Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears told IBJ last week that he hasn't decided whether his office will move to the new Community Justice Campus, which remains under construction in the Twin Aire neighborhood. The office was expected to be part of a second office building that Browning Investments planned to build at the site to complement a jail, Sheriff's Office and court system that will be moving to the campus at the end of the year. Host Mason King talks with IBJ reporters Leslie Bonilla Muñiz and Mickey Shuey about their reporting on the topic, including the reasons Mears gave for his hesitancy and why the mayor wants the prosecutor at the campus.   The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.    

It was about six years ago when Indianapolis arts organization Big Car bought an old factory in the Garfield Park neighborhood and started working on a plan to create an arts campus there. Fast forward to today and the group owns the Tube Factory Artspace in that former factory, an audio art space that houses a radio station, nine houses it has renovated for artists and another factory—this one 40,000 square feet—that it is starting to renovate. Plus, it's creating a public green space between the buildings.  Host Mason King talks with Big Car CEO Jim Walker about the vision, what the project means for the neighborhood and how the group is trying to ensure artists aren't eventually priced out of being there. You can read more about Big Car's Garfield Park project in this story by IBJ reporter Susan Orr.   The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.    

At emergency rooms across central Indiana, “No Vacancy” signs are flashing at unprecedented rates. Emergency rooms are often overflowing with patients, prompting hospitals to divert ambulances to other hospitals for hours at a stretch, provided the cases aren’t life-threatening. On July 26, for example, at least 10 large hospitals in central Indiana went on diversion at some point, causing ambulance drivers to look high and low for a place to take their patients.In the latest edition of the IBJ Podcast, reporter John Russell explains that this is the latest indication that local and area hospitals are struggling with a growing nursing shortage and, to a lesser extent, that the pandemic is roaring back to life.Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to pin hospitals down on just how often this has been happening. No federal or state agency tracks ambulance diversions or requires the hospitals to report it, so the fine details are closely guarded secrets.The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.

While intense heat waves and wildfires scorch the Western U.S. and freak rainstorms spawn massive floods in Europe and China, the weather in central Indiana has been fairly tame so far this year.Indeed, Indiana very well could sidestep some of the most extreme effects of climate change, but don’t get lulled into complacency, says Jeffrey Dukes, director of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center and a professor of forestry and natural resources.Indiana’s weather already has been altered by man-made climate change, and the effects could be significantly more intense in coming decades, Dukes says. Since 1895, Indiana’s statewide annual average temperature has risen by 1.3°F, and some models show it rising another 5°F by mid-century. Winters will be shorter and the number of days above 95°F could rise by dozens per year.The state also is getting wetter. Since 1895, average annual precipitation in Indiana has increased by about 15%, or about 5.6 inches. Models show winters and springs are likely to be much wetter by mid-century. Heavy rain events will increase flooding risks and increase the amount of pollutants washing into waterways from city streets and farm fields.In this week’s edition of the IBJ Podcast, Dukes explains to host Mason King how these changes will impact our day-to-day lives and some of the state’s most important industries, such as agriculture, energy and tourism and recreation. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.

Indy Chamber last month was recognized by its peers for work it has been doing that's not quite typical of chambers of commerce nationwide. The group won the 2021 Chamber of the Year award from an association that represents 1,600 chambers and economic development organizations. And it earned the honor for the work it has done on inclusive growth—primarily a rework of the city's economic incentives program—and for the Rapid Response Hub it deployed during the pandemic. Guest host Lesley Weidenbener interviews Indy Chamber CEO Michael Huber and the group's director of economic development, Vincent Ash, about the programs and the honor. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.

The pandemic wreaked havoc on the hospitality industry in Indianapolis and across the nation. Still, IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey finds that many of the hotels in the planning stages for downtown Indianapolis before the pandemic are still moving forward today. In fact, three hotels have opened since COVID-19 struck the state in March 2020. Host Mason King chats with Shuey about the state of the hotel industry in Indy and which projects are completed, underway and on hold. For more, read Shuey's story detailing the city's downtown hotel pipeline. The IBJ podcast is brought to you by First Person Advisors, a subsidiary of NFP.

Host Mason King and the folks in the Midtown Parents Facebook Group in Indianapolis have a lot of questions about money—specifically how they should be saving it for retirement and college. Should homeowners pay off a mortgage early? How do you plan for the future when one partner in a relationship is significantly older than the other? Should you prioritize retirement savings over college savings for your kids? So Mason asked IBJ personal finance columnist Peter "Pete the Planner" Dunn to come on the podcast to get some answers to those questions and others. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by First Person Advisors, a subsidiary of NFP.

Drag racer Antron Brown of Pittsboro has won three NHRA championships in his 14 years in the sport, but he may be about to take on his biggest challenge yet: racing team owner. Next year, Brown will become one of the few Black team owners ever in the 70-year-old NHRA— and one of the few Black majority team owners in any motorsports series. He will be the only Black owner in the modern era of Top Fuel or Funny Car racing. Brown talks with host Mason King about why he decided to make the move, what it will cost (hint: a lot) and why the sport is more diverse than you might think. For more, read this profile of Brown by former IBJ reporter Anthony Schoettle. The IBJ podcast is brought to you by First Person Advisors, a subsidiary of NFP.

