Several states are making late changes to election rules, even as voting is set to begin

• September 24, 2024

By ALI SWENSON

In Georgia, election workers will have to hand count the number of ballots cast after voting is completed. In North Carolina, some students and university staff can use their digital IDs to vote. In Wisconsin, ballot drop boxes are newly legal again, although not every voting jurisdiction will use them.

Across the country, including in some of the nation’s presidential swing states, new or recently altered state laws are changing how Americans will vote, tally ballots, and administer and certify November’s election.

It can be a challenge to keep track of these 11th-hour changes, especially since state election processes already vary so widely. Even more changes are looming in some states, with Election Day on Nov. 5 now just weeks away. Several states already have started sending out mail ballots, and in some states, voters have begun casting ballots in person.

“Last-minute changes to election rules — whether from a state legislature, an election authority or a court — can lead to confusion for voters and election officials,” Megan Bellamy, vice president of law and policy for the Voting Rights Lab, said in an email response. “Election season is underway. Lawmakers, administrative bodies and courts must recognize that.”

Here’s a look at some of the election processes that are new or have been recently modified.

New hand-counting requirements

Georgia and Arizona will both require election workers to hand-count ballots at polling sites on Election Day. Election officials say it could delay the reporting of results.

The Georgia State Election Board passed its new rule on Friday. It requires that the number of ballots — not the number of votes — be counted by hand at each polling place by three separate poll workers until all three counts are the same.

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Georgia voters make selections on touch-screen voting machines that print out paper ballots. Those ballots include a list of the selections so voters can verify their accuracy and a QR code that is read by a scanner to tally the votes.

Proponents say the new hand-count rule is needed to make sure the number of paper ballots matches the electronic tallies on scanners, check-in computers and voting machines. The three workers will have to count the ballots in piles of 50, and the poll manager needs to explain and fix, if possible, any discrepancies, as well as document them.

The rule goes against the advice of the state attorney general’s office, the secretary of state’s office and an association of county election officials. Critics worry it could delay the reporting of election night results, undermining public confidence in the process.

A similar change to state law this year in Arizona is also likely to cause delayed results in the swing state this fall. It requires counties to hand count ballot envelopes that are dropped off at polling centers on Election Day before the ballots are tabulated.

After the July primary, Maricopa County Elections spokesperson Jennifer Liewer said the new step resulted in a roughly 30-minute delay in reporting the county’s results, and said the impact could be greater in the general election “if we have hundreds of thousands of ballots dropped off.”

Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, estimates between 625,000 and 730,000 voters will drop off their ballots on Nov. 5.

JP Martin, a spokesperson for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, said in an email that the ballot counting mandate will “require considerable time, particularly since poll workers have already completed a 12-15-hour shift.”

Changes for early and mailed ballots

Chaos and disinformation about mail-in ballots and drop boxes have prompted partisan disagreements — and new rules — in several states over how these accessible voting methods should be used.

In Wisconsin, the then-conservative majority state Supreme Court outlawed drop boxes in 2022. But a new liberal majority on the court made them legal again in July. Some communities opened them for the state’s August primary, but more will be in use for November.

Their use in Wisconsin is voluntary and some conservative towns have opted against using drop boxes, citing security concerns. The state’s two most heavily Democratic cities, Milwaukee and Madison, used them in August and will again in November.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, issued a directive to county election boards in August that said only a voter can drop their personal ballot in a drop box. Anyone who assists someone else must return that ballot inside the county board office and complete an attestation form.

In Pennsylvania, a court battle is pending at the state Supreme Court that could decide whether counties must count provisional ballots cast by voters whose mail-in ballots were rejected for relatively minor mistakes, such as not inserting the ballot into an inner secrecy envelope. Practices vary by county and state law is silent on it. Republicans have argued that nothing in state law explicitly allows a voter to cast a provisional ballot in place of a rejected mail-in ballot.

Separately, the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court earlier this month threw out a case on a technicality after a lower court had ruled that rejecting mail-in ballots for “meaningless and inconsequential paperwork errors” — such as a missing handwritten date — violates the constitutional right to vote. As a result, counties are expected to continue the practice of disqualifying those ballots. Some counties — primarily Democratic ones — strive to help voters fix those errors or cast a provisional ballot instead.

