Shows
Trial Balloon - Free VersionThe Candidate or the CouchCorruption in the “Greatest City in the World.” And who are these "undecided" voters? Links we discussed: Eric Adams IndictedThe Undecided Voters Who Could Decide the ElectionKamala Harris Casts Herself as Pro-Business PragmatistSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's NewsletterTrial Balloon Live2024-09-3026 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionThe Bully PulpitTrump threatens to prosecute his political rivals... Why even a felony conviction won't upend this race... And does the bully pulpit still exist?Links we discussed:Trump Says He Has ‘Every Right’ to Prosecute His RivalsEven a Felony Conviction Likely Won’t Upend This RaceTrump’s Vows Put Rule of Law on the BallotHow Much More Warning Do Voters Need?Democrats Must Make Trump’s Guilty Verdict KnownSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2024-06-0724 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionCatch and KillThe Trump trial and the split screen campaign. And Mike Johnson's power is backed by Democrats. Links we discussed:The Split Screen for the Next 6 WeeksTrump Is Already TestifyingTrump Is a Pretty Weak StrongmanBeing Stuck in a Courtroom Is Just What Trump Needed Chaos and OppressionSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2024-04-2622 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionBoxed In On AbortionArizona's abortion ruling is a disaster for Trump and Republicans. Stubborn inflation is a problem for Biden and Democrats. Can red states knock Biden off the ballot?Links we discussedTrump Flails on AbortionFed May Not Cut Interest Rates This YearRed States Threaten to Keep Biden Off the BallotSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2024-04-1524 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionWatching Fox NewsDoes watching Fox News make you less informed? Could the House flip to Democratic control? Does RFK Jr. hurt Biden or Trump more?Links we discussedThose Who Don’t Watch Fox Less Likely to Vote for TrumpDemocrats Need to Be Ready If GOP Loses ControlBiden Holds Small Lead NationallyRFK Jr. the SpoilerSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2024-03-2926 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionWhich GOP Candidates Were Worse: 2016 or 2024?Which set of candidates were worse — 2016 or 2024? What do the polls really say eight months before the election? Does RFK Jr. matter?Links we discussedThere’s Plenty of Time for Biden to Catch UpDemocracy Dies In Trumpian BoredomWhy RFK Jr. Should Hurt Trump More Than BidenDemocrats Go to War Against Third Party CandidatesSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2024-03-1526 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionTrumpificationThe Trumpification of the Republican Party is now complete.Links we discussedMitch McConnell’s Legacy Is Donald TrumpMitch McConnell Surrenders to TrumpMcConnell to Step Down as GOP LeaderTrump Pushes Steve Daines to Run for Senate GOP LeaderJohn Thune Soft Launches Bid for Senate GOP LeaderCornyn Talked to Trump About Running for Senate LeaderSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2024-03-0724 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionBiden Isn't Going AnywhereNo one is replacing Biden on the ticket. Trump takes over the RNC. Democrats get a big win on Long Island. Links we discussedOne in Five Believe Taylor Swift ConspiracyReplacing BidenWhy Trump Needs to Take Over the RNC So QuicklyJon Stewart ReturnsBiden Campaign Joins TikTokSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2024-02-1622 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionOne Year OnTrial Balloon celebrates its first year with Taylor Swift. And then we unpack how Joe Biden was handed a gift by Republicans on immigration. Links we discussedTaylor Swift (The GOP’s Version)Lankford’s Make-or-Break Moment on the BorderQuote of the DayBiden Campaign Builds Big Fundraising LeadWhy Trump Needs Nikki Haley Out NowSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2024-02-0226 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionRolling to the White HouseIs Donald Trump rolling to the White House or is he in trouble? Democracy and immigration are the toughest issues.Links we discussedCan Anyone Stop Trump’s March to the Nomination?Trump Could Wrap Up Nomination By End of FebruaryEven the Battle for Second Turned Out Well for TrumpTrump Holds Solid Lead Over Biden in GeorgiaSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2024-01-1921 min
Trial Balloon - Free Version14th Amendment MailbagShould Democrats try to disqualify Trump from the ballot? Or will it backfire?Links we discussed:Trump Set to Appeal 14th Amendment CasesSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2024-01-0528 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionBankruptTrump's eligibility in question. Rudy's moral bankruptcy leads to his financial bankruptcy. It's too early to worry about the horse race polls. Links we discussed:The Immediate Impact of the Colorado RulingWhat Do Biden’s Poor Numbers Really Mean?Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2023-12-2231 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionA Dictator for 'Just One Day'The House GOP's majority shrinks further. Donald Trump knew exactly what he was saying. Nikki Haley is number two. Links we discussed:The Inflation DisconnectScared of Chris ChristieSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2023-12-0819 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionThanksgiving MailbagWe discuss Biden's chances, Trump's retribution, flipping congressmen, ranked choice voting, and our friend in Copenhagen.Some links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2023-11-2224 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionOne Year OutWhat the 2023 off-year elections mean for 2024. And what Joe Manchin not running for re-election means for Joe Biden.Links we discussed:The Polls Weren’t That BadThe Road to 2024An Off-Year Blue WaveWho Knew Taking Away Rights Was So Unpopular?Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2023-11-1035 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionIt's a Later ProblemRepublicans finally settle on a House Speaker but he wasn't really vetted. Meanwhile, Trump's co-defendants are flipping.Links we discussed:The House Considers Mike JohnsonMike Johnson Is Trump’s Perfect SpeakerThe Speaker Candidates to WatchSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2023-10-2628 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionDivided We FallThe political realities of the terrorist attack on Israel and it's not your father's Republican party anymore.Links we discussed:Father Strips Down at School Board MeetingThe Politics of Israel’s ResponseSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2023-10-1322 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionThe Divided Side Usually LosesRepublicans running for president have a debate train wreck while Republicans in the House are about to shut down the government.Links we discussed:Republican MathReaction to the Second Republican DebateSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political Wire -- Get 20% off an Annual MembershipChris Riback's Newsletter2023-09-2927 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionKevin McCarthy Had a PlanKevin McCarthy struggles to hang onto his job, while Mitt Romney quits his. Links we discussed:Romney Lets Loose in Exit InterviewImpeachment Probe Changes McCarthy’s MathMcCarthy Dares Conservatives to Oust HimSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2023-09-1523 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionThe Age QuestionMitch McConnell’s second freeze means age may be an even bigger factor in next year’s election.Links we discussed:Mark Thompson Helped Steady 2 News Outlets. Can He Do the Same at CNN?Capitol Physician Clears McConnell to Do JobFeinstein Silent in Her Sad and Messy Final ChapterBiden’s Age vs. Trump’s CrimesSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter2023-09-0126 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionOversized MailbagWe answer some of your questions. Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter 2023-08-1826 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionTrump Indicted AgainHow the latest Trump indictment changes the presidential race.A few links we discussed:Donald Trump Indicted AgainWe’re Headed for a One Issue ElectionMy Takeaways from Today’s Indictment Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter 2023-08-0430 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionCan Anyone Beat Trump for the GOP Nomination?As the indictments pile up for Trump, we discuss the possible alternatives for the Republican presidential nomination.A few links we discussed:Trump Blots Out the Sun AgainTim Scott Ramps Up Fundraising Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter 2023-07-2117 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionHoliday Week MailbagAre the Hunter Biden allegations like the Steele Dossier? What are the contingency plans if Biden (or Trump) is incapacitated before the convention? And remembering Lowell Weicker, the original maverick politician from Connecticut.A few links we discussed:Remembering Lowell Weicker Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra2023-07-0724 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionJoe Biden in a Toyota CorollaAbortion is now a huge liability for Republicans but a third party presidential candidate could be a huge liability for Democrats.A few links we discussed:Abortion Remains a Potent Issue for Pro-Choice VotersMost Say Repeal of Abortion Rights Bad for CountryMajor Anti-Abortion Group Pushes National BanMislabeledJill Stein Managing Cornel West’s Campaign Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra2023-06-2320 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionThe Long GameKevin McCarthy is losing power quickly. And why so many Republicans are running for president.A few links we discussed:Pence Tries to Thread a NeedleAn Extremely Weak Speaker Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra2023-06-0926 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionDeSantis DebacleGov. Ron DeSantis' campaign launch on Twitter Spaces had all the appeal of a glitchy conference call. And the debt ceiling looms.Some links:DeSantis Blows Up on the Launch PadThe Headlines Are BrutalDeSantis Flip-Flops on How to Pronounce His Own NameConservatives Rebel Against Emerging DealWho Would Be Blamed for a Debt Default?Debt Ceiling Deal Takes ShapeSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra2023-05-2621 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionTrump and the Battle for the SuburbsDonald Trump's town hall and how abortion rights and immigration will play in the suburbs. Some links:Why Team Biden Was ‘Positively Giddy’ Last NightCNN Tried to Make News, Not Cover ItSome Thoughts on Trump’s Town Hall EventSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra2023-05-1221 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionA Modern Day Rosa Parks?We take questions on the debt ceiling showdown, the possibility of a John Roberts power move at the Supreme Court and whether there is a modern day Rosa Parks out there.Some links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra2023-04-2829 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionBoxed InDonald Trump, the Republican Party and Fox News have one thing in common: They're all boxed in. Some links we discuss:How to Make Trump Go AwayTrump Desperately Tries to Run Out the ClockBoxed InOther links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra2023-04-1425 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionA Walk Down Memory LaneBefore Political Wire and before Chris Riback's Newsletter -- in the very early days of the internet -- there was Political Insider. Meanwhile, an economic civil war has broken out in the states.Links we discussed:Screenshot of Political Insider just after the 2000 presidential election.Other links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter 2023-03-2424 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionEvery Four Years We Discuss a Third PartyWe evaluate the odds that a third party "Unity Ticket” might finally break through in 2024. And we look at the Chicago mayoral primary results and what they say about the politics of crime in America. Links for items we discussed:When Sen. Howell Heflin (D-AL) saw this photo of Sen. Ted Kennedy in a boat, he quipped: "Well Teddy, I see you've changed your position on offshore drilling."And a Harvard study: "Democratic mayors have no effect on crime, but do reduce the Black share of arrests for petty crimes."Other li...2023-03-1019 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionBiden Sneaks Into a War ZonePresident Biden makes a surprise visit to Ukraine, a grand juror talks too much and Fox News hosts text too much. Other links: Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra2023-02-2421 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionBiden's Third Rail DareWe review President Biden's challenge to Republicans at the State of the Union address, the GOP's focus on schools and the power to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy.Links: Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra2023-02-1020 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsWe're Back: New Season... and Some NewsWe’re back for a new season!
I also launched my new daily email, Chris Riback’s Newsletter.
6 days a week, I compile and publish the meaningful ideas, trends and events into a daily briefing of what you need to know, and not a word more.
I add engaging videos, tweets, graphs, and more. My goal is to help readers save time and stay smarter.
