The United Nations general assembly recently voted 128-9 to condemn President Trump’s decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by moving our embassy to that location. The anti-Semitic UN decided to pronounce that this was a bad move, and vote against it.
Just a couple of notes, though. One, we aren’t going to decide where our embassies are located based on what makes the United Nations thinks, and two, a lot of those nations are financially reliant on the United States. Too much so to be complaining about something inane things like here we put our headquarters.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, December 30, 2017
OH COME ON! Farmer’s Markets Now Being Called Racist!
For those of you who are keeping a list of things that were deemed racist in the year of 2017, we have one more thing to add before the new year is upon us: Farmer’s Markets. You know, those outdoor markets where your mother sells her squash and your neighbor sells her jam? Apparently they’re not racially inclusive enough for liberals, who think that anything a white person enjoys is racist.
“Just Green Enough: Urban Development and Environmental Gentrification,” is an anthology created by many professors, including San Diego State University geography professors Pascale Joassart-Marcelli and Fernando J. Bosco, who claim that farmer’s markets are racially exclusive and account for “environmental gentrification.” You know, because we can’t do anything without “gentrifying” something.
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“Just Green Enough: Urban Development and Environmental Gentrification,” is an anthology created by many professors, including San Diego State University geography professors Pascale Joassart-Marcelli and Fernando J. Bosco, who claim that farmer’s markets are racially exclusive and account for “environmental gentrification.” You know, because we can’t do anything without “gentrifying” something.
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Suggestions for Liberals in 2018
Because Democrats have beenwandering aimlessly since the 2016 election, I thought it would be helpful to give them somesuggestions to help them get out of their funk in my fourth annual “Suggestions for Liberals” column. So here goes:
We reap what we sow.
The 1960s Sexual Revolution is why there is a #MeToo movement. We are reaping the toxic side effects from thehighly sexualized cultureyou created. As much disdain as you have for moral absolutes, understand they exist for good reason. Rather than being morally honest with yourself, you’veweaponized your newfound principles for political purposes. Moreover, youhave the audacity to appoint yourself as judge and jury over this monster you created.Please know that conservatives have no interest in your fake “moralawakening.” It’s your problem. Fix it.
Quit howling overtax reform.
While it’s not perfect, the GOP’s $1.5 trillion tax overhaul is a historic victory for Americans and should be celebrated.Even left-leaning groups like Tax Policy Center [TPC]confirm the bill helps the vast majority of taxpayers. And the evil corporations getting big breaks may end up hiring some of your snowflake sons and daughters, so lighten up.If you are not interested in having more of your money, give it back. Better yet, act like a conservative and donate it to charity.
Choose a side.
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We reap what we sow.
The 1960s Sexual Revolution is why there is a #MeToo movement. We are reaping the toxic side effects from thehighly sexualized cultureyou created. As much disdain as you have for moral absolutes, understand they exist for good reason. Rather than being morally honest with yourself, you’veweaponized your newfound principles for political purposes. Moreover, youhave the audacity to appoint yourself as judge and jury over this monster you created.Please know that conservatives have no interest in your fake “moralawakening.” It’s your problem. Fix it.
Quit howling overtax reform.
While it’s not perfect, the GOP’s $1.5 trillion tax overhaul is a historic victory for Americans and should be celebrated.Even left-leaning groups like Tax Policy Center [TPC]confirm the bill helps the vast majority of taxpayers. And the evil corporations getting big breaks may end up hiring some of your snowflake sons and daughters, so lighten up.If you are not interested in having more of your money, give it back. Better yet, act like a conservative and donate it to charity.
Choose a side.
More
WHOA! If New Law Passes Some NFL Fans Will Be REFUNDED If Players Kneel During the Anthem
This is what the world has come to. Regardless of whatever Colin Kaepernick’s football legacy turns out to be, there is no doubt about the impact of his extra-curricular activism. Remember when GQ named him citizen of the year? Because there’s nothing that says outstanding citizen more than dividing the country along racial lines. I thought we were past that as a country.
A recently proposed law in the state of Indiana is going to give the opportunity for Indianapolis Colts fans to get a refund of their tickets if any of the Colts take a knee for the anthem. I think this is an awful law. If this passes, it will be a tragedy for individual liberty in the country. We don’t need government stepping in to “solve” this problem. It should be hashed out between consenting parties. The NFL should make it mandatory to stand for the anthem with suspensions or fines for players who don’t comply, or they should just get play the anthem before the players come out on the field. Problem solved.