This is the first presidential election since Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature made a series of changes to mail balloting in 2021. While those aren’t recent changes, their impact could be significant this year in a state that traditionally has had robust interest in voting by mail. One change makes a voter’s request for a mail ballot valid only for the next general election, rather than two general election cycles, meaning voters will have to reapply. Requesting a mail ballot also now requires a driver’s license number, state ID number or last four digits of a Social Security number.

Verifying a voter’s identity

In North Carolina, the State Board of Elections last month voted that students and staff at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill could show digital identifications on their smartphones to qualify to vote under the state’s recently implemented photo voter ID law.

It marked the first such digital ID the board has approved. Republican groups sued, contending that state law only allows physical cards.

A trial judge last week refused to block its use. Republicans have since filed an appeal notice. Only mobile IDs issued by UNC-Chapel Hill on Apple phones have been approved for use.

In Arkansas, a federal appeals court decision last week reinstated a rule that bans electronic signatures for voter registration. The state Board of Election Commissioners approved the rule in April, saying the state’s constitution allows only certain agencies, and not elections officials, to accept electronic signatures. Under the rule, voters will have to register by signing their name with a pen.

It was adopted after nonprofit group Get Loud Arkansas helped register voters using electronic signatures. The board said the rule was needed to create uniformity across the state.

The board’s director asked county clerks to identify any registration documents submitted using electronic signatures after the appeals court decision and make every effort to contact the voters as soon as possible to give them the chance to correct their application.

After the votes are in

Election administration doesn’t stop when the polls close, and a few states will have new processes in the post-election period.

The same Georgia election board that ordered counties to hand count the number of paper ballots had just weeks earlier passed new rules related to certification of the vote. One change provides for a “reasonable inquiry” before county election officials certify results, without defining what that means. Another allows county election officials “to examine all election-related documentation created during the conduct of elections.”

Democrats have sued to block the new rules, saying they could be used by local officials who want to refuse certification if they don’t like the election results.

In New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu signed legislation in July that establishes postelection audits. It took effect in time for New Hampshire’s late state primary on Sept. 10 and will apply to general elections.

The audits allow the secretary of state’s office to check that electronic vote-counting equipment functioned properly. Ten polling locations were chosen at random.

The audit of electronic ballot counting devices was determined successful by the appointed audit team, with all results within expected margins.

In Nebraska, former President Donald Trump’s allies were pushing for the state to change how it allocates electoral votes to prevent Vice President Kamala Harris from potentially claiming one of them by carrying the state’s congressional district for the Omaha area. But that effort appears doomed because a Republican state senator said he wouldn’t support it, denying backers the two-thirds majority they would need to get it through the Legislature and into law before the Nov. 5 election.

“After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change,” state Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha said Monday.

Maine is the only other state that allocates Electoral College votes by congressional district.

Associated Press statehouse reporters across the country contributed to this report.

The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

​ Orange County Register 

Not a scam: VA texting veterans to encourage them to apply for earned benefits

• September 24, 2024

This story — a somewhat personal one — starts as many do nowadays, with an unsolicited text message from an unknown number.

If you’re anything like me, then you would probably react much as I did when the text from “468311” came in early one morning last week.

“Afghanistan Veteran: You’re likely eligible for VA monthly compensation. Visit VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-698-2411 & press 8, then 2,” the message read, the number and website hyperlinked.

You couldn’t pay me to respond to that text message or click that link address and phone number, let alone trick me with a promise or “compensation.” I may have once been credulous enough to commit the most well known of the “classic blunders” by voluntarily involving myself in a land war in Asia, but I wasn’t going to be fooled by a phisher, a smisher, a spoofer, or whatever else these con artists are currently called.

Not today, scammers, I thought to myself, mentally adding the sort of expletives reasonably expected from a former sergeant of military police.

The number looked familiar, though. It looked an awful lot like the actual number for the Department of Veterans Affairs. As any modern-day journalist might, I turned to the Google for answers.

That number was the VA’s. The website, too. I’d certainly served in Afghanistan. I’ve written about the PACT Act — the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 — I knew that was real.

It’s a fairly well-researched con, then, I told myself.

Without clicking the certain-to-be scam text message, I called the Department of Veterans Affairs directly. If someone was trying to cheat veterans they would probably want to know.

“Is this a scam?” I asked.

“That is not a scam,” the actual human who answered the phone at the VA said. He couldn’t see my visible confusion.

Genuinely surprised — I may have even scoffed — I countered with something along the lines of “you’re telling me the VA is actually reaching out to veterans to encourage them to sign up for disability benefits?”