Sign up for a free 30-day trial: chrisriback.substack.com/CRC
2021-06-0402 min
Chris Riback's NewsletterNancy Pelosi’s Mother6 Minutes or LessThis newsletter-only feature will be available only to paid subscribers: I ask a thought leader or expert to educate/enlighten/explain an issue via audio in 6 Minutes or Less. Issue: Nancy Pelosi’s father Thomas D’Alesandro was a US Representative and Baltimore mayor. But the book “Pelosi” describes her mother, Annunciata D’Alesandro, as the one who ran the political organization, “knew where all the bodies were buried, and she never forgot anyone who crossed her.”Question: Did Nancy Pelosi learn more about politics from her mother or her father?2020-05-1105 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsJonathan Karl: Front Row at the Trump Show (Live Event)This is a special live Zoom edition of Chris Riback’s Conversations, the first in our new series of political book conversations sponsored by Cornell’s Institute of Politics & Global Affairs.What does it mean for democracy when the President attacks the free press as fake news? How should journalists balance the need to avoid becoming the “opposition party,” as Steve Bannon described them, while also standing up when individual reporters – frequently women, frequently minorities – are publicly ridiculed?Jonathan Karl is ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent. Jon’s also President of the White House Corr...2020-05-0458 min
Working Capital ConversationsGeorge Nguyen: What Does Gen Z Want from Brands?It’s the age old question nearly every business brand would like to know: What do young people care about?
Do they apply their beliefs and goals to their commercial choices? Do brands matter to them? Put differently, from a brand’s perspective, do youth care about who you are — or what you do and how you do it? What are the forces influencing their brand choices?
And when leading global and domestic brands want to know the answer to these questions, George Nguyen is one person they frequently call.
Nguyen is Managing Director...2020-03-0229 min
Working Capital ConversationsVindi Banga: Business Outlook in a Changing WorldOnce again this year, thousands of the world’s leading economic and business players met in the little Swiss ski town of Davos. And once again, the key topics and discussions had little to do with winter sports.
The reasons are obvious. There’s a lot going on in the world today and plenty of questions:
As global political economies continue to evolve at an increased pace, how much will leaders factor geopolitics into evaluating potential transactions?
How do global population and health trends affect the ways companies and investors think about investing in and managing business...2020-02-2435 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsRick Wilson: Running Against the DevilRick Wilson – the sharp-witted, wise-cracking Republican political strategist, ad-maker, analyst, columnist, and crazy-good tweeter – joined me in Westchester County, NY for a live conversation about the 2020 election, impeachment, and his new book, “Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump – and Democrats from Themselves.”It was a terrific event, and we discussed everything:How Democrats can beat Trump?What has happened to his fellow Republicans, the ones he calls “bootlicks, yes-men, [and] edge-case weirdos?”How endangered is our democracy?Would Democrats be better off if they in fact do nominate a...2020-01-171h 11
Working Capital ConversationsAnindya Ghose: China, US, & Future of AIAs the world becomes a messier place, and as the U.S. Great Power Competition with China continues to ramp up, this battle will be fought on many fronts – few if any on an actual battlefield.Instead, these superpowers’ fight for supremacy focuses on different dimensions of power and influence – in particular, areas like business and technology, including the next generation of Artificial Intelligence applications.So who’s winning? Where does China stand – and what should other countries and companies understand to compete and win?To find out, I welcomed back a previous and incredi...2020-01-0943 min
Working Capital ConversationsAlexandre Mars, How Epic Foundation Innovates PhilanthropyAs with any startup opportunity, when the serial and successful tech entrepreneur Alexander Mars decided in 2013 to tackle philanthropy, he had to identify the market gap. Turns out, he already knew it: The disconnect, as he describes, between how much we want to give and how much we actually give.The challenge, of course: How to bridge the gap. Mars’ answer: Just like a business.He gathered specialists in international development, social impact, open innovation, design thinking and technology to develop an industry-leading due diligence process to build and manage a portfolio of high impact social organizations.Be...2019-11-1844 minChris Riback's ConversationsLTC Alexander S. Vindman: Opening Statement to US House Impeachment InvestigatorsThis is a special episode of Chris Riback's Conversations.
For this podcast, I read the opening statement of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander S. Vindman to the US House Impeachment Investigators on October 29. As you surely know, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman is the decorated Iraq war veteran and top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, who listened in on that July 25 telephone call between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
That’s it. No conversation; no interview. Just the 6-page document itself -- a DocuPod.
Here’s why I believe there’s a need for this ty...2019-10-3113 minChris Riback's ConversationsAmb. William B. Taylor: Opening Statement to US House Impeachment InvestigatorsThis is a special episode of Chris Riback's Conversations.
For this podcast, I read the opening statement of Amb. William B. Taylor, the senior U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, who testified behind closed doors before the U.S. House Impeachment Investigators on Oct. 22. His extraordinary testimony has been called “the smoking gun” of President Trump’s attempt to hold up Ukraine financial aid in exchange for political help from a foreign country.
That’s it. No conversation; no interview. Just the document itself: Amb. Taylor’s 15-page opening statement – a kind of “DocuPod.”
Why am I doing t...2019-10-2937 minWorking Capital ConversationsDiane Flynn: How Companies Should Respond to Changing Workplace DemographicsFrom gender-based pay gaps to leadership roles, advancement opportunity to corporate culture, the treatment of women in the workplace – and how to enhance growth opportunities for women executives – is and has been under continual focus.But now this focus is frequently combined with a new, and growing trend: The aging and multigenerational workforce. The numbers may surprise you: The number one growing demographic in today’s workplace is women over 55. In fact, the number of people over 55 is going to be 25% of our workforce in five years.The statistics come from Diane Flynn, Co-Founder and CEO of ReBoot Ac...2019-10-1635 minWorking Capital ConversationsAndrew McAfee: Why Capitalism & Technology Will Save the PlanetIf one question has driven mankind’s quest for innovation, it very well might be this: How can we get more from less?For most of our time on this planet, the answer was simple: We couldn’t. As my guest Andrew McAfee points out, for just about all of human history – particularly the Industrial Era – our prosperity has been tightly coupled to our ability to take resources from the earth. We got more from more.That tradeoff yielded incredible positive contributions in nearly every field: Technology, industry, medicine. But there’s one glaring area – one of those “a...2019-10-1133 minWorking Capital ConversationsIsaac Stone Fish: Where do U.S.-China relations go next?October 1st marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China – the name given by Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong in 1949.
