Minnesota shooting, Big Tech earnings, the winter storm and more in Morning Squawk

Minnesota shooting, Big Tech earnings, the winter storm and more in Morning Squawk


This is CNBC’s Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox.

Good morning. My gym in New York City unexpectedly closed early for the winter storm yesterday, but I was able to get in a makeshift workout pushing a taxi out of a snowbank.

Stock futures are little changed this morning. The market is coming off a losing week.

Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:

1. Minneapolis

In sub-zero temperatures, demonstrators marched in downtown Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday, January 23, 2026, waving signs decrying ongoing immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities metro area, Operation Metro Surge.

Alex Kormann | The Minnesota Star Tribune | Getty Images

Tensions in Minnesota hit a fever pitch over the weekend after a federal immigration agent shot and killed Alex Pretti — a 37-year-old nurse and U.S. citizen — in Minneapolis. It is the second fatal shooting by federal agents in the city since the White House sent thousands of ICE agents to the state, despite opposition from local lawmakers.

Here’s what to know:

  • Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Border Patrol agent fired “defensive” shots after Pretti “violently resisted” attempts to be disarmed.
  • But videos verified by CNBC show a significantly different series of events. At no point in any of the verified videos does Pretti — a lawful gun owner with a permit — brandish a weapon. One of the videos appears to show an agent removing a weapon from Pretti before any shots were fired.
  • Following the shooting, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called on President Donald Trump to “end this operation” and “pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers” from the state. Walz, a Democrat, said he has been in contact with the White House.
  • On Sunday, leaders of Minnesota-based companies such as incoming Target CEO Michael Fiddelke, 3M CEO and Chairman William Brown and UnitedHealth CEO Stephen Hemsley called for an “immediate deescalation of tensions” in a letter.
  • The executives called on public officials to work together to find solutions, though they did not name Trump explicitly — part of a broader trend of corporate leaders attempting to avoid commenting directly about White House policies.
  • Outrage over the Minneapolis shooting has increased the chances of a partial federal government shutdown. Democrats in Congress are vowing to block any funding package that includes DHS appropriations.
  • Pretti’s death follows the killing of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigrations and Custom Enforcement officer in Minneapolis earlier this month.

2. Apple dance

Magnificent 7 tech stocks on display at the Nasdaq on July 31, 2025.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

3. Winter wonderland

Two cars travel on the north and southbound lanes of the snow-covered New York State Thruway I-287 as a major winter storm spreads across a large swath of the United States, in Nyack, New York, U.S., January 25, 2026.

Mike Segar | Reuters

A sweeping winter storm brought freezing temperatures and heavy snow to much of the U.S. this weekend, prompting more than 20 states to make emergency declarations.

Several major airlines waived change and cancellation fees at dozens of U.S. airports and cut thousands of flights. Natural gas prices soared, while hundreds of thousands in the South lost power. Power prices also spiked as demand in Virginia — home to the highest number of data centers in the world — came in stronger than expected.

Here’s what the storm could mean for your money.

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4. Neighborly relations

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during a news conference before a cabinet planning forum at the Citadelle in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada Jan. 22, 2026.

Mathieu Belanger | Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said yesterday that the country has “no intention” of inking a free trade deal with China, one day after Trump threatened a 100% tariff on Canada if it struck a deal with Beijing.

Carney told reporters that Canada respects its obligations under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement and won’t pursue a deal with China without telling the other two parties. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump referred to Carney as a “governor,” a reference to his past calls for Canada to become a U.S. state.

5. Uneven road

2025 Jeep Wagoneer S Electric Vehicles are displayed for sale at Larry H. Miller Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram dealership in Thornton, Colorado on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026.

Hyoung Chang | The Denver Post | Getty Images

U.S. automakers have spent the first half of this decade navigating inconsistency. As CNBC’s Michael Wayland reports, that isn’t expected to change in 2026.

Following years defined by supply chain issues, tariffs and vacillating interest for electric vehicles, carmakers are now also dealing with the traditional problems of affordability and cooling consumer demand. Some companies are also preparing for a transition toward a “new” U.S. auto industry: one that’s smaller, more expensive and less consistent.

As Hyundai North America CEO Randy Parker put it: “We’ve got to plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

The Daily Dividend

Here’s what we’re keeping an eye on this week:

CNBC’s Kif Leswing, Terri Cullen, Yun Li, Garrett Downs, Sarah Min, Sean Conlon, Leslie Josephs, Jessica Dickler, Greg Iacurci, Kamaron McNair, Sarah Agostino, Lim Hui Jie and Michael Wayland, as well as Reuters, contributed to this report. Josephine Rozzelle edited this edition.



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