GoKawiilThis is CNBC's Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox. Happy Wednesday. In yesterday's edition of this newsletter we told you about President Donald Trump's plan for a gas tax holiday, but I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet. S&P 500 futures are higher this morning after a losing session. Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:
1. Price hikes
People shop at a Costco store in the Staten Island borough of New York City, U.S., Jan. 16, 2026. Brendan McDermid | Reuters
2. Time to chat
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman walks inside the federal courthouse during a recess in the proceedings in the trial over Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI in Oakland, California, on May 12, 2026. Josh Edelson | AFP | Getty Images
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took the stand yesterday in the trial of Musk v. Altman. As CNBC's Ashley Capoot reports, Altman's cross-examination was much less combative than Elon Musk's. Altman — who, along with OpenAI and its president Greg Brockman, was sued by Musk in 2024 — called the Tesla CEO's management style "demotivated" and said his departure from the startup was a "morale boost." He said the electric vehicle maker's CEO didn't understand "how to run a good research lab." Altman also testified that he was "completely caught off guard" when OpenAI's board briefly removed him as CEO in 2023. Catch up all the big moments from the day here.
3. Plus one
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) invites Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to speak in the Cross Hall of the White House during an event on "Investing in America" on April 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images
Nvidia last night confirmed that CEO Jensen Huang is among the slew of executives traveling to China for Trump's visit. Huang's name wasn't on a list of CEOs joining the U.S. delegation provided by a White House official earlier this week, causing uncertainty over whether he would join. Trump, who moments ago landed in Beijing, said in a social media post last night that Huang was aboard Air Force One and denied that the chipmaker's CEO was ever excluded from the trip. A source familiar with the situation told CNBC that Trump called Huang to invite him after seeing media coverage of Huang's absence from the delegation. Nvidia's chips have faced tight U.S. restrictions on China sales. A spokesperson for the company said Huang is joining the trip "to support America and the administration's goals." Shares of the chipmaker are more than 2% higher before the bell.
4. In and out
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