To understate the reality, a lot has happened in China over the last 70 years. The fact is, a lot has happened in China over the last 70 days – much of it unexpected, confusing, and on-going – politically and economically.
Politically, of course, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong capture global attention and concern. But so, too, does China’s economic situation, in particular, its continuing – sometimes escalating – battle with the U.S. over tariffs, intellectual p...2019-09-2729 min
Working Capital ConversationsRoger McNamee: 'Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe’What happened to Facebook?Particularly in the post-2016 political campaign, the realities of data, personas and manipulation have come out into the open, from the front pages to Congressional hearings. As policymakers consider regulating companies like Facebook and Google around issues ranging from speech to monopolies, companies and consumers are thinking in new ways about the business of data privacy.The Facebook story, of course, is instructive.Among other areas, it’s a story about business models and incentives and what can happen to a company when the two don’t align with a st...2019-09-1628 minWorking Capital ConversationsAdam Heltzer, Partners Group -- ESG, Sustainability & InvestingFor a long time in business and private equity, corporate sustainability – also known as ESG, the initials for Environmental, social and governance – was a rear guard part of the business that took front stage only when PR required.That time has most definitely passed.Today, ESG is not only front stage, but it’s often fully integrated into the deal making process – a central part of the business due diligence and on-going operations – as well as a key factor for LPs as they decide where to invest.So what does ESG mean today? How involved...2019-08-1234 min
Working Capital ConversationsRobert Seamans: AI and the EconomyIf you thought the battle between machines and jobs – the dislocation of labor and society resulting from digitization or automation – has been one-sided so far, just wait. The next wave of attack is well underway, and it’s called AI.
Artificial Intelligence, most simply, refers to computers that perform tasks that normally require human intelligence – things like visual perception, speech recognition, even decision-making.
Earlier this year the management consulting firm McKinsey famously wrote that “25 percent of the global workforce will either need to find new professional activities by 2020 or significantly broaden their technological skills. The World Economic Forum’s “Futu...2019-08-0529 min
Working Capital ConversationsRaghuram Rajan: The Economic Consequences of GlobalizationRaghuram Rajan has an unparalleled view into the social and economic consequences of globalization and their ultimate effect on our politics. Rajan’s background is extraordinary: He has served as Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund and Head of India’s Central Bank. He’s written several books, including one that won the Financial Times-Goldman Sachs prize for best business book in 2010. Today he is the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Rajan’s new book is an important must read that explains the dangerous connect...2019-06-1941 minChris Riback's ConversationsWe're Back: New Season, New NameA few updates:
First, we’re back. I’ve been doing a lot of prep for this new podcast season. I think you’re going to like it.
Second – and maybe this should be first – you may have noticed the name change from Political Wire Conversations to Chris Riback’s Conversations. Why the change?
I love politics and public policy. In these podcasts, I’ve talked with Senators, Governors, Mayors, and candidates; Generals, historians, journalists, and professors; Strategists, pollsters, and more – thinkers, writers and doers across the political spectrum.
But these aren’t my only co...2019-06-1903 minWorking Capital ConversationsRon Williams: Learning to LeadRon Williams knows leadership. He was, after all, Chairman and CEO of Aetna. When he joined Aetna in 2001, its loss from continuing operations was $292 million, with earnings per share loss of $0.46. By the time Williams left in 2011, the company’s full-year operating earnings were $2 billion, with operating earnings per share of $5.17. Beyond the numbers, though, During Williams’ tenure, Aetna was named FORTUNE's most admired company in the Health Care: Insurance and Managed Care category for three consecutive years.
Now Williams has written a book about leadership: “Learning to Lead: The Journey to Leading Yourself, Leading Others, and Leading an Organization.” How...2019-05-1634 minWorking Capital ConversationsJoseph Stiglitz: Is Capitalism Working?About four years ago, Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz was attending his 55th high school reunion in Gary, IN, when he heard a story that made him stand up straight. Then he heard another. And another.
These classmates’ stories – about themselves and their families – brought to life the statistics Stiglitz had been seeing in his economic charts: Lost jobs, poor access to health care, shorter life spans, crumbling infrastructure, lost opportunity, waning hope. The numbers hadn’t lied, and now they were talking to Stiglitz at this gathering with old friends.
Their message: The economy...2019-04-2830 min
Working Capital ConversationsChris Witkowsky on the last decade of private equity investing.As anyone with even a passing interest knows, over the last decade, private equity has had quite a run: Deal multiples have hit record highs; while deal count declined, investment value grew again last year; and so-called “dry powder” – capital sitting ready to invest – hit a record high of $2 trillion in December 2018 across all fund types.
And yet, as always, questions remain:
Can prices sustain their extraordinary levels?
When PE investors run their crucial return projections – what assumptions are they making about the broader economy… or even a recession?
And what about politics – is the industry ready for the 2020 campaign and new q...2019-04-0334 min
Working Capital ConversationsEnd Medical Debt: Curing America's $1 Trillion Unpayable Healthcare DebtQuick business and health question: How much medical debt exists in this country? Keep in mind, the U.S. is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. In fact, the U.S. spends more per capita on healthcare than any other country. Well, the amount according to RIP Medical Debt will blow your mind: $1 Trillion.
What can be done about it? That's the subject of this conversation and a new book, End Medical Debt: Curing America's $1 Trillion Unpayable Healthcare Debt. The book is an extraordinary exploration of not only how this problem evolved, but also how it brings down the individu...2019-03-2946 min
Working Capital ConversationsJonathan Wilk: Who Pays for Health Care?We know that the health care system can be confusing – never mind the actual medical care. It also is costly. And from changing coverage to high deductibles to co-pays and more, the question remains: Who pays?
Jonathan Wiik has an answer. Jonathan is a Principal in Healthcare Strategy at TransUnion. He’s also the author of “Healthcare Revolution: The Patient Is the New Payer.”
