Md. Governor-elect Wes Moore steps down from Under Armour board

Maryland Gov.-elect Wes Moore has stepped down from the Under Armour Inc. board. The Baltimore sportswear company announced late Friday that Moore resigned from the board effective immediately following his election win earlier this week. Moore had previously told the Baltimore Banner that if he was elected he would resign from corporate boards and put his business investments into a blind trust. With Moore’s victory over Republican Dan Cox in the general election Tuesday, Moore, who has significant business holdings, has started to make good on his promise. Moore, the former founder and CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation and a best-selling author, joined Under Armour’s board in October 2020. During his time on the board, he served as a member of the corporate governance and sustainability committee.

Baltimore Archbishop William Lori a candidate for president as leaders of U.S. Catholic Church gather for annual assembly

When the nation’s Catholic bishops gathered for their annual general assembly in Baltimore two years ago, they faced a thorny, high-profile issue: U.S. voters had just elected as president Joe Biden, a practicing Catholic who also supports abortion rights. The expected clash between the conservative and progressive wings of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops over whether to censure Biden never broke into the open, as the clerics worked to hammer out a compromise statement that they finally released last year.This year’s assembly, which starts Monday at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, promises no such headline-grabbing fodder for debate. But it could serve as one more testing ground for the ongoing back-and-forth between the liberal and traditionalist factions of the highest-ranking body in the Catholic Church in the U.S.

New site seeks to help Marylanders navigate respiratory virus infections

As the D.C. region continues to deal with a surge in respiratory infections, Maryland officials are hoping to provide some guidance through a new resource. The Maryland Department of Health has launched a new Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) webpage. It also provides guidance for the flu and COVID-19, while encouraging residents to get vaccinated. The new website is part of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s statewide effort to address the recent spike in RSV cases, which has had a severe impact on young children. While there is no specific treatment for RSV, the site outlines transmission, prevention and ways to relieve symptoms, according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Reader reactions: Advocate urges better protections for disabled people; election judge touts voting centers

Community members with disabilities deserve the same rights as everyone else and should have the same opportunities. Many want to work and earn a living wage, attend school or college, have friends, enjoy dates, lead a healthy life and participate in a faith or social community. Unfortunately, that is not the reality when the safety of disabled residents is in jeopardy. The disabled community continues to be marginalized through a lack of comprehensive public policy. As Baltimore continues to grapple with public safety challenges, community members with disabilities must not be left behind. Whether it is the case of a child with autism being found alone in the park or a deaf man killed at a Baltimore jail, we see frequent examples of the mistreatment of people with disabilities.

Christian broadcasting group to buy WRNR 103.1 FM in Annapolis

Christian radio group Peter and John Fellowship Inc. is buying WRNR 103.1 FM for $1.54 million, according to Federal Communications Commission filings. WRNR 103.1 FM has been the hometown alternative rock station for the Annapolis area for decades, broadcasting from Grasonville with a station in the state capital. The Christian broadcasting group will purchase the station’s FCC license along with some equipment, but WRNR’s owner, Empire Broadcasting Corp., is retaining its format, intellectual property and call letters. The pending acquisition would leave WTMD 89.7 Towson as the last Adult Album Alternative radio station in the area.

Swipe and buy: Social media is now a destination for holiday shopping

Savannah Baron keeps an exhaustive spreadsheet of perfect gifts: a camping chair love seat for the couple who enjoys the outdoors; a refillable candle for your eco-conscious cousin; a cocktail infusion kit for the friend who’s into mixology. It’s not for her. It’s for her 189,000 TikTok followers. Baron, 27, derives a certain satisfaction in “finding those little things and little brands” that could easily be overlooked. But her TikTok videos of curated gift ideas tap into a crucial and increasingly younger audience: People who do their holiday shopping — from inspiration to purchase — on social media. Research shows 60 percent of Gen Z (born from 1997 to 2012) and 56 percent of millennials (1981 to 1996) will do at least some holiday shopping on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and similar apps, according to the consulting firm Deloitte.

Six women poised to change the face of the Montgomery County Council

Montgomery County voters elected a historic slate of candidates to the county council on Tuesday, adding Latina, Asian and Black representatives to a body that will be majority-female for the first time. The six incoming members — all women — have their own priorities and beliefs that range from moderate to ultraliberal. On the whole, the changes are expected to shift the body further left in a deep blue county that already prides itself as a haven for progressive ideas and policymaking. “I’m really excited that we finally have a council that reflects the rich and beautiful diversity of our county” said Laurie-Anne Sayles, who was elected to an at-large seat Tuesday.

Social conservatives score wins in state’s school board races

Forty-one socially conservative candidates from across Maryland ran for school board seats Tuesday — and 25 of them appear to be on their way to winning their races. In other words, 61% of the conservative board candidates ended up ahead in a state where a Democrat, Wes Moore, won the gubernatorial election by more than 20 points to become Maryland’s first Black governor. Conservatives won school board races throughout much of the state, with the largest number elected in Harford, Carroll and Wicomico counties.

Many vets are landing jobs, but the transition can be tough

Phillip Slaughter left the Army after 18 years and found a job similar to one he had in uniform: behind the wheel of a truck. Instead of towing food and bullets through war zones, he hauled packages for FedEx. It wasn’t what he wanted to do. The work aggravated his post-traumatic stress disorder. It would be three years and several jobs before he landed his ideal position as a sourcing recruiter for a tech company. “I think it’s the first job that I’ve worked 10 consecutive months without quitting,” said Slaughter, 41, who lives in Clarksville, Tennessee. Slaughter is a U.S. military veteran who found a job he loves at a time when the nation is experiencing some of its lowest monthly veteran unemployment on record.

Tipped minimum wage debate rages across the country

Ji Hye Kim launched her Korean restaurant Miss Kim, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, six years ago and decided not to use tips, instead offering a higher minimum wage of $14 per hour. She had felt that the tipped minimum wage was unfair and hadn’t moved upward for decades; federal “tipped minimum wage” has remained at $2.13 an hour since 1991. As someone who had worked for tips, Kim knew that any work that took away from serving tables cut into how much she made. Meanwhile, workers who worked in the kitchen had to work for the same amount on busy nights when servers netted more, despite all the workers being just as productive, she added. It was also hard to take tips and then switch to a system without them, she said.