The Penta Podcast Channel

Macrocast: A False Sunrise For The Market?

Consumers' feelings toward the economy may be sour, but their spending tells a different story. In this edition of the Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan are joined by John Dick of CivicScience to discuss the latest ESI report and the strength of the consumer, despite inflation and rising prices. The group also dives into what summer travel demand means for airlines and shares their takes on the stock market—including an optimistic outlook for the second half of the year. Read this week's ...

Insights: Advancing Equity in Graduate Public Policy Education

In this edition of HPS Insights, HPS Partner Tony Fratto and Senior Director Stephanie Dodge host Fanta Traore, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Sadie Collective, and Young-Chan Lim and Doug Ortiz, members of the working group for the Cross-Policy School White Paper on Anti-Racism, for a conversation on racial equity in graduate public policy programs. Fanta, Young-Chan, and Doug discuss the Sadie Collective's upcoming white paper, which draws on input from students across the countr...

Macrocast: The Worst Of All Worlds

Recession fears abound, and market volatility is up–but will inflation come down enough? In this edition of the Macrocast, Dennis DeBusschere, President and founder of 22V Research, joins guest host and HPS Managing Director Meghan Pennington and John and Brendan from Markets Policy Partners. The group discusses the latest turmoil in equity and crypto markets, where investors are pricing in recession concerns, even as doubt lingers about the Fed's capacity to rein in inflation. Read about 2...

Crypto Convos With Grayscale's Craig Salm

On the latest episode of Crypto Convos, host Bryan DeAngelis is joined by Grayscale's Chief Legal Officer, Craig Salm. The pair discussed Craig's background in law and his interest in crypto, how Grayscale combines crypto with traditional investing, the company's campaign for a Bitcoin spot ETF, and what's next in crypto. Show Notes Grayscale's SEC Comment Letter Submission Page CNBC: Grayscale Tells SEC That Turning Biggest Bitcoin Fund Into ETF Will Unlock $8 Billion For Investors Upda...

Macrocast: Don't Knock Your Crypto Stock

MPP's John and Brendan are joined by HPS Partner Bryan DeAngelis on today's episode of the Macrocast. The group chats about the many news-worthy market updates from this busy week, including what is happening with tech and crypto stocks. Despite the volatility, the group explains why they feel that comparisons between the current financial moment and the 2008 financial crisis are unfounded.   

Don't Knock Your Crypto Stock

MPP's John and Brendan are joined by HPS Partner Bryan DeAngelis on today's episode of the Macrocast. The group chats about the many news-worthy market updates from this busy week, including what is happening with tech and crypto stocks. Despite the volatility, the group explains why they feel that comparisons between the current financial moment and the 2008 financial crisis are unfounded.   

Insights: A Conversation With Niki Christoff

On today's episode of HPS Insights, Bryan DeAngelis and Elliott Owensby interview Niki Christoff, CEO of Christoff & Co. and host of the Tech'ed Up podcast. The group dives into Niki's unique tech-sector and communications background, which she has leveraged to educate key audiences on important topics like decentralized finance (DeFi) and crypto. Niki also speaks to the ongoing digital currency debates in Washington, D.C. Show Notes: Niki Christoff Website Tech'ed Up with Niki Christoff ...

Macrocast: Bad Is Good... For Inflation

 In this edition of the Macrocast, HPS Partner Matt McDonald and SW4 Insights Founder Brai Odion-Esene join Tony, John, and Brendan to tackle the April jobs report and May FOMC meeting. Job creation is on "cruise control," with another month of steady growth, but wage growth has fallen behind rising prices. Check out the episode for why this trend might be good news for controlling inflation.

Macrocast: Bad Is Good... For Inflation

 In this edition of the Macrocast, HPS Partner Matt McDonald and SW4 Insights Founder Brai Odion-Esene join Tony, John, and Brendan to tackle the April jobs report and May FOMC meeting. Job creation is on "cruise control," with another month of steady growth, but wage growth has fallen behind rising prices. Check out the episode for why this trend might be good news for controlling inflation.

Bad Is Good... For Inflation

 In this edition of the Macrocast, HPS Partner Matt McDonald and SW4 Insights Founder Brai Odion-Esene join Tony, John, and Brendan to tackle the April jobs report and May FOMC meeting. Job creation is on "cruise control," with another month of steady growth, but wage growth has fallen behind rising prices. Check out the episode for why this trend might be good news for controlling inflation.