I’d been a VFW post officer. I’d heard the war stories, and not the ones about the battlefields, but against the government bureaucrat-boogeymen who seemed intent on standing in the way of earned post-service services. It couldn’t be true.

“Yes, we are,” the VA employee said.

I didn’t want to get that guy in trouble for talking to me — not for talking to a veteran, that’s literally his job, but to a journalist, which most government employees aren’t allowed. I reached out to his bosses.

According to the Biden Administration’s Assistant Secretary at the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Adam Farina, the text message is part of a new “paradigm shift at VA” pushed by President Joe Biden and VA Secretary Denis McDonough.

“We have been given one mandate: inform veterans of the benefits available to them and get them in the door for services,” he told me. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck outreach effort. The first in VA history, and certainly the largest in VA history, to get veterans to come to us.”

The text I’d received wasn’t the first the Department had sent. The veterans of Vietnam, whose exposure to Agent Orange is now presumed under the PACT Act, were contacted to apply for benefits in July. Those who served in Desert Storm were contacted after that. Afghanistan veterans are being contacted now, with Iraq War vets to follow.

So far, 3 million veterans have received such a text message, Farina said, with more to come.

“All of those efforts are targeted at veterans who are not currently receiving care or compensation at VA,” Farina said. “We want them to come to VA for the care and benefits they deserve.”

The VA has also hosted more than 800 live outreach events since March (including one at Gillette Stadium), and launched a national advertising campaign titled “What You Earned,” which aims to make veterans familiar with tangible VA benefits like low- or no-cost healthcare, no-money-down mortgages, and no-cost memorial and burial services.

The outreach is working, Farina said. More than 410,000 Veterans have enrolled for VA care over the last year, the largest enrollment jump since 2017. Since the PACT Act was signed into law in 2022, he said, nearly three-quarters of a million Veterans have enrolled in VA health care, a more than 33% increase compared to a similar period from before the legislation was signed.

The VA has received 4.4 million claims for compensation in the last two years alone, and 1.7 million of those fall under the PACT acts “presumed conditions” list, which makes it easier for veterans to tie their injuries to their service.

“The reason for this is we have found that veterans who come to VA do better,” Farina said. “We want them to come to VA, and that mandate has permeated through the Department, and we are just crushing the records.”

Right now, Farina said, more veterans are receiving disability benefits and care through the VA than ever before. This fiscal year alone, VA has awarded $137 billion in benefits to more than 6.7 million veterans.

Except for, of course, this procrastination-prone former noncommissioned officer, or I wouldn’t have gotten that text message.

I’ll have to get on top of that. If you got or get that text message, well, you probably should too. It really isn’t a scam (this time).

This is the message VA is sending to veterans to encourage them to sign up. It’s not a texting scam, but an outreach effort from VA. (screen capture from Herald Reporter Matthew Medsger’s cell phone)
The US Department of Veterans Affairs building is seen in Washington, DC, on July 22, 2019. (Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

​ Orange County Register 

4-year-old horse dies in training injury at Santa Anita

• September 24, 2024

A 4-year-old colt with one career race has died after suffering a training injury at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, track officials confirmed.

“Ransom Call sustained an injury following a workout Sunday morning at Santa Anita Park and was immediately attended to by an expert team of on-site veterinarians. Given the severity of the injury, surgical repair was not an option, and the veterinary team recommended humane euthanasia,” Amy Zimmerman, Santa Anita’s senior vice president and executive producer, said in a statement provided to City News Service.

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” … As is protocol, the horse will undergo a necropsy overseen by the University of California (Davis) School of Veterinary Medicine and the findings reported to the California Horse Racing Board,” she added.

Ransom Call was owned by Henie Racing and trained by Cesar DeAlba. His jockey was Diego Herrera. He is the 10th horse to die from a racing or training injury at Santa Anita in 2024.

Racing returns to the Arcadia track this Friday after the most recent season concluded in June.

​ Orange County Register 

7 best things I ate at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights

• September 24, 2024

The bloodthirsty and carnivorous menu at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights answers the question of what would happen if you let Leatherface, Chucky and the Ghostbusters kids run wild in the kitchen on one dark and eerie night.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s Executive Chef Julia Thrash hosted the media last week for a sampling of the 30-plus food and drink items at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights inspired by “Ghostbusters,” “A Quiet Place,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and other frightening film franchises.

