The IBJ Podcast

What we know about the COVID-19 vaccine in Indiana

COVID-19 vaccinations are underway, with tens of thousands of shots administered here in Indiana.

But how many doses are available and who is receiving them? And of course, the question on many people’s minds: When can I get a vaccine? Or when can my parents get one?

IBJ reporter John Russell has been looking for answers. So we invited him onto the podcast to tell us what he’s learned.

 

(Vaccine photo by Ricky Carioti, The Washington Post)

Can IU keep Tom Allen as elite schools come calling?

In a discombobulating year that has turned everything from the world economy to a simple trip to visit your relatives upside down, it’s not particularly important that many college football teams were able to eke out a full season—but it was an impressive feat nonetheless. And no team was more surprising than the Indiana University Hoosiers.

Although the team clearly was on an upward trajectory under fourth-year coach Tom Allen, its ascension to the nation’s top 10 with a 6-1 record in the Big Ten was almost surreal. The good news for IU: The team has booked the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2 with Ole Miss. The bad news: Allen is one of the hottest coaches in the nation and is being pursued by upper-echelon schools with plenty of resources.

This is an unusual position for a program that historically has been the Big Ten’s doormat, at least in part because it hasn’t made the necessary investments in football. In this week’s edition of The IBJ Podcast, host Mason King and longtime sports reporter Anthony Schoettle discuss IU’s prospects for keeping Allen, factoring in his contract buyout clause, his stated loyalty to the program and IU’s new philosophy on investing in gridiron success. Unfortunately, as Schoettle points out, IU needs Tom Allen right now a lot more than Tom Allen needs IU.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

 

Lawmakers in sticky situation making state's next budget

Lawmakers are required to do just two things in 2021—pass a budget to take effect on July 1 and redraw legislative and congressional district maps based on Census data that will be released later this year.

The former occurs every two years; the latter every 10. But it's the budget that is likely to give lawmakers the most fits. After all, the state took in $1.4 billion less in tax revenue than they expected during the fiscal year that ended June 30, the result of slowed economic activity and high unemployment due to the pandemic.

And they don't know yet what revenue will look like in 2021 and beyond.

To find out what to expect, host Mason King talks with IBJ Statehouse reporter Lindsey Erdody about what legislative leaders are saying about the budget, which state programs could be on the chopping block and what spending the Republican-majority will prioritize. 

Click here to follow Lindsey's coverage of the General Assembly and read her previews of the legislative session.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

 

Pete the Planner on how to develop a strategy for charitable giving

When not-for-profits started filling your inbox with requests for donations on Giving Tuesday last week, did you respond to any of them? If so, was your contribution part of a larger plan for giving? Or were you moved by a particular message and donated on the spot? And does it matter?

Giving — and how it fits into your larger financial planning — is the subject of this week's podcast with Peter "Pete the Planner" Dunn.

Host Mason King peppers Pete with questions about whether it's better to give one or two big gifts a year, as opposed to a bunch of smaller ones; how much is the right amount to give overall (or even whether there is a "right" number); and how you choose what organizations to invest your dollars in.

And Pete explains what's changing about his giving strategy this year.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

 

Can Cook Medical help turn an Indy neighborhood around?

Bloomington-based Cook Medical announced last week that it will invest $7 million to help build a $15 million medical device manufacturing facility at 38^th Street and Sheridan Avenue that is expected to be transformational for the lower-income neighborhood on the northeast side of Indianapolis.

Cook has partnered with Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, The Indianapolis Foundation, Impact Central Indiana and the United Northeast Community Development Corp. to build the facility and hire 100 employees for jobs expected to pay an average hourly wage of $16 plus benefits.

Goodwill will operate the plant with the goal of hiring workers from the neighborhood—and will provide key wrap-around services to ensure those workers and their families have the food, housing and education they need to succeed.

Podcast host Mason King talked with Pete Yonkman, president of Cook Group and Cook Medical, and Ashley Gurvitz, executive director of United Northeast Community Development Corp., about the project and what it could mean for the neighborhood. And Yonkman explains why Cook is urging other companies to make similar moves.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

Can Indy pull off hosting the entire NCAA tourney?

