UCLA football: Top 3 storylines to follow in fall camp

• July 30, 2024

It is a transitional season for UCLA football as the Bruins enter the season with a new head coach and offensive coordinator, an apparently established starting quarterback and revamped defensive and offensive lines.

As fall camp gets underway Wednesday, here are the top storylines to watch in Year One for head coach DeShaun Foster.

Clear path for Ethan Garbers

After five years of Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, the Bruins last season were left trying to fill the role with three different starters. One year later, Dante Moore and Collin Schlee have transferred, leaving the door open for Ethan Garbers to enter the 2024 season as the projected starter.

Garbers completed 98 of 146 passes for 1,136 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions – two against Coastal Carolina in the season opener – but it was his performance in the 35-22 LA Bowl victory over Boise State in December that served as the audition that positioned him at the top of the depth chart throughout the offseason. He went 9 of 12 for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

“I’m excited for what this year holds and excited for the opportunities,” Garbers said about his senior season. “I’m just looking at it one day at a time and soaking everything in.”

The senior from Corona del Mar High has been tasked with learning Eric Bieniemy’s West Coast offense.

“Ever since Coach Bieniemy was hired, it hasn’t allowed me to be complacent,” Garbers said. “We are learning a brand new offense that came from the NFL and it’s been a grind.”

Garbers admitted that one of the most difficult things has been understanding the new verbiage for the offensive plays, having gone from only three- or four-word play calls last season to nine- to 10-word sentences.

Will UCLA find a pass rush?

It will take a lot of work to match the production on the defensive side of the ball from the 2023 season. The Bruins lost key playmakers up front like edge rushers Laiatu Latu, Gabriel Murphy and Grayson Murphy.

There’s no returners at the edge position and the Bruins are expected to lean on 6-foot-4, 256-pound redshirt junior transfer Jacob Busic, who started 24 games at Navy, and 6-5, 270-pound redshirt junior Devin Aupiu.

Foster and defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe used the transfer portal to help address the needed depth at the position.

Collins Acheampong could be a wild card for the rush attack after he transferred from Miami (Florida) and enrolled in January. Acheampong didn’t play as a freshman for the Hurricanes in 2023. The 6-foot-7, 270-pound Santa Margarita High grad spent most of the spring at UCLA limited to individual workouts away from the team during practice.

Luke Schuermann arrived in Westwood in June after transferring from Division III Johns Hopkins. The 6-4, 255-pound redshirt senior he was named an AP First Team All-American last season. He had 55 tackles (15.5 tackles for a loss) and 9.5 sacks

Cherif Seye was expected to enroll at UCLA after transferring from Florida A&M as a grad student. He was not listed on the official roster when it was released in late July. He had played in 12 games, recording 22 total tackles (9.5 tackles for a loss) and 4.5 sacks for the Rattlers. It remains unclear if Seye will have an opportunity to still join the program.

Reshuffled offensive line

The offensive line returns three starters but remains a bit of an unknown considering several linemen on the official roster weren’t present during spring camp.

Redshirt junior Alani Makihele and redshirt senior Reuben Unije committed in late April and are expected to come in and compete early for starting roles along the front line.

Makihele, a 6-5, 350-pound redshirt junior, started 11 games in 2023 at left guard but will likely move to the right side. Josh Carlin, a 6-5, 310-pound senior, is expected to move over from right guard to start at center.

Unije started 11 games at right tackle for Houston last season, but the 6-5, 310-pound redshirt senior could fill the void at left tackle this season for the Bruins. Bruno Fina, who started at left tackle last season, announced his decision to enter the transfer portal just three days after Unije’s commitment. Fina has since committed to Duke.

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Left guard Spencer Holstege and right tackle Garrett DiGiorgio join Carlin as returning starters on the line. The 6-5, 310-pound Holstege started 31 of 32 games at Purdue before starting another 13 games for the Bruins as a redshirt junior. He briefly entered the transfer portal following the LA Bowl Game before withdrawing his name. DiGiorgio, a 6-6, 310-pound redshirt junior, has started all 26 games over the past two seasons.