“The big thing this year is we really wanted to make sure that we tied everything back into the mazes,” Thrash said during an interview at Universal Studios Hollywood. “If you look at all of the food, there’s something that ties directly back to either what you’re seeing in the maze or directly back to the film that it’s representing.”

ALSO SEE: 8 Universal Horror Nights haunted houses ranked from best to worst

Universal Studios Hollywood’s Executive Chef Julia Thrash. (Photo by Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)

Halloween Horror Nights 2024 features eight new haunted mazes along with four scare zones and the Terror Tram on select nights through Nov. 3 at Universal Studios Hollywood.

What should you eat and drink at this year’s Horror Nights? Let’s take a closer look at the seven best things on the menu.

The Mini Stay-Puft S’more available during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. (Photo by Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)

1) Mini Stay-Puft S’more

Marshmallow man, Hershey’s chocolate bar and graham cracker. Available at Studio Scoop on the Lower Lot.

The Stay-Puft S’more has easily been the most talked about food item at Halloween Horror Nights. The carmel-colored blow torched finish only added to the irresistibility of this delectable dessert.

“He is super popular,” Thrash said. “He’s super cute also.”

If you’re only going to get one thing to eat at Horror Nights, then this is it.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll get one up on the Upper Lot — because you will be sadly mistaken. This little fella is only available on the Lower Lot.

But how did it taste?

The Stay-Puft S’more not only looked great, but it also tasted ridiculously good. Squishy on the top with tons of chocolatey goodness in the middle and a graham crust finish on the bottom.

It was fun to bite off his little marshmallow leg — and very hard to not end up covered in stickiness. Which is part of the experience, of course.

Universal has thousands of the Stay-Puft marshmallow molds to keep up with demand, according to Thrash.

“We went through several trials of making a mold,” Thrash said. “We finally got a mold that we like.”

ALSO SEE: 7 best things I ate at Knott’s Scary Farm

Franklin’s BBQ Ribs available during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. (Photo by Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)

2) Franklin’s BBQ Ribs

Pork ribs with Coca-Cola barbecue sauce served with a side of potato salad and barbecue baked beans. Available at Leatherface BBQ located on the Lower Lot.

The perfectly cooked ribs were moist, juicy, saucy and pull-from-the-bone tender. I liked dipping the potato salad in the little bowl of baked beans. There was an adorable fondant butcher knife stuck to the side of one rib that was the ideal sugar chaser.

The five ribs made for a full meal or just the right amount to share with a friend if you’d prefer to keep grazing throughout the night.

The backstory created for the Horror Nights food can get gross pretty quickly the more you think about it.

“They’re actually Franklin’s barbecue ribs,” Thrash said. “So if you remember in the movies, Franklin’s one of the first ones that dies. So it’s actually his ribs that we’re eating. Let’s make it as gross as possible.”

ALSO SEE: Will Leatherface terrorize Knott’s, Six Flags or Universal in 2025?

The Wooden Board Eclair available during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. (Photo by Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)

3) Wooden Board Eclair

Dark chocolate mousse filled eclair dripped in chocolate ganache with a cocoa-covered nail. Available at City Snacks featuring “A Quiet Place” located on the Upper Lot.

I love chocolate and this eclair was chocolate overload — in a good way. Even the rusty nail driven into the pastry and dripping blood was dusted in chocolate.

“In the first movie, if you remember where she is pregnant and running down the stairs and ends up stepping on a rusty nail,” Thrash said. “This is that rusty nail.”

I couldn’t put the eclair down. And neither should you. Because somebody might ask for a bite.

In theory, you could share this eclair with someone you love, but it might lead to bad blood. Tell them to get their own — in a firm but loving way.

ALSO SEE: Best 5 things I ate at Six Flags Fright Fest

Pam’s Brisket Sandwich available during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. (Photo by Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)

4) Pam’s Brisket Sandwich

Smoked brisket sandwich with Coca-Cola barbecue sauce and creamy coleslaw served with a side of potato salad and barbecue baked beans. Available at Leatherface BBQ located on the Lower Lot.

The delicate and savory brisket soaked nicely into the cushiony bun while the slaw added a bit of crunch to every bite.

I ate the whole thing and wanted more — which is always a good sign.

“Leatherface is actually using body parts to make the sandwiches,” Thrash said. “So in this case, we’re eating Pam’s brisket.”