The very worst thing that grinds my gears the most is the idea of a “there ought to be a law against that” mentality we have in this country. We already have too many laws, we don’t need any more. In fact, we could do with a harpooning of the bloated whale that is the book of laws in this country. It should be diminished by at least 90%. This is what the founders had in mind when they wrote the 9th and 10th amendments to the Constitution.
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A recently proposed law in the state of Indiana is going to give the opportunity for Indianapolis Colts fans to get a refund of their tickets if any of the Colts take a knee for the anthem. I think this is an awful law. If this passes, it will be a tragedy for individual liberty in the country. We don’t need government stepping in to “solve” this problem. It should be hashed out between consenting parties. The NFL should make it mandatory to stand for the anthem with suspensions or fines for players who don’t comply, or they should just get play the anthem before the players come out on the field. Problem solved.
The very worst thing that grinds my gears the most is the idea of a “there ought to be a law against that” mentality we have in this country. We already have too many laws, we don’t need any more. In fact, we could do with a harpooning of the bloated whale that is the book of laws in this country. It should be diminished by at least 90%. This is what the founders had in mind when they wrote the 9th and 10th amendments to the Constitution.
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Actress Celebrates Young Son Disrespecting National Anthem- She’s PROUD Of Him
Actress Debra Messing is shaping up to be an awful parent. She is teaching her son to believe movements that were started on lies and propaganda. She shared an Instagram image where her son doesn’t stand for the national anthem at a hockey game they were attending together.
The vapid “Will & Grace” star expressed her affirmation of the decision in the social media share. She paraphrased their conversation in the text portion of her Instagram post.
Messing wrote that her son Roman asked her if he could sit down for the national anthem to show solidarity or something.
“Whose crying?” she wrote. “I’m not crying.”
The post ended with a hashtag #BLM. Gosh lady, you are teaching your son that this country is inherently racist, that black people are being hunted by cops in the country, and that your son should feel guilty only for the color of his skin, as if he had anything to do with past or injustices in the country. What an awful mother. This kid deserves better.
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The vapid “Will & Grace” star expressed her affirmation of the decision in the social media share. She paraphrased their conversation in the text portion of her Instagram post.
Messing wrote that her son Roman asked her if he could sit down for the national anthem to show solidarity or something.
“Whose crying?” she wrote. “I’m not crying.”
The post ended with a hashtag #BLM. Gosh lady, you are teaching your son that this country is inherently racist, that black people are being hunted by cops in the country, and that your son should feel guilty only for the color of his skin, as if he had anything to do with past or injustices in the country. What an awful mother. This kid deserves better.
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Dem Judge Jailed For Lying To FBI Resigns Over Sex Scandal- Now Running For Congress
A former Philadelphia judge named Willie Singletary has been in the public eye for quite a while and unfortunately for him, it’s not all been good. First, he was forced to resign after it was discovered that he sexually harassed a city cashier and sent her pictures of his genitals. He was suspected, and forced to resign after an investigation revealed some unsavory details.
Following that, he was jailed for lying to the FBI during an investigation into whether his office was running a “ticket fixing scheme” that was said to benefit the rich in the community. Despite being cleared of the charges, he was caught in a lie that landed him in prison for 20 months. The traffic court that he presided over was later abolished by voters.
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Following that, he was jailed for lying to the FBI during an investigation into whether his office was running a “ticket fixing scheme” that was said to benefit the rich in the community. Despite being cleared of the charges, he was caught in a lie that landed him in prison for 20 months. The traffic court that he presided over was later abolished by voters.
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State Department DROPS THE HAMMER On Huma Abedin – Hillary Panicking…
After being found by the FBI, approximately 2,800 work documents related to Hillary Clinton are set to be released by the State Department today.
During her time as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton used a private email server to conduct government business, and at one point her aide Huma Abedin uploaded thousands of those documents to her estranged husband’s laptop.
Huma’s husband, the sex pervert Anthony Weiner who is currently serving jail time for his escapades, had his laptop taken by the FBI during their investigation. A court battle will finalize in the next few hours and will result in the release of those 2,800 Hillary-related documents that were taken from Weiner’s computer. According to the group Judicial Watch, which focuses on government transparency, the documents will be released thanks to their efforts to see them released to the wider public with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit.
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, has been making the media rounds this week.
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During her time as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton used a private email server to conduct government business, and at one point her aide Huma Abedin uploaded thousands of those documents to her estranged husband’s laptop.
Huma’s husband, the sex pervert Anthony Weiner who is currently serving jail time for his escapades, had his laptop taken by the FBI during their investigation. A court battle will finalize in the next few hours and will result in the release of those 2,800 Hillary-related documents that were taken from Weiner’s computer. According to the group Judicial Watch, which focuses on government transparency, the documents will be released thanks to their efforts to see them released to the wider public with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit.
