The IBJ Podcast

How can companies survive the economic calamity of COVID-19?

The economy is at a standstill thanks to closures caused by fear about the spread of COVID-19. But it will likely come roaring back once the nation gets the coronavirus outbreak under control, says Phil Powell, the associate dean of academics programs at the IU Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis.

Powell talks to podcast host Mason King about how companies should approach what he believes will be a deep but short recession and steps they should take now to shore up their financial situation.

"It's your job to survive and to make sure that when these social controls are lifted and everybody starts to come back out that you're ready for business," Powell said.

Click here to read IBJ stories about the effect of the coronavirus outbreak in central Indiana.

 

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

 

 

Pete the Planner talks about the virus, the impact on the economy and what to think about your portfolio

IBJ's personal finance columnist Peter Dunn is more worried about what the global pandemic will do to the economy than he is about what it will do (or has done) to the stock market.

And he's most concerned about that economic impact on individuals and families—especially those who are vulnerable to layoffs. And so he talks with podcast host Mason King about what people can do to prepare for what he believes will soon be a recession. The goal, he said, is to "get lean."

He also talks about the power of fear, why you shouldn't try to time the market, and why the stock market crash does, in fact, hurt those who are either about to retire or are newly retired. 

Click here to read Pete's latest column for IBJ and see all of his columns here.

 

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

 

These downtown hotel projects appear stalled

Nineteen hotel projects have been announced for downtown. If every one of them opens, they would add 4,203 more rooms to the central district of Indianapolis—an increase of more than 50%.

But experts say it's unlikely all of those hotels will be built and opened. And in fact, three appear at least temporarily stalled.

Host Mason King talks with IBJ real estate reporter Mickey Shuey about which projects may be on the ropes and which ones appear most likely to make it.

And King interviews Drew Dimond, president of Indianapolis-based Dimond Hotel Consulting Group, about the hotel market and what determines whether a project comes to fruition. And Dimond explains what he sees as a weakness in the Indy market.

Read Shuey's story in this week's IBJ for more about the downtown hotel projects. 

(IBJ photo/Eric Learned)

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

 

Jon Laramore traded a prestigious law firm job for a gig helping low-income Hoosiers

Jon Laramore served as chief counsel for two governors and spent 10 years at what was then Faegre Baker Daniels.

But he left in 2015 to become executive director at Indiana Legal Services, the state's largest, independent low-income law clinic, where he's expanded the number of people served as well as the organization's staff.

He talks with host Mason King about the legal needs of people in poverty, those who have been released from prison and clients facing health challenges.

And King questions Laramore about his experiences arguing—and winning—two cases at the U.S. Supreme Court.

You can read more about Laramore in John Russell's Q&A at IBJ.com.

(IBJ photo/Eric Learned)

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

 

Indy readies for 2021 All-Star Game—to be love letter to basketball

IBJ's Mickey Shuey headed to Chicago for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game to see how the Windy City hosted what has become one of sports' biggest weekends.

He wasn't alone, of course. Indy's All-Star Game host committee sent a big contingent to Chicago as well, to make sure they're as ready as possible to host some 100,000 fans when the game lands at Bankers Life Fieldhouse next year.

Shuey details what he and Indy officials learned in Chicago and explains how the local host committee plans to make the 2021 game special. One goal is to focus on Indiana's basketball heritage and celebrate the game—creating a sort of love letter to the sport, Shuey says.

To learn more, read Shuey's story about Indy's planning for the 2021 game.

The music in this podcast is "2 Hearts" and is compliments of Patrick Patrikios, who has made it available through a Creative Commons license on YouTube.

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

 

Here's why a mega liquor store is trying to move to Indiana

A ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court last year could open the door to out-of-state liquor stores moving into Indiana.

In fact, Maryland-based Total Wine & More, the nation’s largest retailer of beer, wine and spirits with 206 superstores, has filed an application to open a store at 1460 E. 86th St. in the Nora Corners Shopping Center. An Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission hearing is scheduled for March 2.

IBJ reporter John Russell explains the Supreme Court's ruling, which struck down another state's law prohibiting out-of-state ownership of liquor stores. And he details how Total Wine & More is different than most liquor stores in Indiana and what its move into the market could mean for mom-and-pop shops.

Read more about the issue in John's story at IBJ.com.

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

 

 

Hamilton County emerges as player in hemp industry

Hamilton County is emerging as a key player in the evolving hemp industry, primarily in the area of refining CBD oils from the plants for use in a variety of products.

IBJ reporter Kurt Christian talks with host Mason King about what some are calling a "green rush," which follows a 2018 federal law that removed marijuana’s non-psychoactive cousin from the Controlled Substances Act.

As a result, hemp-processing companies are investing millions of dollars into refineries across Hamilton County in an effort to close a gap in the state’s CBD supply chain.

You can read more about the issue in Christian's story at iBJ.com.

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

  

Former Colt Gary Brackett talks turning his life as an underdog into a movie

Gary Brackett, a key part of the Colts' Super Bowl championship team in 2012, was a walk-on player at Rutgers University and wasn't drafted by an NFL team, forcing him to fight for a spot on the Indianapolis Colts. Along the way, he lost both his parents and his brother and wrote a book about his story.

Now he's raising money to turn the book into a movie—in part by soliciting money privately but also through the crowd-funding platform Wefunder. He already has a trailer (brackett.movie) as well as a 30-minute, abbreviated version of the film meant to persuade potential investors to get involved.

Brackett talks with podcast host Mason King about the challenges of making a movie, why he thinks he has a good story to tell and why he's not just funding the movie's $2.2 million to $2.5 million budget.

To read more about Brackett's movie effort, read IBJ reporter Susan Orr's story here.

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

 

The session so far: Health care, teacher evaluations and hands-free phone use

Lawmakers are meeting for their short session and are considering bills to ban handheld mobile-phone use while driving, require more transparency in health care and decouple student test scores from teacher evaluations.

And they're also spending money (even though this isn't a budget year) on some university construction and other special projects. That's cash from the state's budget surplus, and the spending will prevent the state from borrowing money for the projects.

IBJ's Statehouse reporter Lindsey Erdody breaks down what bills are moving, which ones already are dead and what's about to hit Gov. Eric Holcomb's desk.

You can also read Lindsey's deep dive on the health care legislation at IBJ.com.

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

Here's why the feds are suing Community Health with help from a whistleblower

Federal authorities have accused Community Health Network of engaging in a years-long scheme to recruit physicians and pay them huge salaries and bonuses in return for giving referrals to the Indianapolis-based health system, allowing it to improperly receive money from Medicare.

The health network has denied the allegations, but the government's case is based at least in part on information brought to light by Thomas Fischer, who served as Community Health’s chief financial officer from 2005 until his sudden exit in 2013.

IBJ's John Russell has written about the case and talks with host Mason King about the details, what it means for Community Health and how the lawsuit fits into a larger effort by the federal government to claw back what it considers "unjust enrichment" by hospital systems. At stake for the health care industry is systems is billions of dollars a year in Medicare and Medicaid business.

You can read Russell's latest story about the issue here.