Find out which districts lose the most money.

"Where liberty dwells, there is my country" - Benjamin Franklin

"America is a tune. It must be sung together." - writer Gerald Stanley Lee

"Where liberty dwells, there is my country" - Benjamin Franklin

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." -- reporter Elmer Davis

"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it." - writer William Faulkner

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

"Those who won our independence believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty." - Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him." - President Abraham Lincoln

Freedom is the atmosphere in which humanity thrives. Breathe it in." - writer Richelle E. Goodrich

More patriotic gallery links:

Vintage photos of patriotic people in N.J.

Vintage photos of how NJ celebrated the nation's Bicentennial

Vintage photos of patriotic pride in N.J.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

James P. Guiney barricaded himself into a Middletown apartment before a 'peaceful resolution' early in the evening

A 39-year-old man who held a family member hostage was taken into custody Wednesday after a nine-hour standoff with police at a Middletown apartment complex, officials said. 

James P. Guiney, 39, was arrested on outstanding warrants during a "peaceful resolution" and is expected to face additional charges, the prosecutor's office said Wednesday. 

Police were called to an apartment on Kimberly Court in the McGuires Grove Complex just before 8 a.m. after receiving a call about a disturbance there. 

Guiney released the family member at some point as police, including a SWAT team, tried to convince him to leave the apartment, according to authorities.

SWAT standoff ends peacefully after 2 hours in North Jersey

Several nearby buildings were evacuated during the day. 

Police set off smoke grenades at about 4 p.m, according to APP.com. About a half-hour earlier, residents heard explosion-like sounds coming from behind a building in the complex, the website reported.

A spokesman for the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office told NJ Advance Media early Thursday that additional details about the incident would be released later in the day. 

Guiney was convicted on a conspiracy charge in 2009 and sentenced to two years probation, according to public records. He has a lengthy criminal history, mostly for drug offenses or other non-violent offenses, according to a search of the state's municipal court database. 

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The average residential property tax bill for schools is more than $9,000 in each of these towns. See if yours made the list.

Hundreds of thousands of people opposed to President Donald Trump's immigration policies are expected to rally and march in events across the country June 30.

First came the rainstorm, then came a colorful rainbow in the sky over Central New Jersey early Thursday evening.

Casinos can stay open, but regulators face furloughs, the state Attorney General's office said in a letter obtained by NJ Advance Media. A shutdown could also affect sports betting. Watch video

UPDATE: Talks between Murphy, lawmakers produce no deal yet again

New Jersey's racetrack and off-track wagering operators have been warned they'd be forced to close if the state government shuts down because Gov. Phil Murphy and lawmakers can't reach a state budget compromise by Saturday at midnight.

Atlantic City casinos, meanwhile, would be allowed to remain open for a week even as the state workers charged with regulating them are furloughed, according to two letters sent out Friday by divisions of the state Attorney General's Office and obtained by NJ Advance Media.

This could also temporarily shut down sports betting at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, only two weeks after such wagering became legal in New Jersey.

The only way you can place a sports bet in New Jersey right now is in person at casinos and tracks, and Monmouth Park is the only track with a sports book so far. Online sports wagering has not started yet. 

Casinos would still be allowed to take sports bets during a shutdown, the Attorney General's Office said.

Murphy vs. Sweeney: What to know

The letters come as Murphy and his fellow Democrats who control the state Legislature remain in a stalemate over New Jersey's new budget, which must be approved by the end of the month. Otherwise, Murphy could order a shutdown that could close state parks and beaches and close state offices and courts until a deal is reached. 

The news, which was first reported by Politico New Jersey, drew a rebuke from state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who has remained at loggerheads with Murphy over the state's finances. 

"They can't do that," Sweeney, D-Gloucester, told NJ Advance Media, after emerging from another negotiating session with the governor in Trenton on Friday morning. "There's already a law in place."

Under state law stemming from the 2006 shutdown, casinos and racetracks are allowed to remain open for up to a week if a state of emergency is declared because of a blown budget deadline. 

But a letter sent Friday by the director of the New Jersey Racing Commission said the law required racetrack operators to submit notice to the state by June 1 if they intended to stay open in the event of a shutdown. 

"No New Jersey racetrack has complied with the requirements," the letter claimed. 

But Dennis Drazin, the operator of Monmouth Park, said he did send such a letter to the commission before June 1. 

Drazin added he's "still waiting to see" what will happen.

"I take these things in stride," he added. "I do my job and I try to keep racing open. I try to cooperate with the governor." 

