U.S. President Donald Trump signs a funding bill to end the U.S. government shutdown at the White House in Washington, DC, on November 12, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
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Here are five important things investors need to know to start their trading day.
1. Opening hours
President Donald Trump last night ended the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and signed into law a short-term funding bill that would fund the government through January, passing the House of Representatives early in the evening.
Here’s what you need to know:
The deal does not include the extension of Obamacare’s enhanced tax credits that Democrats had hoped for, but it does include a guarantee from Republicans that their chosen health care bill will be voted on in the Senate next month. The agreement also guarantees funding for food stamps and the cancellation of layoffs and back pay for government workers during the government shutdown. As he signed the bill ending the 43-day government shutdown, President Trump said “people have been hurt terribly” and that “we can never allow this to happen.” Once again. “Republicans did not want a government shutdown,” he said, blaming Democrats for the shutdown. Earlier Wednesday, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said key inflation and labor data for October may never be released because of the government shutdown. Without these reports, Fed policymakers would be “acting blindly at a critical time,” Levitt said. The Department of Transport also suspended flight reductions it had imposed last week as disruptions to air travel eased. As of Friday, the cancellation rate would have increased from 6% to 10%. Dow Jones Industrial Average Yesterday, it rose to its first ever close above $48,000 as Wall Street held out hope that the end of the shutdown was near. Follow us here for live market updates.
2. Magic test
A shot of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Random eye photo | Twenty20
Mickey Mouse may join Pluto in the doghouse. disney announced this morning that it missed Wall Street’s fiscal fourth-quarter revenue expectations, sending its stock down more than 4% in premarket trading.
While the company’s Disney+ streaming service has grown, the entertainment giant has been hobbled by its terrestrial TV business and theatrical film projects. However, Disney’s quarterly profit exceeded analysts’ expectations.
“Overall, we ended the year with great momentum,” Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” this morning, referring to the company’s streaming and experiences businesses.
3. Matters related to personnel matters
US President Donald Trump and US Federal Reserve Board Member Lisa Cook
Annabelle Gordon Reuter | Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Mark your calendars: The Supreme Court has announced that it will hear arguments on January 21 in President Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. A court in October allowed Cook to keep his job while the case progressed.
Meanwhile, Atlanta Fed President Rafael Bostic announced yesterday that he will step down when his term expires in February. Bostic, the first African-American and openly gay regional Fed president, said in a statement that he was proud of the work “transforming the noble goal of an economy that works for all into something more real.”
4. Inside the AFP business
Jgi/Jamie Grill | Tetra Images | Getty Images
As U.S. drug costs soar, a growing industry called alternative funding programs promises patients more affordable options for accessing specialty drugs — often by obtaining them overseas.
Federal authorities are increasingly wary of AFP’s legality and potential health risks to patients. Homeland Security Special Agent in Charge Nicole Johnson said AFP was receiving prescriptions through “unidentified” suppliers and “potentially illegal” online pharmacies.
In a new study, CNBC tracked drugs entering the United States through supply chains that are not licensed by the pharmaceutical companies that make them. This study shows how widespread these companies are with employer-sponsored health insurance.
5.Electric slide
Samuel Boivin | Null Photo | Getty Images
Anthropic yesterday announced plans to spend $50 billion to build infrastructure related to artificial intelligence. As CNBC’s Mackenzie Sigalos points out, this move makes the tech company a major U.S. player in physical AI infrastructure. The project will begin with custom data centers in Texas and New York and is expected to create 800 permanent jobs and more than 2,000 construction jobs.
But political opposition to the AI industry’s data centers is growing, as is voter anger over rising electricity prices. Abigail Spanberger, who won last week’s race for Virginia governor, promised to make the industry pay its “fair share” of high costs.
daily dividend
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee yesterday released more than 20,000 documents obtained from the estate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including emails that referenced Mr. Trump. The president has denied knowing about Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls and young women, and he has never been charged with any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House will vote next week on releasing Epstein-related files.
I know how dirty Donald is.
Jeffrey Epstein in a 2018 email thread
—CNBC’s Dan Mangan, Jeff Cox, Emily Wilkins, Sean Conlon, Lillian Rizzo, Scott Zamost, Paige Tortorelli, Melissa Lee, Mackenzie Sigalos and Spencer Kimball contributed to this report. Josephine Rozzelle edited this version.
