The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • A10

10 THE BALTIMORE SUN NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2017 Fed unlikely to hike rates amid unknowns in Trump agenda Policymakers expected to signal they want more time to monitor economic growth row for further rate hikes, but it will be too soon to pull the trigger." The Fed's two-day meeting will end with a policy statement that will be studied for any signals of its outlook or intentions. At the moment, most economists foresee no rate increase even at the Fed's next meeting in March, especially given the unknowns about how President Donald Trump's ambitious agenda will fare or whether his drive to cancel or rewrite trade deals will slow the economy or unsettle investors. It's always possible that the central bank could surprise Fed watchers Wednesday by sending a signal that a rate hike is coming soon. The statement will not be accompanied by updates to the Fed's economic forecasts or by a news conference with Chair Janet Yel-len, both of which occur four times a year. Last month, the Fed modestly raised its benchmark short-term rate for the first time since December 2015, when it had raised it after keeping the rate at a record low near zero for seven years.

The Fed had driven down its key rate to help rescue the banking system and energize the economy after the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession. When it raised rates last month, the Fed indicated that it expected to do so three more times in 2017. Yet confusion and a lack of details over what Trump's stimulus program will look like, whether he will succeed in getting it through Congress and what impact it might have on the economy have muddied the outlook. And while Trump's tax and spending plans are raising hopes for faster growth, his proposals to impose tariffs on such countries as China and Mexico to correct trade imbalances could slow the economy if U.S. trading partners retaliate and collectively impede the flow of imports and exports.

By Martin Crutsinger Associated Press WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve is all but sure to leave interest rates alone when it ends a policy meeting Wednesday at a time of steady gains for the U.S. economy but also heightened uncertainty surrounding the new Trump administration. The Fed will likely signal that it wants further time to monitor the progress of the economy and that it still envisions a gradual pace of rate increases ahead. "I don't look for the Fed to do anything this week" said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at the Martin Smith School of Business at California State University. "They are starting to get their ducks in a New delegate looks to reboot career in Annapolis MOSBY, From page 1 all city streets safer.

He took his seat on the House floor Tuesday morning, admiring the Italian marble pillars and enormous Tiffany skylight. He snapped a photo of the electronic voting board, lit up for the quorum call. "Back in action," he reported to his nearly 14,000 Twitter followers. Mosby cast his first vote, joining 88 of the House's 141 members in an effort to overturn Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's veto of a bill to require more renewable energy usage in Maryland.

The bill's fate now rests with the Senate. Political observers say the one-term councilman may have sought too much too soon in running for the city's top elected office, but his appointment to the House comes with opportunity. "This is a way for him to rebuild his political future from scratch," veteran political analyst Charles Ellison said. "He is still a young, dynamic, fresh face on the political scene. This allows Mosby to define himself once again as a rising star in the Democratic Party." Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T.

Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher College, said Mosby must find ways to stand out in the legislature. "Starting from the bottom," she said, the new delegate will have to carve out a focus area for himself, such as community and police relations or housing safety. He has been assigned to the Ways and Means Committee. His reputation will inevitably be intertwined with his wife's, Kromer said. The Mosbys, who live in Reservoir Hill with their two young daughters, will both appear on next year's ballot if they seek to retain their current positions.

The couple, who met at Tuskegee University 18 years ago, staged political upsets to win elected office the first time. Nick Mosby ousted a two-term council-woman in his election to the council in 201L Marilyn Mosby beat the city's incumbent prosecutor in 2014. She drew national attention after she charged the police officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray, whose death in custody sparked rioting and looting in the city. Fundraisers billed them as a "power couple." They made headlines for receiving Prince's attention during a performance in the city and were guest ringmasters at the UniverSoul Circus. Nick Mosby continued to hone his AMY DAVISBALTIMORE SUN Del.

Nick J. Mosby surveys his new office before pictures are hung and boxes are unpacked. Mosby replaces Barbara A. Robinson, who filled the Senate seat that had been held by Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh. said in an interview.

