But the excitement didn't stop there. In the following game against the Guangzhou Tigers, Solomon showcased his own three-point prowess, sinking shot after shot with laser-like accuracy. His shooting stroke was so smooth and effortless that it seemed as if he had the basketball gods on his side.One area of focus in the meeting was the need to address the challenges facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which play a crucial role in driving economic growth and employment. Measures to support SMEs could include easier access to financing, tax incentives, and measures to reduce regulatory burdens.
The iconic "Assetto Corsa" series, beloved by racing enthusiasts and gaming fans alike, has once again captured the hearts of players as its latest brand event kicked off on Steam. With a legacy of realistic physics simulation, breathtaking graphics, and a deep commitment to authenticity, "Assetto Corsa" has established itself as a leading name in the world of virtual racing.
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"I am tired. Mentally and physically exhausted," Guardiola admitted in a candid moment during the interview. "I have given my all to football, to my players, and to the clubs I have had the privilege to manage. But now, I feel the need to escape, to take a step back and focus on other aspects of my life."Mysterious googly eyes go viral after appearing on public art in Oregon
The decision to set the IPO price at 1455 yen per share reflects Warrior Armor's strong confidence in the growth potential of its business. The company, known for its cutting-edge technology solutions in the field of robotics and AI, has been making waves in the industry with its innovative products and services. By going public at such a competitive price, Warrior Armor is sending a clear message to investors that it is poised for rapid expansion and success in the market.Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz is not coming back to Congress. The Florida Republican said Friday he has no intention of serving another term in the House now that he is no longer President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew as the nominee this week amid growing fallout from the allegations of sexual conduct against him. Gaetz denies the allegations. Gaetz didn't lay out his plans now that he's out of office, saying only, “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch." After Gaetz's withdrawal on Thursday, Trump named former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department. Vance takes on a more visible transition role as he works to boost Trump's most controversial picks WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role. He's been helping Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet picks try to win confirmation in the Senate, where he has served for the last two years. Vance spent part of Wednesday at the Capitol with Rep. Matt Gaetz sitting in on meetings with Trump’s controversial choice for attorney general. On Thursday, Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings over the coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn't focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race. NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik, saying it's so powerful that several of them fitted with conventional warheads could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education is optional for schools to adopt, but they’ll receive additional funding if they do so. Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum say the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds. Supporters argue the Bible is a core feature of American history and that teaching it will enrich learning. 2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand each faced four charges related to human smuggling before being convicted on Friday. Patel is an Indian national. Shand is an American from Florida. They were arrested after the family froze while trying to cross the desolate border during a 2022 blizzard. Storm inundates Northern California with rain, heavy snow. Thousands remain in the dark in Seattle HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain from a major storm prompted evacuations from communities near a Northern California river that forecasters say could break its banks Friday, as the storm keeps dumping heavy snow in the region's mountains where some ski resorts opened for the season. The storm reached the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands before moving through Northern California, where several roads were closed due to flooding and strong winds toppled some trees. Forecasters are warning about the risk of flash flooding and rockslides in areas north of San Francisco as the region was inundated by this season’s strongest atmospheric river. Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya WASHINGTON (AP) — Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The research published Friday in Science Advances shows that long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatan peninsula. The ancient fish canals were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish. These structures were used for around 1,000 years — including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge. California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health officials are confirming bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced confirmatory test results on Friday. Officials say the child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering. The child’s infection brings the reported number of U.S. bird flu cases this year to 55, including 29 in California. State officials have said the child lives in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and attends day care, but released no other details. Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8.
