Baltimore Checkbook

Baltimore Housing Commissioner Graziano — wanted...

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Mayor Catherine Pugh didn’t mince words following her inauguration when she said she wanted the ouster of long controversial Baltimore Housing Commissioner Paul Graziano. “Graziano will not be housing commissioner. Period.” Less than two weeks later, Graziano is on his way out after 16 years in the post. He resigned Tuesday, effective Jan. 6. City officials said Tuesday that he had negotiated a settlement to leave office but declined to give the amount of his so-called “parachute.” Pugh has scheduled…

Year in Review 2016: Openings, closings and...

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Baltimore may not be at the top of any “food city” list yet, but local restaurateurs and chefs made their mark in 2016 with new concepts, expansions and renovations. Meanwhile, chains saw the Greater Baltimore area as an opportunity to tap into a new market with concepts including breakfast, burgers and pizza. Lots and lots of pizza. Here are some of the biggest happenings in the Baltimore restaurant world in 2016. Making a move in Harbor East One of the biggest stories of the year came in November…

Free $149 Apple TV or $40 Amazon Fire Stick from...

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If you’re considering cutting the cord in the new year, get a free Amazon or Apple streaming device by trying DirecTV Now.

Stream 100 channels of AT&T’s new app-based streaming service for an introductory price of $35 a month (normally $60) and bag a free $149 Apple TV 4th generation 32 GB device…

8 things you need to know this morning

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Good morning, and happy Tuesday. It’s still frigid out this morning, with temperatures in the teens, rising to the high 30s by this afternoon. The forecast for this holiday weekend isn’t looking great, though. Temperatures are going to be very un-winter-like. Here are eight things to know to get your day started. Seven people are still in the hospital as they are treated for injuries suffered in a massive crash on Interstate 95 on Saturday. Two people are in critical condition, two are in serious…

As companies' revenue continues to increase, so...

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Gov. Larry Hogan’s focus on driving job growth in Maryland seems to be paying off as state businesses created 19,300 new jobs in 2016, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Labor Friday. And Joe Gonzales, regional vice president for HR consulting firm Robert Half, expects the increase to hold steady in the new year. Especially considering Maryland’s unemployment rate stayed steady at 4.2 percent, below the national average of 4.6, he said. Much of the job growth is related to the overall…

Year in Review 2016: Here's where the tech money...

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Cybersecurity, health technology and edtech remained top industries for startups and capital growth across Greater Baltimore in 2016. Veteran companies, namely software and consumer technology companies, received multimillion-dollar investments, while startups and young businesses sought early funding from pitch competitions and venture capitalists. Startups from local universities, incubators and accelerators launched apps, built prototypes, brought in some initial investments and competed for…

Exclusive: Downtown Columbia development nabs...

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Pearson PLC, an international publishing and education company, will merge four of its Maryland offices into new office space in Columbia’s up-and-coming downtown. The company has leased 75,000 square feet in Two Merriweather, a $41 million Class A office development now under construction by the Howard Hughes Corp. in the heart of the Howard County town center. Hundreds of employees of Pearson (NYSE: PSO) and its affiliates, including Connections Education, are expected to relocate in late 2017,…

Zeke's Coffee, Baltimore's unique and colorful...

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Zeke’s Coffee, the unique 10-year-old java joint from Lauraville, is expanding its footprint. The Baltimore roastery with local-themed blends like “Tell Tale Dark,” “Little Italy Blend,” “Herring Run Roast,” “Shot Tower Espresso” and “Bad Birds of Baltimore” is preparing to more than quadruple the size of its retail location by mid-2017, said Thomas Rhodes, Zeke’s founder. The business is moving to 4719 Harford Rd. to the former site of the American Beauty Academy where it will spread out over 4,000…

University of Maryland students win cash prize for...

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A team of University of Maryland, College Park students took home a second place win and $5,000 in a competition to come up with a technology strategy to secure digital voting systems in the future. The competition was hosted by global cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab. The goal for teams was to create a secure voting solution using blockchain technology, which involves a database that maintains a list of ordered records or “blocks” that are timestamped and cannot be altered after recording. Brian…

Here's a first look inside downtown Baltimore's...

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Edgar Allen Poe has become almost synonymous with Baltimore so much so that one of downtown’s newest hotels is pulling from Poe’s iconic works as a theme for the space. Marriott International will bring Delta Hotels Baltimore Inner Harbor to 1 E. Redwood St. on Jan. 16, complete with a new restaurant, 150 rooms and event space. Walking through the halls and the common spaces during a tour, everything from the Raven-printed carpet to the restaurant, named Tell-Tale, have Poe’s influences. “We really…