Among the offseason changes for the Bruins, offensive line coach Tim Drevno left the program and reunited with Chip Kelly at Ohio State. Foster hired longtime NFL position coach Juan Castillo to lead the offensive line room.

“When (Drevno) left we were sad to see him go but we brought in a new staff … and brought in the right people to make us a good program and get us to do what we need to do this season,” DiGiorgio said.

​ Orange County Register 

The Democratic contest to be Harris’ running mate will likely be decided in the next week

• July 30, 2024

By BILL BARROW and STEVE PEOPLES Associated Press

AMBLER, Pa. (AP) — Democrat Josh Shapiro had a dual message for enthusiastic voters in suburban Philadelphia this week, telling them Kamala Harris belongs in the White House — and then reminding them of all he’s done as governor of battleground Pennsylvania. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, likewise, told voters in Georgia that Harris has the makings of “a great president” — and then highlighted the elections he’s won as a Democrat in Republican territory.

The two governors were demonstrating a time-honored tradition in presidential campaigns: Summertime auditions from vice presidential contenders who walk the line between open self-promotion and loyal advocacy for the potential boss.

Vice President Harris, the likely Democratic nominee, appears intent on making a choice that she’s comfortable with personally and that can expand her electoral appeal in a matter of days. Her campaign has been vetting about a dozen potential running mates, according to people familiar with the search process. Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly are seen as among the front-runners, according to the people.

Three people familiar with the vice president’s plans said Tuesday that she and her yet-to-be-named running mate would begin traveling to battleground states next week — suggesting that a decision could be coming soon. The people said they didn’t know who her pick would be or which states Harris could visit. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details that haven’t been made public.

In the meantime, Harris advisers, led by former Attorney General Eric Holder, have been combing through reams of paperwork submitted by potential running mates, while the candidate herself is holding personal conversations with the finalists, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Harris, according to another person familiar with the matter, is seeking someone with executive experience who can also serve as a governing partner. Notions of a so-called short list have not stopped those on the Democrats’ broader national bench from finding the spotlight.

“I’m not going to talk about the interactions I’ve had with the campaign,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared recently on MSNBC. He added, though: “Let’s just say I’m aware that the vetting process is quite an in depth one.” Then he listed his accomplishments, offering that he was the only Midwestern governor to raise his state minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, once held out as an ideal nominee if Biden bailed out, has said, more or less, that she’s not a contender. But she appeared Monday with Shapiro in Pennsylvania and mused on MSNBC last week that “two women on the ticket would be exciting.”

Harris would be the first woman, first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to serve as president. Many Democrats have argued she should balance her ticket both demographically and politically.

Dems’ VP list has notable differences

Shapiro, 51, is among the most popular U.S. governors, winning his 2022 election in a rout over a Trump-endorsed Republican. He’s an outspoken supporter of abortion rights who has won three statewide elections in Pennsylvania. His speaking style draws comparisons to former President Barack Obama. But he has taken flak from the left for his support for Israel’s war on Hamas, a private school voucher program and natural gas infrastructure.

His allies argue that he would help Harris win Pennsylvania, complicating if not blocking Republican Donald Trump’s path to an Electoral College majority.

Like all contenders, Shapiro sidesteps questions about the vetting process and stresses Harris should not be pressured. But he’s mentioned more than once that he’s known her for nearly two decades.

Beshear stands out in a heavily Republican state. During his weekend stop in Georgia, he talked of winning votes in “tough counties” but emphasized liberal bona fides: “I am a proud pro-union governor. I am a proud pro-choice governor. I am a proud public education governor. I am a proud pro-diversity governor.”

Closest in age to JD Vance among the Democrats’ possibilities, Beshear openly mocks Trump’s understudy for presenting himself as a son of Appalachia. “I mean, there’s a county that JD Vance says he’s from in Kentucky – and I won it by 22 points last November,” he said.