(I Can't Get No) Student Debt Relief

Macrocast: The Great GDP Messaging Challenge

In today's Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan are joined by HPS' Meghan Pennington and CivicScience's John Dick to cover all things GDP. The group discusses the politics of the GDP,  the messaging challenges and political consequences the Democrats face, and how Q1's GDP number is a bigger reflection of how we calculate GDP, and not the broader economic environment. The group also discusses the gauntlet of technology earnings and this week's ESI report. Show Notes: Find the 2022 Q1 GDP cal...

Are Dems in Distress? Your Early Midterm Outlook

On today's episode of HPS Insights, host Bryan DeAngelis is joined by Stacy Kerr, Partner at HPS and former advisor to Speaker Pelosi, and Jonathan Graffeo, Managing Director at HPS and former Senate staffer, to discuss the political landscape leading into the 2022 midterm elections. The group discussed what might influence the outcome of the election, including inflation, immigration issues, and more. They then dive into predictions about whether or not Democrats will retain control of the...

Macrocast: Spring into International Macroeconomics

On today's Macrocast, Tony and Brendan cover the latest market trends, focusing on the global energy market and challenges that arise when a country attempts to switch its energy source. The two also discuss international economic outlooks more broadly, centered on this week's International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring Meetings and the release of the World Economic Outlook.  Plus, they share the highest priority issues emerging from the spring meetings.   Shownotes: Read more about ...

Insights: Crypto Convos with Sue Friedman

Macrocast: Is Core Inflation Finally Peaking?

In today's Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan tackle the latest inflation data, China's disastrous COVID policies, and Elon Musk's bid to buy Twitter. Most of all, the group discusses whether the U.S. is finally over the worst of core inflation. Supply chain challenges will persist, but could demand for goods cool down soon? Show Notes: -Read the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data here. -Read HPS' latest jobs day fact sheet here.

Insights Rerun: A Conversation On Healthcare Disparities With Linda Goler Blount

On this week's HPS Insights, we are bringing back a great conversation with Linda Goler Blount, the President & CEO of the Black Women's Health Imperative (BWHI), on BWHI's work to help protect and advance the health of Black women and women of color. Hosted by HPS Partner Stacy Kerr and Managing Director Kriston McIntosh, the group dives into the impact of COVID-19 on the Black community and the potential for future action to remove discriminatory barriers to accessing quality healthcare. 

Macrocast: Can Congress & The Fed Stick The Landing?

On today's Macrocast, Tony Fratto and Brendan Walsh are joined by Ben Koltun, Director of Research at Beacon Policy Advisors, LLC, to discuss the state of reconciliation efforts in Congress and how—once again—Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) are at the center of it all. The crew also dives into recent news coming out of the Federal Reserve, which is looking to stick the landing between curbing inflation and averting a recession. Show Notes: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) "thr...

Can Congress & The Fed Stick The Landing?

On today's Macrocast, Tony Fratto and Brendan Walsh are joined by Ben Koltun, Director of Research at Beacon Policy Advisors, LLC, to discuss the state of reconciliation efforts in Congress and how—once again—Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) are at the center of it all. The crew also dives into recent news coming out of the Federal Reserve, which is looking to stick the landing between curbing inflation and averting a recession. Show Notes: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) "thr...

Insights: The Wall Street Journal's Nick Timiraos on his new book, "Trillion Dollar Triage: How Jay Powell and the Fed Battled a President and a Pandemic–and Prevented Economic Disaster"

In today's episode of HPS Insights, HPS Partner Matt McDonald interviews Wall Street Journal Chief Economics Correspondent Nick Timiraos on his new book, "Trillion Dollar Triage: How Jay Powell and the Fed Battled a President and a Pandemic–and Prevented Economic Disaster." In the episode, Nick explains how he used his reporting during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and extensive interviews to write a book detailing how the Federal Reserve handled COVID-19 and the related economic tr...

