Baltimore Checkbook

Avenue at White Marsh renovation to include ice...

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Shoppers will be able to put their packages down and take a few spins around an outdoor ice skating rink under a plan to rejuvenate the Avenue at White Marsh. Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT) said it is planning a multimillion-dollar renovation of the Baltimore County shopping center to include the addition of an ice rink. The rink will be open during the winter months. The REIT also plans to improve the center’s plaza and add 3,600 square feet of restaurant space to include more outdoor…

How a pizza franchise led off an economic...

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The Little Caesars Pizza on Annapolis Road in Bladensburg might not seem the poster child for economic development, but in Prince George’s County, the $300,000 loan that helped Irfaan Lalani open his sixth restaurant was the start of something much bigger. How much bigger? Think $623 million in project costs and more than 3,300 new jobs. The county’s loan to Lalani in 2012, which has since been repaid, was the first in a string of projects funded by Prince George’s $50 million Economic Development…

Your contact lenses are about to get less...

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The world’s largest contact lens manufacturer has dropped its minimum pricing requirements, paving the way for looming price wars.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/your-contact-lenses-are-about-to-get-less-expensive/39046402

Shock Trauma Center Gala returns this weekend...

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The R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center Gala is back after being canceled last year in the wake of the city’s unrest. The annual event, taking place April 16, honors the state’s first responders and the University of Maryland Medical Center staff who treat the most dire patients at Shock Trauma, and is the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds support training and education programs that go beyond what the hospital system can support through patient revenue. About 1,500 people…

Maryland is tops in the U.S. for job gains in...

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Maryland gained nearly 20,000 jobs in March, outpacing the rest of the country and holding the state’s unemployment rate at 4.7 percent even as more workers joined the labor force. The state added 19,300 jobs between February and March of this year, according to data out Friday from the U.S. Department of Labor. It was the largest month-to-month gain of any state in the country. Maryland has now added 62,400 jobs since March of last year. The state’s unemployment rate is down from 5.3 percent a…

China reverts to old ways to prop up economy

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It was less than four months ago that China was sneezing and the res of the world was catching a cold.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/china-reverts-to-bad-old-ways-to-prop-up-economy/39042726

Trump, Cruz predict stock market crash

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The two leading Republican candidates for president warn the U.S. stock market is trading at an alarming level.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/trump-and-cruz-predict-stock-market-crash/39045388

Ted Cruz promises 5% economic growth

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Ted Cruz is predicting historic growth for the U.S. economy if he’s in the White House.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/ted-cruz-vows-5-economic-growth/39042340

Good news for stocks -- Caterpillar leads market

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You’ve heard about sending a canary into a coal mine to see if it’s safe for people to enter? Well, it looks like investors have sent a Caterpillar into the dark, scary coal mine that is the global economy. And it’s still breathing.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/good-news-for-stocks-caterpillar-leads-market/39042738

Tasting room in the works for DuClaw Brewing Co.

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DuClaw Brewing Co. owner David Benfield has turned a more focused approach on distribution recently and fans of the brand will be able to taste the rewards of that effort with the eventual opening of a tap room at the Baltimore County production facility. Benfield said while a limited tasting room is not currently available to the public, he hopes to have it open in the near future once things get settled with the recent transfer of ownership of the Bel Air and Bowie restaurants. The two locations…