• Police seek suspects in deadly birthday party shooting
  • Lawmakers launch inquires into U.S. boat strike
  • Nov. 29, 2025, 10:07 PM EST / Updated Nov. 30, 2025,…
  • Mark Kelly says troops ‘can tell’ what orders…

Be that!

contact@bethat.ne.com

 

Be That ! Menu   ≡ ╳
  • Home
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Contact Us
  • Politics Politics
☰

Be that!

'Superman' comic found in attic sells for $9 million, breaking all-time record

admin - Latest News - November 21, 2025
admin
12 views 37 secs 0 Comments




An original copy of the first edition of the first “Superman” comic from 1939 — which had been lying undiscovered in an attic for decades — was sold at auction on Thursday for more than $9 million, thought to be highest price paid for a comic book.”Superman #1″ was described as “the pinnacle of comic collecting” by auction house Heritage Auctions and the finest known copy ever sold, breaking the previous record of $6 million



Source link

TAGS:
PREVIOUS
Nov. 21, 2025, 5:40 AM ESTBy Ben KamisarThe national redistricting battle triggered by President Donald Trump has cast a long shadow over the race for control of Congress next year — not only fundamentally shifting the House battlefield, but also creating a domino effect that’s shifting new candidates into new seats, ushering longtime members of Congress to the exit and exposing deep political rifts in state parties across the country.The fight is still playing out across courtrooms, back rooms and Trump’s social media, as Republicans and Democrats tinker with district lines. Developments like this week’s federal court ruling blocking the new Texas maps from going into effect — leaving the ultimate decision to the Supreme Court — also show how much remains to be determined in the redistricting fight.The battle kicked off when Trump started pushing Texas Republicans to redraw district lines in the hopes of netting the party up to five seats in the state, and later began pressing leaders in other GOP-controlled states.The new lines add more Republicans to the South Texas battleground districts represented by Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, redraw two districts in Houston and Dallas in a way that will likely force incumbent Democrats into primaries against each other, and redraw Austin to create one deep-blue seat and one additional Republican-leaning seat that stretches toward San Antonio.But the fate of those plans hangs in the balance after a federal court blocked the map’s implementation and called for the 2026 elections to be run under the same lines as last year’s elections. The Supreme Court’s eventual decision whether to uphold that ruling will have a significant impact on a spate of races, starting with whether Austin-area Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett decides to retire.There’s also the question of whether the winner of January’s special election to succeed the late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner will have to immediately run against a longtime Democratic incumbent, and how Democratic Reps. Marc Veasey, Julie Johnson and Jasmine Crockett handle a potentially significant redraw in North Texas that could leave one of them out of a job. The redistricting plan already has Crockett weighing a Senate bid.California’s retaliatory map from Democrats — a similarly blunt partisan redraw explicitly aimed at canceling out Texas’ GOP gains — has similar potential to upend the Republican caucus there. GOP Reps. Doug LaMalfa, Darrell Issa, Kevin Kiley, Ken Calvert and David Valadao’s districts are becoming significantly more vulnerable to being flipped by Democrats, according to an analysis from the University of Virginia Center for Politics.One early bit of fallout: Calvert’s decision to seek re-election in a nearby district currently represented by fellow Republican Rep. Young Kim, which will likely trigger an expensive primary between two prominent incumbents. In an early show of force, Kim has already announced plans to spend more than $3 million on ads ahead of the 2026 primary.Both states also share another dynamic: state lawmakers who voted to draw the new congressional lines hopping into newly competitive races for Congress.In Texas, GOP state Reps. Briscoe Cain and John Lujan announced their campaigns shortly after the new lines passed, seeking to run in the new, heavily Republican seats in the Houston and San Antonio areas. Others could be considering bids, too, including state Rep. Katrina Pierson, who told CBS News Texas last month she’s “considering” a bid for a redrawn district in North Texas.There’s been less movement in California, since the lines are just weeks old. But one notable example is Democratic state Sen. Mike McGuire, a party leader facing term limits in the body, who announced plans to take on LaMalfa.Smaller changes to the maps in other states have had big ripple effects, too.In Missouri, where opponents of the GOP-led redraw are mobilizing a petition drive that could force the issue into the hands of voters in an upcoming special election, longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s 30-plus-year career in public life is in jeopardy after GOP lawmakers packed his district with Republican voters.In Utah, a court decision to enact a new map over the protests of Republicans created a new blue seat in the Salt Lake City area — one that could spark a primary focused on ideology as well as electability, an unusual position for Utah’s Democratic minority.In Ohio, a compromise map shored up Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes’ battleground seat — in exchange for putting more Republican voters in districts held by Democratic Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Greg Landsman. Sykes’ last GOP opponent, whom she narrowly defeated in 2024, was running again but dropped out of the 2026 campaign after the new map was released, blaming the compromise for his decision.And in North Carolina, the Republican Legislature’s new lines make Democratic Rep. Don Davis’ re-election more of an uphill climb, even as he continues to signal he’ll press on with his bid to remain in office.Meanwhile, as incumbents