Wiik has spent much of his career examining the health care payments transformation. From his experience and research, Wiik outlines a system where, as he has written, “On average, healthcare consumers are now responsible for 30...2019-02-2135 minWorking Capital ConversationsKirabo Jackson: Investing in Education Delivers Exponential ResultsWe frequently hear the complaint: Our education systems – particularly public education – are broken. Invest in these approaches? That’s just throwing good money after bad.
For example, investing in Head Start may make sense. In other cases, investing in K-12 might be the right approach. But coordinate and sustain ongoing investment in both? Forget it.
Only, it turns, out: That’s not what the data show. And that’s not the conclusion of Kirabo Jackson, a Northwestern University professor, who has analyzed that data, the trends, and the outcomes.
In fact, as Jackson explains...2018-12-1931 minWorking Capital ConversationsNikhil Sinha: Creating a Global Silicon ValleyYou know Silicon Valley – that magical place were people, ideas, investment, and opportunities have come together for years to generate the next generation of disruptive businesses.
The big challenge for Silicon Valley has not been bringing all of those assets from around to the world to one place in Northern California – it’s been how to bring Silicon Valley to the world.
Most specifically: How do you scale (to use a start-up word) the key elements around a start-up environment and distribute them globally?
That’s just part of GSV Labs mission. GSV stands for Global Si...2018-11-2631 min
Working Capital ConversationsLee Clark-Sellers on Purposeful InnovationNot only is innovation perhaps one of the most overused words in business, it also might be one of the most misunderstood.
Many people think of innovation as “eureka” moments. It’s not. Those are “eureka” moments. Instead, as you’ll hear, innovation requires purpose, design, process, and, yes, the room to take some chances.
Lee Clark-Sellers is the Innovation Officer at Ply Gem Industries. Sellers is systematically integrating innovation into the all areas of the company. And if you don’t think you can find innovation in the exterior building products industry, well, that may be another misunders2018-11-1223 minWorking Capital ConversationsJosh Mohrer: A new model for the venture capital worldIf you thought Uber’s network of cars is strong, you’ll be very interested to learn about a new network that two former executives are spinning off – and how they’re impacting the venture capital world.Josh Mohrer is one of those former Uber execs – he was the General Manager of Uber in NY, NJ, CT and PA and helped grow revenues there from zero to $3 billion. Now, with William Barnes, who led Uber’s West Coast ops, Josh is leveraging the entrepreneurial spirit that drove Uber and driving it in a new direction.He put together a synd...2018-11-0129 minWorking Capital ConversationsJohn Chambers: Connecting the DotsYou know that John Chambers has been a CEO. After all, he spent more than 25 years at Cisco, helping grow the company from $70 million when he joined in 1991, to $1.2 billion when he became CEO in 1995, to $47 billion when he stepped down as CEO in 2015.
What you may not know is that Chambers is also – perhaps foremost – a teacher. In fact, it’s a big part of what he does now as founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures, which describes itself as “mentors of digital innovation, who coach each company on their journey, using our experiences to help them see around cor...2018-10-1636 minWorking Capital ConversationsJanet Cowell: Girls Who InvestIn many industries, the challenge of bringing more women into leadership roles – creating the opportunities to start and grow careers – remains. Financial services – alternative investments, in particular – is no exception.
That’s the problem Girls Who Invest is built to address.
The non-profit was founded in 2015 to inspire and empower young women to pursue asset management careers. Their goals: To see 30% of the world’s investable capital managed by women by 2030.
How do they do this? As you’ll hear from Girls Who Invest CEO Janet Cowell: They’re building a brand new pipeline – connecting leading firms...2018-10-0325 minWorking Capital ConversationsBeth Comstock: Bringing Imagination to Your BusinessIf throughout its history GE brought good things to life, you might say that – along with a few select others – Beth Comstock brought imagination to GE. And if you listen to her, you will understand how to bring it your own business, too.
Beth’s story, perhaps, might seem hard to imagine. She began in PR and rose to become a GE Vice Chair. Along the way, among other roles, she served as GE’s first Chief Marketing Officer in 20 years and operated GE Business Innovations.
She has also left her mark on American popular culture. Beth helped lead...2018-09-3029 minWorking Capital ConversationsJules Coleman on balancing social benefit with the bottom lineit sounds like the set up for a bad comedy routine: What is the role of morality in business -- business ethics -- today?
But in an age where reputation matters – where a business’ brand and customer connections can be ruined almost faster than you can “Tweet this” – not just understanding, but doing, the right thing is more than nice… it’s a business imperative.
But what is “the right thing?” For example, how should businesses balance social benefit with bottom line revenue? For whom does a business operate? And is there a place for morality in the bo...2018-09-1346 min
Working Capital ConversationsTim O'Connor, Bain & Co: What's Next for Private Equity?For Private Equity, last year was a rocket ship. Five years of record-level fund-raising left the industry flush with capital: So called Dry powder – uncommitted funds sitting ready to invest -- hit a record high of $1.7 trillion. And for good reason. Even if PE firms found something to buy, chances are it was pricy: Buyout purchase price multiples rose to new highs. Meanwhile, with nearly 8,000 PE firms registered globally, the challenges to standout continue to grow. So what’s next for Private Equity? How should GPs think about fundraising, investments, exits and more? What role will technology play – how can...2018-08-0827 minWorking Capital ConversationsMichael Moe: Finding the Star Companies of TomorrowWhere do ideas and investment intersect?
Michael Moe is founder of GSV, a modern merchant bank that invests, advises, and partners with the fastest growing, most dynamic companies in the world… what they call “the Stars of Tomorrow.”
As you’ll hear, GSV – which stands for Global Silicon Valley – runs various investment vehicles, including the publicly traded GSV Capital. You may know of some of the companies in the GSV vehicles have invested in: Facebook, Spotify, Twitter, Lyft, Dropbox, Coursera, among others. I thought did.
