Podcasts

Podcasts February 17, 2022 Watch a Special Briefing on New York City: New Mayor, Federal Aid, Challenges to Recovery The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research co-hosted a Special Briefing on the challenges New York City faces in 2022 and beyond as its new mayor grapples with COVID-19, street crime, and the possibility of fiscal challenges as federal pandemic aid wanes in coming years. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Eugénie L. Birch Kathryn Wylde Richard Ratvich Ray McGuire Ronnie Lowenstein State & Local Finance

Podcasts January 20, 2022 Special Briefing: 2022 Outlook for States and Cities The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research held a Special Briefing on the 2022 outlook for states and localities. Our panel of experts from government, Washington, and Wall Street included Lucy Dadayan, Senior Research Associate with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center at the Urban Institute; Larry Johnson, Commissioner, DeKalb County (Georgia) Board of Commissioners and President, National Association of Counties; Eric Kim, Senior Director, Fitch Ratings Inc.; Torsten Slok, Chief Economist, Apollo Global Management, and Mark Zandi, Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics. The panelists discussed the path of the US economy, inflation, interest rates, the impact COVID-19 continues to have, and whether state and local governments face a “fiscal cliff” as federal pandemic budget aid wanes. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Mark Zandi Lucy Dadayan Larry Johnson Eric Kim Torsten Slok State & Local Finance

Podcasts December 16, 2021 Special Briefing on State and City Spending of Federal Infrastructure Funds The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research hosted a Special Briefing on state and city spending of federal infrastructure funds contained in the recent enacted infrastructure bill as well as the American Rescue Plan Act. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Patrick J. Brett Earl Blumenauer David Glick Rebecca Rhynhart State & Local Finance

Podcasts December 16, 2021 Special Briefing on State and City Spending of Federal Infrastructure Funds The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research hosted a Special Briefing on state and city spending of federal infrastructure funds contained in the recent enacted infrastructure bill as well as the American Rescue Plan Act. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Patrick J. Brett Rebecca Rhynhart Earl Blumenauer David Glick State & Local Finance

Podcasts November 18, 2021 Special Briefing on Climate Change, Federal Aid and State and Local Strategies The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research cohosted a Special Briefing on Climate Change, Federal Aid, and State and Local Strategies. Our expert panel discussed the impact of climate change on state and local finances as well as the role the federal government may play under the infrastructure bill passed by Congress and other measures proposed by President Biden. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Tim Coffin Hughey Newsome Emily Robare Nora Wittstruck State & Local Finance

Podcasts October 21, 2021 Special Briefing on the Biden Infrastructure Plan: Unmet Needs and State of Play The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research cohosted a Special Briefing on President Biden’s infrastructure plan and the unmet needs of US states and municipalities. Our expert panel included Carolyn Coleman, Executive Director and CEO of the League of California Cities; Andrew F. Haughwout, Senior Vice President and Policy Leader for Household and Regional in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Research and Statistics Group; Annie Linskey, White House Reporter for the Washington Post; and Torsten Slok, Chief Economist for Apollo Global Group. Susan Wachter William Glasgall Carolyn Coleman Andy Haughwout Annie Linskey Torsten Slok State & Local Finance

Podcasts September 23, 2021 Special Briefing on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Clean Water, Better Broadband, Resilience, and Equity The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research held a Special Briefing on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill under consideration. Our expert panel focused on America’s needs for investment in clean water and wider access to broadband Internet service in states, cities, and counties. William Glasgall Howard Neukrug Susan Wachter Ras J. Baraka Kathryn de Wit Thomas Hazlett State & Local Finance

Podcasts July 15, 2021 Special Briefing on COVID-19, the American Rescue Plan, and 2022 State and Local Budgets The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research hosted an online Special Briefing on how state and local governments are planning to use the $350 billion in direct aid contained in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act as they finish fiscal 2021 and ready budgets for FY 2022. Our expert panel discussed the impact on budgets of the act’s assistance to individuals and families, educational institutions, and health care and mass-transportation systems. Panelists included National Association of State Budget Officers executive director Shelby Kerns; Wayne County (Michigan) chief financial officer Hughey Newsome; Rochester (Minnesota) mayor Kim Norton; and Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Mark Zandi Shelby Kerns Hughey Newsome Kim Norton State & Local Finance

Podcasts June 17, 2021 Special Briefing: COVID-19, the American Rescue Plan, and 2022 State and Local Budgets The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research hosted an online Special Briefing on how state and local governments are planning to use the $350 billion in direct aid contained in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act as they finish fiscal 2021 and ready budgets for FY 2022. Our expert panel discussed the impact on budgets of the act’s assistance to individuals and families, educational institutions, and health care and mass-transportation systems. Panelists included National Association of State Budget Officers executive director Shelby Kerns; Wayne County (Michigan) chief financial officer Hughey Newsome; Rochester (Minnesota) mayor Kim Norton; and Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi.The program was cohosted by William Glasgall, Volcker Alliance senior vice president and director of state and local initiatives, and Susan Wachter, co-director of Penn IUR. This briefing was the twenty-first in a series of sixty-minute online conversations featuring experts from the Volcker Alliance’s national research network and Penn IUR, along with other leading academics, economists, and federal, state, and local leaders. Susan Wachter William Glasgall Shelby Kerns Hughey Newsome Kim Norton Mark M. Zandi State & Local Finance Anchor Institutions