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, has been making the media rounds this week.
More
Student Debt Slavery: Bankrolling Financiers On The Backs Of The Young
The advantages of slavery by debt over “chattel” slavery – ownership of humans as a property right – were set out in an infamous document called the Hazard Circular, reportedly circulated by British banking interests among their American banking counterparts during the American Civil War. It read in part:
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For China, Debt Disaster Lurks in the Shadows
Analysts with the proper degree of skepticism about China’s boasts of soaring economic power note that official reports from the Communist regime cannot be trusted. Another, less widely understood problem is that China’s rulers might not know how unstable their economy really is because a sizable portion of Chinese debt lurks off the books in the “shadow banking” industry.
Reuters took a deep dive into shadow banking on Thursday, beginning with the story of a family hoodwinked out of its combined fortune by a high-yield “safe investment” that turned out to be a dodgy investment fund. In essence, China’s central government decided to limit the amount of debt fueling its economy, but people wanted to borrow more, so a huge amount of “shadow loans” were made with dubious business plans.
Many of these plans are far too complex to be fully understood by the people buying into them. Their complexity is one of the reasons they can evade regulators, but it also means these shadow loans and investment plans have a lot of moving parts, and if any element of the financial plan fails, the whole thing blows up..
More details here
Reuters took a deep dive into shadow banking on Thursday, beginning with the story of a family hoodwinked out of its combined fortune by a high-yield “safe investment” that turned out to be a dodgy investment fund. In essence, China’s central government decided to limit the amount of debt fueling its economy, but people wanted to borrow more, so a huge amount of “shadow loans” were made with dubious business plans.
Many of these plans are far too complex to be fully understood by the people buying into them. Their complexity is one of the reasons they can evade regulators, but it also means these shadow loans and investment plans have a lot of moving parts, and if any element of the financial plan fails, the whole thing blows up..
More details here
Move Over, 'Despacito.' These Videos Also Ruled YouTube In 2017
By now, most of the world has caught wind of "Despacito," from Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. The mostly Spanish-language hit topped the Billboardcharts and, according to YouTube Rewind's latest list of most popular videos, was also crowned as the most-watched YouTube video of 2017 — nay, of all time — with 4.7 billion views.
But break out YouTube's top videos by country and you'll find a very different picture of what's popular. In Kenya, it's a dancing president. In Thailand, a singing oyster (yes, you read that right).
This month, YouTube Rewind released its list of top 10 videos for some 40 different countries. The videos are ranked not only by view count but also by how much they're liked, commented on, shared and how much time viewers spent watching them.
Here are a few of our favorite videos from the places we cover in our blog.
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But break out YouTube's top videos by country and you'll find a very different picture of what's popular. In Kenya, it's a dancing president. In Thailand, a singing oyster (yes, you read that right).
This month, YouTube Rewind released its list of top 10 videos for some 40 different countries. The videos are ranked not only by view count but also by how much they're liked, commented on, shared and how much time viewers spent watching them.
Here are a few of our favorite videos from the places we cover in our blog.
More
No 'Easy Answer' To Growing Number Of Stray Dogs In The U.S., Advocate Says
Author Peter Zheutlin never wanted a dog, let alone a rescue. He had always believed, as a lot of people do, that rescue dogs are damaged goods.
Now Zheutlin can't imagine life without a dog, and he's become so driven by the issue of stray dogs that he's written two books about it. He tells Here & Now's Lisa Mullinsthe number of stray dogs has "cascaded out of control" in some parts of the U.S.
"People are often very often surprised when I tell them that the picture ... of dogs running on highways and so forth, this is not just a third world problem — that exists here in the United States," says Zheutlin, author of the new book, Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living with Purpose, Loving with Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things.
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Now Zheutlin can't imagine life without a dog, and he's become so driven by the issue of stray dogs that he's written two books about it. He tells Here & Now's Lisa Mullinsthe number of stray dogs has "cascaded out of control" in some parts of the U.S.
"People are often very often surprised when I tell them that the picture ... of dogs running on highways and so forth, this is not just a third world problem — that exists here in the United States," says Zheutlin, author of the new book, Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living with Purpose, Loving with Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things.
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NOI 12/28/17 Wicomico Dwelling Fire South Division Street
NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION
Date: 12/28/17
Time: 2:09 p.m.
Location / Address: 712 S. Division St., Salisbury, Wicomico Co.
