Airlines: no review for frequent flier programs

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: November 23, 2009

The airline industry says there’s no need to interfere with frequent flier programs despite U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer’s request for a federal review to protect consumers.

James C. May of the Air Transport Association says the frequent flyer reward programs are innovations for consumers that Congress envisioned when it deregulated the industry. He says terms of [...]

Court stops Fort Ritchie development

BY: Associated Press
POSTED: November 23, 2009

CASCADE — A federal court has ordered that Corporate Office Properties Trust stop development at Fort Ritchie, saying the Army did not properly evaluate the effect of its plan on the old base.

According to court documents, on Nov. 10, U.S. District Court in Washington said the Army must issue new environmental statements, The (Waynesboro) Record [...]

Notes provide brief glimpses into deliberations on Dixon’s fate

BY: Danny Jacobs
POSTED: November 23, 2009

This is all that is really known about the jurors in Mayor Sheila Dixon’s trial: Some of them smoke.
Roughly two-thirds of the 30-plus notes Visiting Judge Dennis M. Sweeney has received from the jury, during the week-long trial and three days of deliberations, deal with basic needs — a brief respite, perhaps, or a sharp [...]

Charles Theatre owner offers proposal for Senator

BY: Nicholas Sohr
POSTED: November 23, 2009

Four local developers and businesses have proposed a range of renovations and new uses for the single-screen Senator Theatre, ranging from vaudeville-style shows to a home for public radio.
The Baltimore Development Corp., the city’s quasi-public development agency, announced the proposals Monday, marking the latest chapter in the community’s struggle to keep the North Baltimore landmark [...]

For graduates, there are many options to combat college debt 

BY: Dena Frenkel
POSTED: November 23, 2009

With the high cost of college, it’s commonplace for students to accumulate thousands of dollars of debt while pursuing a degree. Yet the ability to repay loans after graduation is a real concern now that there are fewer jobs to go around. There are options to help combat college debt. For example, if you’re a [...]

Combination of technologies makes Bayview’s new system unique 

BY: Danielle Ulman
POSTED: November 23, 2009

Imagine completing a difficult spinal surgery, sewing up the surgical site and wheeling the patient down the hall for a CT scan, only to find that the screws aren’t in correctly.
It’s a common scenario for neurosurgeons who sometimes have to reopen patients to fix errors.
Beginning next week, the doctors at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center [...]

Jury awards $28M in hormone drug case

BY: Daily Record Staff
POSTED: November 23, 2009

A jury on Monday awarded $28 million in punitive damages to a woman who contracted breast cancer after taking hormone replacement drugs for 11 years.
The awards are in addition to the $6.3 million in compensatory damages the Philadelphia jury awarded Donna Kendall on Friday.  The punitive damages are split between Wyeth and Upjohn Co., two [...]

Temp jobs outlook? ’Tis the seasonal

BY: Capital News Service
POSTED: November 23, 2009

Maryland’s unemployment rate rose in October to its highest point since the recession began, but there’s hope for jobs in a report showing seasonal retail positions may surpass 2008’s poor numbers.
The state’s unemployment rate inched up one-tenth of a point to 7.3 percent, according to figures released last week by the Department of Labor. This [...]

How the House, Senate health bills differ

BY: Kaiser Health News
POSTED: November 23, 2009

The health care overhaul debate in Congress now centers on two bills: the House measure and the Senate Democrats’ version unveiled last week. They differ in important ways. Here are answers to questions about the bills:
Question: Would the health care bills before Congress require that I obtain health insurance and punish me if I don’t?
Answer: [...]

Md. Industry Focus: Health Care Industry Composition  

BY: Daily Record Staff
POSTED: November 23, 2009

The two largest components of Maryland’s health care industry are Ambulatory Health Care Services and Hospitals.
Each employed approximately 32.0 percent of all health care employees during the first quarter of 2009.  The remaining two components of the industry are Nursing and Residential Care Facilities and Social Assistance, which comprise 21.0 percent and 14.3 percent of [...]