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"It's bigger than most people think it is," Adam Efrima, the operations director of eToro's Chinese business, told Business Insider on Monday.
NEWPORT BEACH — A Newport Beach woman will stand trial on charges that she was driving drunk and texting when she hit and killed a bicyclist in Newport Coast, Orange County Superior Court Judge Derek G. Johnson ruled Thursday.
Danae Miller, 23, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. The felony charge stems from a Feb. 21 accident on San Joaquin Hills Road that killed Amine Britel, a Moroccan athlete who had moved to the United States and ran a successful local business.
Out on $100,000 bail, Miller sat at the defendant's table at the Harbor Justice Center on Thursday morning wearing a plum-colored pea coat and gray scarf. Britel's family was seated behind her; her family was on the opposite side.
As prosecutors retraced the crash step by step, Britel's friends and family were overcome with emotion. One woman left the courtroom crying, as a picture of Britel's damaged bicycle and his body covered with a sheet were flashed onto a projector screen.
Pictures showed that at the time of the crash — just around sunset when the streetlights come on — Britel was wearing a bright yellow jacket with reflectors and riding a bicycle with reflectors and yellow tires.
Miller was on her way home from work at Café Zinc in Corona del Mar. Police said after initially telling authorities she hadn't had anything to drink before driving, she later acknowledged having a glass of wine.
A blood test after the crash showed Miller had a blood alcohol concentration of .10, above the legal limit.
She told police that she didn't see Britel before hitting him and that she wasn't on her cell phone, Newport Beach police Officer Jason Blakely testified.
Miller told police she didn't know she had hit someone until the glass from her windshield hit her arm, Blakely testified. Phone records showed she had been exchanging text messages with friends in the minutes leading up to the crash. Paul S. Meyer, Miller's attorney, decided against calling any witnesses. Miller is scheduled back in court Dec. 12.
MERRIMAN: Richard S. Merriman, 72, of Chico, died Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2019, in Chico. Arrangements are under the direction of Affordable Mortuary, 893-4292.
SIMPSON: Allen Simpson Jr., 82, of Oroville, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2019, in Oroville. Arrangements are under the direction of Ramsey Funeral Home, 534-3877.
STARMER: Mildred “Mickie” Starmer, 89, of Chico, died Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019, in Chico. Arrangements are under the direction of Newton-Bracewell Chico Funeral Home, 342-9003.
WINSLOW: Anita Winslow, 61, of Oroville, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2019, in Oroville. Arrangements are under the direction of Ramsey Funeral Home, 534-3877.
The Riigikogu's constitutional committee has rejected a set of cost-cutting proposals filed by opposition Free Party and signed by 1,310 residents, which proposed measures to cut government costs by up to €4 million per year.
The constitutional committee decided on Monday not to heed the appeal, Free Party spokespersons told BNS. The sole member of the standing committee to vote in favour of the proposals was Free Party MP and deputy chairman of the committee Jüri Adams. Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) MP Jaak Madison abstained.
The petition calls for reducing the amount of money allocated to political parties from the state budget by half, ie. €2.7 million per year, cutting government spending by abolishing the three posts of second minister at three different ministries, along with the positions of seven advisers, together saving a reported €450,000 euros a year, and reducing Mps' costs by an estimated €841,000 a year.
In the explanatory remarks accompanying the draft proposals, the Free Party said that cutting costs could be a definitive step at a time when state reform is being constantly talked about, but no actions follow.
Juku-Kalle Raid, one of the authors of the petition, described it as "particularly ironic and weird" that the reasons the committee dumped the proposals included one suggesting the cuts were too small.
"Why couldn't parties collect membership fees instead, if they wish to tour the country in bright-coloured buses to meet voters?'' asked Mr Raid.
''But it's more difficult to collect membership fees. It's simpler to get the desired amount by going after it from the taxpayer," he went on.
Free Party Chair Kaul Nurm argued that the duplicate ministerial jobs at the top of three ministries were created only to enable the three parties of the coalition to get an additional ministerial position each.
The three ministries in question are the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication, and the Ministry of Social Affairs. The six ministerial positions are shared by all three coalition parties, Centre, the Social Democratic Party (SDE) and Isamaa/Pro Patria, two posts to each party.
"On the basis of that logic, we could put three ministers in each ministry, as they do in Bosnia-Herzegovina," Mr Nurm added.
The Free Party, which has half a dozen seats in parliament, places the reduction of bureaucracy high up on its list of priorities, as well as a reduction in taxation – a recent Free Party proposal was to cut personal income tax to 12%. Kaul Nurm is its third leader in the past 12 months.
