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Commanders stadium study short on fans in Virginia legislature

The Washington Commanders face another tough season in Richmond, with state Senate budget-writers opposed to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s plan to spend $500,000 to study ways to lure the National Football League team to Virginia. The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee has stripped funding for the study from its proposed state budget plan, which comes up for a vote in the full Democratic-controlled Senate on Thursday.

Under Armour lays foundation for expanded athleisure offerings

Under Armour Inc. is a brand known for performance athletic apparel. This year the company wants to lay the groundwork for being known for comfort and style. Under Armour for years has talked about diving further into the athleisure space. The company finally gave details on how it plans to expand into what executives call the “live” sector, during its fiscal third quarter call with analysts Wednesday after Under Armour beat Wall Street’s expectations for profit and revenue.

Erickson Senior Living plots $4B national expansion to keep up with baby boomers

A legislative committee heard over 10 hours of testimony on a series of bills that would regulate specifically who can carry guns in public in Maryland, and where they can go while armed. A bill that would bar guns within 100 feet of courthouses, arenas, hospitals, libraries, hotels and any other “place of public accommodation” drew the most testimony by far, at more than six hours. It’s sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher of Montgomery County.

Maryland edtech 2U looks to boost revenue growth a year after edX acquisition, layoffs

Edtech player 2U Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU) has completed the bulk of a corporate realignment that it hopes will yield 3% revenue growth for this year, compared with last year’s 2% growth, while substantially axing losses as it continues to work toward profitability and roll out new online degree and credentialing programs for university customers. The Lanham-based company spent the second part of last year slimming down, modifying its leadership team and restructuring to focus on the edX Inc. online education platform it bought for $800 million in 2021.

Baltimore food manufacturer recalls hundreds of products due to possible listeria contamination

A Baltimore-based food manufacturer is recalling hundreds of ready-to-eat sandwiches, salads, yogurts, wraps and other products because they may be contaminated with listeria, the Food and Drug Administration announced last week. Fresh Ideation Food Group LLC, based in Lakeland in South Baltimore, issued the voluntary recall Friday after routine monitoring of its facility found the possible presence of listeria, according to an automated message on the company’s main phone line.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Beloved Annapolis radio station WRNR 103.1 FM to cease broadcasting at midnight Saturday following sale

WRNR, a beloved Annapolis adult alternative station, will cease broadcasting at midnight on Saturday, said Steve Kingston, who has owned the station since 1998. The Federal Communications Commission approved in January the transfer of 103.1 FM from WRNR to Peter and John Radio Fellowship, a nonprofit that oversees Maryland’s largest evangelical Christian broadcasting network.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
This was captured well waiting for the doctor who was busy at the time
Health care leaders hope to inspire more workers with new website to curb shortages in Maryland

Maryland hospitals unveiled a new online tool meant to help students and individuals looking for new opportunities to decide if a medical career is right for them. JoinMDHealth.org is a new website created by the Maryland Hospital Association in collaboration with 60 medical facilities and health systems statewide. The website offers visitors a quiz that gives people an idea of what their “professional personality” entails. The results can help people decide what careers in health fit their personality best. For example, people who test as “heart-felt” may fit best as a clinical social worker or a community health worker. “These career opportunities are tremendous chances for people to get into something that provides an opportunity for service, an opportunity to make a good living, and then an opportunity also to go into leadership into management,” said Ed Lovern, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital.

Read More: WYPR News
How much is a dispensary worth? A Cumberland deal gives a clue.

How much is a Maryland medical dispensary license worth? One deal in Cumberland might give a clue into the value of a license now that legal recreational use is on the horizon. TerrAscend, a Canadian company with operations in multiple states, purchased 100% of the equity of Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary for $10 million late last month. The real estate of the dispensary is not included in the deal. Instead, TerrAscend is entering into a long-term lease, with the option to eventually purchase Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary’s location at 100 Beall St. in Cumberland. The dispensary generated net revenues in excess of $8 million in 2022, according to a release.

As salaries continue to grow nationally, Greater Baltimore sees a decline

After months of soaring salary offers, wage growth started to slow nationally at the end of 2022 — and in Baltimore, it completely stopped. The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro area saw average private-sector earnings drop by 2.9% year over year in December, from $1,140.36 to $1,107.22, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Nationally, private-sector earnings rose by an average 2.9% in metro areas between December 2021 and December 2022. That’s down significantly from the strong salary surges that were taking place in spring and summer 2022, causing significant headaches for employers and driving up inflation.  The pace of year-over-year growth has slowed even since November when the average metro posted a 3.4% increase in private-sector wages.

HR trends: COVID no longer top office concern — mental health ranks higher

The COVID-19 pandemic is no longer the top office concern, according to a recent survey of executives and HR professionals by the Alexandria, Virginia-based Society for Human Resource Management. “What was clearly the top priority from 2020 all the way down to 2022 has now taken a step back and is now the fourth most-common priority,” said Alex Alonso, chief knowledge officer at the Society for Human Resource Management. “They are talking about how they go about managing it, as opposed to something that is taking lives or having to focus on vaccine mandates.” What has emerged as a top priority for employers this year, is the mental health of their employees.

Read More: WTOP News

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