Rural Stories

Quick Bites with John Norris

Each week I get to take a thought leader Out to Lunch but, before we dig into our long-form interview we ask each guest three questions. We call this Quick Bites and today those three questions are asked of John Norris a long-time friend and partner with the State Public Policy Group. John is passionate about rural economics, sustainable energy, agriculture and more. Tomorrow we'll load up Out to Lunch at Trostel's Dish but today you get "Quick Bites"! 
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5pm Central. You can subscribe on Google Play, PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday at 2pm on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour. 

The Business News Headlines 8 March 2019

Today marked the fifth day in a row the markets stumbled and that makes this the worst week for Wall Street so far this year. In other business news on this International Women's Day:
The Labor Department said the U.S. added only 20,000 jobs in February;
Cage Free Eggs are coming because you want them but...when?
Walmart is sending workers bonus checks about $225 per worker;
Fifteen things invented by women you might not know about;
What happened on Wall Street and why.
Those stories and we get "weird" on a Friday-Fun-Day with Jeff Pitts the managing editor of Cityview Magazine and our friend Parker Reed as we check out Stuff to DO in the DSMUSA Metro this weekend into next week. Do NOT expect anything serious coming out of this conversation. Hey, it's Friday! To hear that wacky stuff click here. 
Thanks for listening.

The Business News Headlines 21 February 2019

A busy day in the world of business news and we start out by checking what happened on Wall Street and then we'll share these stories:
Door Dash is worth a ton of money...who would have thought;
The housing sector is showing some weak signs;
It's good to be a....cat;
Overstated gas mileage? This time it's Ford;
Banks are getting tighter on farm loans and at a time when the rural economy is hurting;
Wells Fargo is leaving The Financial Center in downtown Des Moines. Opportunity?
What happened and why on Wall Street
Those stories and a conversation with our friend Maureen Burger from Tero International. To hear that conversation click here. 

The Business News Headlines 19 February 2019

The Business News Headlines starts out with a stall on Wall Street as our lead story and then we'll get into:
Getting a tax return or...gotta pay up? It's the reality of many Americans;
Walmart bucks the poor holiday sales trend;
What is Netflix becoming? We think we might know;
Des Moines, Iowa comes in as the 10th best Capital City in America.
Also today we're going to be talking with Carl Voss from the RAGBRAI Founders Project about the very cool statue headed to Water Works Park but they have money to raise. To listen to that conversation, click here. 
Freshman Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D-IA) stops by for a conversation about top legislative priorities that she says will have a positive impact on not only Iowans in the Third Congressional District but for Americans across the country. Here is that conversation. 
Thanks for listening! 
 

Congresswomen Cindy Axne on Key Legislative Goals

I sat down with freshman Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D-IA) who represents Iowa's Third Congressional district. We talked about her legislative priorities that she feels will impact not only her district but all of Iowa. She also offered a pledge to work with members of the GOP to get things done. Here is our conversation. 
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5pm Central. You can subscribe on Google Play, PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday at 2pm on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour

The Business News Headlines 6 February 2019

Each weekday we offer up the business news headlines on your time. No waiting around and you can take the podcast with you everywhere.  In the business news today:
The markets slip a bit;
Bit trouble in farm country;
J.C. Penny says out with appliances and furniture;
Chipotle is back in the news and this time it's good;
Food delivery apps are in hot water about pay issues;
Former Fed Chair Janet Yellen said the word, "cut";
What happened and why on Wall Street.
Those stories plus a conversation with Burt Ward who played Robin on the classic T.V. show, Batman. We talk about family, dogs more dogs and his dog food business, Gentle Giant, that is just amazing. And, yes, we'll chat about Batman and Adam West as well.  To hear that conversation follow this link. 

The Business News Headlines 21 January 2019

Back from our assignment in Mobile, Alabama on this Martin Luther King, Jr. Edition of the Business News Hour. Some of the stories we've got for you today:
Wall Street in closed but the futures look a bit bleak;
Slow sales, trapped in failing malls...what's the future of this department store?
Good news out of Tesla;
Google gets a French fine and it's a big one;
The top and bottom when it comes to each state's educated population.
Those stories and Laura Kinnard joins us to talk about business networking and education in the Greater Des Moines, Iowa Metro. Click here for that conversation. 
Also today from Mobile, Alabama we'll introduce you to David Rodgers the Vice President for Economic Development for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. We think you'll be surprised at what is going on in the deep south. To hear that interview click here. 
Thanks for listening!

Social Security, Public Projects and Rural America with Tom Vilsack

The Progressive Policy Institute held a forum featuring former Secretary of Agriculture and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, former Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and Lt. Governor Patty Judge and State Representative Chris Hall (D-Sioux City) that focused on the lack of public project funding. The bottom line was that the United States has all but eliminated great public works projects that at one time created thousands of jobs and provided a better standard of living for all Americans. The event was designed to push the topic into focus for the 2020 presidential campaign. Following the event I was able to ask Secretary Vilsack several questions which you'll hear in this short clip.
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5pm Central. You can subscribe on Google Play, PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday at 2pm on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.

Technology and Rural America with Allen Blue - LinkedIn Co-Founder

Last week at a tech heavy event in Jefferson, Iowa (pop. 4,200) one of the speakers was LinkedIn co-founder Allen Blue. In his three minutes behind the microphone he said a couple of interesting things to the roughly 150 people in attendance. I caught up to him after the speeches and asked him a couple of pointed questions. Click through for his answers.
The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5pm Central. You can subscribe on Google Play, PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday at 2pm on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour

The Business News Headlines 10 December 2018

One thing that we are clear on is that uncertainty is the bane of Wall Street and we saw that again today in what was a crazy, volatile session. On opening the Dow fell by 200 points and then kept heading south...and there is more. Click through for the headlines including:
Oh those markets;
Verizon to cut over 10,000 jobs;
Instagram rolls out a voice message program;
And, the highest paid CEO's are...
Amazon cracking down on what looks to be internal fraud;
And, yes...those markets.
Also today a really remarkable story about how technology giants from Microsoft to LinkedIn are coming to Rural Iowa in an experiment fostered by Piller Technology to create great careers and economic growth in the tiny town of Jefferson. Congressman Ro Khanna of Silicon Valley is with us. Here is that conversation.
Also today Laura Kinnard from Drake University and DMBixMixer.com is in. First she talks about an amazing gathering last week in Las Vegas called Impact Cities and then launches into some business networking and educational events in the Greater Des Moines Metro. Here is that conversation. 
Thanks for listening.