Baltimore Checkbook

8 things you need to know this morning

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Good morning, and a very happy Thursday. Of course, I use the “very” because it’s one of the most wonderful days of the year — NFL draft day. The one day a year when I get to pretend to have some hope for my Browns — only for them to wind up wasting every single pick. But hey, I get a few hours of optimism! Considering the Ravens’ stellar track record in drafts, Baltimore fans should be just as excited. It’s going to be another cloudy and rainy day today, with a chance of precipitation through…

Bulk Head Brewing's beach-themed facility set to...

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It has been almost a year since development began on the new Bulk Head Brewing Co. facility in Columbia, but the location is finally set to open mid-May with a beach-themed taproom and space to grow the brewing operations. Founder and owner Josh Matthews began brewing beer at home in November 2014 and shortly thereafter started selling beer at two local restaurants. The new 7,200-square-foot location at 8980 Old Annapolis Road will allow Bulk Head to grow production capacity from a three-barrel…

Kevin Plank invests again in D.C. flower delivery...

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UrbanStems, the Washington, D.C.-based on-demand flower delivery startup, has raised $6.8 million in a Series A round of funding and will use the money to expand to new markets, including Baltimore and Philadelphia. The round was led by Leesburg, Va.-based SWaN & Legend Venture Partners, with investments from Sagamore Ventures, the investment arm of Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UA) founder Kevin Plank, Middleland Capital, based in D.C., NextGen Venture Partners, also based in D.C., and Interplay Ventures…

SpaceX just landed a coveted $83 million military...

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Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been awarded an $82.7 million contract to send a U.S. Air Force satellite into space, shattering Boeing-Lockheed’s long-held monopoly over military launches. The contract to launch the Air Force’s next generation GPS satellite i…



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/spacex-just-landed-a-coveted-83-million-military-contract/39256360

Bank of Japan surprises investors, votes against...

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The Bank of Japan has dashed investors’ hopes for a boost in its stimulus efforts, sending stocks plummeting.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/bank-of-japan-shocks-investors-with-vote-against-more-stimulus/39255670

Fed myth busters: 35 bankers imprisoned for...

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The idea that no bankers went to prison for crimes related to the financial crisis is a myth, according to the watchdog overseeing the federal government’s bailout fund.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/fed-myth-busters-35-bankers-were-sent-to-prison-for-financial-crisis-crimes/39254568

Verizon: Sabotage incidents soar as workers strike

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Cord-cutting has been taken to a new extreme at Verizon – and the company is suggesting striking workers are to blame. Verizon said Wednesday it is investigating 57 instances of network sabotage and other criminal activity during the two weeks since …



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/verizon-sabotage-incidents-soar-as-workers-strike/39247278

Nintendo sale of Mariners values team at $1.4...

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Nintendo is selling most of its ownership of the Seattle Mariners to a group of minority owners, the team announced Wednesday. The value of Nintendo’s sale was not announced, but a Nintendo spokesman said the deal now values the team at $1.4 billion



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/nintendo-sale-of-mariners-values-team-at-14-billion/39250562

Facebook's reach gets even bigger: 1.65 billion...

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Facebook turned in another stellar quarterly report that sent shares of the company up nearly 9% in after-hours trading.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/facebooks-reach-gets-even-bigger-165-billion-monthly-users/39246694

T. Rowe Price leaders not worried about takeover,...

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T. Rowe Price Group Inc.’s top leaders assured shareholders on Wednesday that the company had no plans to sell — and didn’t expect any hostile takeover bids. A shareholder at the Baltimore investment firm’s annual meeting posed the question of how T. Rowe (NASDAQ: TROW) would maintain its independence in the market. The question isn’t a new one for shareholders or among Baltimore leaders who have always feared some day losing the homegrown company to a merger. T. Rowe, which employs 4,380 people…