Arguably one of the most critically derided portions of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was the inclusion of the comedy relief team/Chevy concept cars, The Twins. Famously, the pair was criticized for their (arguably) racist depiction - one that Bay and Co. reportedly further embellished, beyond the original Kurtzman and Orci draft, with gold teeth and other controversial additions. Even the most dedicated Transformers fans would argue that, at the very least, The Twins weren't particularly funny.
As a result, it's no surprise that the Internet exploded when reports began to surface that the pair were back for the next installment of the robots in disguise - Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
While the return of The Twins, aka Skids and Mudflap, has been long-rumored, director Michael Bay has spent the better part of a year debunking any reports that indicated the controversial brothers would return. Given that Bay had admitted, and subsequently rectified, a lot of the mistakes from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in preparation for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, fans and critics alike were prepared to move on.
It wasn't long before Bay addressed the slip-up in a post on his official Shoot for the Edit forum - politely debunking the detail (Capone gave the film an over-all favorable review after-all), while standing by his prior position that Skids and Mudflap are not in the film.
"After the internet posting of a nice review by someone who saw Transformers Dark of the Moon, the writer had not been clear on one thing. He misstated that the Twins are in the film. They are not.
So I am offering a $25,000 REWARD to anyone who can find them performing in Transformers 3, on July 1, when the movie opens."
However, Bay's adamant claim that The Twins are not back (coupled with Capone's updated review), still wasn't enough for some fans - who claim that the controversial "streetwise" bots can be seen in the film's latest trailer (at the 0:40 mark) - specifically the last two cars in a line of Autobots.
Check out the image below to see what all the fuss is about (click to enlarge).
While Bay never explicitly denies that the bots in the trailer are The Twins (in alt-mode), he does stand by his prior claim that the two are not in the final film.
"The Twins are not in the movie. You will not find them anywhere. Trailer houses sometimes use shots that are not in the movie! End story I'm done wasting my time this!"
It wouldn't be the first time that the director has spread misinformation about who will, or will not, appear in a Transformers film; however, it'd be crazy for Bay to stir up this controversy again - for the sake of keeping fans guessing about the movie. When Bay denied that Megatron was in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, it was in attempt to run damage control on leaked information about the plot - so that moviegoers would still have a few surprises at the theater.
Additionally, it wouldn't be the first time that Bay used very similar vehicles (and even robot models) in the series - as the director essentially reused Blackout's robot mode and MH-53J Pave Low III helicopter design for Grindor (a Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter) in the forest scene of Revenge of the Fallen - while the original character's body rested at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyss. Similarly, even though Barricade disappeared at the end of Transformers, the protoform Decepticons (featured in the Egyptian desert battled) bore a similar look to the original character's form.
Obviously these comparisons are not definitive but, considering Bay is making one of the most expensive movies of the summer, it stands to reason that he might reuse assets (cars, designs, etc) from prior films. However, given the director's stoic claim the twin bots are not in the film, coupled with Bay's attempts to rectify prior mistakes in this installment, it's safe to say The Twins, specifically, will not be seen in Dark of the Moon.
Maybe we'll see alt-mode Chevy concept cars or other, equally obnoxious "streetwise" robots, but we severely doubt they'll answer to the names, Skids or Mudflap.
Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick — and let us know whether or not you think The Twins will return.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon hits regular theaters and IMAX on July 1st, in 2D and 3D.
ONE of the only good things about food poisoning is that it in most cases, it only lasts for a few days.
But scientists at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, have found that the effects could actually last much longer.
They discovered suffering a bout of food poisoning may increase the risk of developing Crohn's disease later in life.
Crohn's disease is a long-term bowel disease which causes inflammation of the digestive system.
And researchers found that gastroenteritis caused by common food-poisoning bacteria accelerates the growth of adherent-invasive E. coli (AIEC) - which has been linked to development of the condition.
In tests carried out on mice, even once the food-poisoning bacteria had been eliminated, increased levels of AIEC were present in the gut - leading to worsening symptoms over time.
Brian Coombes, the study's senior author, said: "This is a lifelong disease that often strikes people in their early years, leading to decades of suffering, an increased risk of colorectal cancer, and an increased risk of premature death.
"We need to understand the root origins of this disease - and to use this information to invigorate a new pipeline of treatments and prevention.
"It has never been more pressing."
MetLife has announced the launch of an “investment-focused” variable annuity (VA) giving investors and their advisors more flexibility to design their own investment portfolios.
The variable annuity, known as MetLife Investment Portfolio Architect, offers investors as many as 80 different traditional and alternative investment options, as well as 14 “Blueprint Models” designed by MetLife Advisers LLC and Wilshire Associates.