ALSO SEE: Knott’s Scary Farm keeps up with rivals in 51st season

The Saw Blade Flatbread available during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. (Photo by Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)

5) Saw Blade Flatbread

Braised short rib, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, spicy tomato sauce and ranch drizzle on pita bread. Available at The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy Bar on the Lower Lot near Jurassic World — The Ride.

Let’s be honest here: The big selling point is the razor sharp saw blade crust. It looked cool on the plate and in my hand. And will look even better in Instagram feeds.

The shredded short rib on top was a little dry — but to be fair it had been sitting under a heat lamp for awhile.

The flatbread pizza was inspired by The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy haunted house.

“There’s a whole scene where there are people being cut in half,” Thrash said. “If you actually look very closely at the pita saw blade, there’s one side that is dark red. It’s just a spicy tomato sauce.”

ALSO SEE: Six Flags Fright Fest goes for quantity over quality

Dia de los Muertos Esquites available during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. (Photo by Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)

6) Dia de los Muertos Esquites

Corn off the cob topped with grated cotija cheese, cilantro and tajin. Available at Dia de los Muertos located in Universal Plaza.

The sliced corn kernels were sweet, juicy and the ideal accompaniment to anything on the menu at the Mexican-inspired Day of the Dead food stand. I couldn’t stop scooping up the side dish.

The Esquites would go good with the Beef Birria Tacos and a Horror-Chata cocktail.

“It’s a traditional dish that we are actually doing slightly different for Dia de los Muertos,” Thrash said.

ALSO SEE: How Slash makes scary soundtracks for Universal Horror Nights mazes

The Friend Till the End cocktail available during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. (Photo by Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)

7) Friend Till the End

Tequila, lemon-lime soda, blue curacao, lime juice and orange popping pearls with an orange sugar rim and a rainbow pop. Available at Chucky’s Die Bar located behind the Animation Studio Store on the Upper Lot.

The refreshing cocktail wasn’t overly sweet — which is always a problem with theme park beverages. The orange sugar rim added just the right amount of sweetness — and was optional when you already had enough of a pucker.

The fun part was dipping the spiral lollipop in the cocktail and licking the liquor off it.

“We ended up doing the lollipop on the side so you can actually stir it in to create your sweetness,” Thrash said. “The orange popping bubbles tie back into Chucky’s color scheme.”

​ Orange County Register 

The one where the iconic ‘Friends’ couch sells for $29,250

• September 24, 2024

The iconic couch where it all began went for nearly $30,000 as items from the sitcom that’s still beamed into our homes 30 years after its debut were sold at a commemorative auction on Monday.

Nostalgia-stricken fans from 30 countries snapped up a slew of “Friends” memorabilia, paying many times the asking price for a number of the 110 items on offer.

“The One With the 30th Anniversary Auction” was held Sept. 23 both online and in-person in Los Angeles, in honor of the show’s Sept. 22, 1994, anniversary.

One lucky buyer snagged a replica of the orange sofa, the Central Perk café centerpiece that was almost a character in its own right and is now the most recognizable and highest-priced item. The velvet couch that serves as the friends’ coffee-shop perch went for $29,250, 10 to 15 times more than the initial estimate of $2,000 to $3,000. Likewise a reproduction of the Central Perk sign, slated to sell for $500 to $700, brought in $5,850.

A sweater worn by Chandler Bing (played by the late Matthew Perry) went for $6,500, more than three times higher than the $1,000 to $1,500 it was originally priced at. Someone paid $5,200 for an embroidered coat worn by Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), way above the $1,000 to $1,500 it was estimated to sell for.

The dresser from Ross Geller’s (David Schwimmer) apartment catapulted from an estimated price of $500 to $700 to a whopping winning bid of $10,400. An ottoman from his apartment went for, not $500 to $700 as originally anticipated, but $9,100.

Then there was the Geller Cup Trophy prop, featured in season 3’s ninth episode, “The One with the Football,” known as the Thanksgiving episode. Instead of selling for $300 to $500 as predicted, the prop went for $9,100. Not bad for a troll doll nailed to a piece of wood.

Organizers called it a testament to the show’s enduring appeal.

“Thirty years since its debut in 1994, people from all over the world are still falling in love with Friends as evidenced by the success of today’s 30th anniversary auction,” Julien’s Auctions CEO David Goodman said in a statement obtained by People and the UK’s PA News Agency. “Since the announcement of this auction celebration, interest pivoted to an all-time high with thousands of bidders joining Julien’s and Warner Bros. Television’s nostalgic journey of Friends that culminated with all of the show’s iconic items being sold beyond their pre-sale estimates.”