Macrocast: This Jobs Report Isn't Fooling Around

In this edition of the Macrocast, HPS Partner Matt McDonald and CivicScience's John Dick join Tony, John, and Brendan to discuss a series of new data releases this week. Friday's strong jobs report clashes with another poor Economic Sentiment Index reading, as inflation looms large in consumers' minds. Will the Fed hike interest rates by 50 basis points? And do investors trust them to do so without triggering a recession? Show Notes Read the latest Economic Sentiment Index from HPS and Civ...

Kyndryl's Mark Slaga on Navigating the New Normal of Work

In this episode of HPS Insights, Mark Slaga, Global Practice Lead for Digital Workplace Services at Kyndryl, joins host Bryan DeAngelis to reflect on how the way we work has changed since the onset of the pandemic two years ago. Mark, who has led Kyndryl's work guiding Fortune 500 companies through the transition to remote and hybrid work, shares his insights into which COVID-induced changes are here to stay and which will fade.  Above all, businesses will need to give all employees, regar...

Macrocast: The Unbreakable Buck

In today's episode, veteran U.S. Treasury official Mark Sobel joins Tony, John, and Brendan to unpack the growing concerns around dollar dominance. The group discussed why dollar dominance is here to stay, sanctions' impact on its power, why other currencies like China's RMB don't pose a threat to the dollar's global role, as well as behind the scenes insights on why the Fed won't be making any statements on the dollar anytime soon. Show Notes: Mark Sobel is U.S. Chairman at the Official M...

Insights: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: The View From D.C.

On this episode of HPS Insights, Managing Director and in-house Russia expert Stratton Kirton is joined by fellow Managing Director and former Senate Appropriations Committee staffer Jonathan Graffeo to discuss the various impacts of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They touch on energy market volatility, congressional Ukraine aid in the recent Omnibus bill, the impact of sanctions, and more. Tune in! Show Notes: Historic Context And Economic Background Of Russia's War On Ukraine, Stratton Ki...

Macrocast Madness: Was A Rate Hike In Your Bracket?

In today's episode of the Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan are joined by special guest Brai Odion-Esene, HPS alum and founder of SW4 Insights, a D.C.-based advisory firm providing intelligence and strategic counsel. The group chats about recent Federal Open Market Committee developments and some of the relevant stakeholders and factors that impact Fed decision making. In the second half of the episode, the conversation shifts towards recent market impacts resulting from sanctions on Russia...

Macrocast Madness: Was A Rate Hike In Your Bracket?

In today's episode of the Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan are joined by special guest Brai Odion-Esene, HPS alum and founder of SW4 Insights, a D.C.-based advisory firm providing intelligence and strategic counsel. The group chats about recent Federal Open Market Committee developments and some of the relevant stakeholders and factors that impact Fed decision making. In the second half of the episode, the conversation shifts towards recent market impacts resulting from sanctions on Russia...

Macrocast Special Edition: Macrocast Live With Victoria Guida (Politico), Nathan Sheets (Citi), and Jim Pethokoukis (AEI)

On the first edition of Macrocast Live, Tony, John, and Brendan are joined by three economic policy experts with decades of experience watching markets: Victoria Guida of Politico, Jim Pethokoukis of AEI, and Nathan Sheets of Citi. They discuss inflation dynamics, future Fed actions, and the impact of geopolitical turmoil on the global economy. This is an episode you do not want to miss! Show Notes: Jim's Substack: Faster, Please!  Jim's Twitter: @JimPethokoukis Victoria's Twitter: @vtg2...

Crypto Convos: Better to Be Lucky Than Good

On the newest episode of HPS' Crypto Convos, HPS Partner and series host Bryan DeAngelis is joined by Aaron Klein, senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, focused on financial technology, financial regulation, and more. Bryan and Aaron unpack President Biden's new executive order on digital assets and discuss the importance of crypto and digital financial assets to cross-border remittances. The pair also look ahead to the future of commercial and central bank digital...

Macrocast: Consumer Confidence in the Tank

On today's Macrocast, John Dick from CivicScience joins Tony and John Fagan to discuss the latest economic sentiment reading. The conflict in Ukraine is threatening to drag the consumer outlook to a new low, eclipsing the pandemic as consumers' primary concern. Plus, the group contrasts how the U.S. and Europe are weathering the dual crises of inflation and Ukraine. Read the latest economic sentiment index update here. Read more insights from CivicScience here.