BRAINERD — A proposed 2025 4% levy increase will be presented to Brainerd residents during the City Council’s truth in taxation hearing Dec. 2. This number is a reduction from the preliminary 8% levy increase approved in September and could still change before a final levy is approved. Discussion surrounding funding for the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport and how that would impact the levy continued during the council’s meeting on Monday, Nov. 18 ADVERTISEMENT Council member Gabe Johnson, chair of the Personnel and Finance Committee, told the council of a couple of recent proposed changes to the budget. The committee’s proposal would have reduced the levy increase to 4.75% over 2024. It included a $100,000 reduction in the capital budget and a $100,000 reduction in the Park Board’s facility funding request each year. There was also a $10,000 reduction in funds budgeted for street tree replacement. Monday’s proposal also included $125,000 for an airport levy, which is an increase from the previously approved levy of $1,000. Council member Jeff Czeczok proposed the $1,000 in September as opposed to the airport’s request of $225,000. An earlier issue regarded Brainerd’s request not to have double taxation on Brainerd residents, who paid into both the city and county levies for the airport. A year ago, then Crow Wing County Administrator Tim Houle said the city of Brainerd represents 6% of the total tax base in Crow Wing County. That means that of the $157,000 the county planned to levy for the airport in 2024, $9,420 will come from Brainerd residents. “While we cannot exclude them from our levy, we could agree to increasing our levy by that amount and let the city decrease their levy by that amount and, in essence, we would leave the city residents whole on the issue of being taxed twice,” Houle wrote. In November 2023, the County Board authorized the increase of its 2024 levy by $9,420, while Brainerd reduced its levy by the same amount. The county reported that remedy, once it was set last year, continues going forward. At that time, the County Board also agreed to continue talks with city officials about the long-term ownership of the airport. The county noted there were also other areas for discussion, such as staff support, it was willing to undertake. One option — raised at the time of the double taxation discussion in 2023 at the County Board — was for the county to take full ownership of the airport. Brainerd City Council members at that time said they weren’t necessarily opposed to the idea but were looking for more information . The city approached Crow Wing County earlier this year about having the county take over sole ownership of the airport, but a letter from county staff said it was not an issue they wanted to pursue. In August, Crow Wing County Commissioner Steve Barrows said he did not support the ownership change — neither did Airport Director Steve Wright nor Brainerd City Council member airport liaison Kevin Stunek. ADVERTISEMENT As the airport is jointly owned by the city and the county, there is an ownership agreement between the two entities, though the agreement does not specifically state how much each entity must levy for airport operations each year. In 1947, Brainerd resident Walter Wieland urged the City of Brainerd, in conjunction with Crow Wing County, to develop an Airport Commission in an effort to own and operate an airport. The Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport website notes an application was made and money from local, state and federal sources combined to create the airport, previously known as the Brainerd Crow Wing County Municipal Airport. Reached by phone Wednesday night, Barrows, who is the county liaison to the airport commission, said the county was willing to talk about ownership but it was already late in the game for the 2025 budget process. The county adopted its preliminary tax levy on Sept. 24. A discussion with the Federal Aviation Administration listed an 18-24 month time period to remove Brainerd from the ownership agreement, Barrows said. He said the county didn’t walk away, but said no changes in 2024. He said they are willing to talk about 2026 if the city initiates that conversation. Barrows said it seems Brainerd officials felt it was doable for the county to come up with another $150,000 after they were already deep into staff work for the 2025 budget. “There is a year to work on it,” Barrows said. “Now is the time for them to come back to have these discussions. ... This is not a thing that can happen overnight with the snap of a finger. We know they want out. ... Let’s do a planful approach to their exit.” Barrows said the county has represented itself professionally in this process. ADVERTISEMENT In September, Czeczok said the biggest issue for him is the levy, as the airport is an asset to the entire region — not just Brainerd or even Crow Wing County. The county taking over the entire or at least the majority of the levy, Czeczok said, would give relief to Brainerd taxpayers. The whole point is transferring ownership to the county, he added, was so Brainerd would not have to levy at all for the airport. Council members discussed a $150,000 airport levy at a meeting in September, marginally increasing it from the $146,080 levy in 2024. The motion for the amount