Baltimore Checkbook

Time Warner, Disney take stand on Georgia's...

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/141604848552/time-warner-disney-take-stand-on-georgias#_=_

Several media companies – including Time Warner, Disney, Viacom and AMC Networks – are publicly opposing a pending bill in Georgia that has been called discriminatory and “anti-LGBT.”



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/time-warner-latest-to-take-stand-on-georgias-antilgbt-bill/38671948

Craft beer sales set new national mark in 2015

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/141604290702/craft-beer-sales-set-new-national-mark-in-2015#_=_

Craft beer sales exceeded 20 percent of the American beer market in 2015 — a new record for the booming industry sub-sector, even as the pace of growth for small, locally owned breweries dropped to its lowest mark in four years. Craft brewers accounted for $22.3 billion in sales last year, a jump of 16 percent from 2014, according to an annual report from industry group the Brewers Association. That represented a 21 percent market share — an astonishing number for a segment that was under 10…

8 things you need to know this morning

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/141597662737/8-things-you-need-to-know-this-morning#_=_

Good morning, and a very happy and sunny Thursday to you all. Prepare to break out the shorts today (after work, of course). Temperatures are going to hit 75 with plenty of sun. Be ready to go into work tired Friday — Maryland tips off against Kansas in the Sweet 16 tonight at 9:40 p.m. The good news is, none of the games are on in the middle of the work day anymore. Here are eight things you need to know to get your day started. The former president of the Frederick County Board of County…

Revere closes BlueRidge deal, creating 7th-largest...

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/141597296917/revere-closes-blueridge-deal-creating-7th-largest#_=_

Revere Bank has closed its acquisition of BlueRidge Bank, creating a larger player in both the Baltimore and larger Maryland markets. Laurel-based Revere closed the acquisition after shareholders and regulators gave approvals, it said Wednesday evening. The completion comes months after the banks struck a $20 million stock deal announced in October. It creates a bank with about $1.1 billion in assets. Revere said that’s enough to make it the seventh-largest bank based in Maryland. BlueRidge was…

Light City Baltimore has an app now

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/141596925197/light-city-baltimore-has-an-app-now#_=_

Not sure which of the dozens of performances and concerts to check out at Light City Baltimore next week? Want to make sure your plans correlate with what your friends have in mind? Mindgrub Technologies has you covered. The Baltimore technology firm developed an app, free to download for Apple and Android devices, to help festival-goers plan their trip. Light City Baltimore is a free light art festival taking place March 28 through April 3 in downtown Baltimore. The event will feature more than…

Chaps Pit Beef opening second location in Aberdeen

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/141596925072/chaps-pit-beef-opening-second-location-in-aberdeen#_=_

Chaps Pit Beef is opening a second location, with the goal of acting as a prototype for future franchise locations. The famous Pulaski Highway purveyor of bit beef, burgers, ribs and chicken will open in Aberdeen at 1013 Beards Hill Road by the end of May, Mark Ludes, the director of business development for MBB Management, said. Chaps recently contracted MBB to help them franchise. The 2,400-square-foot space is currently home to a Gino’s restaurant, but the Gino’s will permanently close on Monday. The…

New Zealanders stay with Brit-inspired flag

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/141594187287/new-zealanders-stay-with-brit-inspired-flag#_=_

One year and $17.6 million later, New Zealanders have decided to keep their current flag. The country’s Electoral Commission announced the preliminary result on Thursday evening, after three weeks of voting. More than 56.6 percent of voters chose to stick w…



from http://www.wbaltv.com/national/new-zealand-flag-referendum-result/38667682

The top 100 tech investors are mostly white men

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/141587574037/the-top-100-tech-investors-are-mostly-white-men#_=_

There are too few female investors and even fewer black ones. Period. On Wednesday, Forbes unveiled its annual Midas List, a ranking of the top 100 tech investors. The list consists of just five women and zero black investors. It’s not shocking, given…



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/the-top-100-tech-investors-are-mostly-white-men/38660054

Wes Moore's BridgeEdU raises $3.1 million

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/141568214337/wes-moores-bridgeedu-raises-31-million#_=_

BridgeEdU, an education technology startup founded by author Wes Moore, has raised $3.1 million. The seed round comes from the Lumina Foundation, angel investors and other foundations. The money will go toward building out BridgeEdU’s first-year college program for low-income students. BridgeEdU aims to help students successfully transition from high school through the first year of college, a choke point for many students. About a third of college students don’t make it through their freshman…

D.C. regulators approve $6.8 billion Pepco-Exelon...

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/141561279982/dc-regulators-approve-68-billion-pepco-exelon#_=_

The D.C. Public Service Commission approved the $6.8 billion merger between Chicago-based Exelon Corp. (NYSE: EXC) and D.C.-based Pepco Holdings Inc. (NYSE: POM) on Wednesday, ending a two-year regulatory approval process that proved much tougher than expected. The ruling gives Exelon the final regulatory approval to close the deal. Federal regulators have already approved the merger, as have regulators in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. The merger will create an energy behemoth —…