An Internal Revenue Service whistleblower testified that first son Hunter Biden received almost $5 million in loans for personal expenses and attempted to avoid paying taxes on income he made from Ukrainian energy company Burisma.The loans were received as part of a series of borrowings during President Joe Biden's run for president‚ Just the News reported‚ from a Democratic donor named Kevin Patrick Morris.Over $5 million was lent to Hunter Biden‚ with funds used to pay off personal expenses and delinquent tax payments."Hunter received approximately $4.9 million in payments for personal expenses‚ again in the form of a loan and gift from Democratic donor Kevin Patrick Morris‚" IRS agent Joseph Ziegler told the House Ways and Means Committee in closed-door testimony."As stated in my previous testimony‚ I read a note from Hunter Biden’s 2020 tax return that Hunter Biden received a loan from a third party‚ known to be Kevin Patrick Morris‚ in paying off Hunter Biden’s delinquent taxes‚" he added.The whistleblower described a "pattern" of attempts to avoid paying taxes‚ including on income earned from the controversial energy company‚ Burisma Holdings Limited‚ for which Hunter Biden was a board member."Hunter appeared to follow a pattern of attempting to avoid paying taxes on relevant income. This first started with Hunter not reporting the Burisma income in 2014 and allegedly falsely claiming that it was a loan to him‚" Ziegler testified. "He‚ again‚ tried to claim the millions in income earned from Hudson West III was a loan to him‚ which was refuted by the evidence and was not allowed by his tax accountants."Hudson West III was a joint venture between Hunter Biden and Chinese businessman Gongwen Dong‚ according to the Washington Times.Ziegler went on to claim that the same donor‚ Morris‚ made a $160‚000 payment "in an attempt to pay off Hunter Biden’s delinquent 2015 tax debt‚ which was a point of contention with Hunter’s ex-wife at the time.""Hunter may have been in breach of his marital separation agreement‚ and Hunter’s ex-wife at the time was having an issue renewing her passport due to the delinquent tax debt‚" Ziegler went on.The revelations come at the same time it was revealed by whistleblowers that President Biden had allegedly been using alias email accounts to communicate directly with Hunter Biden's business partners.The president allegedly used aliases such as "robinware456‚" "JRBware‚" and "RobertLPeters" to send emails to his son and his business associates.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An artificial intelligence firm recently announced that it plans to stop partnering with China-based companies after United States intel officials raised security concerns regarding its ties to foreign entities.The Financial Times reported Thursday that G42‚ an AI group based in the United Arab Emirates‚ will phase out its relationships with Chinese hardware suppliers.G42 has worked with AstraZeneca‚ OpenAI‚ Dell Technologies‚ and Huawei. Additionally‚ it previously purchased $100 million shares in ByteDance‚ the Chinese parent company of TikTok.The company’s CEO‚ Peng Xiao‚ who was born in China‚ studied in the U.S.‚ and is now a UAE citizen‚ told the outlet‚ “For better or worse‚ as a commercial company‚ we are in a position where we have to make a choice.”“We cannot work with both sides. We can’t‚” he added.“The impression we are getting from [the] U.S. government and U.S. partners is we need to be very cautious‚” Xiao continued. “In order for us to further our relationship — which we cherish — with our U.S. partners‚ we simply cannot do much more with [previous] Chinese partners.” Xiao told the Financial Times that G42 never had “deep AI research relationships” with China-based companies “because‚ frankly speaking‚ they’re not leaders in this domain.”What’s the background?In November‚ two U.S. intel officials warned about G42’s ties to China‚ claiming the firm may have given millions of Americans’ genetic data to the Chinese government‚ the New York Times reported. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates told the Biden administration in June that G42 appeared to be hiding the extent of its partnerships with China‚ according to the news outlet. The Biden administration reportedly insisted the company cut ties with the China-based companies and even considered implementing sanctions.G42’s technology infrastructure was built with the assistance of Chinese hardware firms. According to the company‚ it plans to phase out hardware provided by Huawei.The AI firm told the Financial Times that it has been “at the forefront of technological advancements” and touted its “overwhelmingly positive” contributions to governance‚ ethics‚ and regulations within the AI industry.Nikki Sun with think tank Chatham House told the Financial Times that it is “very unlikely” that G42 will completely sever ties to Chinese companies.“It’s unsurprising that G42‚ as an AI-focused start-up‚ engages with China‚ given China’s extensive role in the global AI value chain‚ from hardware‚ talent‚ to end market‚” Sun stated.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