Back home in Frankfort recently, Beshear played down the importance of being from a battleground, saying, “About every successful ticket going back to 2000 did not have someone in a swing state.”

Of course, sometimes the spotlight can produce mistakes. Twice in Georgia, Beshear mispronounced Harris’ first name as “Kah-MAH-lah,” rather than the correct “KAH-mah-lah.”

Beshear and Shapiro were both state attorneys general, like Harris, before becoming governors. But their tenures did not overlap considerably with Harris’ service in California. She worked more closely with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper during his days as an attorney general, but Cooper on Monday said he had opted not to be considered for vice president.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, 60, is a favorite of some progressives. He brings an atypical national political resume: He was a non-commissioned Army officer, public school teacher and state high school championship football coach before entering politics. Before being elected governor, he was one of the last white Democrats in Congress to represent a mostly rural, small-town House district — a notable juxtaposition for Harris, the Bay Area Californian.

“She will make the best choice she’s going to,” Walz said Sunday on CNN, a day after Trump held a mass rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota. “One way or another, she is going to win in November, and that’s going to benefit everyone,” Walz said, including “a lot of those folks who were out in St. Cloud with the (former) president.”

Kelly, 60, is the only top contender in Congress. He boasts an impressive military resume and experience as an astronaut. He has strong Latino support locally and solid relationships with Arizona officials along the U.S.-Mexico border. That balance could give him credibility on immigration policy as Republicans frame high numbers of migrant border crossings as a national crisis.

But Kelly has had to shore up his credentials with labor, a key Democratic faction. Kelly changed his position on union-backed legislation known as the PRO Act, which would make it easier to organize workers. He was one of just a handful of Democrats who didn’t co-sponsor the bill, saying at the time he supported the goals but had concerns. Following opposition from labor leaders, Kelly said this month he would vote for the bill if it came up for a vote.

Everyone has an opinion

Harris is expected to announce her pick in time for Democratic delegates to ratify her decision in a virtual nominating vote that could conclude by Aug. 7. Whatever her timetable, the media and campaign circuit is allowing plenty of Democrats additional time in the spotlight.

In the meantime, everyone seems to have an opinion.

Steven Benjamin, the White House director of public engagement, laughed as he told reporters on Air Force One on Monday that his office has received thousands of recommendations from around the country.

Donna Brazile, who managed Democrat Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000 and was instrumental in urging Biden to pick Harris in 2020, said the selection process involves “a lot of noise” that underplays the complexity of the decision.

“The most important stage is what the lawyers will do to you,” she said, with a laugh and emphasizing the seriousness. “It’s worse than a dental hygiene check. … Before you get to suitability and other factors, before it gets to political people like me, they’ve done a forensic examination of your life.”

Barrow reported from Cumming, Georgia. Associated Press reporters Zeke Miller and Will Weissert in Washington, Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix; and Colleen Long aboard Air Force One contributed.

​ Orange County Register 

The Cheesecake Factory reveals its National Cheesecake Day flavor for 2024

• July 30, 2024

The Cheesecake Factory is introducing a new flavor of cheesecake, Triple Berry Bliss, to mark National Cheesecake Day on Tuesday, July 30.

In addition, members of the chain’s Cheesecake Rewards program can order any slice of cheesecake or layer cake for half price on Tuesday, according to a news release from the Calabasas-based restaurant chain. The offer is for dine-in only and good for every member of the party up to six people, providing at least one member is enrolled in the program.

And The Cheesecake Factory is marking the occasion by introducing a new summer collection at Cake Merch. Items include T-shirts, bucket hats, slides and towels.

Triple Berry Bliss features three layers of cheesecake and vanilla cake laced with three kinds of berries and “a kiss of citrus,” as described on the chain’s website.

As usual for its new flavors, The Cheesecake Factory will donate 25 cents to the relief organization Feeding America for every slice of Triple Berry Bliss sold until National Cheesecake Day 2025 rolls around.

