Washington‚ D.C.‚ spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funding to refresh the mural that reads "Black Lives Matter" across multiple city blocks.The fresh paint job at what is officially called Black Lives Matter Plaza cost taxpayers $270‚000‚ Daily Fetched reported‚ despite a violent crime wave that is seeing a stark increase in robberies.D.C. Metropolitan Police data shows that crime increased nearly across the board in 2023. Homicide increased by 61 incidents through November 2023 compared to all of 2022‚ a 32% increase.Robberies saw a shocking 69% increase‚ which brought the entire category of violent crime up by 40% year over year. There was an increase of more than 1‚400 violent crimes in total.That's not all‚ however. Motor vehicle theft nearly doubled in the nation's capital‚ with a staggering 93% increase. While a 125% increase in arson represents a very small change (four incidents to nine incidents)‚ vehicle theft is a dramatic rise from 3‚302 to 6‚362. The category of "Theft (Other)" also increased by 23%‚ bringing all property crime up by 25%.In total‚ all crime in the city is up by 27%.Officially‚ the BLM mural was "donated" by Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2020 and spans two city blocks with 50-foot-tall letters‚ in yellow and all caps.The story behind the mural is described by the city as being inspired by "nationwide protests against police brutality‚ spurred on by the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville."There is no mention of the violence or death that took place during the riots of 2020‚ however. Instead‚ the city's guide referred to June 1‚ 2020‚ when "peaceful demonstrators – many of whom were from DC" were "met with violence and tear gas by federal forces between Lafayette Park and St. John’s Church."Disturbingly‚ this ignores the fact that the famous church was set on fire during those protests. As well‚ Secret Service members were injured during the riots‚ which later required a curfew to be put in place and the National Guard be called in.On the third day of protests‚ rioters also smashed the plate-glass window of a trade union building and started a fire in the lobby. Just days later‚ the official story continued‚ the BLM mural was unveiled‚ and the mayor announced that 16 Street NW would be renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Disinformation is a relatively new concept. While the media and the government will tell you it’s their humanitarian effort to protect the public from malicious false information‚ it’s really just a synonym for censorship and thought control. But when did this age of “disinformation” dawn? And what gave rise to it? Journalist Michael Shellenberger may have found the answer to those questions. Recently‚ he has unveiled what he calls a “new trove of documents” that he claims dwarf the Twitter Files in scale and importance. Files from an organization called the Cyber Threat Intelligence League‚ which were leaked by a whistleblower‚ expose "the birth of the anti-disinformation sector‚" reports Glenn Beck. These files reveal how the government‚ U.S. and U.K. military contractors and intelligence agencies‚ the media‚ and "sock puppet accounts" linked arms and found a loophole to dodge their inability to legally censor Americans’ free speech. As you might have suspected‚ it appears they’ve been using public-private partnerships to silence anyone who disagrees with their narrative. To get the full story‚ watch the clip below. 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.