"At this point, we're a pawn on a chess board in a game I don't want to be playing," Drazin said. "But I want to do what's right by the state of New Jersey."

Which parks and beaches could close

A separate letter sent to Atlantic City casinos by the Division of Gaming Enforcement said they had met the deadline but state gambling enforcement officials "have not been deemed" essential employees and will have to be replaced by temporary workers paid for by the gambling halls.

The letter states that "while casinos can stay open without regulators present, certain internal controls must be in place so that private individuals complete the primary responsibilities that the regulators would otherwise fulfill."

The requirements include hiring an accountant to keep tabs on transactions and putting electronic monitoring in place of gambling activities. Casinos that fail to comply would face "enhanced penalties," the letter states. 

Murphy and top lawmakers disagree over which taxes to raise to pay for increases to public school funding, NJ Transit, and more. 

Murphy wants to increase income taxes on millionaires and revert the state sales tax to 7 percent form 6.625 percent. 

But Sweeney and state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, oppose those ideas, saying New Jersey is over-taxed.

Instead, lawmakers have offered to raise Corporation Business Taxes on the state's largest corporations to a nation-high 13 percent for four years, double the Realty Transfer Fee on high-end home sales to 2 percent and expand the sales tax to include short-term rentals.

Murphy met with Sweeney and Coughlin at his office Friday morning to discuss possible compromises. Sweeney said they will meet again in the afternoon. 

Lawmakers refused to divulge details of the morning sit-down.

"We're talking," Sweeney said. "I'm not gonna say anything else."

Asked if he's hopeful, Coughlin said: "I'm always hopeful. Hope springs eternal."

NJ Advance Media staff writers Matt Arco and Samantha Marcus contributed to this report.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

'I won't allow you or your sycophants to turn your cruelty into virtue,' Stewart told Trump in a guest appearance on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' Thursday, panning the president's immigration policy and 'Dickensian level of villainy' in separating children from their families. Watch video

Jon Stewart again popped up from his hiding place beneath Stephen Colbert's desk during an appearance on "The Late Show" Thursday to address President Donald Trump. 

The former "Daily Show" host, who grew up in Lawrenceville and owns an animal sanctuary with his wife in Colts Neck, is known for his meditations on Trump during guest appearances on the late-night show. He also recently appeared on a segment in which he proclaimed the existence of central New Jersey. 

"Hello, Donald!" Stewart, 55, began his message to Trump. "It's me! The guy you made sure everyone knew was Jewish on Twitter."

He was referring to Trump's 2013 tweet in which he posted, "I promise you that I'm much smarter than Jonathan Leibowitz - I mean Jon Stewart @TheDailyShow. Who, by the way, is totally overrated."

(Trump followed up that tweet with another saying how Stewart shouldn't have changed his last name and that he should "be proud of his heritage," while calling him a "total phony.")

"It's just we're all still having a little trouble adjusting to your presidency as it goes into its 500th year," an exasperated Stewart said, rubbing his face with his hands. 

He said that thanks to Trump, everything is backwards and upside down -- "Apparently now, Putin and Kim Jong Un are noble, intelligent role models and Canada's a bunch of giant ***holes." 

"You're redoing the postwar alliances only this time, we're with the Axis powers," Stewart continued. 

He told Trump that a hallmark of his presidency was that "no matter what you do, it always comes with an extra layer of gleeful cruelty and d**kishness." He said this could be seen in Trump's vehement opposition to NFL players taking a knee, in his implying that women who accused him of sexual assault were ugly and in his labeling of the media as enemies of the people. 

"It's not even partisan," Stewart said. "Anybody in the Republican Party who dares speak against you, they also must be humiliated, even if they have a terminal disease." In this, he referred to Sen. John McCain, who has brain cancer. 

He said the Trump doctrine is best explained by a clip from Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1982 film "Conan the Barbarian": "Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."

Stewart told Trump he could have enacted a more stringent border policy without going to the lengths his administration has gone in separating families.

"But I guess it wouldn't have felt right without a Dickensian level of villainy," he said. "You casually separated people seeking asylum from their children. From babies." 

So Stewart attempted to bargain with Trump, to give him something he'd want that could possibly compel him to back off of that "gleeful cruelty."

"How about we give you a giant building with gold toilets and your name on it?" he proposed, only to have Colbert, who lives in Montclair, creep up from underneath the whisper that was where Trump lived. Then how about a news network that would praise everything he did? Colbert informed Stewart about Fox News. Or maybe a volcano that would destroy a portion of Barack Obama's home state of Hawaii? Enter Colbert with the word on Kilauea.

