Christopher Rugaber

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The Hidden Costs of Standing Still
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The Hidden Costs of Standing Still
August 27, 2026
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How Does Salmonella Contaminate Everything Under the Sun?
August 31, 2026
This cookie is made using waste plant materials and plastic and could feed humans everywhere from submarines to spaceships.
This Cookie Is Made from Plastic Bottles
August 28, 2026
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Why a U.S.-Canada Trade War Could Change How Farmers Grow Crops for Years
August 28, 2026
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Beyond the Dashboard
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More from Christopher Rugaber
Practical AI Lessons and Strategies
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Practical AI Lessons and Strategies
A practical roadmap to follow as your finance team scales AI usage.
August 27, 2026
A motorist pumps fuel at a Shell station Wednesday, July 5, 2023, in Englewood, Colo.
Consumer Trends
Key Inflation Gauge Worsens as Americans' Income and Spending Power Erodes
Inflation last month jumped to the highest level in three years.
May 28, 2026
Coffee beans are poured into a grinder at a cafe in College Park, Md., on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021.
Supply Chain
U.S. Coffee Prices Spike Due to Tariffs, Poor Weather
The average U.S. price of a pound of ground coffee is now 41% higher than in September 2024.
October 27, 2025
Washers stand on display near the entrance to a Costco warehouse Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Sheridan, Colo.
Consumer Trends
Key Inflation Gauge Holds Mostly Steady, Though Core Inflation Ticks Higher
While inflation is lower than its peak three years ago, it's still running above the Fed’s target.
August 29, 2025
Customers wait in line for eggs at a Costco store in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.
Consumer Trends
Consumer Sentiment Rises for 1st Time This Year as Inflation Remains Tame
But the index is still down 20% compared to December 2024.
June 13, 2025
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Consumer Trends
Inflation Rose Slightly Last Month as Grocery Prices Ticked Higher
Core prices rose 2.8% for the third straight month.
June 11, 2025
Empty shopping carts are collected from the parking lot at Walmart store in Burbank, Calif., on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Home
Massive Import Taxes Haven't Done Much Economic Damage Yet
The tariffs are the highest since the Great Depression.
May 19, 2025
A shopper passes by a display of large-screen televisions in a Costco warehouse Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in east Denver.
Consumer Trends
Shoppers Increase Spending Tepidly as Anxiety Over the Economy Takes Hold
Tariff threats and government spending cuts have led to widespread uncertainty among consumers and businesses.
March 17, 2025
Customers wait in line for eggs at a Costco store in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles, Feb. 19, 2025.
Consumer Trends
Tariff Threats and Uncertainty Could Weigh on Consumers, Drag Down Economy
New data showed that U.S. consumers slashed their spending by the most in four years.
February 28, 2025
An empty shelf of free range eggs is seen at a Safeway, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Seattle.
Supply Chain
U.S. Inflation Worsened Last Month
The consumer price index increased 3% in January from a year ago.
February 12, 2025
A shopper peruses cheese offerings at a Target store in Sheridan, Colo., Oct. 4, 2023.
Supply Chain
What Is 'Price Gouging,' and Why Is Harris Proposing to Ban it?
Several states already restrict the practice, but there is no federal-level ban.
August 19, 2024
A feed truck is loaded at the Flood Brothers Farm, Clinton, Maine, April 1, 2024.
Labor
How Immigrant Workers Helped Stave Off a Recession
An influx of foreign-born adults vastly raised the supply of available labor.
April 12, 2024
Stuart Dryden reaches for an item at a grocery store, Feb. 21, 2024, Arlington, Va.
Consumer Trends
Consumers Are Pushing Back Against Price Increases — and Winning
The trend could make this bout of inflation markedly different than those in the 1970s and early 1980s.
February 26, 2024
Heinz tomato ketchup is displayed in a Target store in Upper Saint Clair, Pa., on Friday, July 7, 2023. On Thursday, the Labor Department releases the producer price index for August, an indicator of inflation at the wholesale level.
Consumer Trends
Wholesale Price Inflation Accelerates
Wholesale prices are still rising more slowly than consumer costs.
September 14, 2023
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Labor
Farm Laborers to Receive Greater Protections Under White House Proposal
The measure would reform the H-2A visa program, under which hundreds of thousands of immigrants take seasonal agriculture jobs.
September 12, 2023