During a Wednesday conference‚ JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon urged voters to support Republican Nikki Haley's 2024 presidential campaign.While onstage at the 2023 DealBook Summit‚ Dimon told the audience of business leaders‚ "Even if you're a very liberal Democrat‚ I urge you‚ help Nikki Haley‚ too. Get a choice on the Republican side that might be better than [Donald] Trump."According to CNBC‚ hedge fund manager Bill Ackman‚ Tesla CEO Elon Musk‚ Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav‚ and Disney CEO Bob Iger were present in the audience.On Tuesday‚ Americans for Prosperity Action‚ a conservative political network financed by Charles Koch‚ endorsed the former South Carolina governor. While Haley has risen in the polls in recent weeks‚ she remains far behind Trump. When asked whether he would support "anything but Trump‚" Dimon replied that he "would never say.""He might be the president; I have to live with that too‚" Dimon added.The JPMorgan Chase CEO also urged liberals to stop using the term "ultra-MAGA" to refer to individuals who support Trump."We're in New York City‚ the bastion of liberal society. We should stop talking about 'ultra-MAGA‚'" he stated‚ the Business Insider reported. "I think you're insulting a large group of people and then we're making assumptions and scapegoating … where somehow these people believe in Trump's family values and supporting the personal person. I don't think that's true."Dimon noted that the former president "wasn't wrong about China." "I think people need to stop denigrating each other all the time because people take a point of view that is slightly different than yours‚" he said.Trump fired back at Dimon for supporting Haley‚ calling the CEO a "highly overrated globalist." He accused Dimon of "quietly pushing another non-MAGA person."On Thursday‚ Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social‚ "I've never been a big Jamie Dimon fan‚ but had to live with this guy when he came begging to the White House.""I guess I don't have to live with him anymore‚ and that's a really good thing‚" he noted.In 2018‚ Dimon claimed he could beat Trump in a presidential bid. "I'm as tough as he is‚ I'm smarter than he is‚" Dimon said at the time. "I would be fine. He could punch me all he wants‚ it wouldn't work with me. I'd fight right back."Trump responded by accusing Dimon of being "a poor public speaker" and a "nervous mess." He also stated that the JPMorgan CEO lacked the "aptitude or 'smarts'" to win a presidential election."Otherwise he is wonderful‚" Trump stated. "I've made a lot of bankers‚ and others‚ look much smarter than they are with my great economic policy!"Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The White House was forced to clean up this week an unhelpful and confusing message posted to one of President Joe Biden's social media accounts suggesting that he had endorsed a formal ceasefire in Gaza. On Tuesday‚ the president's official X account posted this three-sentence statement: Hamas unleashed a terrorist attack because they fear nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace. To continue down the path of terror‚ violence‚ killing‚ and war is to give Hamas what they seek. We can’t do that. — (@) The statement suggested a "major shift in tone" and left open the possibility that he was accusing Israel of committing "terror" acts. More importantly‚ the statement was widely viewed as an outright endorsement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas‚ which the White House has been careful not to support while at the same time urging Israel to commit to short-term "humanitarian pauses" to allow the safe release of hostages.But a senior Biden administration official told Jewish Insider the president has not changed his policy regarding a ceasefire."The president continues to strongly believe that Israel has every right to defend itself from an active terrorist threat. We have seen Hamas officials say publicly that they want to try to commit the atrocities of October 7 again and again‚" the official said. "As the president has said many times‚ Israel has every right and even the responsibility to protect its citizens from an active terrorist threat‚ so the president continues to strongly stand with Israel as it defends itself from Hamas."In fact‚ the statement was pulled verbatim from a speech Biden gave last week‚ the context of which centered on ending the "cycle of violence" in the Middle East.The official said Biden "meant that we can’t lose hope for peace" and that his remarks reposted on social media were a "reference to how Hamas does not want peace.""We want this to be the last war‚ and we recognize that for that to happen‚ Hamas can't be the governing authority‚" the official told Jewish Insider. "They have to be out of power‚ because if you have Hamas in power‚ you’re likely to have another conflict."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In war‚ the Greek poet Aeschylus said‚ the first casualty is truth. In the war between Israel and Hamas‚ there have been plenty of opportunities for lies to achieve political ends. In the United States‚ we’re seeing the demonization of and crackdown on cryptocurrencies and stablecoins like Bitcoin and Tether. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) stirred crypto-skeptic politicians in Washington into a frenzy last month‚ alleging that Hamas funded its heinous attacks on Israeli civilians with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. This followed an initial report in the Wall Street Journal‚ which detailed a significant crypto fundraising operation by Hamas across various platforms. There were congressional hearings‚ press releases‚ and letters dispatched to various elements of the national security establishment and to the Biden administration itself‚ seeking to understand Hamas’ use of cryptocurrency and how it could move money undetected. Warren penned a letter with 28 other senators and 76 House members demanding answers on the alleged $130 million in crypto used by Hamas‚ relying on the Wall Street Journal’s story. The only problem is that the story was false. Or at least it was way overblown. For Warren‚ it was never about Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel. It was about seizing an opportunity for more control‚ regardless of the truth. Just days after publishing its exposé‚ the Journal was forced to correct its report after a simple analysis revealed that the multimillion figures were wrong. Evidence produced by the blockchain analytics firm Elliptic showed most of these funds were not sitting in Hamas-linked accounts but were likely brokerage and crypto exchange accounts where the funds originated. As any user of technologies like Bitcoin and other crypto exchanges knows‚ every transaction is publicly viewable on the blockchain using a block explorer. When those funds are purchased at regulated exchanges‚ authorities can trace and subpoena identifying information that these entities must collect from their customers. If Hamas and its agents were legally able to acquire thousands of dollars' worth of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies — not to mention hundreds of millions' worth — any user of a block explorer would easily have detected this. In fact‚ Hamas militants reportedly stopped accepting cryptocurrency donations once they realized how quickly those transactions would be flagged and ultimately halted by Israeli authorities. The same cannot be said for the rumored billions of dollars held by Hamas operatives in traditional bank accounts in countries throughout the world. With billions of dollars in Hamas funding in the global banking system and perhaps just a few thousand in various cryptocurrency wallets‚ one would think that political ire would be raised at banks that have aided and abetted Hamas funding. Instead‚ Warren and her anti-innovation colleagues continue to cite this fake news in their efforts to make open blockchain technology inaccessible to American consumers. Rather than an indictment against Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency‚ this episode reveals that many American progressive legislators are getting hoodwinked into banning or restricting a technology that offers tremendous social benefits. Technologies like Bitcoin offer sound digital money that can be sent to any computer or connected device worldwide. With a limited supply and a proof of work protocol that is both honest and fair‚ it’s a world of difference from the unlimited printing and ongoing debasement of the U.S. dollar. It is a revolution that many of us have only begun to grasp. Unfortunately‚ rather than embrace the positive effects such technologies could have on American society‚ too many tech-skeptical politicians are hooked on fake news and unable to resist advancing their goal of banning cryptocurrency for Americans. For Warren‚ it was never about Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel. It was about seizing an opportunity for more control‚ regardless of the truth.