and challengers face pressure and opportunity from the new maps, the pressure on state legislatures to get involved in the redistricting fight on behalf of their national party has also caused significant tensions among powerful lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.In Indiana, the lack of Republican support for a redistricting effort there has led to Trump issuing broadsides at GOP leaders in the state, accusing them of “depriving Republicans of a Majority in the House, A VERY BIG DEAL,” and saying he’d support primary challenges against them. One Republican legislative leader was the victim of a swatting incident at his home hours later.In Maryland, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore is pushing forward with a redistricting commission — even as the state’s top Democrat in the Senate continues to criticize the idea of redrawing the state’s congressional maps after a court struck down a Democratic plan to squeeze more blue seats out of the state just a few years ago.“What type of country do we want to be? And who are we in this moment when things are so brittle and tense. Do we reflect a different value to show the path forward as states, or do we fight to the death one election at a time?” state Senate President Bill Ferguson told NBC News about why he’s holding firm against pressure to move forward with a Democratic-led redraw there.And even in states where redistricting efforts were successful, some lawmakers raised warnings about the conduct of their own parties.“There’s nothing conservative about using our supermajority to grab more power,” Missouri Republican state Rep. Bryant Wolfin, who voted against the redraw there, said on the floor this summer before his party passed the new lines.Ben KamisarBen Kamisar is a national political reporter for NBC News
NEXT
Fiery car crash and rescue caught on camera
Related Post
October 28, 2025
Gaza film festival screens 'The Voice of Hind Rajab'
October 27, 2025
Mamdani makes appearance at PinkPantheress' NYC show
September 28, 2025
New York City Mayor Eric Adams drops out of mayoral race
October 25, 2025
Oct. 25, 2025, 4:14 PM EDTBy Daniel ArkinThe members of New York City’s notorious “Five Families” are known by many names: wise guys, goodfellas, friends of ours. At least a dozen men with alleged ties to the Mafia can now add a new moniker to the mix: defendants in a federal investigation dubbed “Operation Royal Flush.”The sprawling illegal gambling case announced by federal officials this week names 34 defendants in total — among them a dozen men the government says are members or associates of New York’s notorious Genovese, Gambino, Bonanno and Lucchese crime families. They are accused of orchestrating a high-tech poker rigging scheme that duped unsuspecting gamblers and raked in millions of dollars over six years.“This alleged scheme wreaked havoc across the nation, exploiting the notoriety of some and the wallets of others to finance the Italian crime families,” said Christopher Raia, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office.Here’s what we know about the alleged Mafia leaders, members and associates at the center of the explosive case.Ernest AielloThe U.S. government’s 22-page indictment identifies Aiello as a member of the Bonanno crime family. Prosecutors allege that organizers of a rigged game on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan were required to make payments to Aiello and his Bonanno associates.Aiello, 46, has three prior felony convictions, according to a government detention memorandum unsealed Thursday. He pleaded guilty in 2017 to promoting gambling in the first degree and was sentenced to two to four years behind bars, according to the memo. He also has prior convictions for attempted criminal possession of a loaded firearm in the third degree and attempted assault in the second degree.An attorney listed for Aiello did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment. Louis Apicella, aka ‘Lou Ap’The indictment identifies Apicella as an associate of the Gambino family and a member of a “Cheating Team” that organized and participated in poker games, according to prosecutors.Apicella, 50, has no criminal history, according to the detention memo, but “the government’s investigation revealed that Apicella has access to firearms and has expressed a willingness to use violence for his own gain.”The memo cites one text message exchange in which Apicella allegedly discussed “cracking … heads open.”Apicella’s lawyer, Sabrina Shroff, declined to comment. Ammar Awawdeh, aka ‘Flapper Poker’ and ‘Flappy’The indictment identifies Awawdeh, 34, as an associate of the Gambino crime family. Prosecutors say he organized and participated in a rigged game at Washington Place in Manhattan and other locations, including the Hamptons, and was required to make payments to the mobsters backing the scheme.Awawdeh is also accused of committing gunpoint robbery in September 2023 to steal a “specific model” of rigged shuffling machine that he and other defendants wanted to use at their games.He has one prior felony conviction for laundering the proceeds of controlled substances and was sentenced to probation in 2020, according to the detention memo.Awawdeh’s attorneys, Mark Lesko and Matin Emouna, declined to comment. Matthew Daddino, aka ‘Matty’ and ‘The Wrestler’The indictment identifies Daddino, 43, as a member of the Genovese family. Prosecutors say he helped manage the Washington Place poker game in Manhattan and received “proceeds” from the rigged games.Gerard M. Marrone, an attorney for Daddino, said his client “had no criminal history whatsoever” and maintains his innocence. Comparing the case to the 1919 Black Sox scandal, he said Daddino and other Italian American defendants are “easy targets for the government” while the “real criminals are being protected.”Lee FamaThe indictment identifies Fama, 57, as a member of the Gambino family. He received a portion of the money from the games, according to prosecutors.Fama has three prior felony convictions, according to the detention memo. He pleaded guilty to distribution of marijuana in 2012 and was sentenced to six months behind bars. He was previously convicted of assault in aid of racketeering and sentenced t0 58 months in prison. He was also convicted of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree.Fama’s lawyer, Marissa Sherman, declined to comment.John GalloThe indictment identifies Gallo, 53, as an associate of the Gambino family. He was an organizer of the Washington Place game and a member of a “Cheating Team” that rigged the matches, according to prosecutors. He also received proceeds from the game, the indictment says.Gallo has one prior felony conviction, according to the detention memo. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to attempted enterprise corruption, attempted criminal usury and promoting gambling in the first degree. He was sentenced to one year in prison.An attorney listed for Gallo did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.Thomas Gelardo, aka ‘Juice’The indictment identified Gelardo, 42, as an associate of the Bonanno family who later became affiliated with the Genovese family. Prosecutors say he received proceeds from the illegal games.Gelardo is also accused of extorting an unnamed person to “secure the repayment of debtfrom illegal poker games” between November 2022 and September 2023.He has multiple prior felony convictions for violent crimes, including assaults and weapons possession, according to the detention memo. Gelardo was convicted of assault in the second degree in 2002 and sentenced to a year in prison. Three years later, he was convicted of assault in the second degree and given a suspended five-year sentence.Then, in 2008, he was convicted of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree and sentenced to two to four years behind bars.An attorney listed for Gelardo did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.Joseph LanniThe indictment identifies Lanni, 54, as a member and an alleged captain of the Gambino family. He also received proceeds from the illegal games, according to prosecutors.He has multiple prior felony convictions, according to the sentencing memo. He was convicted of securities fraud in 1999 and sentenced to 30 months behind bars. He was convicted of promoting gambling in the first degree in 2014 and sentenced to one year in prison.Lanni pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy related to his leadership role in the Gambino family.Frederick Sosinsky, an attorney for Lanni, said in a statement that his client has “been compliant with all of the conditions of release” from the racketeering conspiracy case to which he pleaded guilty last week. Sosinsky said the court agreed to release Lanni on similar bail conditions so he can defend himself in the new case. “Unlike most of the other individuals who are accused in this week’s indictment of fraud, extortion, robbery or money laundering, Mr. Lanni has been charged solely with somehow being involved in the operation of a gambling business — what the government itself terms a ‘straight’ poker game where none of the elaborate means of high-tech cheating is even alleged to have taken place,” Sosinsky said. “Mr. Lanni denies participation in that ‘straight’ or unfixed poker business and looks forward to his next court date.”Nicholas MinucciThe indictment identifies Minucci, 39, as an associate of the Gambino family and a member of the “Cheating Team,” according to prosecutors. Prosecutors allege he took part in a September 2023 gunpoint robbery revolving around the rigged shuffling machine.Minucci has a “criminal history,” according to the detention memo. He was convicted on various counts of robbery as a hate crime related to an incident in which he beat a Black man in the head with a baseball bat and, using the N-word, told the victim not to enter his “predominantly Italian-American” neighborhood, the memo says.He was sentenced to 25 years behind bars and released to parole supervision in 2018.An attorney listed for Minucci did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.Anthony Ruggiero Jr.The indictment identifies Ruggiero, 53, as a member of the Gambino family who received “proceeds” from the underground games. Prosecutors describe him as having a “long history of committing serious crimes — including witness tampering.”In 2008, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and was sentenced to 84 months in prison.While serving that sentence, he was convicted of witness tampering for intimidating a potential trial witness, reportedly forming his hand into “the shape of a gun” and saying, “You know how we take care of rats, we get up-close and personal.”He received an additional 36-month sentence.Ruggiero’s attorney, James R. Froccaro, declined to comment.Seth TrustmanThe indictment identifies Trustman, 43, as an associate of the Lucchese family — the only alleged member of that clan named in the case. Trustman organized illegal games on Lexington Avenue and other locations, making payments to Aiello and Gelardo, the indictment says. He is also accused of extorting an unnamed person to collect gambling debts in 2023.Trustman has two prior felony convictions, according to the detention memo. He was sentenced to 22 months in prison in 2010 after pleading guilty to racketeering, racketeering conspiracy and two counts of illegal gambling. Nine years later, he was convicted of criminal usury and enterprise corruption, then sentenced to three years in prison.Contact information for attorneys representing Trustman was not immediately available, and NBC News could not reach them for comment. Julius Ziliani, aka ‘Jay’The indictment identifies Ziliani, 54, as a member of the Bonanno family who received a share of the games’ proceeds. Prosecutors allege he and co-defendant Gelardo extorted an individual to collect gambling debts between November 2022 and February 2023.Ziliani’s attorney, Marco A. Laracca, said his client “denies all allegations against him and looks forward to his day in court.”Daniel ArkinDaniel Arkin is a national reporter at NBC News.Sophie Comeau contributed.
Comments are closed.
Scroll To Top
  • Home
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Contact Us
  • Politics
© Copyright 2025 - Be That ! . All Rights Reserved