Amazon layoffs, Qualcomm's AI chips, Airbnb cracks down on Halloween and more in Morning Squawk Amazon logo on brick office building facade with windows, San Francisco, California, Aug. 29, 2025. Smith Collection | Gado | Archive Photos | Getty Images This is CNBC's Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox. Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day: 1. Amazon's cull Amazon is laying off 14,000 workers in its latest round of corporate cuts, the company announced this morning. The layoffs are expected to be the biggest reduction in the company's history, CNBC's Annie Palmer reported yesterday. Nearly every business is expected to be impacted by the cuts, according to a person familiar with the matter. Beth Galetti, Amazon's senior vice president of people experience and technology, wrote in a blog post that the company needs to be "organized more leanly" and have fewer layers. Amazon is the second-largest private employer in the U.S. with upwards of 1.5 million employees. The 14,000 cuts announced this morning represent about 4% of its corporate and tech workforce. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said earlier this year that the Washington-based company could shrink its workforce by embracing AI. The firm is part of a cohort of large-cap companies that have seen their AI-related productivity increase as the technology becomes mainstream. 2. Chips on the table Budrul Chukrut | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images 3. Running a list U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters as U.S. President Donald Trump stands next to him aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo, Japan, for the second stop on his Asia tour, Oct. 27, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed there are five finalists left in the running to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. On the list: Fed Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and BlackRock's Rick Rieder. That's the same group of candidates CNBC reported earlier this month. President Donald Trump said he will likely announce his pick by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, the Federal Open Market Committee will kick off its two-day meeting today, with all eyes on its interest rate decision due tomorrow. 4. iBuyer Roomba vacuums by iRobot are displayed at Best Buy store on January 19, 2024 in San Rafael, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Shares of iRobot tumbled more than 33% yesterday after the company warned in a securities filling that its search for a buyer has reached an impasse. The Roomba maker said negotiations with its last remaining bidder fell through following a "lengthy period of exclusive negotiations" last week. iRobot has been trying to find a buyer for its business since March. The company has been in a rough spot since Amazon dropped its acquisition bid last year. Get Morning Squawk directly in your inbox 5. Party crashers Austin Andres and her son Quinn, 2, shop for pumpkins at Maple Acres Farm in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017. Matt Rourke | AP If you're in the market for pumpkin carving materials or candy this Halloween season, you're likely in for some sticker shock. An analysis of retail pricing data shows these goods have seen jumps as big as 300% as tariffs raise costs for suppliers. Joe Ens, CEO of Pumpkin Masters parent Signature Brands, told CNBC he hopes shoppers will accept price increases to continue traditions like pumpkin decorating. The average consumer is expected to spend a record $114 tied to Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation. Meanwhile, Airbnb is hoping for a quiet Halloween weekend at its rental properties. The company said it will use anti-party technology to quell large gatherings held at bookings in the U.S. and Canada. The Daily Dividend In an exclusive interview with CNBC, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said climate change is "super important but has to be considered in terms of overall human welfare." In a letter published ahead of a U.N. climate summit next week, Gates wrote that too many resources are going toward the environment and that more money should go toward fighting poverty and disease.
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Amazon layoffs, Qualcomm's AI chips, Airbnb cracks down on Halloween and more in Morning Squawk

Amazon logo on brick office building facade with windows, San Francisco, California, Aug. 29, 2025.

Smith Collection | Gado | Archive Photos | Getty Images

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

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

1. Amazon's cull

Amazon is laying off 14,000 workers in its latest round of corporate cuts, the company announced this morning. The layoffs are expected to be the biggest reduction in the company's history, CNBC's Annie Palmer reported yesterday. Nearly every business is expected to be impacted by the cuts, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Beth Galetti, Amazon's senior vice president of people experience and technology, wrote in a blog post that the company needs to be "organized more leanly" and have fewer layers. Amazon is the second-largest private employer in the U.S. with upwards of 1.5 million employees. The 14,000 cuts announced this morning represent about 4% of its corporate and tech workforce.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said earlier this year that the Washington-based company could shrink its workforce by embracing AI. The firm is part of a cohort of large-cap companies that have seen their AI-related productivity increase as the technology becomes mainstream.

2. Chips on the table

Budrul Chukrut | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

3. Running a list

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters as U.S. President Donald Trump stands next to him aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo, Japan, for the second stop on his Asia tour, Oct. 27, 2025.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed there are five finalists left in the running to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

On the list: Fed Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and BlackRock's Rick Rieder. That's the same group of candidates CNBC reported earlier this month. President Donald Trump said he will likely announce his pick by the end of 2025.

Meanwhile, the Federal Open Market Committee will kick off its two-day meeting today, with all eyes on its interest rate decision due tomorrow.

4. iBuyer

Roomba vacuums by iRobot are displayed at Best Buy store on January 19, 2024 in San Rafael, California.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Shares of iRobot tumbled more than 33% yesterday after the company warned in a securities filling that its search for a buyer has reached an impasse. The Roomba maker said negotiations with its last remaining bidder fell through following a "lengthy period of exclusive negotiations" last week.

iRobot has been trying to find a buyer for its business since March. The company has been in a rough spot since Amazon dropped its acquisition bid last year.

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5. Party crashers

Austin Andres and her son Quinn, 2, shop for pumpkins at Maple Acres Farm in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017.

Matt Rourke | AP

If you're in the market for pumpkin carving materials or candy this Halloween season, you're likely in for some sticker shock. An analysis of retail pricing data shows these goods have seen jumps as big as 300% as tariffs raise costs for suppliers.

Joe Ens, CEO of Pumpkin Masters parent Signature Brands, told CNBC he hopes shoppers will accept price increases to continue traditions like pumpkin decorating. The average consumer is expected to spend a record $114 tied to Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Meanwhile, Airbnb is hoping for a quiet Halloween weekend at its rental properties. The company said it will use anti-party technology to quell large gatherings held at bookings in the U.S. and Canada.

The Daily Dividend

In an exclusive interview with CNBC, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said climate change is "super important but has to be considered in terms of overall human welfare."

In a letter published ahead of a U.N. climate summit next week, Gates wrote that too many resources are going toward the environment and that more money should go toward fighting poverty and disease.