Elizabeth Forget, executive vice president of MetLife Retail Retirement & Wealth Solutions, said in a news release that the goal of Portfolio Architect is to offer “well-curated investment choices,” as well as access to alternative investments.
Low interest rates have not been kind to fixed-income investors, and advisors are looking for retirement investments to deliver higher yields for clients. One way to boost yield is to increase a portfolio’s exposure to alternative investments, which go beyond the investment staples of stocks, bonds and cash to include commodities, precious metals and currencies.
Investing in alternatives means taking on higher risk and many advisors are still not comfortable with that strategy, but when interest rates fall — they were rising as of this report — advisors need to adjust and diversify portfolios once again.
Portfolio Architect is MetLife’s second variable annuity launch this month.
On Nov. 17, MetLife and Fidelity Investments announced the launch of a new deferred variable annuity that protects investors against loss if the annuity is held for a minimum of 10 years.
The annuity market appears to be shifting slightly in favor of variable annuities after a period of torrid sales for fixed annuities earlier this year.
While overall annuity sales in the third quarter dropped 2 percent to $58.2 billion compared to the year-ago period, variable annuity sales dipped only 1 percent in the third quarter compared to the year-ago period.
Variable annuity sales were $35.5 billion, according to LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute (LIMRA SRI).
Fixed annuity sales, however, dropped 5 percent to $22.7 billion in the third quarter compared to the third quarter last year, LIMRA SRI said.
“The 50 basis-point drop in interest rates since the start of the year has dampened interest in fixed products pulling down third-quarter sales,” said Todd Giesing, senior analyst with LIMRA SRI.
Meanwhile, through Tuesday the Standard & Poor's 500 index was up 11.83 percent for the year.
Seth Meyers: Bristol's the "Manhattan of Connecticut"
While all eyes are on LeBron James’ Greenwich announcement, the ESPN news that went under the radar is Seth Meyers’ trip to Connecticut in preparation for next week’s ESPY awards.
“We have the perfect host,” said Maura Mandt, executive producer of this year’s ESPYs, told the Press.
ESPN seems to be having fun with Meyers’ participating in the awards program. Check out this Meyers and Reggie Bush promo.
Meyers is a sports fan, but admitted that he’s not an athlete. In high school, he tried out for baseball and hit a foul that bounced off his father’s car.
“Not only did I not make the team, I had to explain to my dad there was a dent in the car,” Meyers told the Press.
It’s not often an NFL referee gets involved in the physical action of the game. Sometimes they get run over. Occasionally they get hit with an errant throw. But in Week 11, referee Ron Winter had his worst nightmare come true; he got caught underneath the pile of several Ravens and Bengals players scrambling for the ball. NFL Films cinematographer Jim Barry captured it all, from Jimmy Smith’s interception and ensuing fumble to Winter’s pile up.
Canada's newest racetrack, Century Mile near Edmonton, opened its casino operations on April 1. Horse racing begins later this month.
The Century Mile Racetrack and Casino opens this month, ushering in a new era of horse racing for fans in Edmonton and area. The racetrack not only features a one-mile track with one of the longest home stretches in North America, heightening the excitement as the horses run for the finish line, but also an adjacent entertainment complex that adds Las Vegas-style pizzazz between the races.
This is the evolution of horse racing in Canada. Long gone are the sport’s early days in the late 1880s when Canadian horse racing enthusiasts filled wooden grandstands and put a few pennies on the ponies. And long gone are even the days of the past generation when tracks started adding a few slot machines and other electronic games of chance to their little-used indoor spaces in a bid to boost flagging revenue.
Century Mile, a $61.5-million project, epitomizes the 21st-century horse racing experience – 88,000 square feet of space on several floors that includes restaurants, bar and lounge, as well as a glamorous 25,000-square-foot casino that contains 550 slot machines, electronic table games, video lottery terminals and an off-track betting parlour (which allows gamblers to wager on races at other tracks around the world) that seats at least 150.
“Old tracks were built to house gamblers, basically,” says Paul Ryneveld, general manager of racing at Century Mile, located in Leduc, Alta., a city of about 30,000 south of Edmonton. “They were built with grandstands that you sat and watched the races from. You went inside to long lines for the windows you could bet at, and when you finished doing that, you turned around and the concessions were right there.
Century Mile, on a 103-acre plot of land that includes 1,700 parking spots, is located just off Highway 2, the main corridor linking Edmonton and Calgary, and near the Edmonton International Airport. It’s also near the defunct Northlands Park, a racetrack that had been Edmonton’s main horse racing centre for more than a century before ending its race schedule last year and closing the rest of its operations at the end of January.
