The city of Seattle has dismantled the Black Lives Matter Memorial Garden after rampant homelessness and drug use overran the area‚ posing significant risks to the public.In 2020‚ amid heightened racial tensions and anti-police fervor‚ Seattle activists established the garden in Cal Anderson Park‚ located in Capitol Hill‚ the home of the infamous former Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Organizers of the garden claimed it was intended to memorialize victims of police violence and to provide organic food for underserved communities.However‚ seemingly from the beginning‚ the garden has been plagued by violence and filth‚ creating significant "public health and public safety issues" in the area‚ a statement from Seattle Parks and Recreation claimed. According to the statement‚ members of Seattle's Unified Care Team have conducted 76 tent encampment removals in just the past year alone "to keep public spaces clean‚ open‚ and accessible to all."The garden has also become a hotspot for illicit drug use‚ creating other issues for area residents. Other problems in the garden include "vandalism of Cal Anderson public bathrooms" and an infestation of rodents‚ the statement said.To alleviate these problems and to begin much-needed maintenance projects‚ such as "reseeding the area and turf restoration‚" the city decided to remove the garden entirely. Early Wednesday morning‚ parks and rec officials and a team of Seattle police officers cordoned off the area and began removing the garden. Black Star Farmers‚ the group that has been entrusted with maintaining the garden for the past three years‚ briefly filmed the removal process and urged followers to "come to the garden now" and denounce "the violent destruction of this beautiful garden." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Black Star Farmers (@blackstarfarmers) The parks and rec department defended the removal decision‚ calling the garden "temporary" and "makeshift" and insisting that officials had been "in frequent communication with community activists since 2020 offering alternative locations for a garden‚ both within Cal Anderson Park‚ as well as in other Seattle parks‚" to no avail. The department had intended to remove the garden back in October but delayed the move after receiving serious pushback from groups like Black Star Farmers.While BSF has claimed that removing the garden is yet another example of "egregious exploitation" foisted on the world by American "neoliberal free trade policies and excessive militarism‚" according to the parks and rec statement‚ other so-called black activists claimed they didn't even know the garden existed and claimed that BSF had been "hijacking" the BLM "movement.""I wasn’t aware that there was a garden in remembrance of victims of police use of deadly force‚ which makes me wonder if this garden is truly reflective of impacted families‚" said Katrina Johnson‚ a cousin of Charleena Lyles‚ the pregnant mother of four who was fatally shot by police in 2017."To make a garden without reaching out to families and even letting them know about it tells me that this is not about our loved ones but about folks hijacking the movement and trying to make a name for themselves off of our pain and that is simply not OK‚" she added.Darrell Powell‚ the president of the Seattle/King County chapter of the NAACP‚ expressed similar sentiments. "The black community is unaware of the existence of the garden‚ and the garden does not represent in any meaningful sense the vast number of Black Lives extinguished by police violence‚" he said. He also characterized the garden as "another example of white co-opting."Seattle Parks and Recreation indicated that Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell will partner with black leaders to "conceptualize a new commemorative garden at Cal Anderson Park." It is unclear when construction of such a new garden might begin. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A new Biden rule is about to blindside 32 million small businesses with traps that could land entrepreneurs in jail. The Corporate Transparency Act goes into effect on January 1‚ 2024‚ and has been marketed as a way to prevent money laundering — but it suspiciously only targets the smallest of small businesses. “What this looks like is‚ ‘Let’s attack the smallest business owners that we have in our economy and get them to close their doors!' That’s what it feels like to me‚” Glenn Beck explains. Former investment banker Carol Roth agrees. “It’s part that‚ and it’s part a massive data collection program that nobody knows about‚” Roth tells Glenn. “If you’re a single-member LLC or if your business has an S corp‚ even if you don’t have employees‚ you’re impacted‚” Roth continues‚ adding that those businesses will “have to register with a group that’s out of the treasury called FINSEN‚ which is the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.” However‚ if you’re a large business owner with at least 20 employees and $5 million in revenue‚ you’re exempt. “What crappy money launderer are you that you’re not at least making $5 million?” Glenn comments‚ shocked. “You’re money laundering for Doritos‚” Roth laughs. “That’s what the ridiculousness of it is‚ the burden‚ the invasion of privacy‚ the collection of small business information.” Meanwhile‚ Hunter Biden‚ who makes $5 million in one job‚ walks free. It will cost small businesses $85 to prepare and submit the initial beneficial ownership information report. “And if you don’t do it exactly right‚ a massive fine is coming your way‚” Glenn says‚ to which Roth adds‚ “Not only fine‚ but you could also go to jail.” The jail penalty is enforced if a small business owner does not participate. The rule was proposed in January 2020 when Trump was still in office. “It went to his desk‚ both houses voted for it‚ went to his desk — he vetoed it‚” Glenn says. