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The Dow's losing streak, fertilizer prices, Novo Nordisk's new Wegovy shot and more in Morning Squawk

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Israeli PM Netanyahu announced U.S.-Israel cooperation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, easing oil supply fears but failing to halt Wall Street’s chaotic week, with stock futures declining Friday. Former President Trump’s push to continue the DOJ’s Fed Chair Powell investigation risks delaying confirmation of his nominee Kevin Warsh, while the Supreme Court may rule today on Trump’s bid to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook. The U.S.-Iran conflict disrupted helium production in Qatar, threatening semiconductor manufacturing, while fertilizer prices surged due to Strait of Hormuz transit issues, potentially impacting U.S. midterm elections. Meta reversed its plan to shut down Horizon Worlds after user backlash, though the VR platform remains overshadowed by competitors like Roblox, which boasts over 100 million daily users. The FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s higher-dose Wegovy, showing 20% weight loss in trials, as the company seeks to reclaim market share from Eli Lilly ahead of its April launch.
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In this articleThis is CNBC's Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox.Happy Friday. In a tale of two viral hotspots, Polymarket is planning a pop-up bar in Washington, D.C., while a New York City pharmacy is seeing a surge after its feature in FX's "Love Story."Stock futures are down this morning after another losing day on Wall Street.Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:Investors got a spark of optimism yesterday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was helping the U.S. reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Still, Wall Street is wrapping up a chaotic week across asset classes.Here's what to know:President Donald Trump indicated yesterday that the Justice Department should continue its investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, even after a judge last week blocked subpoenas issued as part of the probe. "All I want to do is bring out to the public that this guy is incompetent, he's a very incompetent guy, and he may be a dishonest guy," Trump said.But as CNBC's Kevin Breuninger notes, the probe's continuation could make it harder for Kevin Warsh, Trump's pick to succeed Powell, to be confirmed. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has pledged to not approve any Fed nominees until the investigation is resolved.Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has indicated that it could release decisions today, meaning there's a chance we'll get its ruling on Trump's effort to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook.It's not just oil. The U.S.-Iran war is threatening the global supply of helium, a key component in semiconductor manufacturing.Before the war, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that Qatar produced more than a third of the world's helium. But operations at a QatarEnergy facility that produces the gas as a byproduct have been halted after it was struck by an Iran drone.Meanwhile, fertilizer prices are soaring due to the transit breakdown in the Strait of Hormuz. As CNBC's Garrett Downs notes, the price spike could give Democrats an affordability pitch in agriculture-focused states heading into the U.S. midterm elections.CNBC's Morning Squawk recaps the biggest stories investors should know before the stock market opens, every weekday morning.Subscribe here to get access today.Meta walked back its decision to shutter Horizon Worlds yesterday after fans of the virtual reality platform spoke out.Tech chief Andrew Bosworth said that Meta decided to keep Horizon Worlds working for existing games "to support the fans who've reached out." Earlier this week, the tech firm announced that it would fully remove the platform from its Quest VR headsets in June.As CNBC's Lola Murti notes, Horizon Worlds' popularity pales in comparison to that of its competitors. CNBC previously reported that the platform never saw more than a few hundred thousand monthly users, while Roblox has regularly seen more than 100 million daily active users.A higher-dose weight loss drug could be hitting the market soon.The Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved a stronger version of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. A phase three trial showed that patients with obesity lost an average of more than 20% of their weight after 72 weeks, compared to around 15% weight loss with the standard dosage in clinical trials.As CNBC's Annika Kim Constantino reports, the new version — which is expected to launch next month — comes as Novo attempts to regain market share from rival Eli Lilly.Here are some of the stories you may have missed this week:— CNBC's Sean Conlon, Chloe Taylor, Kevin Breuninger, Lisa Kailai Han, Garrett Downs, Lola Murti and Annika Kim Constantino contributed to this report. Josephine Rozzelle edited this edition.Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

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