The Indianapolis Star recently published a lengthy expose of Indiana’s workplace inspection program. The authors detailed what appears to be COVID-19-specific failures that caused Indiana to plummet into last place nationally with safety inspections. This report darkens what was overall a su…

The most important economic measure is not jobs, wages, or taxes. It is that portion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) produced by the private sector. Our jobs, our wages, our taxes are directly related to GDP. What we make, what we do, determines how we live.

With just a few weeks left in 2022, we can safely say that it’s been an often-challenging year for Hoosiers looking to buy or sell a home. Higher mortgage rates put a strain on homebuyer budgets, adding hundreds of dollars in interest to the average monthly payment since January.

And just like that, it is late November. We are driving home in the dark; it is frigid; and the holidays are approaching just as fast as your Q4 deadlines.

It is Thanksgiving week, and for many that means another Black Friday shopping experience. I must say, there’s really nothing quite like hitting the 1:30 a.m. sales after a long day of turkey and pumpkin pie. Whether you view that as enjoyable, or quite the opposite, there’s reason to expect…

Came across this amusing story the other day:

Penguin Point, home of the Famous Big Wally hamburger, announced Nov. 21 that Fort Wayne’s restaurant and two in Elkhart were among seven the company had immediately closed.

Soccer (football to the rest of the world) is exciting even though it does not have high-scoring games. The excitement comes from seemingly endless attempts to attain a goal.

Today’s electricity landscape in the Hoosier State is far different than it was 10 years ago. The way we produce, distribute, and consume energy, particularly electricity, is changing in profound ways. That change continues to accelerate and Hoosiers are at the forefront of this transition, …

Officially there are 838,000 Hoosiers (13% of the population) below the federal poverty level. But that’s not close to the full story. It’s the poverty of opportunity and the poverty of thought in our state that also deserves attention.

There is an old joke whose origins are unknown but which you have probably heard in more than one movie or TV show. P.J. O’Rourke borrowed it for the title of one of his cynical books about politics:

There is an old joke whose origins are unknown but which you have probably heard in more than one movie or TV show. P.J. O’Rourke borrowed it for the title of one of his cynical books about politics:

Last month, I wrote about the three keys to successful internal communication: clarity, credibility and collaboration. As I discussed, credibility may be the biggest challenge for many organizations, given today’s communication environment. One way to overcome this challenge is to strive for…

Our state cheerleaders, quite naturally, are proclaiming Indiana is HOT! They mean we’re attractive to firms wanting to locate facilities for future production. We can not verify their statements. All we can do is look at the evidence at hand.

Those who have tried to define conservatism’s affinity for tradition have searched everywhere from the seminal writings of Edmund Burke (the future is built upon the past) to the musings of William F. Buckley Jr., who urged us to “stand athwart history yelling Stop!”

Fall is a time for inexpensive conferences and parent weekends at colleges, and so, over the last month, I’ve been traveling extensively in the eastern half of the country. Some folks enjoy travel for the beautiful scenery, historic architecture and differing cultures. As an economist, I als…

Without taking anything away from the 2022 elections, let’s start thinking about next year. The primaries, the absurdities and the virtues of the candidates, the restrained promotional materials of the money-starved candidates, and the flamboyant eructations of the well-financed will again b…

Should we give up on “downtown” as a concept whose time has come and gone, and admit that trying to keep it on life support is a futile effort?

The Lodge at Camp Red Cedar is Fort Wayne’s newest event venue. It features scenic views, modern amenities and elite customer service.

Conservatism is in the midst of profound change. At least, what passes for conservative intellectualism and its application to public policy is in the midst of change. As a man who embraced most of Reagan-era conservatism, I watch this with considerable interest and worry. It is early enough…

There was, I believe, a WWII song meant to lift the spirits of those off to war and those remaining at home. These were the opening lines: Now is the hour when we must say goodbye.

A chill is in the air and that means the YLNI Farmers Market will be going indoors. Its new winter home beginning Nov. 5 will be The Olde East End Building located at 1501 E. Berry St. The new space is the former home to Picker’s Dream, but longtime Fort Wayne residents will know it as the f…

Among the most famous words in the New Testament are “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Those words came to mind when Donald Trump ranted against The Swamp in Washington. They also came to mind when the Indiana General Assembly reduced protection for wetlands in our state.

For the past 25 years, I’ve focused my work on helping companies reach their external audiences. But more recently, I’ve shifted more attention toward internal communication. The reason is simple: the first step toward improving messages targeted toward your external audience is to improve c…

Editor’s note: As part of its Powering the Next plan, I&M previously announced it would invest more than $350 million in reliability and grid resiliency improvements to the electric distribution system.

Long ago, on a cold windy day, a youth came upon an elderly person hesitating to cross a busy ice-covered boulevard. “Might I have the pleasure of escorting you to the far side of this dangerous icy avenue?” asked the youth.