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Pfizer launches first-of-its-kind vaccine fellowship at Morgan State University

Morgan State University has partnered with Pfizer, the New York-based pharmaceutical company best known for its COVID-19 vaccine and its COVID-19 treatment medication, Paxlovid, to offer a new fellowship in vaccines medical development. The fellowship, which will be available to students in Morgan’s Doctor of Public Health Program, is the company’s first doctoral fellowship program and first fellowship program at a historically Black college or university.

Pharmacies can’t discriminate on reproductive health scripts, administration warns

The Biden administration is warning pharmacies not to discriminate against women who may seek reproductive health prescriptions, including some that might be involved in ending a pregnancy. The Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday that pharmacies receiving federal money from programs such as Medicare and Medicaid cannot discriminate in how they supply medications or advise patients on prescriptions.

Maryland casinos generate $163M in June, sports betting handle totals $19M

Maryland casinos pulled in $162.7 million last month, a slight uptick compared with a year ago. Sports betting handles in the state, meanwhile, continued to fall in relation to recent months, as a commission forges ahead on opening new avenues for wagering. Total revenues from slots and table games at Maryland’s six casinos increased by 0.8% compared with June of 2021, according to the latest numbers released by Maryland Lottery and Gaming. MGM National Harbor, in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, continued to drive the industry’s revenue growth last month, reporting $68.4 million in gaming revenue, a 7.4% boost.

Under Armour’s Kevin Plank, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti invest in ‘equitech’ initiative

Under Armour founder Kevin Plank and Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti have invested in a fund aimed at supporting companies that use technology to break down barriers in areas such as health care, food and education. Conscious. Venture Partners on Tuesday announced that Conscious Venture Fund II has raised $15.8 million toward a $50 million goal. The fund, which expects to become the largest minority-managed fund in Baltimore, supports companies that use innovations to create a more equitable society in the health care, food, technology, media, mobility and education industries.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Capital One Lounge at Dulles International Airport now opening in 2023

Fliers will have to wait a little longer to land at the Capital One Lounge at Dulles International Airport. The airport amenity space from the McLean, Virginia, banking giant aimed at providing travelers with relaxation and rejuvenation will not open until sometime next year, according to an update last month on Capital One’s website. The lounge had initially planned an opening in 2022. Thrifty Traveler was the first outlet to report the new opening date on Monday. A Capital One Lounge at Denver International Airport, also initially planned for a 2022 opening, will not open until next year.

State lotteries transfer wealth out of needy communities

State lotteries are driving a multibillion-dollar wealth transfer from low-income U.S. communities to multinational companies. While the growing expansion of casinos and state-sanctioned sports betting steal the spotlight, state lotteries have nearly doubled in size over the past two decades, driving a multibillion-dollar wealth transfer from low-income U.S. communities to powerful multinational companies. A nationwide investigation of state lotteries by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland found that lottery retailers are disproportionately clustered in lower-income communities in nearly every state.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
$15.8M raised for what aims to be Baltimore’s largest minority-managed fund
Baltimore-based firm Conscious Venture Partners announced today that it has raised just over 30% of its funding goal for a new fund that will invest in Baltimore’s women- and minority-owned businesses. The fund, known as the Conscious Venture Fund II, has raised $15.8 million with the ultimate goal of reaching $50 million. It is on track to becoming the largest minority-managed fund in the City of Baltimore, according to a Tuesday news release. The initiative’s lead local investor is Sagamore Ventures, the investment arm of Kevin Plank, Under Armour’s founder, which has committed $2.5 million to the fund.  
apartment buildings, housing concept
As inflation soars, here’s how average apartment rents are trending in Baltimore

What experts are calling a “perfect storm” of factors has driven rents to all-time highs, and while Baltimore rates have soared in the last two years, the region still remains more affordable than other East Coast cities. The national average apartment rent increased to $1,736 per month in the second quarter — a 17% increase from a year ago — according to data from RealPage Market Analytics. That amounts to a $251 increase per month at a time when inflation is soaring across the nation.

Poppy & Stella will expand into Towson with its largest store yet

Poppy & Stella is bringing its clothing, accessories, shoes and more to Towson. The Baltimore fashion boutique said it will open its fifth and largest store at The Shops at Kenilworth this fall, Owner Kelley Heuisler said Monday that though she has received requests from customers to open in the Towson area for years, the timing was never right.

Port Covington’s Locke Insulators building readied for demolition ahead of residential construction

A long-standing Port Covington landmark is about to meet the wrecking ball. The massive Locke Insulators building that once held a manufacturing plant in South Baltimore is being prepared for demolition next month, said Mark Sapperstein, developer and principal of 28 Walker that is planning a redo of the site.

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