Information: thecheesecakefactory.com

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​ Orange County Register 

How should a witness prepare to testify? Ask the lawyer

• July 30, 2024

Q: I am plaintiff in a lawsuit seeking damages caused by defective artificial turf (was a spectator at our daughter’s soccer game, stepped in a pocket that first bounced down, then up, and broke my ankle). Any suggestions on how I go about preparing to testify at deposition or in court?

G.M., Newport Beach

Ron Sokol

A: Presumably you have a lawyer, so my initial response is: What does he or she say?

There may be an expert also who will testify about the artificial turf, including why the defect you describe is unacceptable and creates a dangerous condition. You, on the other hand, will provide information about who you are, what happened and how it has impacted you. In sum, focus on what you can testify about from personal knowledge, not speculate about.

Lawyers will differ on how a witness should go about preparing to testify. In my experience, the best witnesses simply are themselves. They do not act, do not engage in histrionics and do not argue with the other lawyer. A good witness is courteous, responsive and thoughtful. That said, it can be challenging to be courteous, responsive and thoughtful when you are being quizzed, or if the lawyer is trying to knock you off balance, or both. Do your best simply to be the better person.

Note that preparation, which involves review of records, may require you to provide those records to the lawyer asking questions. Thus, before you review records, talk out with your lawyer if it is advisable to do so.

Preparation often involves a “dress rehearsal,” during which your lawyer (or the lawyer’s staff) asks questions that you can anticipate may be part of the examination. You can learn how best to sit, where to put your hands, and what kind of eye contact you will make. You want to focus on providing an answer, not a narrative, and not volunteering information. If the question is, “Was the shirt blue,” The answer is yes or no, not “Well, no, it was orange, button-up and untucked.”

On occasion, I will videotape a rehearsal session, so the client can see how he or she comes across.  At the same time, I do not encourage over preparation, over thinking or over stressing. Honest, responsive and succinct answers — to the extent you can answer any given question in that manner — are suggested. If you are confused by something, you can ask that it be asked again, or read to you by the court reporter. If you are particularly concerned about a question at deposition (as opposed to in court), you can confer with your lawyer.

Chances are you will do fine. Being honest, and as indicated, courteous, responsive and thoughtful should work. It is common to be a bit nervous about testifying. Often that simmers down once you get underway.

Q: When you are in court, addressing the judge, are there certain ways you act because that is most effective?

H.D., Inglewood

A: Here again, different lawyers are almost certainly going to have varying answers to this inquiry. Over time, what I have learned is that courtesy is effective. Patience, biting your tongue if need be, explaining your argument or position well, all are advisable.

You have to speak up, so you can be heard, not speak too quickly, and of course be very well prepared before you get to court. I have not found being aggressive or antagonistic is helpful. I have found that humor, if appropriate, can work, but the most important part of addressing the court is: (a) have the facts at hand and (b) the law at your fingertips. Do not go on and on and on. Know when to be done, even if you are tempted (or your client encourages you) to continue arguing.

Ron Sokol has been a practicing attorney for over 40 years, and has also served many times as a judge pro tem, mediator, and arbitrator. It is important to keep in mind that this column presents a summary of the law, and is not to be treated or considered legal advice, let alone a substitute for actual consultation with a qualified professional.

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​ Orange County Register 

Olympic opening ceremony DJ files legal complaints for online abuse over ‘Last Supper’ tableau

• July 30, 2024

By JOHN LEICESTER and JOCELYN NOVECK Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — A storm of outrage about the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony took a legal turn Tuesday, with French prosecutors ordering police to investigate complaints from a DJ and LGBTQ+ icon that she suffered a torrent of online threats and abuse in the ceremony’s wake.

Barbara Butch’s lawyer told The Associated Press that she had filed a formal legal complaint alleging online harassment, death threats, and insults. The lawyer, Audrey Msellati, said the complaint doesn’t name any specific perpetrator or perpetrators of the alleged crimes.

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that it received Butch’s legal complaint and said it immediately tasked a special police unit that specializes in fighting hate crimes to investigate.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

PARIS (AP) — A storm of outrage about the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony — including angry comments from Donald Trump — took a legal turn Tuesday, with a DJ who performed at the show saying her lawyer is filing complaints over a torrent of threats and other abuse that the LGBTQ+ icon has suffered online in the ceremony’s wake.