Type of Incident: Fire
Description of Structure / Property: 1-1/2 story wood frame single family dwelling
Owner / Occupants: Jay Winik (Owner) / Daryl Johnson (Occupant)
Injuries or Deaths: None
Estimated $ Loss: Structure: $50,000 Contents: $10,000
Smoke Alarm Status: Present and activated
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Status: n/a
Arrests(s): None
Primary Responding Fire Department: Salisbury
# of Alarms: 1 # Of Firefighters: 30
Time to Control: 60 minutes
Discovered By: Occupant
Area of Origin: Void space between first floor and attic
Preliminary Cause: Accidental, electrical branch failure
FCC approves 1st Power at Distance Wireless Charging
The Energous Corporation’s Watt Up device lets users charge their electronics, regardless of the manufacturer, without being connected to the charger through the use of radio frequencies.
According to the company, Watt Up underwent months of rigorous testing to make sure that it met consumer safety and regulatory requirements prior to the FCC's approval.
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Cuomo: GOP Tax Law Potentially ‘Unconstitutional,’ ‘Double Taxation’
Thursday on CNN’s “New Day,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) said the Republican tax law could be unconstitutional “double taxation.”
Cuomo said, “One of the devilish things in the bill, they eliminate the deductibility of state taxes, and it is a mouthful but what it says is up until now, over 100 years, you pay the local tax and state tax and deducted that from your federal tax, and they are eliminating that. You are now paying two taxes. You pay a tax to the [state] or local government, and then the federal government taxes that tax. It happens to occur coincidentally only in blue states only Democratic states.”
More here
Cuomo said, “One of the devilish things in the bill, they eliminate the deductibility of state taxes, and it is a mouthful but what it says is up until now, over 100 years, you pay the local tax and state tax and deducted that from your federal tax, and they are eliminating that. You are now paying two taxes. You pay a tax to the [state] or local government, and then the federal government taxes that tax. It happens to occur coincidentally only in blue states only Democratic states.”
More here
Can America Survive as a Post-Christian Nation?
We’re giving man back to his human nature.
If I had to pick one of the most under-appreciated and under-reported stories of 2017, it would be that a post-Christian America is a more vicious America, and that the triumph of secularists is rendering America more polarized, not less. Remove from the public square biblical admonitions such as “love your enemies” and the hatred has more room to grow. When the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control — wither, then the culture is far more coarse.
Not everyone’s missing the story, of course. Both Ross Douthat and The Atlantic’s Peter Beinart have written powerfully on the topic, with Beinart noting how the rise of a post-Christian Left has mirrored the rise of a post-Christian Right. Beinart’s conclusion is correct:
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California Supreme Court Set For Ruling That Could Cut Pensions For Public Workers
For decades now public pensions have been guided by one universal rule which stipulates that current public employees can not be 'financially injured' by having their future benefits reduced. On the other hand, that 'universal rule' also necessarily stipulates thattaxpayers can be absolutely steamrolled by whatever tax hikes are necessary to fulfill the bloated pension benefits that unions promise themselves.
Alas, that one 'universal rule' may finally be at risk as the California Supreme Court is currently considering a case which coulddetermine whether taxpayers have an unlimited obligation to simply fork over whatever pension benefits are demanded of them or whether there is some "reasonableness" test that must be applied. Here's more from VC Star:
At issue is the "California Rule," which dates to court rulings beginning in 1947. It says workers enter a contract with their employer on their first day of work, entitling them to retirement benefits that can never be diminished unless replaced with similar benefits.
It's widely accepted that retirement benefits linked to work already performed cannot be touched. But the California Rule is controversial because it prohibits even prospective changes for work the employee has not yet done.
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Alas, that one 'universal rule' may finally be at risk as the California Supreme Court is currently considering a case which coulddetermine whether taxpayers have an unlimited obligation to simply fork over whatever pension benefits are demanded of them or whether there is some "reasonableness" test that must be applied. Here's more from VC Star:
At issue is the "California Rule," which dates to court rulings beginning in 1947. It says workers enter a contract with their employer on their first day of work, entitling them to retirement benefits that can never be diminished unless replaced with similar benefits.
It's widely accepted that retirement benefits linked to work already performed cannot be touched. But the California Rule is controversial because it prohibits even prospective changes for work the employee has not yet done.
More
18 States will raise their Minimum Wage on January 1
While the White House and members of the GOP package the sweeping tax code overhaul as a win for the average American, low-wage workers may be hit the hardest.
This setback comes as the U.S. minimum wage has remained stagnant over the last decade. The last time the federal minimum wage increased was in July 2009, from $6.55 to $7.25. However, now 18 states are taking matters into their own hands, raising the minimum wage, effective January 1, 2018.