If you've ever been inside the historic Chatterbox Jazz Club on Massachusetts Avenue downtown, you have a pretty good idea why it didn't reopen at 50% or even 75% capacity. It's so tiny, the restrictions would have meant only about 20 patrons could be inside at any given time. And owner David Andrichik said that's a recipe for losing more money than being closed completely.  But now that Marion County health officials have eliminated all pandemic restrictions, the Chatterbox is about to reopen for the first time in more than 15 months.  Andrichik talks with podcast Mason King about what it will take to reopen the bar, what the closure has cost him and what he's been thinking about while he's been waiting. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by First Person Advisors, a subsidiary of NFP.  

In the mood for some barbecue? Or maybe some poke? A peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Or maybe just a cold beer? It's all available at the AMP food hall at the 16 Tech Innovation District on the northwest edge of downtown. And Chef Craig Baker is the coordinator who has has helped make it all happen.  He crafted the overall feel of the 40,000-square-foot space in the HqO building at 1220 Waterway Blvd., which includes shipping containers and booths for each restaurant and retailer. But each of the eateries is responsible for their space, creating a eclectic spot for lunch or an event. Baker talked with host Mason King about how the space came together—and why, for him, success will be when some of those same eateries grow up and move out. For more about what's opening this month at the AMP, check out this story by reporter Susan Orr.   The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.  

The Newfields board last month elected Darrianne Christian as its new chair, making her the first Black woman to lead the museum's board. Christian was already serving on the board in February when the Newfields president resigned following allegations of racial bias. Christian, who was then the board's only African American member, led the effort to develop the institution's new plan to embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and access. Christian talks with host Mason King about what the museum is doing to get past the controversy and how her background growing up in poverty is helping her move Newfields in new directions.   The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.

Peter "Pete the Planner" Dunn says most people need a financial adviser at some point in their lives to make sense of their investments, insurance, retirement accounts and more. But as host Mason King has experienced, figuring out what type of adviser to hire and then which one to hire can be tough. So Dunn explains what to look for and how to choose. You can read more financial advice from Dunn at IBJ.com.

Chris Baggott is always looking for a better way to do things. He co-founded ExactTarget when he couldn't find a good way to communicate with customers. He co-founded Compendium Software to give companies a better way to rank high in internet search results. And he founded ClusterTruck to get prepared food to customers while it was still hot and fresh. In each case, Baggott has helped disrupt established industries, although he acknowledges it's not always because he was first to an idea. Baggott talks with host Mason King about what makes an idea disruptive and explains why it's so much easier for startups—rather than established companies—to come up with those innovations. The podcast is part of IBJ's larger look at disruption in this year's Innovation Issue, which includes a story by Anthony Schoettle about Baggott and other local disrupters. 

Republican. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, introduced the Endless Frontier Act this spring with the goal of pumping more than $110 billion over five years into scientific and technological innovation. That includes a $10 billion effort to create tech hubs across the U.S., focusing on areas outside of the traditional tech centers like Silicon Valley, Seattle and Boston. Sen. Young is on today’s podcast to talk about the legislation. Then we talked with David Johnson, the president and CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership about what it could mean for Indiana. You can read a column Johnson wrote about the Endless Frontier Act at IBJ.com. One note: After our interview with Sen. Young, Sen. Schumer announced he would expand and rename the legislation to the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act.  

As more Hoosiers become fully vaccinated, restaurants and bars are filling up again. But restaurant operators say finding workers to serve all those customers. has been a struggle. Are some people afraid to return to work at such public places? Are the increases in unemployment benefits to blame? Have former restaurant workers given up on the industry and found positions elsewhere? Host Mason King talks with two restauranteurs—Loughmiller's Pub & Eatery co-owner Danny Scotten and Upland Brewing Co. President David Bower—about how the labor crunch is affecting their eateries and what they're doing to try to find workers. For more about this issue, read reporter Kurt Christian's story at IBJ.com.

Sales of grills, patio furniture, fire pits and other outdoor goods skyrocketed last spring and summer as the pandemic forced people to stay at home. So a big question for this spring—as vaccinated people started venturing out again—was whether that trend would continue. Local garden and outdoor venture retailers say it has. In fact, they say sales of some products, like outdoor furniture, have been even hotter, which is just one of several reasons many outdoor goods have been hard to come by. Host Mason King talks with two of those retailers—Scott Horvath, owner of Omalia’s Living, and Pat Sullivan, who owns owner of three Sullivan’s Hardware & Garden stores plus Allisonville Home & Garden by Sullivan. They explain the supply chain issues that are causing a shortage of bigger-ticket items like fire pits and furniture and smaller, everyday products like watering wands and garden hoses.  For more about the trends, check out Kurt Christian's store at IBJ.com.