Stewart gave up on those possibilities, but said he would draw the line on another matter: "I won't allow you or your sycophants to turn your cruelty into virtue." With that, he cued some clips of Trump's defenders calling him a strong leader, a fighter and a "compassionate human being." 

To explain the concept, Stewart referenced Abraham Lincoln's 1860 speech at Cooper Union. When he was yet to be president, Lincoln said slaveholders wanted free states to "cease to call slavery wrong and join them in calling it right." 

"What Donald Trump wants is for us to stop calling his cruelty and fear and divisiveness wrong, but to join him in calling it right," he said. "And this we cannot do," Stewart said, to applause that drowned out the end of his statement: "And by not yielding, we will prevail." He squeezed out an incomplete sentence as the cheering continued. "Unless, of course, the Democratic leadership continues to be a bunch of feckless ..." 

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.

Class 243 is the first class in New Jersey history to graduate under the new title of correctional police officers Watch video

TRENTON --  The state Department of Corrections presented badges to 147 new officers Thursday.

Acting DOC Director Marcus O. Hicks, Esq. administered the oath of office and presented each new officer with his or her badge.

During the ceremony at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in downtown Trenton, the department also celebrated recent officer promotions and presented individual awards and honors to 11 new officers.

Class President Officer Gregory P. Cinnella III pointed out in his address that "Class 243 has the distinction of being the first class in the history of New Jersey to graduate under the new title of correctional police officers."

He called the class, "One cohesive team charged with one righteous mission" and encouraged them to, "Hold your heads up high because we have earned every bit of our way here today."

The graduates of Class 243 come from 17 of New Jersey's 21 counties, with 28 from Essex County, and 20 from Middlesex County.

The rest of the officers and their county of residence:

Atlantic, 1; Bergen, 16; Burlington, 2; Camden, 3; Cape May, 1; Cumberland, 12; Gloucester, 2; Hudson, 10; Hunterdon, 1; Mercer, 11; Monmouth, 11; Ocean, 11; Passaic 7; Somerset, 1; Sussex, 2; and Union, 8.

Michael Mancuso may be reached at mmancuso@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @michaelmancuso, Instagram @michaelmancuso and Facebook @michaelmancuso
Follow NJ.com on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The sea-themed event benefits an organization dedicated to helping marine life. Watch video

Aspiring members of the underwater community gathered Saturday in Asbury Park to celebrate the fourth annual Promenade of Mermaids, which includes a parade and a colorful costume contest. 

The parade began on the boardwalk at 2 p.m. and was followed by the costume contest, which awarded prizes for adults and children.

Participants dressed up as mermaids, jellyfish, sea shells and other maritime creatures.

And despite being by the ocean, it was warm for the Saturday event.

"It's always very hot during the mermaid parade," said Julia Vargo, an Asbury Park resident who has attended the mermaid parade for the past four years. "You have to like the heat to like the mermaid parade. It's a cool way to round off pride month and I like that I live in a town that's pride friendly."

The mermaid parade draws a crowd every year, even though not everyone dressed in glitter and scales is actually registered in the parade.

Local artists and merchants also line the boardwalk selling mermaid inspired jewelry and memorabilia. Cindy Ciullo is one such vendor who owns Backward Glances in Asbury. 

"It's definitely more crowded here today," said Ciullo. "I think it's a combination of the parade and beach weather."

Debby Baskett, who has been a resident for about four years, is originally from California, and didn't mind the summer heat.

"Heck no, the heat isn't a deterrent. We have refreshments!" said Baskett. "The Jersey Shore is a lot different from California. They don't have boardwalks, but they also don't charge for beach access."

So along with the parade how do most Asbury Park residents celebrate the holiday weekend?

"With barbecues, the beach, getting a nice tan, and drinks!" said two mermaids named Melissa McCormack and Rachel Hess.

The event was free for the public to enjoy, but participation in the contest required a $10 donation.

Proceeds will support Rescue Ridge, an organization dedicated to saving animals along the Shore. 

Delaney Dryfoos contributed to this story.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

State Police responded to the scene early Sunday when two men were thrown off an ATV during an accident.

One man died and another was seriously injured early Sunday morning when they got into an ATV accident while off-roading in Millstone Township, New Jersey State Police said. 

Drew Bloodworth of Montvale, and Dylan Kells of Tom's River, were riding a John Deere Gator Utility Vehicle around 2 a.m. near 402 Millstone Road when they crashed and were ejected. 

