Author: PoP Sponsor (a)

By Criminal Defense Attorney Kush Arora of Price Benowitz LLP

Maryland is one of many states that has experienced many tragic shootings. Most recently, a man in Baltimore shot and killed two people while injuring ten others at a video game tournament.

In addition to this tragic incident, a high school student at Great Mills High School was killed by a 17-year-old gunman. A newspaper office in the capital was also the site of a tragic shooting that killed five employees. These shootings have all occurred within the last year, which has prompted lawmakers to tighten gun control in the state.

One of the new laws is the red flag law, a law many other states have already enacted. This law states that courts can be petitioned to have firearms taken away from those deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.

The new law states that only police, medical professionals, close relatives and those in a romantic relationship with the person can petition the court. Lawmakers have stated though, that they will consider expanding the categories of those eligible to submit a petition.

In addition to this law, lawmakers have also banned bump stocks. These stocks are accessories for semi-automatic rifles that increase the firing rate of those firearms. A bump stock was used during the Las Vegas shooting in October of 2017.

The new laws also focus on those that have been convicted of domestic abuse. While these individuals have not been allowed to purchase new firearms, they will now also be required to turn in any firearms they had previously owned.

The new laws are meant to keep those in Baltimore and throughout Maryland safe. Some critics say though, the new laws are going too far, particularly if more people can petition a court under the red flag law. The criticism stems from the fact that anyone would be able to identify someone as a threat, and innocent people would have their firearms, and their rights, taken away.

“Maryland already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country,” says Kush Arora of Price Benowitz, LLP. “Of course it is important to keep all citizens of the state safe. Often, this means creating new laws. However, it is just as important that lawmakers ensure they are not impeding on anyone’s freedoms provided by the Second Amendment while doing so. Whether or not these new laws, or more in the future, will be an infringement remains to be seen.”

Happy Monday! The following is a list of featured events for the upcoming week, as submitted to our event calendar.

Fast Foward Series: The Future of Hospitality featuring Sheila Johnson
Thursday, December 13 from 6:30-8 p.m.
@ Halcyon (3400 Prospect Street NW)

The Fall 2018 Fast Forward series kicks off with this conversation between Bluemercury CEO and Founder Marla Beck and Sheila Johnson, CEO and founder of Salamander Hotels & Resorts. Ms. Beck and Ms. Johnson will discuss the future of hospitality.

Pop Georgetown
Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
1631 Wisconsin Avenue NW

Shop Local in Georgetown! Pop Georgetown is a retail pop-up store featuring art, accessories, apparel, home decor, personal care and packaged food products from local makers and entrepreneurs. Pop Georgetown activates unused retail space to compliment existing retail by creating a unique destination and will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from December 15-January 21.

AF Pop-Up Returns to Washington, DC
Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
@ Union Market (1309 5th Street NE)

AF is the pop-up that combines the best of a food and beverage smorgasbord with a fashion and lifestyle flea market. AF puts a spotlight on authentic, high quality products and experiences and connects makers and startups within the fashion, food, lifestyle and home industries directly with consumers, creating a fun and engaging marketplace.

Let’s face it: for many people, the most annoying thing about owning a car is the time and effort it takes to keep it looking good and running smoothly.

All too often, getting your car serviced, cleaned or repaired means either taking time away from work or sacrificing your weekend to bring it into the dealership, car wash or body shop. Carvoodoo provides a simple alternative: they pick your car up, bring it in to be serviced and return it to you when the work is done.

Launched in 2017 by three Vanderbilt graduates who know first-hand how much of a pain it is to waste time in a dealership waiting room or line at a car wash, Carvoodoo was built to make your life easier. Whether you need your car cleaned, repaired, inspected or just serviced at your preferred dealership, Carvoodoo has you covered.

With Carvoodoo, getting your car serviced, repaired or cleaned is as quick and easy as ordering groceries from Instacart or dinner from Postmates. Once you’ve created an account on carvoodoo.com on your desktop or mobile device, you can schedule a service with a few taps or clicks, and Carvoodoo will handle the rest.

Their crew members will make the arrangements with a trusted service provider, pick up your vehicle, take it to be serviced and ensure the work is completed satisfactorily, keeping you updated on your vehicle’s status throughout the process.

When your car is ready, a crew member will return it to your home or office, or any other location of your choosing.

In addition to saving you time and effort, Carvoodoo takes the guess work out of car ownership by negotiating parts & labor costs on your behalf and providing a layer of quality control, so you can be confident that the work done on your car is priced fairly and completed properly.

Book now and get 15% off your first order with promo code POPVILLE15.

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From now through January of 2019, Washington Improv Theater is offering a record number of free improv workshops to the public. Twelve “Improv for All” workshops are currently on the books (in seven out of eight wards in DC), with more being added every week.

What’s an Improv for All workshop?

• It’s a high-fun, low-stress class designed to show you how improvisers create spontaneous, off-the-cuff theater.
• It’s for everyone: You don’t need theater experience. You don’t need to be a “funny person.” Just come in ready to have a good time.
• It’s a way to learn about yourself: Whether you’re a nonprofit employee, a corporate lawyer, a software engineer or a teacher, you’ve got something to gain from taking improv. Trying something new that makes you laugh is good for your brain and for your soul.

You can find workshops at places like Anacostia Arts Center (Ward 8), Deanwood Library (Ward 7), Petworth Neighborhood Library (Ward 4), Source Theater (Ward 1) and more! For a full list of locations and times, check out the calendar.

If you like it and can’t wait for more, you can sign up for an eight-week Foundations of Improv class starting in the new year!

Want to catch WIT on stage as well? Use the code TICKETSFORTWO to get two tickets to the winter improv spectacular Seasonal Disorder for just $25.

It’s been said that the 7 most expensive words in business are “this is how we’ve always done it.” Yet, remarkably, there are still a handful of billion-dollar industries plagued by an unwillingness to change.

For decades, residential real estate brokerages have enjoyed enormous profits while providing a poor customer experience, simply because consumers lacked options.

Not anymore.

Houwzer, a modern real estate agency, is offering consumers a better alternative by saving home sellers an average of $15,000 and providing home buyers a pressure-free experience with their top rated, salaried agents.

Here’s how they do it.

They slash the cost of selling a home in half.

In a typical real estate transaction, the seller pays a steep 6% of their home’s selling price in commissions — 3% to their listing agent and 3% to the buyer’s agent.

When you sell with Houwzer, you only pay their full service listing agents a flat $5,000 fee plus 2.5% to the buyer’s agent at closing. That’s a savings of $16,000 on a $600,000 home.

Many sellers are so happy with Houwzer’s service they decide to buy their next home with Houwzer and refer their friends. This is where Houwzer makes the bulk of their money.

They train salaried agents to improve the customer experience. (more…)