Northlands, whose property has been taken over by the City of Edmonton from the previous owners, a non-profit community service organization, was the latest casualty in an industry that has scrambled to adapt after losing the gambling monopoly it enjoyed for decades. Prior to 1969, racetracks were the only legal sites in Canada for gambling (besides church raffles and wheels of fortune at country fairs).
Century Mile Racetrack and Casino has a winning location, near the Edmonton International Airport, easy access to highways and a monopoly on horse racing in the area. It replaces the now-closed Northlands Park as the Edmonton and area's horse racing destination.
With other entertainment and gambling options growing since then, and horse racing losing its appeal as a spectator sport, fans drifted away. Windsor Raceway (shuttered in 2012) in Windsor, Ont., Greenwood Raceway (1994) in Toronto and Blue Bonnets Raceway (2009) in Montreal were also put down.
The industry’s response to changing times has been to double down on the amenities beyond the actual horse racing, hoping that side revenues can subsidize on-track operations.
Century Mile, owned by Colorado-based Century Casinos Inc., is betting that this formula, blending derbies and diversions, can put it in the winner’s circle.
“We know it works because we’ve seen it work,” explains Mr. Ryneveld, a 30-year industry veteran who is also the general manager at Century Casinos-owned Century Downs Racetrack and Casino, which opened in 2015 near Calgary.
Located just north of the city limits, Century Downs brought live horse racing back to the region for the first time since 2008 and the closing of Stampede Park. The more than $25-million project included the track, a barn with 100 stalls, and a 33,000-square-foot casino with 550 slot machines and electronic table games.
While Alberta might be the epicentre these days of modern racetrack development, it’s not the only province to saddle up aboard the industry’s transformation.
The $318-million expansion at Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino in Ottawa proves that development at a horse track these days doesn’t have to involve the actual track. In 2017, Hard Rock Ottawa teamed with the 57-year-old facility to revamp the horse track and gambling complex in the city’s south end after winning a contract from Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) to run the gambling operation.
Development plans over six years call for the addition of a 2,500-seat concert theatre and a nine-storey hotel with 200 rooms. There are also plans to add 750 slots to the 1,250 existing machines, which has been a point of contention on Ottawa’s city council because, in part, it expands gambling in the city.
But the partnership was a necessity after the gambling laws in Ontario swung drastically in the past two decades, says Andrew Wright, director at the Rideau Carleton Raceway.
In 1998, Ontario’s Conservative government introduced the lucrative Slots at Racetracks Program, giving track owners 10 per cent of the slot winnings with another 10 per cent going into race purses (the money awarded to the highest finishers), which attracted more races and riders from all over North America, particularly in standardbred racing.
This continued until 2013 when the province’s successor Liberal government did away with it and OLG announced its modernization program, which put operating licences at racinos up for grabs.
With Mr. Wright’s team winning its own operating licence, Rideau Carleton Raceway is the only racino in the province to own its licence and pocket the money from on-site gambling.
“We joint-ventured with Hard Rock and we were awarded the operating licence, and the reason I did that is because it was the only way we could guarantee to keep racing alive,” he explains.
Darryl Kaplan, Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame president, explains that racetrack expansions aren’t just happening in urban centres, particularly for standardbred (harness) racing.
The last harness race at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto was run in early 2018 before owner Woodbine Entertainment Group moved its standardbred racing to rural Campbellville, Ont., and invested $10-million in the renamed Woodbine Mohawk Park to make racing year-round.
Changes in 2009 to Ohio’s gambling laws, allowing casinos and racinos, have led to a building frenzy, with four new horse racing facilities opening across the state over the past decade.
Jack Thistledown Racino in North Randall completed a US$70-million renovation in 2016, expanding the existing racetrack to include more than 57,000 square feet of casino, dining and entertainment. The renovation also included a 1,000-space parking garage and 365-metre “living wall” at the casino’s entrance to house more than 7,000 plants.
Thanks to this push toward the all-encompassing entertainment experience provided at racinos, Ohio is now one of the top states in the United States for slots revenue, almost US$1-billion in 2018.
And the expansion of existing tracks, which were claiming losses of almost US$100-million just more than a decade ago, is continuing even with fairly new builds. Last year, MGM Resorts International bought Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park, Ohio’s largest racetrack, and a significant expansion is expected even though it was constructed in just 2013.
Did Calgarians dodge a real estate bullet by rejecting the 2026 Winter Games?
Navy blue silk blend sleeveless tiered dress from Saloni featuring a v-neck, a sleeveless design, a fitted waist, a tiered design and a frill trim.
Blue sleeveless flared maxi dress from Saloni featuring a round neck, a belted waist, a flared style, a long length and a draped design.

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