Advertise on podcast: Southwest Economy Podcast

Dallas Fed economist Srini Ramaswamy explains how data center construction is behind a wave of company bond issuance and influencing the interest costs of debt.

Kaes Van't Hof, chief executive officer of Diamondback Energy, an independent energy producer in the Permian Basin, discusses the company's energy prospects in the region and how supporting its hometown of Midland plays a pivotal role.

Bill King, a fellow at the Rice University's Baker Institute who follows demographic trends, believes Houston's sustained, rapid growth may be over. He discusses how the metro area may want to consider a future where new residents no longer strain public services.

Texas cattleman Leslie Callahan discusses why that summertime grilling is likely to remain pricey as the industry contends with fewer ranchers and the threat of disease. Dallas Fed economists Emily Kerr and Mariam Yousuf explore with him the outlook for an iconic Texas industry.

Gary Hoover, author of Ladder or Lottery: Economic Promises and the Reality of Who Gets Ahead, discusses with Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius why some people who follow the rules for getting ahead instead fall behind.

Ken Simonson, chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America, discusses the outlook for construction activity amid many challenges including immigration enforcement and tariffs.

Jim Burke, the CEO of Texas-based electricity provider Vistra, discusses the challenges of serving the state and U.S. markets at a time of expanding power demand from data centers and residential users. The Dallas Fed's Pia Orrenius and Garrett Golding explore with Burke what will be needed to keep up.

Cullum Clark, director of the Bush Institute–SMU Economic Growth Initiative and an adjunct economics professor at Southern Methodist University, discusses his recent report, "Build Homes, Expand Opportunity; Lessons from America's Fastest-Growing Cities" with the Dallas Fed's Pia Orrenius.

Texas is a leader in accepting credentials from for-profit teacher certification providers. Dallas Fed economist Christa Deneault's research examines how the Texas program stacks up with credentials earned through more conventional means. She discusses her findings with the Dallas Fed's Pia Orrenius.

Garheng Kong, a physician by training, founded Austin-based  private equity firm HealthQuest Capital more than a decade ago. He reflects on how changing attitudes and technology, including AI, are changing U.S. health care.

Jerry Pacheco, president of the Border Industrial Association in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, has been a guiding force behind the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, an alternative to the busy El Paso crossing nearby. He tells Dallas Fed economists Pia Orrenius and Isabel Brizuela how 12 miles of dirt highway eventually led to the bustling Santa Teresa commercial hub.

Former Waco Mayor Malcolm Duncan describes the impact of the Fixer Upper phenomenon—and his early skepticism about the HGTV show's potential to raise the city's profile. Duncan and Dallas Fed economist Emily Kerr also discuss benefits reaped from Baylor University's growth and challenges faced in building a commercial hub squarely between Dallas–Fort Worth and Austin.

Taylor County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agent Steve Estes discusses with Dallas Fed economist Laila Assanie the challenges of perpetually coping with little rain in the Big Country, where agriculture and ranching drive the area economy, including that of Abilene.

Ray Perryman, a Waco-based economist who's opined on the Texas economy for more than four decades, discusses his hits and misses as well as what lies ahead with Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius.

Enrique Dussel Peters, the coordinator of the Center for Chinese–Mexican Studies at the Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México, and Dallas Fed economist Jesus Cañas discuss challenges to the triangular trade relationship between the U.S., Mexico and China at a time of rising tensions.