Barbara Butch’s lawyer told The Associated Press that she had filed a formal legal complaint alleging cyber-harassment, death threats, and insults. The complaint doesn’t name any specific perpetrator or perpetrators of the alleged crimes.

The lawyer, Audrey Msellati, said the complaint was filed with the Paris prosecutor’s office, which must then decide whether it warrants a formal police investigation.

Although the ceremony’s artistic director Thomas Jolly has repeatedly said that he wasn’t inspired by “The Last Supper,” critics interpreted part of the show that featured Butch as a mockery of Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting showing Jesus Christ and his apostles. Even Trump, in the United States, said Monday he thought it was “a disgrace.”

“I’m very open-minded,” the former president and current Republican nominee told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who specifically asked about comparisons to “The Last Supper,” “but I thought what they did was a disgrace.”

Butch, who calls herself a “love activist,” wore a silver headdress that looked like a halo as she got a party going during her segment of the show. Drag artists, dancers and others flanked Butch on both sides.

French Catholic bishops and others were among those who said Christians had been hurt and offended. Paris Olympics organizers have said there was “never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group” and that the intent was to “celebrate community tolerance.”

Jolly has said he saw the moment as a celebration of diversity, and the table on which Butch spun her tunes as a tribute to feasting and French gastronomy.

“My wish isn’t to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock,” Jolly said. “Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”

Performer Philippe Katerine, who appeared in the next scene painted blue and nearly nude in a tribute to Dionysus, also told Le Monde newspaper that “The Last Supper” had not been referenced at all in preparations for the overall sketch.

In a statement of her own, posted on Instagram, Butch said: “Whatever some may say, I exist. I’ve never been ashamed of who I am, and I take responsibility for everything – including my artistic choices. All my life, I’ve refused to be a victim: I won’t shut up.”

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She said she “was extremely honored” to perform in Friday’s ceremony and “my heart is still full of joy.”

“I’m committed, and I’m proud. Proud of who I am, of what I am, and of what I embody, both for my loved ones and for millions of French people. My France is France !” she wrote.

Msellati described Butch as in “a fighting spirit” — eager to defend herself and her choices, and still very proud of her participation. “She has no regrets, even now,” the lawyer said.

The lawyer also said in an earlier statement that legal complaints would be filed regardless of “whether committed by French nationals or foreigners and intends to prosecute anyone who tries to intimidate her in the future.”

​ Orange County Register 

Paris Olympics brings out hoses and misters to cool down fans during heat wave

• July 30, 2024

PARIS (AP) — The 2024 Olympics famously launched with a rain-soaked opening ceremony that drenched athletes and spectators alike. Now, they’re enduring the opposite experience Tuesday: a heat wave.

Most of France is under a heat wave warning, with temperatures in Paris and surrounding areas expected to climb to 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) or higher, the national weather agency said. Air conditioning is far less common in French homes, shops and restaurants than in places like the United States.

“It’s really hot out there,” German women’s tennis player Angelique Kerber said Tuesday after winning her singles match. “You just try to take your time during the breaks.”

The heat was expected to be even worse in the south, including the region around the Mediterranean city of Marseille that is hosting Olympic competitions like soccer and sailing. It was as hot as 40 C (104 F) in parts of southern France on Monday and the temperatures were expected to match that high again Tuesday.

Back-to-back record global heat was seen last week as climate change makes extreme weather more frequent and intense. Paris 2024 organizers have aimed to cut the event’s carbon footprint, with measures like turning to an underfloor cooling system and insulation instead of air conditioning at the Olympic village where athletes are staying. Some countries, like the U.S., brought their own air conditioning units.

Visitors and athletes endured a sweaty and sunny Tuesday before thunderstorms were expected to sweep into the Paris area in the evening. People dipped into a Paris canal that’s a popular swim spot or fanned themselves at exposed Olympic venues.