Ten states are doing so as the result of legislation over the last few years. Eight states will have smaller inflation-adjusted increases.
4.5 million workers
Left-leaning think tank Economic Policy Institute estimates that the increases will benefit 4.5 million workers. In the absence of Congress raising the wage floor, states and cities are tasking themselves with paying the lowest rung of workers a bit more.
“Increasing the minimum wage is a crucial tool to help stop growing wage inequality, particularly for women and people of color who disproportionately hold minimum wage jobs,” according to EPI economic analyst Janelle Jones.
Though the economy has been humming along, wage growth is lackluster and low-income workers have been disproportionately affected.
“For much of the past three decades, the wages of those at the bottom of the wage distribution have failed to keep up with overall economic gains. Most of the wage increase has occurred among the top half of the wage distribution, especially since the 1990s,” said UMass Amherst economics professor Arindrajit Dube.
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This setback comes as the U.S. minimum wage has remained stagnant over the last decade. The last time the federal minimum wage increased was in July 2009, from $6.55 to $7.25. However, now 18 states are taking matters into their own hands, raising the minimum wage, effective January 1, 2018.
Ten states are doing so as the result of legislation over the last few years. Eight states will have smaller inflation-adjusted increases.
4.5 million workers
Left-leaning think tank Economic Policy Institute estimates that the increases will benefit 4.5 million workers. In the absence of Congress raising the wage floor, states and cities are tasking themselves with paying the lowest rung of workers a bit more.
“Increasing the minimum wage is a crucial tool to help stop growing wage inequality, particularly for women and people of color who disproportionately hold minimum wage jobs,” according to EPI economic analyst Janelle Jones.
Though the economy has been humming along, wage growth is lackluster and low-income workers have been disproportionately affected.
“For much of the past three decades, the wages of those at the bottom of the wage distribution have failed to keep up with overall economic gains. Most of the wage increase has occurred among the top half of the wage distribution, especially since the 1990s,” said UMass Amherst economics professor Arindrajit Dube.
More
Huma Abedin's cousin convicted in fraud case
A first cousin of Huma Abedin, a former aide to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and soon to be ex-wife of disgraced former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, was convicted Tuesday in a fraud case involving fake emails.
Omar Amanat, 44, and his colleague Kaleil Tuzman face more than a decade in prison after a jury in New York City found the pair guilty of cooking the books and defrauding shareholders of the technology company Kit Digital between 2010 and 2012.
Amanat’s brother, Irfan Amana, was also arrested in the United Arab Emirates and faces charges of fraud with the same tech firm, the New York Post reported.
"The evidence of their criminal schemes was so overwhelming that Amanat actually tried to fool the jury by introducing fake emails into the record as exculpatory 'evidence' in this trial," Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said in a release.
More here
Omar Amanat, 44, and his colleague Kaleil Tuzman face more than a decade in prison after a jury in New York City found the pair guilty of cooking the books and defrauding shareholders of the technology company Kit Digital between 2010 and 2012.
Amanat’s brother, Irfan Amana, was also arrested in the United Arab Emirates and faces charges of fraud with the same tech firm, the New York Post reported.
"The evidence of their criminal schemes was so overwhelming that Amanat actually tried to fool the jury by introducing fake emails into the record as exculpatory 'evidence' in this trial," Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said in a release.
More here
STATE FIRE MARSHAL SUGGESTS ATTENDING PUBLIC FIREWORKS DISPLAYS TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR
STATEWIDE (December 29, 2017) – With the arrival of the highly anticipated New Year, State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci is suggesting that Marylanders should attend public fireworks displays. “I would suggest the safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend one of the public fireworks displays offered throughout the state.” stated Geraci. To help Marylanders enjoy a safer start to the New Year, the State Fire Marshal offers several ways to enjoy fireworks while avoiding injury:
- Consider attending a professional public fireworks display instead of taking the chance on a potential injury from a private display. Leave fireworks to the professionals.
For those individuals who insist on the use of consumer fireworks:
- Purchase the fireworks in the location where you intend to discharge them. Check with the local municipality to determine what fireworks are considered legal for use in that area.
- Read and follow label warnings and instructions.
- Do not allow small children to use fireworks.
- Do not consume alcoholic beverages while using fireworks.
- Have a bucket of water or hose available
- Fully extinguish the remains of fireworks in water before disposal.
“Fireworks have been a long tradition of New Year’s celebrations. Please make safety your number one priority so everyone can enjoy the holiday season.” adds the State Fire Marshal. “By acting responsibly, we can help eliminate fireworks injuries and property damage in the great State of Maryland.”
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