​ Orange County Register 

Gov. Newsom addicted to signing bad internet laws

• September 24, 2024

Government isn’t particularly efficient at regulating anything, but it’s always out of its league when it tries to control evolving online technologies. That doesn’t stop it from trying, as is the case with legislation Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last week. The governor touted the bill as something that will protect children from social-media “addiction,” but it will do no such thing.

“Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children – isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night,” Newsom said in a statement. “California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits.”

Senate Bill 976 “prohibits operators of ‘internet-based services or ‘applications’ from providing ‘addictive feeds’ … to minors without parental consent and from sending notifications to minors at night and during school hours without parental consent.” What are these “purposely designed features” that promote a nearly drug-like online addiction?

In simple English, the law forbids social-media companies from curating feeds based on the interests of younger app users, which the law defines as an “addictive feed.” If a child or teen-ager is interested in, say, raising guinea pigs, gardening, bicycling and pop music, the social-media sites prioritize news and information that caters to those particular interests. The governor has in effect mandated the use of chronological feeds instead.

That means youngsters will be forced to sift through reams of information that doesn’t interest them – and they will be subject to feeds (including “bad actors”) from those who post items most frequently. As prominent California tech groups wrote in opposing the legislation, “This means that their friends’ posts and content will be drowned out by brands and influencers employing teams of people to post throughout the day” and from those who tend to “spread more low quality or harmful content.”

The groups (TechNet, NetChoice, the California Chamber of Commerce and the Computer & Communications Industry Association) also fearthe legislation provides de facto “age verification,” which means all California app users will have to somehow prove that they are adults. The legislation doesn’t mandate an identification system, but any law that requires protections for children has to find some way to verify all users’ personal information.

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That leaves everyone more vulnerable to identity theft. It also raises the same constitutional questions that all such systems raise, which means lengthy and costly lawsuits rather than actual protections. Then again, we suspect the legislative language is not as important as the publicity. It’s likely courts will toss such vague laws, but politicians can still say they did something about a problem.

Even media coverage seems to echo politicians’ narratives. For instance, The Los Angeles Times reported that “California took a major step in its fight to protect children from the ills of social media with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature on a bill to limit the ability of companies to provide ‘addictive feeds’ to minors.” Yet this “major step” won’t do anything to protect The Children.

It will burden businesses, encroach on adults’ ability to access internet information and will make kids more vulnerable to advertisers and bad actors. In other words, it’s about what one would expect from a Legislature that’s addicted to grandstanding over policy making.

​ Orange County Register 

USC women’s basketball lands 5-star guard Jazzy Davidson

• September 24, 2024

LOS ANGELES — Perhaps, Lindsay Gottlieb will acknowledge, this moment for her USC women’s basketball program has arrived sooner than the bevy of 2024 freshmen she’s recruited ever quite expected.

But they came to USC drawn to a movement, spearheaded by Gottlieb and accelerated with the arrival of JuJu Watkins. And this program is approaching recruiting – and every facet of their program – with the mind to be a national power. To be the national power.

And after securing the top-ranked recruiting class in the country in 2024, USC has a strong head start in 2025, as five-star Oregon guard Jazzy Davidson announced her commitment to the Trojans on Instagram on Monday morning. She chose USC over programs like UCLA and UConn, according to 247Sports.

Suddenly, Gottlieb and USC have a bevy of talented guards on their hands, a number of options to join Watkins in the Trojans’ backcourt of the future once Oregon State transfer Talia Von Oelhoffen departs. Two five-star freshmen – Idaho’s Avery Howell and New York’s Kayleigh Heckel – are already on the roster, plus four-star Texas product Rian Forestier. And Davidson, too, is a versatile piece, a 6-foot-1 guard with a high, left-handed release who operates well in the midrange.

It’s the first commitment of USC’s 2025 class, ahead of a season with plainly expressed national-championship aspirations.

​ Orange County Register 

Halloween 2024: Where to find pumpkin patches in Southern California

• September 24, 2024

Pumpkin patches bring a little bit of country into the big city during Halloween season.

But Southern California also has pockets of agriculture that become like theme parks in October with rides, games and live entertainment as well as selling pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns and other gourds for decorating and cooking.

