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The Insider Notebook

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NOTEBOOK – ONE GOOD READ: How much will food prices rise in 2022? A lot, experts say.

Deviled eggs have become a stable at holiday gatherings in our family. This year, not surprisingly, the cost to make them was much higher than in previous years. Why? The price of mayonnaise was 25% …

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NOTEBOOK: What you need to know about Little Village Des Moines and Raygun’s involvement in its launch

Mike Draper, owner of Raygun, is helping Little Village launch a Des Moines version of the weekly magazine focused on arts and culture. Photo contributed by Mike Draper

If all goes according to plan, Des Moines …

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NOTEBOOK – ONE GOOD READ: The bet behind electrifying the heartland for EVs

With the fuel and horsepower of the federal infrastructure bill, a coalition of private companies, nonprofits and government agencies is trying to bring more electric vehicle chargers into rural areas. This Wall Street Journal article tells the …

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NOTEBOOK: ONE GOOD READ – Small businesses struck by omicron face hard choices before holidays

Wall Street Journal: After nearly two years of dealing with worker shortages, pandemic restrictions and rising prices, many small businesses are suddenly facing a surge of employee illnesses from the omicron variant that is leading to some hard …

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NOTEBOOK – ONE GOOD READ: The Santa Index, 2021

Here’s what I would term a “jolly” good read from the folks at insurance consumer guide Insure.com, who recently delivered their annual Santa Index to their readers. For a few ho-ho-hos, take a two-minute break …

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NOTEBOOK: Leaders Survey: Addressing worker shortage

Editor’s note: This is a continuation of our 2021 Leaders Survey coverage, which we began publishing in the Nov. 26 issue. Our annual survey asks business leaders to share what they feel are some of …

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NOTEBOOK – ONE GOOD READ: Fido’s food affected by supply-chain issues, too

Many of you reading this own dogs. Some of you, like me, own cats. While we may banter about what animal makes for the better pet, we can agree on this: We’ll search high and …

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NOTEBOOK: Leaders Survey: Affordable housing, remote working

Editor’s note: This is a continuation of our 2021 Leaders Survey coverage, which we began publishing in the Nov. 26 issue. Our annual survey asks business leaders to share what they feel are some of …

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NOTEBOOK – ONE GOOD READ: Oracle-Cerner deal could help health care systems share data

Oracle’s $28.3 billion acquisition of electronic medical records company Cerner signals enterprise tech’s interest in expanding into health care. This Wall Street Journal article explains how the deal may also be a step toward solving a longtime …

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NOTEBOOK: Some labor shortage takeaways from a Newton job fair

The banner behind Firestone Agricultural Products’ display at the bustling job fair in Newton spoke volumes about the current job market: “$3,000 sign-on bonus in first year.”

“We can’t make enough [tires] right now,” said …