:
  "Microsoft has a contract with the Pentagon too, other tech companies. So the sort of the role that Anthropic plays in this is going to be super important in terms of how this technology ultimately gets used." – Andrew Sorkin [02:55]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:40 – Five things to know: Opening segment
• 01:10 – TSA PreCheck update
• 01:25 – Pentagon and Anthropic AI meeting
• 01:43 – Oil price projection by Goldman Sachs
• 01:57 – BAFTAs award update
• 02:01–02:55 – Extended analysis: Contractual ethics in AI and tech-government interface

Tone and Style

The conversation maintains CNBC’s signature brisk, analytical tone, pairing rapid-fire market headlines with deeper, forward-thinking analysis, especially on AI’s regulatory and ethical crossroads. Sorkin’s narration is direct, informally engaging, and peppered with industry-insider nuance.

Summary

This edition offers a comprehensive scan of the day’s most pressing market movers—from seismic policy shifts and operational resilience at airports, to the strategic future of military AI. Andrew Sorkin’s deep dive into Anthropic’s pivotal Pentagon contract frames the broader debate over technology’s evolving role and governance. Listeners leave with not just headlines, but urgent context for decisions in markets, policy, and technology.