The IBJ Podcast

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.

 

 

'Tumultuous.' That's how restaurateur Eddie Sahm describes surviving the pandemic.

Back in March, as the pandemic was unfolding in Indiana, podcast host Mason King talked with Eddie Sahm, who owns the Sahm's restaurant group with his father. At the time, Eddie talked about the company's pivot to providing meals to Second Helpings, in part to keep their staff employed, and converting some of the restaurant to marketplaces.

Six months later, King catches up with Eddie about which Sahm's restaurants have survived, how business is going overall and how worried he is about the coming cold weather, which will end patio seating.

There's one thing Eddie is certain about: Without more government assistance, a large percentage of local restaurants will close. And that, he said, won't be good for the community.

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

 

Breaking down the 5th District, the governor's race and the impact of early voting

Election Day is just weeks away and, already, thousands of Hoosiers are voting early in person and through mail-in absentee ballots.

So podcast host Mason King talks with IBJ politics reporter Lindsey Erdody and Andy Downs, director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Purdue University-Fort Wayne, about how the races are shaping up.

They break down battles for the Governors' Office and the 5th Congressional District and evaluate the vice presidential debate. Plus, they consider the impact of early voting and what mail-in ballots will mean for how quickly the votes are counted.

To learn more, click here to sign up for Lindsey's weekly politics email, called The Rundown.

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

 

Our CEO, Nate Feltman, talks about the need for a new vision for Indianapolis

Does Indianapolis need a new vision? A new strategy for its economic development, talent attraction and overall economy that will take the city into the next 40 or 50 years?

A growing chorus of community and business leaders are saying yes, says Nate Feltman, co-owner and CEO of IBJ.

He says the city's long-time strategy related to conventions and sports will continue to be a part of its strengths and successes. But he tells podcast host Mason King that a changing economy and the changing preferences of young workers and families means Indianapolis must find a new way to grow and thrive.

He's calling on young leaders from across the city to step forward with ideas. And he says IBJ can help play a role in hosting those conversations.

Plus, Feltman provides an update on how IBJ is doing during the pandemic and what he sees as the news organization's future.

Read more in Feltman's column at IBJ.com.

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

 

Could Indy become a virus-free 'bubble' for college basketball?

When the pandemic hit and the Big Ten and NCAA last spring began canceling sports events — many of them planned for Indianapolis — the Indiana Sports Corp. didn't go into hibernation. Instead, it went to work, trying to figure out how to be a player in whatever the sports world would become.

The result is an idea that appears to have captured the fancy of a number of colleges and athletic conferences — although it's too soon to know whether any of them will take Indy up on the idea. The Indiana Sports Corp. is proposing to create a basketball bubble at the Indiana Convention Center by turning exhibit halls and meeting rooms into basketball courts and locker rooms. There would be expansive safety measures and daily COVID-19 testing.

Indiana Sports Corp. President Ryan Vaughn talks to host Mason King about the proposal, as well as the group's finances and plans as it prepares to host major events in the coming months.

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

 

Pete the Planner urges immediate support for restaurants, plus answers to burning money questions

Since the pandemic began, Peter "Pete the Planner" Dunn has been talking on the IBJ Podcast and writing in the pages of IBJ about the need to get your discretionary spending under control to deal with the current economic downturn.

But now, Pete has a new message to those who are stable: Spend some money at your favorite restaurant.

We all know that restaurants have been devastated by the pandemic. Some have closed, and Pete predicts more are about to shutter. So he suggests determining how much you can afford to help and then spending  that cash at two or three restaurants that are meaningful to you.

You can read more details about Pete's plan to save restaurants at IBJ.com.

Plus, in the second half of the podcast, host Mason King shoots a rapid series of questions at Pete about paying off your house early, dumping bad investments, switching careers and more.

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