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 Senior Director William Glasgall and Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter, the series features online conversations with experts from national research networks, along with other leading academics, economists, and government leaders. 

Special Briefing on Boosting Infrastructure Investment for Global Cities: Lessons from the $4 Trillion U.S. Municipal Bond Market

Special Briefing on Boosting Infrastructure Investment for Global Cities: Lessons from the $4 Trillion U.S. Municipal Bond Market
Special Briefing Series Online
May 14, 2026
Special Briefing on Boosting Infrastructure Investment for Global Cities: Lessons from the $4 Trillion U.S. Municipal Bond Market
William Glasgall Susan Wachter Alexander Chilton Paul Smoke Emily Brock Pietrangelo DiBiase Sean Dougherty
State & Local Finance
View Event Details
Special Briefing Series February 19, 2026 Special Briefing on Addressing the Housing Crisis: Innovative Solutions from Across America Join our Special Briefing expert panel as we discuss what the nation can do to alleviate housing shortages.   Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Hannah Blitzer Eric Goldywn Laurie Goodman Paul Steenhausen State & Local Finance Special Briefing Series September 11, 2025 Special Briefing on the Muni Debt Boom: Record Borrowing Amid Budget Strains On September 11, 2005, Bill Glasgall and Susan Wachter return for a Special Briefing with an expert panel to address the record-shattering boom in state and local borrowing. Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Matt Fabian Fitzroy Lee Vikram Rai Sheila Weinberg Mark Zandi State & Local Finance

More Upcoming Special Briefing Series Events

May 14 11:00 am 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 DiBiase Sean Dougherty State & Local Finance

Past Events

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
Feb 28 2024 Past Event Special Briefing: State Tax Cuts State & Local Finance
Jan 25 2024 Past Event Special Briefing: 2024 Fiscal Outlook for States and Cities State & Local Finance

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