Many of the pumpkin patches have free admission, though some charge for entrance. Almost all of them charge for attractions such as tractor rides, corn mazes, bounce houses and petting zoos. Some have ticket systems like old-time country fairs or wristband systems for carnival rides. And some are cash-only or card-only, while others sell tickets online.

Also, most are family-friendly, but a few have scary attractions or serve alchohol.

Check websites for restrictions before you go.

Los Angeles County

Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Fest

AGRIscapes Center, Cal Poly Pomona, 4102 S. University Drive, Pomona; cpp.edu/pumpkinfestival; noon-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 28-Oct. 27.

This annual event is put on by the Huntley College of Agriculture. Attractions include a corn maze, pumpkin patches, hay rides and animal farm. Admission is $10.80 for adults, $8.74 for children, seniors and military. Season passes are available.

Carved at Descanso Gardens

1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge; 818-949-4200, descansogardens.org; 6-10 p.m. Oct. 4-30.

Hundreds of carved and illuminated pumpkins will decorate the grounds of this 150-acre botanical garden. Features will include the “Pine Family,” tree spirits carved into logs by an artist known as Chainsaw Jenna. Entry is timed at half-hour intervals. Tickets are $35-$45, $28-38 for members.

Forneris Farms

15200 Rinaldi St., Los Angeles; 818-730-7707, fornerisfarms.com; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, Oct. 5-Nov. 3.

Attractions include a Peanuts-themed corn maze, games and refreshments. Admission is $5. Transactions are cash only.

La Verne Heritage Foundation

Heritage Park, 5001 Via De Mansions, La Verne; laverneheritage.org; 4-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4-27.

Attractions include tractor rides, petting farm and selfie opportunities.

Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch

West Los Angeles College, 10100 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City; mrbonespumpkinpatch.com;  9 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. weekends, Oct. 5-31.

Attractions include a pumpkin village, straw maze, petting zoo, slides, food and live entertainment, including a Dia De Los Muertos celebration on Oct. 27. New this year is a 12-foot owl made of pumpkins. Admission varies by date. Tickets go on sale Sept. 25.

Mr. Jack O’ Lanterns Pumpkin Patch, Torrance

17520 Prairie Ave., Torrance; mrjackolanternspumpkins.com; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4-31.

Activities include candy corn hole, pumpkin bowling, animal feeding and bounce house. Admission is free, but there are charges for activities.

Mr. Jack O’ Lanterns Pumpkin Patch, West Los Angeles

11404 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles; mrjackolanternspumpkins.com; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4-31.

Activities include animals, slides, pumpkin smash and pumpkin decorating. New this year is a Giant Extreme Wicked Obstacle Course Wee Be Little bounce house for small children only. Free admission, extra charge for activities.

Pa’s Pumpkin Patch

500 Lakewood Center Mall, Lakewood; paspumpkinpatch.com; Opens Oct. 1.

The patch is moving from Long Beach to Lakewood this year. Attractions include rides, games and fair foods. Admission is $5 for adults weekdays, $10 on weekends, and $2.50 for children younger than 13 years on weekdays, $5 on weekends.

Shawn’s Pumpkin Patch

3443 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles; shawnspumpkinpatch.com; Daily, hours vary, Oct. 5-Nov. 3.

There’s a new location on Sepulveda Boulevard this year. Attractions include a bounce house, bungee trampoline, pony rides and petting zoo.

Orange County

Hana Field Pumpkin Patch & Flower Fields

427 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa; 949-653-2100, tanakafarms.com/hana-field-pumpkin-patch; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5-27.

Attractions include u-pick pumpkins, a corn maze, cow train and barnyard animals. The farm’s website cautions that the flower crop is disappointing this year.  Admission is $10, younger than 2 years and military are free.

Irvine Park Railroad

Irvine Regional Park, 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange. 714-997-3968, irvineparkrailroad.com; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends, through Oct. 31

Activities include hay rides, bounce houses, face painting and panning for gold. Great Pumpkin Weigh-off starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. Park entrance is $3 per vehicle weekdays, $5 on weekends.

Pumpkin City, Laguna Hills

24203 Avenida de la Carlota, Laguna Hills; 949-449-4189, pumpkincity.com; 12:30-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1-31.

Attractions include rides and games, plus an Oktoberfest beer garden. Admission is free before 4 p.m. weekdays, $12 for evenings and weekends. Children 2-12 years are $8.

Pumpkin Factory, Westminster

1025 Westminster Mall, Westminster; thepumpkinfactory.com; 5-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4-10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3-31.

