Baltimore Checkbook

14 Greater Baltimore business owners indicted for...

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A federal grand jury has indicted 14 Baltimore-area retail store operators for committing food stamp fraud after they allegedly received more than $16 million for transactions where no food was provided. U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said Tuesday the store operators traded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for cash instead of food. For example, Rosenstein said, a store owner would give a customer $50 in cash, then bill the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) $100 and…

Uber snags Target exec Jeff Jones

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Uber wants to tell a better story about its business – and it’s nabbed a top marketing exec to do so.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/uber-snags-target-exec-jeff-jones/41437624

Whistleblower lands a $22 million payday from SEC

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It pays to have a conscience. Just ask the person who landed a $22 million payday for helping federal regulators put an end to a “well-hidden” securities fraud, the SEC said Tuesday.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/whistleblower-lands-a-22-million-payday-from-sec/41435872

Maryland tax revenue comes in 1.5 percent lower...

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The state’s tax revenue for fiscal year 2016 came in 1.5 percent below estimates, reflecting what Comptroller Peter Franchot describes as continued economic uncertainty in Maryland. General fund revenue from taxes totaled $16.2 billion in fiscal year 2016, according to numbers released by Franchot on Tuesday, about $250 million less than what was estimated. The fiscal year ended June 30. The state closed the year with a general fund balance of $384.5 million — $188 million of which has been assigned…

Preservation Maryland to open a resource center to...

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Preservation Maryland will soon open a resource center on Main Street in Ellicott City to help property owners navigate historic requirements as they repair and rebuild in the aftermath of the July 30 flood. The Preservation Resource Center is expected to open in the near future and remain open for nine months, said Nicholas Redding, executive director of the nonprofit. At the center, property owners will be able to access historic consultants and contractors, receive financing information and…

City paying $420K to settle class-action suit over...

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Over $420,000 will come out of profits the city reaps from Royal Farms Arena to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding fees applied to tickets sold at the venue. John Bourgeois, the plaintiff in the case, filed a lawsuit in 2014 alleging that the city received illegal convenience and service fees on tickets sold through Ticketmaster and SMG, the company that manages the arena. The suit alleges the fees were collected between Aug. 1, 2011 and March 14, 2013. Bourgeois and his lawyer, Benjamin Carney…

Martin Shkreli scores $3 million payday

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Martin Shkreli, the controversial ex-drug executive now facing federal criminal charges, nearly doubled his investment in KaloBios, the drug company he briefly controlled and ran last fall. Shkreli started buying shares of KaloBios last November when …



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/martin-shkreli-scores-3-million-payday/41436580

Coolest minimum wage job: Ball person at the U.S....

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The biggest names in tennis are competing for millions of dollars at the U.S. Open. But there’s another fierce contest on the courts – for the chance to be a ball person.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/coolest-minimum-wage-job-ball-person-at-the-us-open/41435840

BWI continues push for nonstop flights to China

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Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport just wrapped up a record-breaking fiscal year that saw year-over-year growth in each of the 12 months, but CEO Ricky Smith said additional growth is still on the way. As airlines continue to add more domestic and international flights out of BWI, Smith said the international flights are a vital part of the airport’s growth plan, especially flights that are offered nonstop. In the month of June alone, international passenger travel grew…

Recall: Egg-laying toy chickens pose choking...

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Hundreds of egg-laying toy chickens are subject to recall.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/recall-egglaying-toy-chickens-pose-choking-hazard/41435484