Insights: A Conversation with Emily David Hershman

In today's episode of HPS Insights, Bryan DeAngelis interviews his good friend and Director of Engagement & Special Projects for Delaware Governor John Carney, Emily David Hershman. Bryan and Emily dive deep into how states like Delaware have managed the pandemic over the past two years, coordinated with other states and the federal government, and worked to develop lasting trust in statewide institutions. Follow Emily on Twitter (@emdave3)and check out more details in the show notes below! ...

Macrocast: The Last Simple Jobs Report For A While

On this week's episode of the Macrocast, Tony and Brendan are joined by HPS Partner Matt McDonald to discuss the strong February jobs report. They also debate the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on inflation dynamics, supply chains, U.S.-China relations, and Europe. Tune in for a recap of a busy week around the world. Show Notes: February Jobs Report Fact Sheet (From Hamilton Place Strategies) February's Jobs Report (From the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Insights: Dissecting the State of the Union

In this edition of HPS Insights, Tony Fratto hosts HPS Managing Directors and Hill alums Jonathan Graffeo and Kriston McIntosh for a discussion on President Biden's  State of the Union address. The group evaluates the President's efforts to build unity around Ukraine, the pandemic, the remnants of BBB, and more. Read the full transcript of the State of the Union address here. Find Jonathan Graffeo's bio here. Find Kriston McIntosh's bio here.

Macrocast: Unpacking the Crisis in Ukraine

In today's episode, HPS Managing Director and Russia expert Stratton Kirton joins Bryan, John, and Brendan to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its economic implications. Stratton breaks down the latest sanctions on Russia and how they'll impact Putin's strategic calculus and global markets. The group also looks ahead to how central banks may respond to the crisis, with the next Fed meeting set for early March.

HPS Insights: Capitol Chatter Analysis

In this episode of HPS Insights, Meghan interviews HPS's Andrea Christianson, JinAh Kim, Maggie Wang, and Parker St. Jean about their recent project, Capitol Chatter: A Quarterly Analysis of Congressional Tweets. The team chats about how Twitter mentions of certain issues can differ from mainstream media coverage. They also discuss emerging trends in elected officials' approach to Tweeting, contrasting recent posts about inflation from Democratic and Republican Members of Congress as an exam...

Macrocast: Era Of Bad Feelings

On this week's Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan are joined by John Dick to discuss the Economic Sentiment Index's (ESI) record drop and people's "sour" outlook that extends past just the economy. The group also dives into the uncertainties present in the Ukraine-Russia situation, the Fed's tough job ahead, and what to expect next week—from PMIs to the Iran Nuclear Deal talks and more.

Insights: Crypto Convos with Will McDonough

In this installment of Crypto Convos, Will McDonough, CEO of Corestone Capital and Vice Chairman of Valkyrie Investments, joins HPS Partners Matt McDonald and Bryan DeAngelis and Markets Policy Partners' Brendan Walsh to discuss the maturing regulatory landscape around crypto assets. McDonough shares his experience navigating the SEC approval process for Valkyrie's groundbreaking, crypto-based ETFs and offers insights into some of the fundamental questions about the nature of crypto and its ...

Insights: Crypto Convos with Alex Sternhell

Hosted by Elliott Owensby and Bryan DeAngelis, Crypto Convos is a miniseries from HPS, featuring interviews with crypto experts from across the industry to explore their perspectives on new developments in the crypto space. In this episode, Bryan and Elliott host Alex Sternhell, Principal at the Sternhell Group and top Washington strategist in the financial services public policy space. Bryan, Elliott, and Alex discuss the current status of cryptocurrency on the Hill, including potential le...

Insights: Crypto Convos With Amit Sharma

On the inaugural episode of HPS Insight's Crypto Convos miniseries, hosts Bryan DeAngelis and Elliott Owensby are joined by special guest Amit Sharma, CEO and Founder of FinClusive, to discuss FinClusive's role in expanding digital financial access across the globe, the tension between counter-terrorist financing and financial inclusion, as well as the importance of financial inclusion to U.S. national security.

Macrocast: Economy Coming In Hot​

On today's Macrocast, Tony and Brendan are joined by the Founder of SW4 Insights, Brai Odion-Esene, to discuss this week's inflation and earnings figures. The group dives into why the conventional wisdom of what is driving higher prices—and expectations of what the Federal Reserve can do to address them—is often misguided.

