The moment before the Orioles’ long-negotiated lease to remain at Oriole Park at Camden Yards became official, Treasurer Dereck Davis — one of three state officials required to approve it — feigned hesitancy as the deal, at least formally, hung in the balance. The dozens of decision-makers gathered Monday at the historic B&O Warehouse exhaled and laughed, however, when it was apparent he was joking.

Trade credit insurer Allianz Trade announced Monday it has opened its Americas Region headquarters at Harbor East in Baltimore, moving from Baltimore County. The office occupies an entire floor in the 24-story building at 100 International Drive and will serve as the headquarters for the Allianz Trade region comprised of the United States, Canada and Brazil. The new location will house approximately 200 employees from its previous headquarters in Owings Mills.

For so many of us in Baltimore and Maryland, our history is a reminder of what our faith calls us to do: serve. As former pastor of Union Baptist Church and now through my work with the Beloved Community Services Organization in Baltimore, I’m committed to continue the work of those who came before me by advancing the mission of the Civil Rights Movement while serving underserved communities.

Black men and women are at a constant disadvantage. Despite our talent, strengths, and what we have to offer, we face barriers and misconceptions. TikTok allows people like me to be heard.  Often, Black parents will tell their children something along the lines of “you have to work twice as hard for half the recognition.” This is something I hear constantly as a Black female entrepreneur. And, unfortunately, there a reason for this common expression.

Across the country, NFC team after NFC team sealed its playoff fate Sunday, with three teams clinching and three eliminating themselves. But, until the final hours of Sunday football, no AFC teams had secured a spot. Then, at 11:26 p.m., the Ravens completed a 23-7 win over an AFC opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars. They became the first AFC team to clinch a postseason berth. However, the battle is far from over for the Ravens. They don’t just want to get into the playoffs; they want to head in with the division and the conference in hand.

The bones of some high-visibility walls went up a few weeks ago in the roughly 4,259-resident town of Indian Head. “We just did a blog on that and got blasted with people who are ecstatic,” said Marilyn Steele, co-owner of Oasis Fresh Foods Market, which has been in the works for years. “Seeing the framing makes people giddy.” Giddy about a grocery store. And not a huge one. It will be just 6,000 square feet, including back of house. But Oasis’s anticipated mid-2024 opening is big news in the Charles County town where Steele said many people are “still raw” about Super Fresh closing more than two decades ago.

After months of up-and-down negotiations and close calls, a new lease to keep the Baltimore Orioles playing at Camden Yards is set for two key votes Monday. If the votes are successful, the Major League Baseball club will remain at Oriole Park for at least 15 years — and potentially decades if all goes to plan, according to team and state officials. The lease paperwork will be the focus of a series of events and meetings throughout the day at the ballpark’s B&O Warehouse. By the close of business, both sides hope the deal will be done and the drama of the past year of negotiations will be behind them.

According to the latest U.S. National Climate Assessment, extreme weather events cost the United States nearly $150 billion each year, disproportionately hurting poor and disadvantaged communities. These events cast a long shadow on our economic landscape. Whether it’s a wildfire in Maui, hurricanes in Florida or flooding in New York City, the impacts of these disasters ripple across multiple sectors of the economy, leaving a trail of asset devaluation and increased insurance costs.

I have tried-and-true holiday traditions that make the season bright, or at least quirky: my collection of Black nutcrackers that look like celebrities (I just scored a Santa that resembles “S.W.A.T.” star Shemar Moore), the Christmas morning viewing of “Die Hard” as I try to remember where I stashed all the presents I’ve been hiding from my kid and, now, a new one — my annual interview with John Waters.

The Maryland Transit Administration offered a closer look Friday at the ongoing work to inspect and repair its fleet of Light Rail cars. “Teams have been hard at work to assess each rail car, identify any issues and undertake the repairs needed to ensure the system’s safety and reliability,” MTA administrator Holly Arnold said. As of Friday, MTA said it has inspected 41 vehicles for high-voltage conduit damage, 29 of which required repairs to one or more of the high-voltage cables. Workers have completed 17 repairs. They have also completed the replacement of inter-car cables on two vehicles.