GoKawiilThis is CNBC's Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox. Happy Wednesday. There was a notable birthday on Wall Street yesterday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average turned 130 years old. Stock futures are higher before the bell. The Dow rung in its special day with a pullback in Tuesday's session. Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:
1. Micro influencer
The Micron Technology offices in San Jose, California, Dec. 16, 2025. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
2. Election season
A driver refuels a vehicle with regular gasoline at a Shell gas station in Albany, California, US, on Thursday, May 21, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Ken Paxton beat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas Republican Senate primary last night, becoming the GOP's nominee for the 2026 midterm election. Paxton — the state's attorney general who last week won President Donald Trump's endorsement — will face Democratic state legislator James Talarico in what's expected to be one of the most expensive elections in the U.S. As CNBC's Garrett Downs notes, Republicans are staring down rising inflation, surging gas prices and persistent affordability concerns as they look to November. While the party has long blamed former President Joe Biden for high prices, its members now have to contend with surging energy costs under Trump.
3. Home turf
The White House in Washington, DC, US, on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Aaron Schwartz | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Trump will meet with his Cabinet today at the White House, the president said yesterday. The meeting was previously set to take place at Camp David, but Trump said "bad weather conditions" caused the change of location. The gathering follows U.S. "self-defense" strikes on Iran, which cast doubt on the potential for a peace deal between the two countries. Iran promised to retaliate, sending Brent oil prices up more than 3% in yesterday's session. Piper Sandler said in a note yesterday that it expects the Strait of Hormuz to remain closed for months and that crude prices will surge to new highs this summer.
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