Squawk Pod – 5 Things to Know Before the Opening Bell (12/26/2025)

Host: Steve Liesman (with Leslie Picker)
Duration: ~2 minutes core content
Date: December 26, 2025
Podcast: Squawk Pod (CNBC)

Overview

This episode of the Squawk Pod delivers CNBC’s morning briefing of the top five market-moving stories and business headlines to know before Wall Street opens. Anchored by Steve Liesman and Leslie Picker, the episode offers rapid insights on record-setting precious metals, global geopolitical developments, a historic lottery win, technology news, and weather impacts on the autonomous vehicle industry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Precious Metals Surge

• Gold and Silver Set New Records
  • Gold prices soared more than 70% in 2025, hitting all-time highs.
  • Silver outperformed, surging over 150% year-to-date.
  • [00:47]

    "Gold and silver hitting new records. Gold up more than 70% in 2025. Silver's gained more than 150%."
    — Steve Liesman

2. Ukraine Peace Developments

• Diplomatic Efforts Toward Ending Russia-Ukraine War
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announces plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump soon in pursuit of peace.
  • Held talks with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner the previous day.
  • [01:05]

    "Ukraine's President Zelensky...plans to meet with President Trump soon as the US pushes for an end to Russia's war with Ukraine."
    — Steve Liesman

3. Powerball Jackpot Hits Record Highs

• Single Winning Ticket Sold
  • $1.8 billion Powerball prize (second largest ever) won by a ticket sold near Little Rock, Arkansas.
  • Winner yet to be identified due to holiday closures.
  • Panel highlights the enormity of the windfall.
  • [01:16]

    "A single winning ticket sold for Powerball, second largest jackpot ever...the $1.8 billion prize..."
    — Steve Liesman

  • [02:16]

    "Imagine, right?"
    — Steve Liesman

  • [02:17]

    "1.8 billion."
    — Leslie Picker

  • [02:20]

    "I mean, just money raining down everywhere."
    — Leslie Picker

4. Autonomous Vehicle Disruptions

• Waymo Pauses Robo-Taxi Service in SF Amid Weather
  • Waymo halted its self-driving service in San Francisco due to flash flood warnings and ongoing storms.
  • Reflects both technological limits and weather disruptions.
  • [01:37]

    "[Waymo] pausing its robo taxi service again in San Francisco...due to flash flood warnings from the National Weather Service."
    — Steve Liesman

5. Tech M&A Activity

• Snowflake Eyes Its Biggest Acquisition
  • Data warehousing leader Snowflake is in talks to acquire Observe (a monitoring and analytics platform) for $1 billion.
  • Would mark Snowflake’s largest deal ever.
  • [01:54]

    "Snowflake, is reportedly in talks to buy a startup, Observe, for about $1 billion... the company's biggest acquisition to date."
    — Steve Liesman

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Precious Metals:

  "Gold up more than 70%...Silver's gained more than 150%."
  — Steve Liesman, [00:47]

• On Powerball’s Prize vs. Tech Valuations:

  "Yeah, but the lottery winner was like almost double that value."
  — Leslie Picker, [02:12]

• On Luck and Weather as a Theme:

  "I mean, just money raining down everywhere."
  — Leslie Picker, [02:20]
  "Running down everywhere and rain in San Francisco and snow here in New York. And it's a theme for the day."
  — Steve Liesman, [02:25]
  "Exactly. Theme all the time here on CNBC."
  — Leslie Picker, [02:30]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:47] — Markets update: Precious metals, Ukraine, Powerball, Waymo, Snowflake
• [01:16] — Powerball jackpot segment
• [01:37] — Waymo weather disruption
• [01:54] — Snowflake acquisition news
• [02:12-02:33] — Casual discussion: money themes, weather parallels

Conclusion

This brisk episode encapsulates fast-breaking news and trends that could move markets—from commodities and global politics to technology and massive lottery wins—backed by CNBC’s signature banter and context. Perfect for listeners needing an early-morning edge before the trading day begins.