The U.S. economy is on the verge of potentially the greatest boom time of all time, according to Peter “Pete the Planner” Dunn. It will be fueled at least in part by the enhanced child tax credit, which is part of the American Rescue Plan stimulus package.In essence, the child tax credit that parents get every year will increase to $3,000 to $3,600 per child for 2021, depending on the age of each child. And the government is going to give taxpayers half of it in cash in installments over the last six months of the year.But Dunn also is concerned that as the economy improves and taxpayers start to feel their stimulus payments since the beginning of the pandemic burn holes in their pockets, they will fall into a financial trap. In this week’s edition of the IBJ Podcast, Dunn discusses with host Mason King the risks in recalibrating your spending habits during a boom with artificial income.

Indiana University didn't just hire former Hoosiers standout Mike Woodson to turn around the school's struggling basketball program; it also brought reinforcements. Thad Matta and Dane Fife are joining Woodson in the effort to bring glory back to IU. Mason King talks with IBJ reporter Anthony Schoettle about why IU Athletic Director Scott Dolson put together the team he did and how the strategy could get big-money donors excited again. It's all about bringing different generations of IU fans back into the fold. To read more about Dolson's effort, check out Anthony's story at IBJ.com.  

Thousands of Hoosier adults are receiving COVID vaccines every day in Indiana. But none of the shots are available to kids younger than 16.  So what does that mean for family gatherings? For cookouts and other outdoor activities? And what about youth sports? Host Mason King poses those questions and many more to Dr. James Wood, a pediatrician at Riley Children’s Health and an expert in pediatric infectious diseases. Dr. Wood offers practical advice for traveling, entertaining and other activities when parents are vaccinated and kids aren't.  

By some measures—like the percentage of doses that have gone into arms—Indiana's vaccine rollout has been better than average. But because the state hasn't received as many doses as others, the percentage of Hoosiers who are fully vaccinated trails much of the country. IBJ health care reporter John Russell dives into the numbers with host Mason King, and they explore how soon herd immunity might stop the pandemic. Read John Russell's story about the state's vaccination efforts here.

When the pandemic hit one year ago, Sun King almost immediately lost some 40% of its business, the result of restaurants and bars that shuttered and stopped buying beer in kegs. It would have been a catastrophe had canned beer sales not picked up fairly quickly, leaving Sun King and other breweries to scramble to shift work. An eventual can shortage caused more problems. But Sun King co-founder Clay Robinson tells podcast host Mason King how the company and its employees adapted to put the company in better position now than it was before the pandemic. To read more about how other Indiana breweries managed, read IBJ reporter Susan Orr's story at IBJ.com.

The pandemic has been tough on restaurants almost across the board. And so it's no wonder that the Indianapolis City Market and its 22 vendors have had a particularly difficult past year. And with uncertainty about the return of downtown office workers, construction outside its front door and new competition at Bottleworks and 16 Tech, it's not clear when—or if— the situation will improve. But a new director and a group of resilient vendors say new events and a focus on residential developments nearby should help them not only survive but thrive.  To learn more about the market, read IBJ reporter Susan Orr's story here.

CBS and Turner Sports will pay the not-for-profit NCAA some $850 million this year for the right to broadcast, stream and otherwise present the Men's Basketball Tournament. That will equal about 70% of the organization's revenue for the year. IBJ columnist and investigative reporter Greg Andrews explains why the rights to March Madness is so valuable even as the media landscape changes quickly. And he tells host Mason King why it's unlikely that the NCAA or its broadcast partners will want to renegotiate the deal—which runs through 2032. You could read more details about the NCAA's contract and see a breakdown of the value of the contract by year in Andrews' story in this week's IBJ. 

One year after the pandemic hit Indiana, three women talk about how it has affected their jobs and how that has affected their psyches.  Kelly Tingle, who kept her job in internal communications at Cummins Inc. but had to adjust to working at home; Lisette Woloszyk, who lost her job at the J.W. Marriott but has since found a new one; and Andrea Haydon, who has started her own design firm after being laid off from Ratio Design, talk with host Mason King about their anxieties, their fears and their hope about the future. The women were among 11 central Indiana residents IBJ profiled in last week's issue. You can see all the profiles here. From left to right: Andrea Haydon; Kelly Tingle and her daughter, Elena; and Lisette Woloszyk

After a long year crushed by the pandemic, restaurants—especially those located downtown—are reveling in a series of announcements that could help push their recoveries forward. First, the NCAA announced it would stage its entire March Madness men's basketball tournament in central Indiana. Then, the Indy-based organization said it would allow a limited number of fans to attend. And finally, the Marion County Health Department increased the capacity limits for bars and restaurants. So host Mason King talked with Mike Cranfill, co-owner of The District Tap, and Mike Cunningham, owner of Cunningham Group, which owns 35 restaurants with plans to open several more soon, about what the NCAA tournament will mean for them. Plus, the restaurateurs catch us up on how they've fared throughout the past year. You can read more about the projected impact of the NCAA tournament on restaurants in a story by IBJ reporter Susan Orr. Plus, check out all of IBJ's NCAA tournament coverage at The Rebound.