Volunteers used hoses to spray down cheering fans at the shadeless beach volleyball stadium near the Eiffel Tower and put up signs about water refilling areas. Spectators ducked under trees for shade, while players on the sunbaked sand — which can be more than 20 C (30 F) hotter than the air temperature — took extra breaks to drape bags of ice over their heads and shoulders.

“Very hot,” Egyptian beach volleyball player Doaa Elghobashy remarked after competing in long sleeves, pants and a hijab. “But not like Egypt.”

A handful of misters were set up at La Concorde urban park, the venue that’s been hosting skateboarding and BMX freestyle cycling. The Paris area’s train and metro operator said it was distributing more than 2.5 million containers of water at over 70 train stations and other stops on its network, as well as at bus stations.

The equestrian teams were spraying their horses with cool water and keeping them in the shade after riding the course, which doesn’t take long. Riders also said they cut down the warmups from 45 minutes to half an hour ahead of competitions held in the regal gardens of the Palace of Versailles outside Paris.

“It’s really hot, but you have to be professional about it,” British rider Carl Hester said after an event Tuesday. “Lots of walk breaks so the horses can relax. We’ve got a covered arena, so it keeps the sun off their backs.”

German rider Julia Krajewski, the defending Olympic champion in the category of individual eventing, pointed out that she “would be more worried for the spectators to be honest.”

She said Monday that she wasn’t worried about competing in her thick jacket, helmet and heavy boots because “I personally prefer the heat” but “you have to be sensitive, know your horse.”

Some other athletes weren’t too concerned either.

U.S. tennis player Coco Gauff said Monday, before the worst of the heat, that she “felt good” after her match and that it was “like playing in Florida.”

Coco Gauff of the United States returns the ball against Maria Lourdes Carle of Argentina during the women’s singles tennis competition at the Roland Garros Stadium at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

“I did use the ice towel, which I rarely do at matches, but it was more of a preventative thing,” the reigning U.S. Open champion said a day before being eliminated in singles competition.

On the other hand, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who beat rival Spain’s Rafael Nadal on Monday, found it “pretty hot on the court,” noting the change from Saturday’s rain. “Paris weather is quite unpredictable,” he said.

Further south, American windsurfer Dominique Stater wore a vest filled with ice packs after her races in Marseille on Monday, where it hit 31 C (88 F) in the late afternoon.

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“It’s pretty crazy heat, more than Miami,” said Stater, who’s from the sweltering Florida metropolis.

Stater said staying hydrated is top of mind, especially because the windsurfers are swathed in extensive protective gear.

That’s the same advice weather officials are passing along to those planning to be outside on Tuesday: Hydrate, avoid going out in the afternoon when it’s hottest and wear a hat.

France’s national weather agency described heat waves as “increasingly intense, frequent, early and long-lasting” amid climate change. It said that before 1989, such high temperatures were observed on average once every five years, and since 2000, they repeat every year. It predicts the trend will keep increasing.

AP writers Jerome Pugmire in Versailles, France; Jimmy Golen, Jenna Fryer, Howard Fendrich, Hanna Arhirova, Stephen Whyno and Courtney Bonnell in Paris, and Giovanna Dell’Orto in Marseilles, France, contributed.

​ Orange County Register 

Simone Biles has redefined her sport — and its vocabulary. A look at the skills bearing her name

• July 30, 2024

By WILL GRAVES, AP National Writer

PARIS (AP) — It is not enough — it has never been enough — for Simone Biles to do gymnastics.

The 27-year-old American star has been intent almost from the start on pushing the sport in new directions by doing things that have never been done before. That could continue this week when she tries for her eighth Olympic medal in Paris.

Five elements currently bear her name in the Code of Points after she successfully completed them in an international competition: two on vault, two on floor exercise and one on balance beam.

There’s a chance Biles could add a sixth if she tries the original skill — this one on uneven bars — she submitted to the International Gymnastics Federation before the Olympics. Biles did not attempt it during qualifying on Sunday, but could in the team final on Tuesday or the all-around final on Thursday.

