Baltimore Checkbook

Pets on a plane: Why animals are dying aboard...

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Extreme temperatures and poor ventilation can threaten the lives of pets transported as checked luggage, yet some U.S. airlines are more willing than others to continue the practice. According to a review of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, 66 pets died in transport aboard flights of eight national and regional carriers over a more than two-year span, from January 2014 to August 2016, the most-recent month for which information is available. While that number is a tiny fraction of…

​Manufacturers optimistic amid choppy growth...

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With expectations of rising revenue, profits and employment, manufacturers appear optimistic about prospects for the industry and their companies. According to the 2016 RSM Manufacturing Monitor survey results, nearly 70 percent of manufacturers in the United States and around the world are anticipating an increase in operating profits — this comes after a year in which the average profit (as a percentage of revenue) was 17 percent. More than half of the companies surveyed expect to increase…

Walters Art Museum begins $10.4 million renovation...

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The Walters Art Museum has begun construction on a $10.4 million renovation and refurbishment, a project aimed at blending the attraction’s history with a more modern culture. The Hackerman House mansion will be a big focus of the project as the Walters seeks to refresh the space by introducing new art pieces throughout the mansion that has long been a hub for the museum’s Asian art displays. The John and Berthe Ford Gallery and the Carriage House will also be part of the project and will reopen…

Behind the curtain: Care centers, surgeons garner...

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America’s excellence in medical innovation and the delivery of care has long been credited to cities with decades of tradition and deep connections to academia. Boston’s Long Medical Area as well as the cities of Cleveland and Baltimore, homes to the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins University, respectively, stand out from the pack. But Duarte, Calif.? It turns out this small northeastern suburb of Los Angeles County outranked all U.S. cities in 2015 when it came to non-research-related payments…

Why Bill Miller is flying high on airline stocks...

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Airline stock prices are soaring after Warren Buffett bought stakes in the four major airline companies, and Bill Miller is reaping the benefits. Miller, known for beating the S&P 500 15 years in a row, said on CNBC Tuesday he has made five times his money off his stakes in Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Continental Holdings and Delta Air Lines. He believes airline stocks are still cheap with the potential for high yields. “It’s a commodity business but the incentive structure for…

Former Wit & Wisdom, Aggio bartenders team on R....

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R. House will open with a variety of food and desserts for diners. Now, guests will also have somewhere to drink. The latest and final tenant of the 50,000-square-foot Remington food hall is R. Bar, a 40-seat bar. R. Bar will be led by two locals with plenty of bartending experience: Aaron Joseph, the former manager of bar service at Wit & Wisdom inside the Four Seasons Baltimore, and Amie Ward, who most recently worked at celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio’s Aggio. Joseph is R. Bar’s beverage director,…

How much Marriott has spent on Starwood, when the...

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With the Marriott-Starwood acquisition now closed, shareholders are getting a closer look at the merger costs and integration plans. Bethesda-based Marriott International Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) spent $237 million on merger-related costs in the third quarter, $186 million of that on severance and employee retention, Marriott CFO Leeny Oberg told shareholders Nov. 8. There were also $24 million of transition costs, $18 million of transaction costs and $9 million of interest expenses. The severance comes…

Baltimore's Symphony Homes apartment complex sells...

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The 43-unit Symphony Homes apartment complex in Northeast Baltimore sold this month for $2.65 million. State records show that Blue Ocean Realty, based in Pikesville, sold the development to Symphony Homes LLC. Ari Azarbarzin, of Greysteel’s Baltimore office, brokered the deal. Greysteel, a national commercial real estate firm, represented Blue Ocean Realty. The 96-year-old property, located at 5683-5689 Purdue Avenue, is situated in the Northwood neighborhood of Baltimore, adjacent to the 113,000-square-foot…

Baltimore software firm eOriginal lands $25.6...

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A Baltimore software company based has landed a $26.5 million investment from private equity firm LLR Partners. EOriginal Inc. specializes in digital transaction management, a kind of cloud service, specifically with financial asset documentation. The company will use the funds to accelerate hiring and product development. EOriginal, founded in 1996, is headquartered in the B&O Warehouse adjacent to Camden Yards. The company’s CEO Stephen Bisbee said he hopes LLR Partners, with its financial technology…

8 things you need to know this morning

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Good morning, and happy Tuesday. Some light rain will clear out of the area as the morning goes on, making way for the sun and temperatures in the low 60s. Many people were upset that clouds last night blocked their view of the Supermoon, the closest the moon will get to the Earth until 2034. If you missed out, here’s a guide to other times you can get a good look at the moon. Supermoon aside, here are eight things to know to get your day started. The City Council last night approved a bill that…