State Police responded to the scene, and emergency service personnel pronounced Bloodworth, 22, dead at the scene from his injuries.

Kells, 21, was rushed to Capital health Regional Medical Center in Trenton and is being treated for "serious injuries," State Police Sgt. Jeff Flynn said Sunday. 

The incident is still under investigation, and police are not yet sure who was driving the ATV or what caused the crash, Flynn said. 

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

"Mermaids belong in the water," the event organizer said. Watch video

It was so hot the mermaids didn't want to get out of the water.

A day after the Asbury Park Promenade of Mermaids took over the boardwalk, they went for a swim Sunday in the Asbury Park Hotel swimming pool.

More than a dozen mermaids swam and relaxed in the pool with a few lounging on the pool deck for short periods of time.

"Mermaids belong in the water, " said Jenn Mehm, organizer of the Asbury Park Mermaid Promenade and swim.

Ed Murray may be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Ed on Twitter at @EdMurrayphoto. Find NJ.COM on Facebook.

New Jersey shelters and rescues have hundreds of animals available for adoption.

According to the Washington Post, new dog owners can expect to spend between $1,200 and $2,000 in the first year, and as much as $14,500 over their pup's lifetime for routine care costs alone. Unexpected accidents and illnesses also happen, and it can get expensive when they do.

Having the essentials can help alleviate the financial aspect of bringing home a puppy. Pet parents should plan for the following:

1. Good quality food: Read the ingredients to make sure the food is formulated for puppies and has meat as the first ingredient rather than food that is full of filler.

2. Comfortable bedding: Make sure the puppy has a warm and quiet place to rest.

3. Treats and toys: Treats are great training tools for a new puppy but should not make up more than 5% of his or her daily diet. When a new puppy comes home be sure to have a few interactive toys to keep them busy and help them learn to self-entertain.

4. Collar, ID tag, leash, and microchip: Safety is key. Microchipping a pet can save their life. Having a collar and nametag to identify the pet in case they get lost is also important.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

It's so hot, my hands are melting as I type this.

The sweltering hot temperatures paired with the upcoming 4th of July holiday made for a busy weekend at most New Jersey beaches

Smith is celebrating being alive by making a birthday appearance at his Vulgarthon film and podcast event in Red Bank this summer. The director, who has shed upwards of 40 pounds after suffering a heart attack, announced the 'thon on Twitter Monday.

After suffering a heart attack in February, Kevin Smith is celebrating being alive with a mini film and podcast fest in his native Red Bank.

Vulgarthon, a Red Bank event that Smith founded in 1998, is marking its 20th anniversary on August 2, which also happens to be Smith's 48th birthday.

"After the heart attack, I know I'm not even supposed to *be* here today, or that day," Smith tweeted on Monday, announcing the event's return with a reference to his classic 1994 film "Clerks."

It's unclear what the Vulgarthon lineup will be -- "Clerks"? "Vulgar"? "Dogma"? "Mallrats"? "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"? "Chasing Amy"? -- but Smith said the 'thon would take place at Bow Tie Cinemas in Red Bank (36 White St.) and consist of a lineup of five films followed by five podcasts.

The newly anointed Weight Watchers ambassador, who grew up in Highlands, has shed upwards of 40 pounds after suffering a massive heart attack during a break between two shows in Glendale, California. Smith posted photos of himself on social media that show his noticeably thinner frame and face.

He had already dropped 85 pounds several years before his "widow-maker" heart attack, but the director radically changed his eating habits afterward, joining his vegan daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, in going vegetarian -- despite his distaste for vegetables -- and trying the all-potato diet that helped Penn Jillette lose more than 100 pounds.

A total of 337 Vulgarthon tickets go on sale on Friday, July 6. But don't expect to buy them from the theater.

Staff at Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, Smith's store in Red Bank -- where his AMC reality series "Comic Book Men" is filmed -- said Smith would be sharing more details on where to get tickets in the coming days. 

Now is the time to take precautions. The risk of drowning is present for everyone.

Here's a look at the current water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and big bays around New Jersey as the July heat wave continues to scorch the region.

The incident was caught on a bystander's dash cam. Watch video

An erratic driver swerved, crashed and spun out during a harrowing 10-mile odyssey last week on I-195 that was recorded on a dashcam by another driver who called police and helped avert a potential catastrophe.

When John Barrett saw the car all over the road, he said he knew he had to intervene until police could arrive.

"For me, it was more important to basically put my hazards on, drop behind him, to document. Not to try to pull him over," Barrett said in a phone call with NJ Advance Media on Tuesday. "My wife and kids wouldn't like that too much if I started playing fake cop." 