The tail end of the ’70s saw superb music being made by some of rock's great veterans and by many who were new to the scene. The post 1979: The Year in 50 Classic Rock Albums appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

Further details have been revealed as to why Hall has filed a lawsuit to prevent Oates from selling his share of their joint venture Whole Oats Enterprises The post ‘I Can’t Go For That’: The Daryl Hall Lawsuit Against John Oates appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

In Episode 327 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger take a stroll through Williams Memorial Park in New London‚ Connecticut‚ to see the site of a former cemetery. The park was created in 1885 after Mayor Charles Williams generously agreed to fund the transfer of hundreds of graves to a newer cemetery on the outskirts of town. Today there’s an apartment building and houses on the land‚ but for more than a century‚ rumors have dogged this park that the workers only moved the headstones and that the bodies are still there. Special bonus content: An audiobook excerpt from Jeff Belanger’s new book‚ The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters. BECOME A LEGENDARY PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends CREDITS: Produced and hosted by: Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger Edited by: Ray Auger Theme Music by: John Judd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST FOR FREE: Apple Podcasts/iTunes | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Podcasts | TuneIn | iHeartRadio JOIN OUR SUPER-SECRET: New England Legends Facebook Group

Between Doom‚ Half-Life‚ BioShock‚ and dozens more‚ what I love about FPS games is how their simple mechanics - you aim‚ you shoot‚ you try not to get shot in return - can be modified and malleated into myriad different setups and circumstances. The principles remain the same‚ but developers can bend them around subjective visions and new‚ imaginative‚ additional mechanics. From Arkane‚ the creator of Dishonored‚ Prey‚ Dishonored 2‚ and this year’s Redfall‚ Deathloop remains one of the best examples of how the simple systems of the shooter can be reworked into a grander‚ completely unique‚ new type of game. Published by Bethesda‚ and recipient of PCGamesN’s Game of the Year for 2021‚ you can now get Deathloop for free with Prime Gaming. Continue reading Unique‚ 10/10 FPS game‚ and a former GOTY‚ is now available for free MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Deathloop review‚ Deathloop system requirements‚ The best FPS games on PC

Baldur’s Gate 3 patch 5 is launching soon according to Larian‚ as the creator of BG3 warns that the coming update will occupy a substantial 130 GB of hard drive space. Previously‚ there have been hints that the next Baldur’s Gate 3 update may feature an additional epilogue‚ which we’re all hoping will connect somehow to Karlach. However‚ Larian says patch 5 will need a lot of room‚ unless you’re prepared to completely uninstall and reinstall Baldur’s Gate 3 first. Continue reading New Baldur’s Gate 3 patch takes up 130 GB of your hard drive MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Baldur's Gate 3 builds‚ BG3 mods‚ Baldur's Gate 3 classes