Friday, October 25, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
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Md. adds 5,500 jobs in August, but unemployment rate climbs
Maryland added 5,500 jobs in August despite an unemployment rate that jumped to 4.3%, according to preliminary data released Friday by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). An additional 13,400 individuals, many of whom left the labor force during the pandemic, began looking for work again. The rise in individuals looking for work resulted in an increased unemployment rate—individuals are only considered unemployed if they do not have a job and are actively looking for work. Compared with August 2021, Maryland jobs are up by 72,400, an over-the-year increase of 2.7%.
100 US dollar banknote money
University of Maryland Medical System wants to make a social impact with new $14M investment

The University of Maryland Medical System is devoting 1% of its $1.4 billion investment portfolio to companies and funds focused on closing economic inequality, particularly in Maryland. Many hospital systems have investment portfolios and use the returns to service debt, but UMMS CEO Mohan Suntha said he and other leaders at the medical system realized those funds could be doing much more. What if some of those investment funds also could have a social impact?

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Maglev project gets community support as lawsuit over Westport land continues

Six community groups in South Baltimore have thrown their support behind a planned high-speed maglev train line as the controversial project remains embroiled in a lawsuit with a developer who has other plans for the proposed railway property. The board of the nonprofit umbrella group South Baltimore 7 Coalition, or SB7, voted to endorse the maglev project and a potential rail station in Cherry Hill and announced it will soon work to negotiate a community benefits agreement with maglev developer Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail, or BWRR.

Notre Dame of Maryland University president defends plan to go coed amid alumnae pushback

Notre Dame of Maryland University, eyeing declining enrollment trends at private colleges nationwide, plans to admit men to its undergraduate program next year, a move that upsets some alums who favor the school’s more than 125-year all-women’s tradition. Notre Dame President Marylou Yam said welcoming male undergraduates in fall 2023 will protect the school from ongoing trends of downward enrollment.

Hotel Ulysses prepares to open with all-day cafe, late-night cocktails

Hotel Ulysses will open in Mount Vernon this month along with an all-day cafe and late-night bar, the first Baltimore concepts from trendy New York developer Ash. The 116-room hotel is located in the historic Latrobe Building and will open Sept. 21 along with the cafe, called Ash Bar, and the cocktail bar, Bloom’s. Also still to come is the conversion of a neighboring building that will see the former Mount Vernon Stable & Saloon space reopened with a new bar concept.

red and white train on train station
From carmakers to refiners, industries brace for rail strike

Carmakers say buyers might not get the vehicle they want on time, commuter rail lines could see service disrupted, and shipments from everything from oil to livestock feed could be disrupted. Those are just a few of the wide-ranging impacts a walkout by U.S. rail workers would have on the country’s industries and economy. A strike could happen if the railroads and unions can’t settle their differences before an early Friday walkout deadline.

Read More: Star Democrat
Baltimore County Council passes measure fully funding public library workers’ first labor contract

The Baltimore County Council passed a resolution on Sep. 6 to finalize the remaining details of the first collective bargaining agreement covering about 460 Baltimore County Public Library employees. “I thank the Baltimore County Council members for voting to pass this resolution, which finalizes a contract that gives BCPL workers a voice in the workplace, as well as the strong wages and benefits they greatly deserve,” IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr., said in a statement.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Chasen plans more Fells Point apartments with units ‘flying off the shelves’

Chasen Cos. received the go-ahead from the city’s historic commission to build more apartments in Fells Point — and a top exec at the development company says existing units aren’t staying vacant for long. “They are flying off the shelves in Fells Point,” said Drew Peace, chief business development officer at Chasen, after a meeting of the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, or CHAP, on Tuesday. “This is another opportunity to add more units in the area.”

Report: Steph Curry nearing $1 billion endorsement deal with Under Armour

Steph Curry is reportedly about to sign a $1 billion lifetime endorsement deal with apparel maker Under Armour Inc., a contract that would vault the Golden State Warriors star into a rarefied class of sports celebrity pitchmen. The impending deal, which would extend a 10-year alliance between Baltimore-based Under Armour (NYSE: UAA) and Curry that expires in 2024, was referred to more than once in a lengthy Rolling Stone interview and profile, though not directly attributed to Curry. It’s reportedly been under negotiation for a while.

With fish-based dog treats, Baltimore restaurateur and entrepreneur hooks a crowd of investors

The menu at Fishnet in Mount Vernon Marketplace offers a tempting array of freshly made fish sandwiches, tacos and salads. Less appetizing are the fish heads, bones and unusable parts from the whole fish filleted in the kitchen. Keyia Yalcin built the Baltimore restaurant on a model of sustainability and couldn’t tolerate the waste, so she began “upcycling” the castoffs and four other simple ingredients into crunchy, fish-shaped dog treat

Read More: Baltimore Sun

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