Special Briefing Series

Special Briefing is a monthly event series and podcast covering critical issues impacting the fiscal health of cities and states. Co-hosted by Penn IUR Fellow and Volcker Alliance Public Finance Adviser William Glasgall and Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter of the Wharton School, the series features online conversations with experts from national research networks, along with other leading academics, economists, and government leaders. 

special briefing: perspectives in public finance

More Upcoming Special Briefing Series Events

Oct 29 11:00 am Special Briefing on Data Centers: Will they power the US economy or bog it down in a swamp of controversy? Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Eugénie L. Birch Amanda Kass Thomas Sanchez Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh Urban Development State & Local Finance

Past Events

May 14 2026 Past Event Special Briefing on Boosting Infrastructure Investment for Global Cities: Lessons from the $4 Trillion U.S. Municipal Bond Market Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Alexander Chilton Paul Smoke Emily Brock Pietrangelo De Biase Sean Dougherty State & Local Finance
Apr 17 2026 Past Event Special Briefing: War, Inflation, and the Impact on the Economy and State and Local Budgets Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Mark Zandi Natalie Cohen Julia Coronado Kim Norton Brian Sigritz State & Local Finance
Mar 26 2026 Past Event Special Briefing on Transportation Opportunities & Challenges in the New Federalism Speakers:  William Glasgall Leslie Richards Eryn Hurley Baye Larsen Robert Poole Naomi Renek Lauren Schapker State & Local Finance
Feb 19 2026 Past Event Special Briefing on Addressing the Housing Crisis: Innovative Solutions from Across America Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Hannah Blitzer Eric Goldywn Laurie Goodman Paul Steenhausen State & Local Finance
Jan 29 2026 Past Event Special Briefing: The Year Ahead for Cities Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Mayor Janet Cowell Fitzroy Lee Sarah Parker Nicholas Samuels Matthew Stitt State & Local Finance
Dec 16 2025 Past Event Special Briefing on the Outlook for 2026: How States & Cities Will Adapt to Wrenching Change Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Matt Fabian Eric Kim Torsten Slok State & Local Finance
Nov 20 2025 Past Event Special Briefing: AI in Government—More Efficiency but Fewer Workers? Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Jon Hartley Megan Kilgore Howard Neukrug Leigh Palmer Thomas Sanchez State & Local Finance
Oct 16 2025 Past Event Special Briefing: Strategies for Closing the US Infrastructure Gap Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Leslie Richards Camila Fonseca Sarmiento Geoffrey Buswick Fatima Yousofi Hughey Newsome State & Local Finance
Sep 11 2025 Past Event Special Briefing on the Muni Debt Boom: Record Borrowing Amid Budget Strains Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Matt Fabian Fitzroy Lee Vikram Rai Sheila Weinberg Mark Zandi State & Local Finance
May 08 2025 Past Event Special Briefing on State Budgets: The Big Squeeze Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Emily S. Brock Shelby Kerns Vikram Rai Jonathan Womer Teryn Zmuda State & Local Finance
Apr 14 2025 Past Event Special Briefing | Mayors under Stress: Financing Local Development around the World Speakers:  Steve Adler Stephanie Miner Nasiphi Moya Jaime Pumarejo Heins Eugénie L. Birch William Glasgall State & Local Finance
Mar 18 2025 Past Event Special Briefing: The Future of Mass Transportation under Trump and the GOP Speakers:  Kurt Forsgren David Greising Randy Iwasaki Leslie Richards Polly Trottenberg Eugénie L. Birch William Glasgall State & Local Finance
Feb 20 2025 Past Event Special Briefing: The New Administration’s First Month Speakers:  Mark Zandi Carolyn Bourdeaux Jeffrey Holland Eric Kim Vikram Rai Torsten Slok William Glasgall Susan Wachter State & Local Finance
Dec 05 2024 Past Event Special Briefing: The Road Ahead for the Economy, States, and Localities as Donald Trump and the GOP Take Charge Speakers:  Torsten Slok Annie Linskey Carolyn Bourdeaux Eric Kazatsky Teryn Zmuda State & Local Finance
Oct 24 2024 Past Event Special Briefing: America’s Growth Regions Speakers:  Kim Norton Robert Buschman Eric Kim Tom Schuette State & Local Finance
Sep 19 2024 Past Event Special Briefing: Year Ahead for America’s States and Municipalities Speakers:  Mark Zandi Vikram Rai Jane Ridley Matthew Stitt State & Local Finance
Jun 27 2024 Past Event Special Briefing: State Tax Breaks State & Local Finance
May 29 2024 Past Event Special Briefing: Doom Loop or Boom Loop—Work from Home and the Challenges Facing US Cities State & Local Finance
Apr 25 2024 Past Event Special Briefing: America's $900 Billion Water Crisis State & Local Finance
Mar 28 2024 Past Event Special Briefing: America's Hot Growth States State & Local Finance

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