But GSV is far from your traditional investment play. They also incubates...2018-07-2425 minWorking Capital ConversationsPamela Cantor on the Science of AdversityAs we consider the various challenges any nation faces, teaching our children – preparing them with the tools required to be successful, active players in a continually evolving society – is likely one of the most important and hardest.
The challenge is particularly great for children who experience various forms of trauma, including poverty. What’s required – from new insights to teacher training to school design and beyond – to help them succeed?
It turns out, science has something to say about this – something my guest calls “The Science of Adversity.”
Dr. Pamela Cantor is President and CEO of Turna...2018-05-2335 minWorking Capital ConversationsSally Helgesen on Women's LeadershipFor anyone in the workplace, the question of how to move to the next level is complex and often personal. As leaders and managers seek higher responsibility and authority and impact, we often find that the very skills that got us to where we are now aren't especially useful in moving forward.
For women in the workplace, this challenge often can be even more complicated. Few people have thought, written, or spoken more on the subject than Sally Helgesen, world renown women's leadership expert and co-author with best-selling writer Marshall Goldsmith of a really important new book...2018-04-1828 minWorking Capital ConversationsChris Whittle: Reforming Education, GloballyIt is impossible to have followed Education for the last 40 years and not know Chris Whittle. He’s a serial education entrepreneur – a “reformer,” as he puts it – and as you’ll hear, he’s not done yet.
After various bold ventures – founding Edison Schools, co-founding Avenues: The World School in Manhattan – Whittle is now preparing perhaps his biggest venture yet: What he calls the first modern school.
It’s a global vision – K through 12 education for the globalized, connected world. And I mean global: Once completed, the Whittle School & Studio will have 36 campuses across 30 of the world’s leading cities – so...2018-04-0235 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsChris Whipple: How the Trump White House Is the Most Dysfunctional EverI’ve just got one thing to say: Thank goodness for John Kelly! I bet that’s not the one thing you expected me to say. But here’s why:With Kelly so much in the news – for the Rob Porter disaster, inexplicable non-existent security clearances, insulting the congresswoman who supported a gold-star widow from Georgia, his supposed role as a so-called “adult in the room” – for all those reasons and more, people are actually aware of and talking about what is arguably the most important White House job after, of course, the top one: Chief of Staff.I mean before Kelly, if I...2018-03-0937 minWorking Capital ConversationsViews from World Economic Forum in Davos with Roberto Quarta, CD&RIn our continuing discussions on Davos – looking not only at what happened at The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting recently, but perhaps more importantly, what business leaders globally might expect its ongoing impact to be – we spoke with Roberto Quarta.
Quarta is a longtime partner with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and serves as Chairman of CD&R Europe, based in London. He also is Chairman of global media giant WPP, as well as Chairman of Smith & Nephew, a FTSE 100 listed global medical devices firm. Among many other roles, Quarta also previously served as Chief Executive and then Chairma...2018-02-2824 minWorking Capital ConversationsDavid Novak: Views from World Economic Forum in DavosThe World Economic Forum held its annual meeting recently in the little Swiss ski town of Davos. There was plenty of snow this year, but no one focused much on hitting the slopes. This was one of the most anticipated Davos gatherings in years.
The reasons are obvious: There’s a lot going on in the world today and plenty of questions:
How are businesses and countries balancing long-term globalization trends with the more recent populist pressures?
What do new technology impacts – particularly AI – mean for industry, employment, competition, and innovation.
And then there are the region...2018-02-1519 min
Working Capital ConversationsJosh Lerner on Private Equity, Employment, and ManagementIt’s an age old question across all types of investing: can you have it all?
In other words, can investors get the twin benefits of doing well and doing good? For the various private equity participants, the question has become more urgent over the last several years, particularly around ESG, Environmental, Social and Governance issues. As requirements around doing good increase from politicians, LPs, employees, even GPs, the need for GPs and LPs to deliver it all continues to rise. Put simply, what are the broad, social consequences of private equity investments?
2018-01-1721 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsMcKay Coppins: What Is God's Plan for Mike Pence?McKay Coppins, Staff Writer at The Atlantic, joins Chris to discuss religion and politics, and his recent piece: "God’s Plan for Mike Pence." If we want to understand just how divided the country is – and if we want to consider whether it will ever be repaired – we better dig deeper into the role of religion and politics. One question: How do evangelicals today reconcile their true beliefs and politics? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www...2017-12-1825 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsChris Matthews: Looking at Today's Politics Through the Perspective of RFKFirst, where to begin? Roy Moore? Al Franken? Tax bill? Jerusalem? Government shutdown? Russia? The pace of politics is relentless – fatiguing, really – so you need someone of relentless energy to talk about politics with. And few have more relentless energy than Chris Matthews.But these times also call out for perspective and context. What in the world is going on? To many of us, it feels like there’s an all-out war – on decency, good behavior, justice – even democracy. What does history have to say? And how many people can bring a better historical context to politics than Chris Matthew...2017-12-0839 minWorking Capital ConversationsInside the Mobile Economy with Anindya GhoseWhat happens when we tap or swipe on your phone? According to industry estimates: Only some 3 and a half trillion dollars of economic value added – about 4.5% of global GDP. Welcome to the mobile economy.
And if you want to understand this massive and growing engine of global economic growth, there is perhaps no better tour guide than Anindya Ghose.
Anindya is the Heinz Riehl Chair Professor of Business at New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business. He is also the author of the important and engaging new book, Tap: Unlocking the Mobile Economy.
Bu...2017-11-2829 min
Working Capital ConversationsHow Family Firms Ensure Long-Term Value Creation with Claudia Zeisberger of INSEADThe question seems simple: How Can Family Firms Ensure Long-Term Value Creation?
But as a new report – based on interviews 123 Asia-based family firms and 14 private equity professionals – shows, the answer may be more complicated.