During the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show‚ Amazon‚ the e-commerce giant‚ in collaboration with its new partner‚ Hyundai‚ announced its intention to begin vehicle sales on its website in the second half of 2024. Hyundai vehicles will be the first cars available on Amazon's platform‚ with other brands set to follow later in the year. Customers will then have the option either to collect their vehicles from nearby dealerships or have them delivered to their doorsteps at their convenience. It's worth noting that the ultimate seller of the vehicle remains the dealership itself for the moment; Amazon's platform will act as an intermediary between the customer and the dealership. “This new shopping experience will create another way for dealers to build awareness of their selection and offer convenience to their customers‚” Amazon wrote in a post. Amazon has gradually ventured into the automotive realm‚ offering virtual showrooms for specific brands and price comparison tools. Additionally‚ the platform also facilitates the purchase of certain car parts and accessories. In 48 states‚ there are laws in place that either restrict or prohibit manufacturers from selling vehicles directly to consumers. However‚ this landscape has begun to change recently‚ primarily due to Tesla's popularity. Tesla does not rely on independent dealerships. Instead‚ it sells directly to consumers. Dealership associations in multiple states have initiated numerous legal actions against Tesla to prevent the company from selling cars directly‚ but they have failed. Mike Sullivan‚ who owns several dealerships in the Los Angeles area‚ including the Hyundai Santa Monica location‚ openly endorsed the news during his appearance at the LA Auto Show. “We’re now partnering with one of the world’s leading digital retailers‚” Sullivan said. “They’ve led the way in delivering customer convenience‚ and now they’re going to help us take our customer experience to the next level. Amazon also brings massive reach and marketing power to connect to more customers. We can’t wait to get started.” This news means that Amazon is entering another business sector‚ and while it seems the company wants to play nice with the dealers‚ there’s no reason it might not suddenly decide to undercut them and reshape car sales. Car dealerships have become a prominent influence within American politics‚ exerting significant control over a substantial portion of the political landscape. In 2022‚ they distributed an unprecedented $7 million toward federal lobbying efforts‚ surpassing even the National Rifle Association in financial contributions. Furthermore‚ during the 2020 federal elections‚ car dealerships dedicated a staggering $25 million‚ primarily supporting Republican candidates. In addition to these contributions‚ the NADA PAC added another $5 million to their political endeavors. However‚ these financial contributions are just one facet of their involvement. Car dealerships extend their influence to the state and local levels as well. They play a substantial role within their communities by investing in local advertising‚ sponsoring local sports teams‚ and nurturing a social network that can be advantageous for political campaigns. Politicians rely on their financial support and extensive networks‚ while car dealerships depend on politicians to safeguard the laws that ensure a steady flow of revenue. It's important to note that car dealerships are dispersed nationwide‚ with a presence in every district‚ making their influence widespread and diffuse. They lobby to ensure no rival dealerships can be built by controlling zoning and vehicle sales licenses. The dealership model ensures that Americans are charged an inflated rate to buy a new car and is emblematic of a form of modern capitalism that is not a free market. Whether Amazon uses Tesla’s model and sells directly to consumers remains to be seen.

Nancy Wilson was a surprise guest at Ann Wilson's October 2023 concert. The pair are performing as Heart in December 2023 with more in 2024 The post So‚ Is It a Tour? Heart Books More Concerts‚ First Shows Since 2019 appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

The summer's biggest tour will play North American venues The post Def Leppard and Journey Set 2024 Stadium Tour With Steve Miller Band‚ Heart and Cheap Trick appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

This was like having friends over for a boozy party‚ minus the booze‚ and in a theater instead of a parlor. The post Liverpool Get-Together: The Most Touching Show The Beatles Ever Gave appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

In Episode 328 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore some ancient petroglyphs along the Connecticut River in Bellows Falls‚ Vermont. These carved faces have perplexed locals for centuries. Who put them here and why? Are they ancient Abenaki graffiti? Do they mark a sacred place? Or could they have out-of-this-world origins? 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

Is Dragon's Dogma 2 Steam Deck compatible? We don't yet know if dawning your weapon of choice as the new Arisen‚ along with your Pawn companions‚ will be an easy process on the Steam Deck. The upcoming sequel hasn't yet been verified by Valve‚ however‚ if its predecessor is anything to go by‚ it's likely this fantasy RPG will join the ranks of other Capcom titles as being perfect to play on the go. The Dragon's Dogma 2 system requirements have yet to reveal how much install space will be needed to take on this anticipated sequel on the go.  Its predecessor‚ Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen‚ only asked for 20GB worth of space‚ but this action-packed sequel will likely be more graphically intensive. Picking up one of the best microSD cards for Steam Deck will ensure you'll be equipped to take on Dragon's Dogma 2‚ whether you're fighting against dragons or demanding storage requirements. Continue reading Is Dragon’s Dogma 2 Steam Deck compatible? MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

Paragon was a game that had a lot of promise‚ but ultimately the third-person MOBA fell short of Epic Games’ expectations‚ unable to match up to the likes of League of Legends‚ Dota 2‚ and Smite‚ and paling in comparison to the sudden rise of Epic’s own Fortnite. Ultimately‚ Paragon was shut down in April 2018 after two years in an early access state. In its wake‚ Epic made the game’s assets freely available to other developers‚ leading to several Paragon remakes‚ and now the most promising among them‚ Predecessor‚ can be yours as a free game this week. Continue reading The best remake of Epic’s forgotten MOBA is a free game this week MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Paragon system requirements

EVE Online is about as big‚ deep‚ and complex as MMOs can get. A vast space sim with its own factions‚ economy‚ history‚ and player-governed society‚ since 2003‚ EVE Online has represented the most dedicated and hardcore type of online RPG - if you like Star Citizen and Stellaris‚ and you haven’t tried it yet‚ EVE is definitely for you. And now’s the perfect time to get involved. Whether you’re a lifetime player or a total newcomer‚ EVE Vanguard‚ the new‚ FPS spinoff from Online proper has just launched‚ and is now available to play for free. Arriving just before the next EVE Online patch‚ better known as Havoc‚ Vanguard is shaping up as the perfect complement to the MMO proper. Continue reading Gigantic‚ classic MMO game launches free FPS spinoff MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Eve Online system requirements‚ Eve Online Beginners guide‚ Space games