failed, though, with Mayor Dave Badeaux breaking the 3-3 tie, with one council member absent. The $125,000 proposed Monday night started at that $150,000 mark but deducted $25,000 to account for the finance and human resources work performed by city staff at the airport each year. Czeczok was not in favor of the increase, saying the $1,000 airport levy was all about fairness to Brainerd taxpayers. The county has the ability to administer the entire levy, he said, and it’s not the city’s responsibility to match what the county does. Barrows said present and past Brainerd City Councils, not the County Board, decided to contribute financially and at what level in support of the airport that is in shared ownership. “Our negotiation is simple,” Czeczok said. “We say we’re going to give $1,000, and we do that. And the next year, the county said, OK, they’re only going to pay 1,000 bucks. Are we going to have the airport get the operating levy they need to operate, or are we going to sit here and play patty cake and go back and forth because somebody’s got a petty issue? ... Petty politics is all we see happening here, and I’m looking out for our taxpayers.” Council President Kelly Bevans said he agreed with Czeczok. The double taxation of Brainerd taxpayers, he said, is something the city can fix right now. ADVERTISEMENT “The additional tragedy is not only the double taxation but the fact that we made a proposal in writing to the county to discuss this,” Bevans said. “... And it appears they’re not interested in even discussing the administration of the levy.” As much as he said the $125,000 might be necessary to run the airport, Bevans said it should not fall on Brainerd taxpayers. The motion to approve the Personnel and Finance Committee’s proposal, including the $125,000 for the airport, failed 5-2, with Tiffany Stenglein and Kara Terry the only ones in support. A subsequent motion for only the capital and streets portion of the recommendation passed 6-1, with Terry in opposition. The airport levy back at $1,000, Johnson suggested presenting a 4% levy increase to residents during the public hearing in December. He said he did not know what the exact number would be with the $124,000 airport levy reduction from the proposal but figured 4% would allow the council to further reduce the levy if needed. Czeczok said he liked 4%. The motion to present 4% at the public hearing passed 6-1, with Terry opposed. The council’s public hearing on the final levy will take place at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, at City Hall. The council must pass the final levy before the end of the year. ADVERTISEMENT Managing Editor Renee Richardson assisted with this story. THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa .
The news of Liu Yuning's late-night visit to the hospital spread quickly, sparking a wave of speculation and concern among her loyal supporters. Questions swirled about the nature of her illness and the severity of her condition, with fans anxiously waiting for updates on her health.
Another one of those who had their sentences commuted by President Joe Biden was notorious University of Miami booster and convicted Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro. Shapiro was convicted of a Ponzi scheme that raked in nearly a billion dollars in 2010 after he bilked thousands of people who invested in his fake company, Capital Investments. His crimes included creating fake documents purportedly showing how CI made tens of millions a year from owning and operating a nonexistent grocery wholesale business. He was convicted and handed a 20-year prison sentence in 2010. Meanwhile, Shapiro was spending $400,000 for floor seats to watch the Miami Heat, $26,000 a month on rent for his home in Miami Beach, a $1.5 million yacht, expensive cars, and other luxuries. He reportedly hobnobbed with NBA players such as Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Garnett. Shapiro also worked closely with the University of Miami, pledging $150,000 to help the school build a student lounge in his name. The convicted felon also got caught up in doling out impermissible benefits to players for nearly a decade to boost the university’s sports programs, mostly Hurricanes football. While there were never any legal charges, the school eventually suffered under a series of penalties for violating NCAA rules. The school lost scholarships, suffered setbacks in recruiting, and was hit with various suspensions. Shapiro was already let out of jail in 2020 thanks to COVID policies and was serving the rest of his sentence under house arrest. But now, according to TMZ , that is all behind him after Biden has canceled the rest of his sentence. Shapiro has still made no effort to repay any of the $82,657,362.29 he owes his victims. Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston , or Truth Social @WarnerToddHustonThe flight crew made the decision to return to Nanjing Lukou International Airport to seek immediate medical attention for the affected passenger. Upon landing, medical personnel were ready at the airport to provide further medical assistance and transport the passenger to a nearby hospital for treatment. The handling of the emergency situation was carried out in a swift and professional manner, ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals on board.