The report is titled “The Institutionalization of Family Firms,” and it covers a significant driver of the global economy. As the study notes: “As family firms account for 70% of GDP in the global economy and 60% of global employment, the importance of long-term value creation extends beyond individual families – it is among the main drivers of economic growth and business innovation, as well as livelihoods...2017-11-2130 minWorking Capital ConversationsEstimating the Size of the App Economy with Morgan ReedHow important – how big and growing – is the App Economy? It’s not just the economic value, estimated at nearly $150B a year. The App Economy has added some 110K software jobs to the U.S. workforce, with 83 percent of those located outside of Silicon Valley.
But how will this growth continue? How can the app economy extend beyond social media and games? How will it balance a reliance on Big and personal data with increasing calls to protect individual privacy? And what about the promise of artificial intelligence and the peril of cyber security?
Morgan Reed is...2017-11-0729 minWorking Capital ConversationsWhat is Private Equity? - Claudia Zeisberger of INSEADFor years, Claudia Zeisberger has found herself being asked what might seem like a straightforward question: What is Private Equity.
It also might seem like a surprising question, given that global private equity assets under management run at about $2.5 trillion. It’s not like we’re talking about some hidden asset class.
But the question came frequently and in different forms – sometimes about doing PE deals, other times about managing PE investments, still others about Fund Management and the GP-LP Relationship.
So over the years, Zeisberger – who is the Senior Affiliate Professor of Decision...2017-10-3134 minWorking Capital ConversationsPerformance and persistence in private equity -- Josh Lerner, Harvard Business SchoolConventional wisdom in private equity has often gone like this: Performance persists across funds for the same partnership.
But the view over the last years is mixed. One 2014 study found that post-2000, there was “little evidence of persistence for buyout funds, except at the lower end of the performance distribution.”
The question was addressed again recently at A Roundtable Sponsored by the Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing and the Private Capital Research Institute. Here a group of limited partners, academics and general partners met to share their thoughts on performance and persistence in private equity investments.2017-10-1327 min
Working Capital ConversationsHowSilicon Valley Farming Startup Addresses Extreme Poverty, Global Food Shortage — John Denniston, Chairman of Shared XThe problem is challenging and enduring – and to listen to John Denniston, it also just may present the perfect opportunity to both do good and well.
It’s called the Yield Gap – the difference in agriculture yield from farms in developed countries – which are more efficient and deliver more food per acre – vs. emerging countries, which are, of course, the very places where food is most needed.
And that gap is part of the reason why Denniston, whose career has included investing in green tech and more as a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, as well as...2017-08-2627 min
Chris RibackImpact of Medical Debt Forgiveness -- Wes Yin & Ray KluenderI’m Chris Riback. This is my new podcast that focuses on important, difficult, but addressable part of health care in America – Medical Debt.
This launch episode is sponsored by RIP Medical Debt, and before I get to my conversation with two researchers who are looking to document – for the first time – the impact that resolving medical debt can have on people’s lives, I want to tell you about the incredible work being done by RIP Medical Debt:
RIP Medical Debt locates, buys and forgives medical debt on behalf of individual donors, philanthropists and organizations who provide financial relief for people...2017-07-2128 minWorking Capital ConversationsConversation on Leadership and Culture — Ron Williams, Chairman & CEO of RW2 EnterprisesIt’s a question that any executive or wannabe executive asks: What defines great leadership? Are great leaders born – or can the skills be learned? And how does strong leadership get connected to successful business outcomes?
To learn more, I spoke with someone who not only spends much of his time thinking about leadership, he also writes and talks about it – and most importantly, has spent much of his life doing it.
Ron Williams is the former Chairman and CEO of Aetna. When he joined Aetna in 2001, its loss from continuing operations was $292 million, with earnin...2017-07-2124 min
Working Capital ConversationsHow to Close the Global Skills Gap — Jake Schwartz, General AssemblyFor many Americans, a central reason that the inequality gap may be getting worse can be summed up in one word: Jobs.
Job openings have been increasing. And yet as we all know – perhaps personally, perhaps from the news, and definitely from the most recent U.S. election –employment prospects for workers left behind by the current economic expansion seem increasingly dim.
Now, there are many causes for this trend, many of which come under fierce debate. One is the skills gap.
As LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said recently: “Is there a skill gap, i...2017-07-1827 min
Working Capital ConversationsGlobal Investing, Leadership & Education — Kevin Burke, Notre Dame Institute of Global InvestingThe role and importance of global investing continues to grow – and get more complicated. At the same time that globalization trends, cross-border transactions and supply chains, technology and more have flattened the world and extended the range and importance of investing, new counter trends of protectionism and nationalism may be changing the game.
The need for understanding, education, and heightened capability around global investing skills arguably has never been higher.
What are these skills? Which trends will be most important as we consider the next generation of global investing?
Kevin Burke is managing di...2017-07-1721 min
Working Capital ConversationsHow the Internet Can Help Stop Human Rights AbuseThis is special edition of Working Capital Conversations.
Sadly, there is no shortage of work these days for global human rights abuse investigators.
From Syria to Yemen to Sudan and beyond, the horrible ways in which humans torture, starve, and kill other humans seems unending. We all condemn the horrors, but most of us find ourselves with little opportunity to do anything directly.
Today I’m talking with someone who does.
Alexa Koenig is Executive Director of the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley, a 2015 winner of a prestigious MacArthur Award fo...2017-07-1733 min
Working Capital ConversationsThe Business Case for Corporate Social ResponsibilityBe honest – when you think about Corporate Social Responsibility, what comes to mind? Colleagues taking an afternoon off to build a house or paint a schoolyard? Perhaps, a fundraiser to send money across the world for an emerging environmental concern?
Well, if you haven’t been paying attention, a massive transition has occurred in corporate social responsibility, or CSR.
CSR is now more about hands on, deeply embedded activity that not only delivers direct benefit to the city or country where corporate employees and leaders visit, but also measurable benefit accruing back to the business itse...2017-07-1739 min
Working Capital ConversationsSweat Equity: Inside the New Economy of Mind and BodyYou’ve seen them nearly everywhere – from Soul Cycle to Flywheel to Equinox and beyond. Boutique fitness outfits that might seem, at first glance, to be engaging, if not mildly costly places to get or stay in shape.
