The IBJ Podcast

Pete the Planner on the vulnerable, upper middle class

Peter Dunn — who is bringing his Pete the Planner column to IBJ, starting March 15 — is worried about the upper middle class, a group he says makes good money but often lives beyond their means. 

The rising costs (and sizes) of homes, the expense of youth travel sports, car leases and loans parents take out to pay for their kids' college all contribute to a rocky financial picture that means even those with higher incomes might not be saving enough for retirement.

Dunn talks with IBJ Podcast host Mason King about how these concerns led him to start writing and broadcasting about money problems — and how finding solutions to those problems led to his current business model.

Look for the Pete the Planner column in IBJ and at IBJ.com.

Can Indy win a Major League Soccer franchise?

A bill passed by the Indiana Senate would require the Indy Eleven to become an MLS franchise within three years to unlock tax money to build a stadium dedicated to soccer. But is that realistic?

IBJ's Anthony Schoettle says it's an uphill climb — but by no means out of the question. He talks to IBJ Podcast host Mason King about the challenges facing Ersal Ozdemir, the local real estate developer who founded the team, and his ownership group.

Among them: Making sure that ownership group has enough money, finding a place to build the stadium (and an associated mixed-use development), winning strong support from city and state leaders and, of course, getting that legislation signed into law.

Anthony wrote about the issue in the March 1 issue of IBJ and expands on some of the key questions in the podcast.

 

 

 

Hate crimes, gambling, teacher pay at the Legislature's halfway point

As the Legislature nears the halfway point of the 2019 session, three Statehouse reporters join podcast host Lesley Weidenbener to talk about which issues are moving forward and which ones are fading away.

IBJ's Lindsey Erdody, The Journal Gazette's Niki Kelly and TheStatehouseFile.com columnist Mary Beth Schneider catch us up on hate crimes, teacher pay, stadium upgrades, cigarette taxes, gambling and more. And they share some insight about what might happen going forward.

Find out why Schneider says lawmakers acted like "lumps on a log" and what Kelly says is getting missed in the hate crimes debate. Plus Erdody details the latest in the debate about sports stadiums.

For up-to-the-minute news from the Statehouse, you can follow all three of these reporters on twitter at @lerdody, @nkellyatJG and @marybschneider.

 

Chef Hardesty's new SoBro project isn't a traditional restaurant but you can get a meal there

Renown local chef Greg Hardesty is set to open Studio C in in an out-of-the-way space at 1051 E. 54th St., just off the Monon Trail, with plans to offer private dining, a coffee bar, pop-up meals and more — even a service to supply home chefs with hard-to-find ingredients.

In other words, Hardesty plans to try a little of this and a little of that and see what sticks.

He talks with host Mason King about why he closed his last restaurant — the acclaimed Recess — two years ago and why he decided not to open another traditional restaurant. But this is no hobby. Studio C will be Hardesty's livelihood and he hopes to make it work for the long term.

To read more about the project, check out reporter Susan Orr's story at IBJ.com.

Former racer Derek Daly is suing WISH-TV for $25M, but can he prove defamation?

Just days after filing a defamation lawsuit seeking more than $25 million from WISH-TV, Derek Daly sits down with IBJ's Anthony Schoettle to discuss what he says the news station got wrong in a story that accused him of using a racial slur.

Daly tells IBJ what he wants most is an apology and a retraction from WISH, which fired Daly — its former racing analyst — and broadcast a story that connected him to the use of a racial slur that had led Colts play-by-play announcer Bob Lamey to retire.

It's a complicated situation, but Anthony draws out the details from Daly. And then he talks with Steve Key, the executive director of the Hoosier State Press Association, about whether Daly has a case.

You can get more details about the lawsuit from Anthony's Feb. 7 story.

Note: After this episode was recorded and posted, Daly amended his lawsuit and removed the $25 million figure. Read more about the change here. 

Why IoT is something every company needs to be thinking about

The Indiana IoT Lab in Fishers has been open roughly one year and already its membership roster is almost full. Every day, those members—including big companies, small firms and freelancers—are helping manufacturers, farmers and others connect their products to the web and to each other.

You may know the internet of things because you have a connected thermostat or home security system. But IoT is about far more than home automation. The real magic is the ability of companies to use connected devices to collect data, monitor their systems and take action.

In this week's podcast, host Mason King interviews IoT Lab CEO John Wechsler and Clear Object CEO John McDonald about why Indiana companies must start thinking about how to integrate IoT into their production or processes or risk becoming obsolete. And they explain the role the Indiana IoT Lab is playing in helping Indiana and Hoosier businesses through the transition.

Deaths are increasing among Indy's homeless population. What can be done?

At least 70 people who were homeless or had recently experienced chronic homelessness died in Indianapolis last year, according to the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention.

That was the largest number of deaths recorded by CHIP since it started tracking figures more than a decade ago, and it represented a 20 percent increase from 2017. Illness, injury, homicides and drug overdoses contributed to the number.

CHIP Executive Director Chelsea Haring-Cozzi, Horizon House Planning Manager Melissa Burgess and IBJ reporter Hayleigh Colombo join host Mason King for a discussion about the numbers and what might be done to stem the trend.

And Colombo has more details about the problem in a story for IBJ.

 

Will a $550 million, mixed-use development help the Indy Eleven win funding for a stadium?

Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir is back at the Statehouse seeking help to build a stadium for the team.

But Ozdemir has a new tactic: He's proposing to build a stadium village that would generate the tax revenue needed to pay for the 20,000-seat stadium.

Ozdemir sat down with Hayleigh Colombo to talk about the proposal, why he thinks it can be successful and what it could mean for the team's bid to join Major League Soccer.

Colombo then talks with IBJ sports business reporter Mickey Shuey for a few thoughts about the project.

You can read more about where the project might be located in Shuey's story in this week's IBJ.

What will The Mind Trust's big infusion of cash mean for Indy schools?

Not-for-profit education reform group The Mind Trust has received three grants totaling $24.4 million that it will use to continue opening new schools in Indianapolis and supporting those already in existence.

The Mind Trust CEO Brandon Brown sat down with host Mason King to explain the group's mission, its cooperation with Indianapolis Public Schools and how the new funding will help it ramp up its work. 

They get down to the basics, defining terms like charters and innovation schools. But King also challenges Brown with some of the criticisms of The Mind Trust, including whether the group is helping the neediest students.

Learn more about The Mind Trust grants by reading reporter Hayleigh Colombo's story at IBJ.com.

Will Indiana lawmakers bet big on sports gambling?

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that states can authorize wagering on sports games, something that's long taken place legally in Las Vegas and illegally every place else.

Now, Indiana has the chance to legalize sports betting here — with regulations and, of course, taxes.

IBJ reporter Lindsey Erdody talks with IBJ Podcast host Mason King about the legislation that will be considered in the Indiana House and Senate this year, including the many details that could complicate passage.

Erdody also explains an unrelated proposal to move Gary's two Majestic Star casinos off Lake Michigan. Gary officials want to move one of those casino licenses to the Interstate 80/Interstate 94 corridor to attract more gamblers. The second license could go elsewhere in the state — maybe in Terre Haute. 

Read more about both proposals in Erdody's story at IBJ.com.