Barrett's dashboard camera captured the blue car as it initially started veering out of its lane. Then things got crazy.

The car speeds ahead and is barely visible in the footage for a few minutes. Eventually, it crashes into a sign on the ride-hand shoulder, but crosses back and continues at a high rate of speed in the left lane. 

22 N.J. gas stations cited for violations after surprise inspections

"The only time I thought there was going to be an issue was when my car was hit my debris," from when the car hit the sign, said Barrett, who is the finance director for Hamilton Township in Mercer County. "I'm never going to put myself at risk. I was more concerned about the safety of others." 

Several minutes into the more than 10-mile pursuit, the car goes completely off the roadway and into the grassy median, spinning around and coming to rest alongside opposing traffic. The driver then makes a U-turn, and pulls back into the eastbound lane, re-entering the roadway. 

"He just went off the road," Barrett says in the video. "He's back on." 

As the car continues into Ocean County, Barrett said he could see a police cruiser approaching, about a mile behind. Just then, the car crashes into a white SUV, running it off the road. 

A trooper arrives almost immediately after, stopping the car around mile marker 23 in Jackson Township. 

NBC New York reported that the driver, 29-year-old Joseph Scott, was taken into custody. He faces criminal charges for having heroin and a syringe in the vehicle, as well as multiple driving violations. 

Barrett said he hopes the video will remind people ahead of the 4th of July holiday of the dangers of impaired driving. 

"They should really think twice, and certainly get an Uber or something or just decide not to drive," he said. 

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Holiday boat traffic may impede the team's efforts and increase the risk of injury to the team, the whale and the general public, so NOAA officials decided to wait almost a week to attempt the dangerous mission. Watch video

A rescue team will wait until after July 8 to attempt to free a humpback whale ensnared in fishing gear that has been spotted off the New Jersey coastline, officials say.

The whale was spotted a few miles offshore of Sandy Hook Bay around 2 p.m. Saturday. It is so entangled that a team of trained rescuers are being called in to help it, Jennifer Goebel, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said.

However, holiday boat traffic may impede the team's efforts and increase the risk of injury to the whale, the team and the public, so NOAA officials decided to wait almost a week before attempting the rescue mission.

"There appears to be a line around its rostrum, which is its head, (near) the blowhole," Goebel said.

Photos of the whale show a red and black buoy attached to the rope, and Gobel said it had gear caught in its mouth as well. Although officials determined this whale is not in immediate danger, entanglements can result in death, cause swimming and eating challenges and reduce the likelihood of it surviving long enough to reproduce, according to NOAA.

Paddleboarder gets close to a humpback whale

But the unpredictable creatures, which can weigh up to 30 metric tons, or over 44,000 pounds, are challenging for even experts to help, Goebel explained. Teams must keep a comfortable distance so the whale won't react in surprise and tip the boat while staying close enough to extend poles attached to specialized knives and cut the entangled gear.

Last year, a Canadian member of the Campobello Whale Rescue Team was struck and killed moments after a whale was freed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

"They got the whale totally disentangled, and then some kind of freak thing happened and the whale made a big flip," a Campobello team member told The Canadian Press.

Gobel said that of the 76 large whale entanglements confirmed nationwide in 2017, the Large Whale Entanglement Response Network was able to respond to 50 cases and fully- or partially-disentangle 25 animals.

The entangled humpback whale in the Raritan Bay is the same one that was spotted in October 2017. The following month, crews were able to cut part of the line, but when they searched for it again several times in December, they were unable to locate it.

If you see an entangled whale, reduce your speed, stay 100 yards away and report the sighting to the U.S. Coast Guard or NOAA.NOAA 

Saturday, when the whale was spotted near the shore, the U.S. Coast Guard and N.J. State Police created a safety zone around the whale, but within half an hour the whale submerged and could not be relocated again, Ann Marie Gorden, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, said.

In some cases, whale-chasers attach tracking devices to the gear entangled whales drag around in order to keep a close eye on them and look for chances to attempt another rescue mission.

That doesn't seem to be the case, however, for this whale as officials are asking the public report sightings to them.

Goebel said humpback whales are coastal, often following the small fish they feed on, so it is not out of the ordinary for a humpback to visit Raritan Bay.

If you do spot a whale, keep a distance of at least 100 yards, reduce your speed before you are half a mile away and never approach it head-on, NOAA officials said. Sightings should be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF 16 or the NOAA hotline at 866-755-6622.