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Wednesday new rules regarding migrant buses arriving in the sanctuary city.Adams followed Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's lead by enacting new restrictions in an attempt to thwart Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott's busing efforts.Last month‚ Chicago implemented regulations concerning where and when buses can drop off migrants‚ Blaze News previously reported. Bus companies that fail to comply with the restriction could have their vehicles impounded and face up to $3‚000 in fines. Johnson claimed that the companies responded to Chicago's rules by cutting off communication regarding drop-off times and locations. On Wednesday‚ Adams decided to implement similar restrictions. According to his new executive order‚ bus companies transporting migrants to New York City must give city officials 32 hours' notice. Migrants must also be dropped off between 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. Monday through Friday at one designated location. According to Adams‚ 14 "rogue" charter buses carrying migrants arrived in one evening.Companies that refuse to comply with Adams' order could be charged with a class B misdemeanor‚ which includes penalties of up to three months in prison‚ a $500 maximum fine for individuals‚ and a $2‚000 maximum fine for corporations. Buses may also be impounded. "We've begun to see another surge of migrants arriving. We expect this to intensify over the coming days as a result of @GovAbbott's cruel and inhumane politics‚" the mayor posted on X Wednesday.Adams noted that he is "proud to stand with" Johnson‚ and he renewed calls for the federal government to step up and address the migrant crisis. "We are proud to have helped nearly 60 percent of the more than 161‚000 migrants who have come through our intake system move out of shelter‚" he stated. "But cities cannot continue to do the federal government's job for them. We need federal and state help to resettle and support the remaining 68‚000 migrants currently in New York City's care and the thousands of individuals who continue to arrive every single week‚ and for Governor Abbott to finally stop the games and use of migrants as political pawns."As a result of Johnson's efforts to slow down the buses‚ Abbott's office began flying migrants into Chicago. Fox News Digital reported that Texas is also flying migrants into New York City.Renae Eze told the news outlet‚ "The hypocrisy of Mayor Adams is astounding. Mayor Adams had touted New York City's self-declared sanctuary city status‚ then sent his own buses of migrants out to small towns in New York. Texas has only transported about 32‚000 migrants to New York City‚ while President Biden has been flying planeloads of migrants all around the country and oftentimes in the cover of night.""With millions of residents‚ New York is only dealing with a fraction of what our small border communities deal with on a day-to-day basis‚" she continued. "Until President Biden steps up and does his job to secure the border‚ Texas will continue busing migrants to sanctuary cities to help our local partners respond to this Biden-made crisis." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Damon Packard's movie diary Damon Packard is the Los Angeles-based filmmaker behind such underground classics as “Reflections of Evil‚” “The Untitled Star Wars Mockumentary‚” “Foxfur‚” and “Fatal Pulse.” His AI-generated work recently appeared as interstitials for the 18th annual American Cinematheque Horrorthon and can be enjoyed on his YouTube channel. After a long day making movies or otherwise making ends meet‚ he likes to unwind with late-night excursions to the multiplexes and art house cinemas of greater Los Angeles. December 9‚ "Poor Things" (d. Yorgos Lanthimos)‚ AMC Burbank 16 I've read that some people dismiss this as "just another superficially empowering girlboss narrative." And one friend of mine walked out in utter boredom. But I like Lanthimos‚ and I like his aesthetic and artsy European sensibilities (a blend of Fellini‚ Fassbinder‚ Gilliam‚ Caro/Jeunet‚ etc.). I guess what didn't work for me was the eccentric humor. I just didn't find it as clever or funny as it was trying to be. Don't get me wrong: There's a lot to like here‚ including the production design‚ the French brothel‚ the bizarre Kathryn Hunter character‚ the beauty of Emma Stone‚ and the excellent cast. Not to mention the use of Optex 4mm ultra-wide fish-eyes as well as antique 58mm and 85mm Petzval lenses and the fact that it's the first major feature to shoot on 35mm Ektachrome (though can you really tell in the end after all the obligatory digital tampering?).December 11 RIP Ryan O'Neal. A great actor and a true Irishman. December 14‚ "Zoot Suit" (1981‚ d. Luis Valdez)‚ the Academy Museum They are screening "Zoot Suit" in a very rare 70mm print tonight at the Academy. It's probably the same print that ran at the Dome in Sensurround in 1981. The story of the Zoot Suiters is really fascinating‚ and to this day there are some groups keeping the tradition alive. They really brought some style and pizzazz to an otherwise drab and formal era. But I'm on the fence‚ as I'd have to bolt out the door right now (two hours