Podcasts May 20, 2021 Special Briefing: The $2.3 Trillion American Jobs Plan and State and Local Infrastructure Needs The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research hosted an online Special Briefing to discuss the impact of the Biden Administration’s infrastructure investment plan and fifteen-year financing strategy on states, counties, cities, schools, and employment. An expert panel reviewed the American Jobs Plan’s priorities and what is likely to emerge as Congress debates the massive proposal. Marc H. Morial, Esq. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Earl Blumenauer Robert Poole Richard Ratvich Polly Trottenberg State & Local Finance

Podcasts April 15, 2021 Special Briefing: State Budgeting, the COVID-19 Recession, and What Comes Next The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research cohosted an online Special Briefing to review the Alliance’s new report, Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting: Preparing for the Storm. The Special Briefing featured an expert panel discussing fiscal reforms that many states put in place before the 2020 recession as well as the role of trillions of dollars in federal aid in restarting the economy and stabilizing state budgets.William Glasgall, Volcker Alliance senior vice president and director of state and local initiatives, reviewed the Alliance’s 2021 state budget report’s findings and served as co-moderator with Susan Wachter, co-director of Penn IUR. The review was followed by a panel discussion featuring Erica MacKellar, program principal, National Conference of State Legislatures; Gabriel Petek, legislative analyst, State of California; Juliette Tennert, chief economist, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute; and Lisa Washburn, managing director, Municipal Market Analytics.This briefing is the nineteenth in a series of sixty-minute online conversations featuring experts from the Volcker Alliance’s national research network and Penn IUR, along with other leading academics, economists, and federal, state, and local leaders. Susan Wachter William Glasgall Erica MacKellar Gabriel Petek Juliette Tennert Lisa Washburn State & Local Finance Anchor Institutions

Podcasts February 11, 2021 Special Briefing: The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout and the Impact on States and Municipalities The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research cohosted an online Special Briefing featuring Greg Brown, executive director, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School; Matthew Chase, executive director, National Association of Counties; Toluse Olorunnipa, White House reporter, the Washington Post; and Torsten Slok, chief economist, Apollo Global Management. The expert panel discussed the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccination plan; the likely path of the pandemic; and the impact on office work and state and local tax revenues and operations.Moderated by William Glasgall, Volcker Alliance senior vice president and director of state and local initiatives, and Susan Wachter, co-director of Penn IUR, this briefing was the eighteenth in a series of sixty-minute online conversations featuring experts from the Volcker Alliance’s national research network and Penn IUR, along with other leading academics, economists, and federal, state, and local leaders. Susan Wachter William Glasgall Greg Brown Matthew Chase Toluse Olorunnipa Torsten Slok Urban Development Anchor Institutions

Podcasts January 14, 2021 Special Briefing: On the Year Ahead for States and Municipalities The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research cohosted an online Special Briefing featuring Shelby Kerns, executive director, National Association of State Budget Officers; Eric Kim, senior director and head of US state ratings, Fitch Ratings; Vikram Rai, managing director and head of the municipal strategy group at Citigroup; and Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. The expert panel discussed the outlook for further federal stimulus and state and local revenues and budgets as the rollout of new vaccines brings hope for an easing of the COVID-19 pandemic.Moderated by William Glasgall, Volcker Alliance senior vice president and director of state and local initiatives, and Susan Wachter, co-director of Penn IUR, this briefing was the seventeenth in a series of sixty-minute online conversations featuring experts from the Volcker Alliance’s national research network and Penn IUR, along with other leading academics, economists, and federal, state, and local leaders. Susan Wachter William Glasgall Shelby Kerns Eric Kim Vikram Rai Mark Zandi State & Local Finance Anchor Institutions

Podcasts December 10, 2020 Special Briefing on Working with the Cares Act and What May Come Next The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research cohosted an online Special Briefing featuring an expert panel discussing the lessons states and localities have learned from the Cares Act passed earlier this year and what may be in store in the fight against COVID-19 and its fiscal fallout as 2021 approaches. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Carolyn Bordeaux Julie Demuth Mark Funkhouser Fitzroy Lee Brandon McComas Richard Ratvich State & Local Finance