The NCAA announced last week that it is in negotiations with local officials to hold its entire March Madness tournament—not just the Final Four, but every single game of the event—in Indianapolis this spring.

It's part of an effort to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the teams participates and the officials who are involved. The tournament would be treated as a virus-free bubble, similar to the way the NBA operated in Orlando.

So what would that mean for Indianapolis? And can the city pull it off?

To find out, podcast host Mason King talked with IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey, who has been covering the story, as well as Mark Ganis, co-founder of Chicago-based Sportscorp. Ltd., and Larry DeGaris, a University of Indianapolis professor and sports marketing consultant. They explain why Indianapolis is such a good candidate to take on the event and what challenges lie ahead.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

The ambitious plan to end hunger in central Indiana

Dozens of organizations and governmental agencies across central Indiana are trying to address hunger and food insecurity.

Schools provide meals to students. The federal government sends food assistance to low-income Hoosiers. Not-for-profits as big as Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana and as small as church food pantries are trying to make sure families have enough to eat.

Enter a new effort—Food Secure Indy.

But this group won't distribute food or build grocery stores or dig community gardens. Instead, the coalition of Indy companies, government leaders and not-for-groups will work to coordinate existing services. And by doing so, it hopes to The goal is to provide an additional 740,000 meals a month in Marion County on a regular basis by 2023.

Podcast host Mason King talks with Margie Craft, a senior adviser at Elanco (the lead company in the coalition) and the project lead for Food Secure Indy about the effort and what it will take to be successful.

To learn more, read reporter John Russell's story about Food Secure Indy and the hunger problem in Indianapolis.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

Democrats were supposed to have a big year in Indiana. They didn't. Why not?

In a state that routinely rewards Republican candidates, Democrats were expected to have a somewhat breakthrough year here.

Sure, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Woody Myers, wasn't expected to do well. But in the 5th Congressional District, Democrats had high hope for Christina Hale in a race against Republican Victoria Spartz. And they spent heavily in an attempt to knock off several GOP lawmakers in Hamilton County. 

But Republicans swept all of those races and many others, actually strengthening their hold at the Statehouse.

So podcast host Mason King talked with University of Indianapolis political science professor Laura Merrifield Wilson and IBJ political reporter Lindsey Erdody about the messages Indiana voters sent at the polls.

For more politics news, check out IBJ stories here and sign up for Erdody's award-winning newsletter, "The Rundown."

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

This is the number you really need to know to save enough for retirement

If you think saving effectively for retirement simply means knowing the total amount of money you need on the day you tell your boss sayonara, you've only done part of the calculation.

After all, "knowing" that number — which is really a misnomer, given that almost none of us know how long we're actually going to live in retirement — doesn't tell you anything about how to get to the number.

That's why Peter "Pete the Planner" Dunn says the most important thing to know is how much you need to save every month to reach a total number that seems reasonable for retirement.

"It's the only prudent number to think about because it leads to action," Dunn tells IBJ Podcast host Mason King.

Dunn also wrote about the issue in last week's IBJ. 

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.

 

 

Helping artists and arts organizations survive the pandemic

Artists of all kinds have been hit hard by the pandemic. The theaters, galleries, concert halls and other venues that share their work closed in the spring and at least part of the summer.

Many performing arts groups canceled their 2020-21 seasons altogether, while others are going virtual.

Yet, the social justice movement that erupted this summer and even the pain caused by the pandemic have provided new opportunities and inspiration for many artists.

So podcast host Mason King talked with Julie Goodman, president and CEO of the Arts Council of Indianapolis, about the group's fundraising efforts and grant programs meant to sustain artists and arts groups.

Rebecca Robinson, a visual artist and one of the painters on the Black Lives Matter street mural this summer, and Andrew Elliot, a makeup artist and musician, also join the conversation to talk about their personal pandemic experiences.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.