"That is one of the things that drew me to him. He will always do what's in the best interest of the city." She acknowledged that some think it's a drawback that they both hold public office. "I perceive it as a strength," she said. Is it a problem that they both could be on the ballot in 2018? "Our records speak for themselves," she said. "I don't think people will look at us as if it's a bad thing, two people who have dedicated their life to public service.

I think people will respect it. "It is definitely a sacrifice to have two public servants in the same household." Lindsey Meeks, a political communications researcher at the University of Oklahoma, said a negative aspect of the shared public service is the way one's political baggage could transfer to the other. If a voter opposed Marilyn Mosby's handling of the Gray cases, it could cost Nick Mosby. On the pro side, she said the Mosbys can serve as surrogates for one another when interacting with the public. Nick Mosby, for example, could use his wife's experience in criminal justice to gain credibility in that area political identity during the campaign for mayor.

He developed a robust platform, and his delivery became more polished with coaching from a team of well-connected Democratic operatives. Still, he slipped further and further in the polls behind Pugh, the eventual Democratic nominee and the city's 50th mayor. In April, he quit the race and backed Pugh. Mosby quiedy finished out his council term while Marilyn Mosby's reputation suffered as she failed to convict any of the officers charged in Gray's death. Nick Mosby applied to the Democratic Central Committee in December to replace Pugh in the Senate, but Del.

Barbara A. Robinson was selected. When he applied in January to replace Robinson in the House, Marilyn Mosby said her husband didn't tell her. The night of the vote her phone started buzzing with the news, she said, and congratulatory messages from friends. She tweeted "Best Day Ever!" to her 40,000 followers and tagged her husband.

"My husband is extremely impassioned about the city of Baltimore," Marilyn Mosby Nick Mosby said he does not think his service in the House poses a conflict with his wife's role. "It's a completely separate legislative branch," he said. "It does have implications on some of the policies which she'll be governed by, but I am one vote out of many. There are no conflicts of interest. Our only interest is in the betterment of Baltimore City." Mosby, an engineer who is working to establish a consulting business, said he plans to pursue legislation that would empower the community.

He's focusing on issues similar to those he sought to address as a councilman: education, lead paint poisoning, public safety and economic development. On liie floor Tuesday, Del. Cory McCray, a fellow Baltimore Democrat, slid Mosby a manila folder with legislation aimed at fighting discrimination in schools. He asked him to consider co-sponsoring the bill. McCray advised die newcomer to keep his head low and work hard.

ywengerbaltsun.com twitter.comyvonnewenger Guinness announces plans for a brewery in Baltimore County week, Diageo reported its U.S. sales of Guinness grew just 1 percent in the six months ended Dec. 3L While its creamy stout remains the mainstay, Guinness has placed more emphasis on new flavors, said Bart Watson, chief economist for the Brewers Association. It's launched a Guinness Blonde American lager and a Nitro IPA (India pale ale) as well as other variations of stouts, porters and ales. The company opened its experimental "Open Gate Brewery" a model for the Maryland proposal in Dublin in 2015.

"As they see the proliferation of craft-style take off in the U.S. market, they want to tap into that," Watson said. "I think they have the desire to expand their offerings to fit that craft beer consumer that is looking for a different style every time they drink it's taken a priority lately." A domestic Maryland brewery might help the firm with its U.S. distribution as well, said Scott Kerkmans, professor and brewing program director at Metropolitan State University of Denver. But the move is primarily about building the brand, he said.

"I think that breweries are becoming educated to the fact that these 21- to 35-year-old drinkers are wanting to feel like they help shape a brand, help build a brand and giving them a physical location to go to and interact with will make that relationship much more meaningful," he said. What's not clear is whether visitors will want to go to an industrial area in Baltimore to taste an Irish brand, Watson said. But, he added, Baltimore is easier to get to than Dublin. "They're clearly betting that they think they can make this succeed," he said. nshermanbaltsun.com "We could see a Baltimore County beer trail in our future," Kamenetz said.

