Scott Bessent
CNBC Daily Open: Tremors spread globally as Middle East conflict rages on
In this handout released by the U.S. Navy, aircraft are staged for flight operations on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 2, 2026 at sea. U.S. Navy | Getty Images What you need to know today A vote to force […]
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CNBC Daily Open: China sets lowest growth target in decades
A plume of smoke rises after a strike on Tehran on March 4, 2026. Atta Kenare | AFP | Getty Images What you need to know today China on Thursday set its GDP growth target for 2026 at 4.5% to 5% — the lowest target on record going back to the early 1990s — according […]
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Oil price surge eases after Bessent pledges support for oil trade during Iran war
Oil prices held steady Wednesday, after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration will provide support to oil tankers transiting the Persian Gulf and announce more measures in the coming days. U.S. crude oil rose 12 cents, or 0.16%, to $74.68 per barrel by 9:46 a.m. ET. Global benchmark Brent was up 37 cents, […]
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Bessent says global 15% tariff starts this week, predicts Trump duties will return to old levels later this year
President Donald Trump’s recently announced 15% global tariff will likely be implemented sometime this week, rising from its current rate of 10%, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday. Bessent also predicted that U.S. tariff rates would, by August, effectively return to where they stood before the Supreme Court recently struck down the often-steeper duties […]
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Gulf oil trade, Pentagon’s AI usage, Gen Z’s analog obsession and more in Morning Squawk
This is CNBC’s Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox. Happy Wednesday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC this morning that President Donald Trump’s 15% global tariff would be implemented this week. He also said the U.S. would make “a series of announcements” to support oil trade in the Gulf. Stock futures […]
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House Democrats call for Treasury probe into Trump family crypto venture
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing about the annual report of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 4, 2026. Kylie Cooper | Reuters Dozens of House Democrats wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday calling for an investigation into possible […]
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Sen. Warren tells Fed and Treasury: No bailout for crypto billionaires
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts and ranking member of Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Kent Nishimura | Bloomberg | Getty Images Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve on Wednesday to confirm that they […]
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Senate should proceed with Warsh hearings for Fed chair despite Powell probe: Bessent
The Senate should move to advance Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Federal Reserve chairman, even as a federal criminal investigation into current chair Jerome Powell continues, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday. Bessent, in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” said he believes after speaking this week to Republicans on the Senate Banking […]
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How China’s ‘unruly’ speculators might be fueling the frenzy in gold market
Gold and silver prices rose as U.S. Treasury bond yields fell after December retail sales growth stalled, signaling a softening economy ahead of key jobs data. Bloomberg Creative | Bloomberg Creative Photos | Getty Images Gold’s wild price swings in recent weeks are increasingly being linked to speculative trading in China by some analysts, with […]
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Safe-haven currencies might not be so safe after a volatile year. Here’s how the market is rethinking the Swiss franc, dollar and yen
Swiss franc banknotes in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Dec. 23, 2025. Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Images Ask an investor to name safe-haven currencies, and most will say the U.S. dollar, the Swiss franc, and the Japanese yen. Investors historically expected them to hold their value during geopolitical or economic turbulence. But more recently, these […]
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