BUSINESS
Yvonne Wenger | May 7, 2012
A survey of 549 community-based organizations suggests that housing discrimination is on the rise, particularly targeting disabled individuals, immigrants, minorities and families with children, according to the nonprofit Consumer Action . Locally, Baltimore Neighborhoods Inc. has said it found similar problems. The organizations, which has sent “testers” out in the region to inquire about available housing, filed suit last year and in 2010 over alleged discrimination.
BUSINESS
Eileen Ambrose | May 3, 2012
Maryland, according to a new survey of business titans, is the 40 th most business-friendly state, down from 37 last year. Or, put another way, we are the 11 th least friendly. Those are the findings by Chief Executive magazine's annual survey . Business leaders were asked to rate states based on their taxes, regulations, living environment and quality of workers. According to the magazine, Maryland's "income-tax increases on 'middle class' nick and frustrate business owners.
FEATURES
By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun | April 19, 2012
Rebounding from near-collapse four years ago, the Chesapeake Bay's blue crabs are more plentiful than they've been in nearly two decades, with a record crop of young, Maryland officials announced Thursday. The annual winter survey of Maryland and Virginia waters found an estimated 764 million crabs baywide — two-thirds more than last year and the highest since 1993, officials said. The number of juvenile crabs nearly tripled to 587 million, the most seen since the survey began 22 years ago. That should mean there'll be plenty of the crustaceans available this year, especially in late summer.
HEALTH
Andrea K. Walker | April 13, 2012
Many Americans aren't exercising despite all the health messages about obesity and staying in shape, according to a new survey. The report by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association found that 68.2 million people, or nearly 24 percent of people surveyed, were inactive in 2011. That means that they didn't participate in 119 activities, such as swimming and basketball, identified by the organization. The number of inactive adults jumped 1.6 pecent from the prior year and 8 percent over the past three years.
NEWS
By Hanah Cho, The Baltimore Sun | March 22, 2012
Baltimore ranked sixth in a survey of the least-costly U.S. cities in which to do business, tax firm KPMG reported Thursday. KPMG's study — which reviewed 27 large metropolitan regions — examined 26 cost factors in each market, including labor, taxes, real estate and utilities, in 19 industries over a 10-year period. The tax firm cited Baltimore's lowest suburban office lease costs and low property-based taxes as reasons for its high rank. Cincinnati topped the list, followed by Atlanta; Orlando, Fla.; Tampa, Fla.; and Dallas-Fort Worth.
ENTERTAINMENT
By Richard Gorelick and The Baltimore Sun | March 12, 2012
Two Maryland restaurants - Cindy Wolf's Charleston in Baltimore and Briand Voltaggio's Volt in Frederick - are on a newly published list of the Top 100 Restaurants in America. The fifth annual Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2012 were determined by the Opinionated About Dining Survey, for which more than 3,000 registered voters contributed more than 70,000 reviews. Charleston placed 64th and Volt placed 72nd. The survey, which is published by the Opinionated About Dining blog, relies on the opinons of passionate diners who describe how strongly they would recommend a restaurant and why. Here are the survey's top 10 restaurants.