And if that’s how you see them, you’re only half right. The part you’re missing – Big fitness is also big business.
In fact, health, wellness and fitness, as the sector is called, is now estimated to be $3.4 trillion global industry. And as you’d expect, that has attracted the full range of financial players: From private e...2017-07-1728 min
Working Capital ConversationsCorporate Boards Need Investor Relations ExpertiseIt’s no secret that corporate boards have increasingly come under increased scrutiny. And for good reason. From corporate scandal to CEO compensation, from cyber security to risk, investors and the general public want to know who’s in charge – and who’s keeping an eye on management.
And with this scrutiny, the makeup of corporate boards is slowly shifting, too – away from clubby groups and towards a collection of experts — finance, human resources, law, and more.
But what about Investor Relations? As new board level issues emerge from seemingly endless directions – and as investors demand more an...2017-07-1716 min
Working Capital ConversationsInvesting Into Uncertainty — Lessons from Endowment InvestingWarren Buffett once said on CNBC: “The world—there’s always uncertainty. Now the question is, what do you do with your money?”
Buffett may have been talking about public markets – even personal – investing. But even on the institutional side, given that we are continually surrounded by uncertainty and given that stuffing cash under a mattress – while relatively certain – carries no financial return, how should today’s institutional investors think about uncertainty?
More specifically, is there a way to consider uncertainty –use it as an investing philosophy – to drive outsized returns?
And if so, where can we turn f...2017-07-1723 min
Working Capital ConversationsPrivate Equity’s ‘Solution Capital’ — Conversation with Nate Sleeper of Clayton, Dubilier & RicePrivate equity, of course, is a core part of most large institutional investors’ portfolios. How core?
As of last year, some 90% of large U.S. public pension funds maintained allocations to private equity – an investment amount that totalled nearly 10% of all U.S. pension assets. In fact, for some global endowments, public pension systems and sovereign wealth funds around the world, the dollar-weighted average proportion of total AUM invested in private equity had increased from 6% to 12% in just the previous two years.
But while private equity continues to grow as an asset class, many LPs seek...2017-07-1717 min
Working Capital ConversationsE-Commerce Innovation with Liza Landsman, Jet Chief Customer OfficerAs we approach the depths of the Christmas buying season, today we head straight to the core of holiday spirit: e-commerce and online shopping.
Chances are, if you’re shopping this season – or, really, any day of the year – you do some, if not all of it, online. Few industries are bigger than e-commerce, with online sales expected to break $400 billion within three years.
2017-07-1419 min
Working Capital ConversationsStrategic Conversations: ‘The Biology of Corporate Survival’A recent Harvard Business Review piece by Martin Reeves and Simon Levin laid out the case. It’s titled “The Biology of Corporate Survival.” Numbers explain why it matters:
After reviewing the histories of more than 30,000 U.S. public firms over 50 years, the authors found that “Businesses are disappearing faster than ever before.”
2017-07-1435 min
Chris RibackChris Calitz, American Heart Association Center for Workplace Health Research & EvaluationYou may not be aware, but one of the most prominent and important players in the workplace wellness space is the American Heart Association.
The reasons are simple. As the AHA itself says: “Despite spending more on healthcare than any other country in the world, America’s health lags behind other peer nations.” And as they add: “This isn’t just a medical and public health crisis, it is also an economic crisis.”
To help advance change, the American Heart Association has gotten active. They launched the AHA CEO Roundtable, more than 20 CEOs from some of America’s largest companies joining to hel...2017-04-1728 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsJosh King: An Advance Man’s Look at the 2016 CampaignChris Riback talks to Josh King about his new book, An Advance Man’s Guide to White House Stagecraft, Campaign Spectacle, and Political Suicide, and the 2016 presidential campaign. King, a veteran of Bill Clinton's White House, leads readers through an entertaining and illuminating journey through the Hall of Infamy of some of the most catastrophic examples of political theater of the last quarter century. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe2016-05-1237 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsMark Blumenthal: What Do Americans Really Think About Politics?Chris Riback speaks with pollster Mark Blumenthal on what we know about the 2016 presidential election. For answers to a Presidential campaign that few predicted and fewer, perhaps, pretend to understand, we often turn to the dark science of polling. Given the overwhelming amount of data each of us generates each day – from clicks to searches to surveys and more – the people who tell us what we think and feel have taken an important if not outsized role in American society generally and American politics specifically. Among our big questions: Is this nasty campaign an accu...2016-03-2034 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsTaegan Goddard: The Party No Longer DecidesChris Riback and Taegan Goddard discuss the how Donald Trump's campaign not only broke the Republican party but broke political science. What in the world is going on? We are well into a primary season with results few of us expected, headed straight to a general election that even fewer dare to predict. All of us – and certainly both major political parties – are in unchartered territory. For Democrats, their new location at least appears to be on a pre-existing map. For Republicans, their new map reveals a planet they never knew existed – a place that frequently shows...2016-03-1625 min
Chris RibackWFLA -- Riback on Sequester (7-2-13)Chris Riback, co-editor of Roll Call's Topic A: Defense blog, discusses the sequester and its impact on the military and other government areas with WFLA radio (@970WFLA).2013-07-0205 minChris RibackChris Dufresne, LA Times Sports Columnist (6-30-12)Both off and on the field, college sports has again hit the front pages. This time it's football. The week began with the fast and clear guilty verdict in the case of Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn St, coach charged with sexually abusing several boys over some 10 or more years. It called into question the integrity of -- allegedly -- one of America's great programs. Then on Tuesday, another decision, this one will affect play on the field. For the first time, after seemingly annual controversies over who's No. 1, the college presidents voted to institute a playoff system in 2014. Will...2012-10-0409 min