Podcasts November 19, 2020 Special Briefing⎮Assuring Public Worker Retirement Security Amid COVID-19 Fiscal Stress The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research hosted an online Special Briefing featuring an expert panel discussing how states and localities are addressing trillions of dollars in public employee retirement obligations as governments attempt to balance budgets amid the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. Panelists included Donald J. Boyd, co-director, State and Local Government Finance Project, Center for Policy Research, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, University at Albany; David G. Lenze, economist, regional accounts, US Bureau of Economic Analysis; Timothy Little, director and lead analyst, US States, S&P Global Ratings US Public Finance; Stephanie Miner, former Mayor of Syracuse, New York, and Volcker Alliance Board Member; and Herman B. Santos, chairman, Board of Retirement, and vice chair, Board of Investments, Los Angeles County Employees Retirement System.Moderated by William Glasgall, Volcker Alliance senior vice president and director of state and local initiatives, and Susan Wachter, co-director of Penn IUR, this briefing was the fifteenth in a series of sixty-minute online conversations featuring experts from the Volcker Alliance’s national research network and Penn IUR, along with other leading academics, economists, and federal, state, and local leaders. Susan Wachter William Glasgall Donald J. Boyd David G. Lenze Timothy Little Stephanie A. Miner Herman B. Santos State & Local Finance Anchor Institutions

Podcasts October 15, 2020 Special Briefing on State and Local Infrastructure Spending Cutbacks Amid the COVID-19 Recession The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research cohosted an online Special Briefing to discuss the outlook for state and local infrastructure spending as governments seek to balance budgets amid the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. Congressional inability to agree on further federal stimulus aid following passage of the $2 trillion Cares Act in March means states and municipalities are unlikely to see budgetary relief that would free up dollars for infrastructure at least until after the presidential election in November. So far in 2020, $9.6 billion in state and local transportation projects were delayed or cancelled as of August 11, while $141 billion worth of funding initiatives or ballot measures were vetoed, cancelled, or postponed, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. More such actions appear imminent. In one recent survey of top local, state, and tribal officials, 70 percent said capital spending for new projects and maintenance face spending cuts. With states and municipalities providing 80 percent of US public infrastructure investment, our expert panel discussed how the slowdown may affect the economy, jobs, and the municipal market. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Alison Premo Black Norman E. Brown Howard Cure Robert Poole State & Local Finance

Podcasts September 11, 2020 Special Briefing on Assuring Public Worker Retirement Security Amid COVID-19 Fiscal Stress The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research hosted an online Special Briefing featuring an expert panel discussing how states and localities are addressing trillions of dollars in public employee retirement obligations as governments attempt to balance budgets amid the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. Panelists included Donald J. Boyd, co-director, State and Local Government Finance Project, Center for Policy Research, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, University at Albany; David G. Lenze, economist, regional accounts, US Bureau of Economic Analysis; Timothy Little, director and lead analyst, US States, S&P Global Ratings US Public Finance; Stephanie Miner, former Mayor of Syracuse, New York, and Volcker Alliance Board Member; and Herman B. Santos, chairman, Board of Retirement, and vice chair, Board of Investments, Los Angeles County Employees Retirement System. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Donald J. Boyd David G Lenze Timothee Little Stephanie A. Miner Herman B. Santos State & Local Finance

Podcasts July 16, 2020 Special Briefing on How Cities and Counties Are Coping with COVID-19's Fiscal Shock The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research cohosted an online Special Briefing to discuss the strategies that US cities and counties are employing as they begin fiscal 2021 amid the fiscal shock resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimated budgetary shortfalls of as much as $1 trillion – at least a third of that among municipalities – have already led to more than one million state and local layoffs or furloughs William Glasgall Susan Wachter Natalie Cohen Elizabeth Kellar Chuck Reed State & Local Finance

Podcasts June 25, 2020 Special Briefing on COVID-19: Unemployment, and State and Local Fiscal Consequences The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research cohosted an online Special Briefing with Timothy J. Bartik, senior economist, Upjohn Institute for Employment Research; Marcia Van Wagner, vice president-senior credit officer, Public Finance Group, States Team, Moody's Investor Service; and Matt Fabian, partner, Municipal Market Analytics. William Glasgall Susan Wachter Matt Fabian Marcia Van Wagner State & Local Finance

Podcasts June 18, 2020 Special Briefing⎮COVID-19, State and Local Fiscal Stress, and the Politics of Federal Aid The Volcker Alliance and Penn Institute for Urban Research cohosted an online Special Briefing with Norman J. Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and Volcker Alliance board member; Robin Prunty, managing director and head of analytics and research for S&P Global Ratings—U.S. Public Finance; Richard A. Ravitch, former New York State lieutenant governor and Volcker Alliance board member; and Frank H. Shafroth, director, Center for State and Local Government Leadership at the Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University.The panelists discussed the politics, probability, and possible shape of additional federal emergency aid to states and municipalities following passage of the CARES Act. They also examined the likelihood of state and local fiscal distress, and how it may be addressed, especially if Congress should delay or reject further funding.Moderated by William Glasgall, Volcker Alliance senior vice president and director of state and local initiatives, and Susan Wachter, co-director of Penn IUR, this briefing was the tenth in a series of sixty-minute online conversations featuring experts from the Volcker Alliance’s national research network and Penn IUR, along with other leading academics, economists, and federal, state, and local leaders from around the US. Norman J. Ornstein Robin Prunty Richard Ravitch Frank H. Shafroth Urban Development State & Local Finance

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