before showtime) in order to navigate peak traffic and parking. Update: Took me 30 minutes just to go two blocks. I'm going to have to turn around. I have to leave three hours in advance to make a 7:00 p.m. show now. It's insane‚ especially when I can literally drive from where I am in West L.A. to Santa Barbara or even San Diego in LESS time than it takes me to go seven or eight miles in L.A. December 14 (later)‚ trailer for "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" The Gen-Xers are almost seniors‚ the Boomers are refusing the convalescent homes‚ a former movie rental subscription service now has more power and money than all the studios combined‚ and Eddie Murphy more or less looks the same. December 14 (later)‚ "The Zone of Interest" (d. Jonathan Glazer)‚ AMC Century City 15 This I've been looking forward to. Jonathan Glazer is the real deal. And 11 p.m. is a proper showtime. A fascinating‚ disturbing look at the day-to-day domestic life of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his family. Since the horrors inside the camp are only suggested by what we hear‚ this is a movie that relies heavily on its (superb) sound design and very much needs to be experienced in a proper cinema with high-end multi-channel audio. I cannot imagine something like this working on a phone‚ computer screen‚ or small TV. And I can't imagine anyone pulling this off without today's advanced recording technology. The attention to everyday detail‚ casting‚ and authenticity is superb‚ to say the least. Terrence Malick's "A Hidden Life" showed us we would all join the Nazi Party in a hot second under the right pressure. This movie shows us we're all in the Nazi Party already — we just don't know it. Rex Reed says "do not miss this film‚" and he's right. December 16 I finished my unauthorized "sequel" to Nicole Kidman's AMC Theaters promo. You can watch it here. This time Nicole takes us back to 1200 A.D. Made mostly with Runway and Leonardo and featuring sound from the 2013 Russian movie "Hard to Be a God." December 20 ‚ "Winter Kills" (1979‚ d. William Richert)‚ Vintage Cinemas Los Feliz 3 Los Feliz rainy nights have returned with a 35mm print of "Winter Kills" courtesy of Rialto Pictures. (Shout-out to Tom the projectionist.) Featuring Belinda Bauer‚ who went on to star in "The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire" (1981) and "Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann." She now works as a "spiritual therapist" in Los Angeles. Believe it or not‚ I matched with her on OkCupid some years ago. She told me Lauren Hutton was often getting the parts she was up for. Unfortunately I think the fact that I knew who she was and was so smitten with her sword-and-sorcery phase scared her off fast. December 21‚ "Wonka" (d. Paul King)‚ AMC Santa Monica 7 I guess it's a 10 p.m. of that awful-looking "Wonka" thing tonight at the AMC Promenade. A friend of mine (Matthew Wilder‚ who wrote a couple of Paul Schrader films) told me this was good and I should see it. Why not? I have the AMC Stubs thing‚ so it's essentially free‚ and I like to get out at night. I'm not one of those people who do things during the day. Update: Left after 45 minutes. Instant boredom. December 22‚ "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" (d. James Wan)‚ AMC Burbank 16 Sigh‚ looks like it's an 11:30 p.m. of that "Aquaman" garbage tonight. Believe me when I tell you there was no other choice. Update: Got through 90 minutes of cartoony CGI and left. Master director James Wan does it again! December 25‚ "Ferrari" (d. Michael Mann)‚ AMC Marina Marketplace 6 Catching an 11 p.m. show at this cruddy little AMC Marina Del Rey multiplex nobody goes to. Not a single person here tonight but me. This is not a good place to see a movie. Seats are comfortable‚ but the screens are too small. The exterior did feel strangely familiar. When I walked up to it I thought‚ "I remember going to this place 100 million years ago." Sure enough‚ I checked Cinema Treasures and this used to be the old UA Marina‚ where I saw "Poltergeist" in 70mm when I was 14. A much better theater back then. Update: Oof! That was rough. Dull‚ sloppy‚ maudlin melodrama with silly accents and a couple of CGI car crashes that looked like they came from a PlayStation 3 game.

It belongs on any short list of the best live albums ever‚ while serving as a coda to the group’s groundbreaking influence. The post The Band ‘Rock of Ages’: Their Live Pinnacle? appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

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When Phantom Liberty was released for Cyberpunk 2077‚ the game received an overhaul to not only gameplay elements‚ but its RPG systems as well. As such‚ the way you could build your character changed‚ as is the case with the Headhunter build.

Animals in Baldur's Gate 3 add a lot of color and context to the events around you as you travel the Forgotten Realms. Whether it's commenting on the weather‚ cracking a joke‚ or giving crucial clues for quests‚ animals can be a source of a lot of exclusive information that would otherwise go unheard if you don't know how to speak to them.

Like any other genre‚ anime fans are drawn to superpowers as they provide a fantastical escape from reality. Fans immerse themselves completely in settings where characters possess extraordinary abilities‚ which offers them a mental break from the limitations of their mundane life. Though most superpowers are fairly straightforward‚ some of them are there to provide comedic relief because of their bizarre nature.