While the Heavy Seas plant is focused on its beer distribution, the brewery also receives more than 20,000 visitors a year for tours and tastings, said Fred Crudder, its director of marketing. "What this facility could do is it could bring people to the Baltimore area that weren't coming here before," Crudder said. "If Diageo spends the kind of money that they can because of who they are to make that location an absolute tourist destination, then that could be good for Maryland, the surrounding areas of Baltimore County and could be good for us in the long run." The scale of the company's proposal means Maryland will have to craft a new kind of liquor license for the facility. Lawmakers said that's still being negotiated, pointing to concerns from some traditional distributors and retailers about lifting the current rules that cap on-site beer sales at 500 barrels, about 1,000 kegs. The company is seeking permission to sell as many as 5,000 barrels a year.

Jack Milani, legislative co -chair for the Maryland State Licensed Beverage Association, said the group is concerned about the facility's impact on existing retailers and distributors. But he said he wanted to see a bill before commenting. "It just comes down to what they're asking for," he said. Chesapeake Beverage, one of the state's largest distributors, endorsed the project "Not only will this project help build the Guinness brand in Maryland, the tourism piece and brand experience planned for this project will certainly enhance Maryland's beer industry and be a benefit to our retail customers," said Evan Anthanas, president of Chesapeake Beverage, in a statement. A Diageo spokesperson said negotiations over the barrel cap and other matters are just beginning.

The company hosted a reception for lawmakers at an Annapolis restaurant Tuesday night. "We have huge projections in terms of what this can do, but it's all contingent" on the legislation, Day said. Politicians said they generally favor Diageo's plans and believe they can reach a compromise. "The Guinness facility will be a strong boost for our economy by creating good-paying jobs for Marylanders and by attracting visitors from across the region and the country," state Comptroller Peter Franchot, whose office regulates liquor licenses, said in a statement. "I am optimistic that all stakeholders will come together and work collaboratively with the General Assembly to ensure that this innovative project moves forward." Baltimore County Council chair Tom Quirk, who represents the area, wrote a letter to General Assembly members in support of the plans.

He called the jobs and investment an "economic win" for the county, adding that he resisted a proposal to turn the site to residential use. "It's definitely a move in the right direction," Quirk said. "I hope it leads to more things in the future as well." Guinness started in 1759 and is sold in more than 150 countries globally. Guinness has brewing operations in 49 countries. While it's one of the world's most successful and best-known beer brands, its sales growth, like that of other legacy brands, has been slow in the face of growing competition from craft beer brewers.

Last GU I ESS, From page 1 into a site that has lain largely dormant since Diageo closed bottling operations there in 2015. At the time more than 100 people worked at the plant Diageo is a London-based liquors conglomerate that owns brands such as Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff. It inherited the property when it bought Seagram's wines and spirits business in 2000. The site was the state's first legal distillery after Prohibition was lifted in 1933, which boosted its appeal for a brand that celebrates its history. It's close to Interstate 95 as well as the airport and rail transit, which makes it readily accessible for tourists, Day said.

Diageo said it hopes the brewery and taproom to draw more than 250,000 people for tours and tastings in the first 12 months. "Guinness' plan to build a brewery at its historic facility in Relay, is great news for job creation, manufacturing, and tourism in our state," Governor Larry Hogan said in a statement "Beer tourism attracts millions of visitors to towns and communities across the country every year and I look forward to welcoming Guinness to the roster of excellent breweries we have here in Maryland." A Maryland Department of Commerce spokesman did not respond to questions about the deal. Baltimore County is not providing any subsidies, said Fronda Cohen, a county spokeswoman. Baltimore County Executive Kevin Ka-menetz said county officials highlighted the site's history as they worked with Diageo to come up with a new use for the site. Officials pointed to the growth of other breweries in the area, including Heavy Seas Beer, which is less than two miles away..