Attractions include rides, slides and a petting zoo. Admission is free Monday through Thursday, $5 Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Tanaka Farms

5380 University Drive, Irvine. 949-653-2100; tanakafarms.com/tanaka-farms-pumpkin-patch; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 14-30; Friday, Saturday and Sunday hours expand to 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 4-27; Halloween hours are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 31.

Daily activities include u-pick pumpkins, wagon rides and a corn maze. Weekends have more going on, including a pumpkin cannon. Admission is $20-$22.

Zoomars at River Street Ranch

31791 Los Rios St., San Juan Capistrano. 949-831-6550; riverstreetranch.com; 10 a.m-4 p.m. daily, through Oct. 31.

This petting zoo with goats, sheep and guinea pigs does a pumpkin patch during Halloween season. Admission is $15, $12 for children12 years and younger.

Riverside County

Big Horse Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch

Big Horse Feed and Mercantile, 33320 Temecula Parkway, Temecula; 951-389-4621, bighorsecornmaze.com; provisional dates Sept. 28-Oct. 31.

This corn maze bills itself as the largest in Southern California. It usually has a patriotic theme. Details were not available at press time.

Hunter’s Pumpkin Patch

12125 Day St., Moreno Valley. 951-440-2027; hunterspumpkinpatch.com; 4-9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, through Oct. 30.

Attractions include slides, a barrel train and other rides, games and music.

Peltzer Pumpkin Farm

39925 Calle Contento, Temecula; 951-695-1115, peltzerfarms.com; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Halloween,  through Oct. 31.

Attractions include a petting zoo, pig races, pony rides and carnival games. Admission is $2-$4. Peltzer is also a winery and hosts seasonal events for adults as well as children evenings throughout October.

Pumpkin Factory

1545 Circle City Drive, Corona; thepumpkinfactory.com; 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4-10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3-31.

Attractions include rides, games, petting zoo and food vendors. Admission is free Monday through Thursday, $5 Friday through Sunday.

San Bernardino County

Frosty’s Forest Pumpkin Patch

14861 Ramona Ave., Chino; frostysforest.com; 4-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4-11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday, opens Sept. 27.

Attractions include a corn maze, sunflower labyrinth, petting zoo, bounce houses and carnival games. $5-$10 admission, free on Mondays. A scary corn maze called The Haunted Harvest is on the property. Admission is separate.

Greenspot Farms

10133 Ward Way, Mentone; 909-794-7653, greenspotfarms.com; open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily beginning Sept. 28; scary nighttime attractions will be added 7-10 p.m. weekends, Oct. 11-Nov. 2.

Attractions include a hay maze, bounce house, tractor rides, duck races and farm animals. Admission is free. Tickets for the nighttime Haunted Hayride are $30 for adults, $25 for children younger than 12. Haunted Trail is $20, $15 for children.

Live Oak Canyon Pumpkin Farm

Live Oak Canyon Road at the 10 Freeway, office is 32335 Live Oak Canyon, Redlands; liveoakcanyon.com; open 4-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4-10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday; 4-8 p.m. on Halloween; through Nov. 2.

In addition to u-pick pumpkins and a large selection of picked pumpkins and gourds, there are more than 70 attractions including a corn maze, petting zoo and rides. Live entertainment starting Oct. 7 includes gunfighters and Anthony the Magic. Admission ranges between $15 to $32 for adults, and $12 to $26 for children ages 3-10. Check the website’s calendar for daily prices.

Los Rios Rancho

39611 Oak Glen Road, Yucaipa; losriosrancho.com; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

This farm has more than five acres of pumpkins for cooking, jack-o-lanterns and other decorating. The u-pick season is in October and November while supplies last. Los Rios also has apple picking, a 3-acre corn maze, animals and other attractions for kids.

Riley’s Farm

12261 Oak Glen Road, Yucaipa; rileysfarm.com; open Monday through Saturday.

Several varieties of u-pick pumpkins and apples are available. The property also has a bakery and restaurant. It’s putting on a dinner theater production of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” that includes a hayride.

SkyPark at Santa’s Village

28950 Highway 18, Skyforest; skyparksantasvillage.com; Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5-27, plus Oct. 31.

“Pumpkins in the Pines” includes a parkwide pumpkin patch, “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” puppet show, costume contests and seasonal food and beverages. Ticket information was not available at press time.

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​ Orange County Register