Economy Coming In Hot​

On today's Macrocast, Tony and Brendan are joined by the Founder of SW4 Insights, Brai Odion-Esene, to discuss this week's inflation and earnings figures. The group dives into why the conventional wisdom of what is driving higher prices—and expectations of what the Federal Reserve can do to address them—is often misguided.

January's Juicy Jobs Report

On today's Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan are joined by HPS' Matt McDonald to discuss January's job numbers and economic growth despite inflation and COVID-19 concerns. Plus, the group dives into the latest corporate earnings reports, with some surprising standout performances!

Macrocast: January's Juicy Jobs Report

On today's Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan are joined by HPS' Matt McDonald to discuss January's job numbers and economic growth despite inflation and COVID-19 concerns. Plus, the group dives into the latest corporate earnings reports, with some surprising standout performances!

Insights: Ballast Research's Washington Insights Review Fireside Chat

In this live episode of HPS Insights, HPS Partners Bryan DeAngelis and Matt McDonald are joined by Ballast Research's Mike Gottlieb and Michael Griffin to discuss their new report, Washington Insights Review, Redefining Corporate Citizenship: Policymaker Perceptions of Corporate Engagement in DC. They discuss emerging new standards for corporate citizenship, the impact of corporate social responsibility initiatives in D.C., and more.  

Macrocast: Tightening on the Horizon

The Fed seems set on significant quantitative tightening in 2022, but the latest Core PCE data suggests inflation could begin to stabilize in the coming months. John Dick joins Tony, John, and Brendan to discuss how much markets are pricing in an expected tightening, and how much work will be left for the Fed to do. Plus, the group breaks down the market impacts of the tensions in Ukraine and considers the trajectory of the Great Resignation.

Insights: A Conversation with Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, Editor of "The Black Agenda"

In today's book recommendation episode of HPS Insights, Tony interviews his good friend Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman about her new book, "The Black Agenda," out today! The two chat about the book, a collection of essays by Black experts on a variety of public policy topics, and discuss why it is so important to include Black voices in public policy debates. In addition to her latest credential as editor of "The Black Agenda," Anna is an award-winning researcher and writer and the co-founder of t...

The Latest on the Tech Antitrust Push in the Senate

What's next for the tech antitrust legislation moving through the Senate? Adam Kovacevich, Founder and CEO of tech advocacy group Chamber of Progress, and HPS Senior Director Elliott Owensby join HPS Partner Bryan DeAngelis for a recap of last Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee markup of the bill. The group discusses how Senator Klobuchar's proposal to block tech companies from giving preferential treatment to their products might take shape. Follow @AdamKovac and learn more about Chamber...

Insights: The Latest on the Tech Antitrust Push in the Senate

What's next for the tech antitrust legislation moving through the Senate? Adam Kovacevich, Founder and CEO of tech advocacy group Chamber of Progress, and HPS Senior Director Elliott Owensby join HPS Partner Bryan DeAngelis for a recap of last Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee markup of the bill. The group discusses how Senator Klobuchar's proposal to block tech companies from giving preferential treatment to their products might take shape. Follow @AdamKovac and learn more about Chamber...

Macrocast: Economics In The Time Of Equity

On this week's edition of the Macrocast, Fanta Traore—CEO and Co-Founder of the Sadie Collective—joins Brendan and John to discuss inflation, Federal Reserve nominations, and the prospect of a new digital dollar. In particular, the group focuses on how these topics intersect with equity in society. 

Macrocast: Supply Chain State of Play

 In this week's edition of the Macrocast, Loren Smith from Skyline Policy Risk Group joins Tony, John, and Brendan to discuss all things supply chain, diving into the "subplots" behind this ongoing crisis, including China geopolitics, omicron, infrastructure, workforce, and more. Plus, the group breaks down the newest CPI & PPI numbers and inflation's outlook. 

Macrocast: Don't Get Too Far Over Your Skis

In the first HPS Macrocast of Season Four and of the new year, Tony, John, Brendan, and HPS' Matt McDonald discuss the last jobs report data of 2021, potential actions the Fed will take in 2022, and the likely economic impacts of the omicron variant.