A quick primer on what you could see Tuesday night as the U.S. women look to reclaim the top of the medal stand after finishing runner-up to Russia at the 2020 Games.

Biles I (Floor exercise version)

She was just a teenager and recently minted national champion when Biles performed a tumbling pass at the 2013 world championships that she completes by doing a double layout with a half-twist at the end.

The move looks dangerous — Biles is essentially flying blind — but she and former coach Aimee Boorman came up with it because it was less taxing on her legs.

“It was almost kind of necessity is the mother of invention,” Boorman told The Associated Press in 2015. “Her calf was hurting. She had bone spurs in her ankles and she’s really good at floor with landings.”

Biles II (floor exercise version)

Biles returned to the sport in 2018 following a two-year layoff after winning the all-around at the 2016 Olympics.

Not content to merely repeat herself, Biles began working on a triple-twisting, double flip that is now known simply as “ the triple-double.” She unveiled it while winning the 2019 U.S. Championships then did it again at the world championships a few months later when she won the fifth of her record six world all-around titles.

“I wanted to see how it looked,” she explained afterward.

Biles I (vault version)

As with a lot of gymnastics elements, Biles took a Cheng vault and added another layer of difficulty — this one an extra half twist on a vault originally done by China’s Cheng Fei.

Simone Biles, of United States, competes on the vault during a women’s artistic gymnastics qualification round at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

The vault requires Biles to do a round-off onto the vault, then a half-twist onto the table before doing two full twists. It entered the Code after she made it part of her routine at the 2018 world championships.

“I’m embarrassed to do floor and vault after something like that,” U.S. men’s gymnast Yul Moldauer said in 2018. “You see Simone do that and she’s smiling the whole time. How does she do that?”

Biles II (vault version)

This may be the most dazzling, most daring one of them all.

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The Yurchenko double pike had never been completed by a woman in competition, and few men have even tried. She began tinkering with it in 2021, but it’s in the last year that it has morphed into perhaps the most show-stopping thing done in the sport.

The vault asks Biles to do a round-off back handspring onto the table, then two backward flips in pike position with her hands essentially clasped to her knees. She does it with so much power, she can sometimes overcook it. At the U.S. Olympic trials last month, it drew a standing ovation.

“No, it’s not normal,” longtime coach Laurent Landi said after she drilled it at the 2023 U.S. Championships. “She’s not normal.”

Biles I (balance beam version)

For all of her explosive tumbling, Biles is a wonder on balance beam, too, where she can make doing intricate moves on a four-inch-wide piece of wood seem almost casual.

The same year she debuted the triple-double on floor, she added a double-twisting, double-tucked dismount off the beam. She stuck it at the 2019 world championships, though she has since taken it out of her repetoire.

What does the new uneven bars skill look like?

The skill Biles submitted requires her to do a forward circle around the lower bar before turning a handstand into a 540-degree pirouette. USA Gymnastics teased the move on X on Friday.

Bars is considered the weakest of Biles’ events in the sense that just one of her 37 Olympic and world championship medals have come on bars. The Americans even considered having Biles sit out bars during the team finals. She’s slated to compete there Tuesday, though, and could unveil the skill there.

​ Orange County Register 

Horses join Fullerton police force

• July 30, 2024

The Fullerton Police Department recently welcomed five new members to the force, all expected to take on vital roles in policing the city, known for its miles of trails well traversed by hikers, joggers, cyclists and horseback riders, all who sometimes trek along the narrow terrain simultaneously.

Meet Zorro, Bodie, Bandito, Opus and Blazer, the horses making up Fullerton PD’s newly formed mounted unit.

Using horses is a high-visibility enforcement tactic for special events involving large crowds, said Capt. Jose Arana, who oversees the mounted unit. He was tasked with organizing the unit during the planning stage in 2023.

“Once the conversation began, the support was pretty much there from our elected officials, from our City Council, from our mayor and the decision was to proceed,” Arana said. “There was funding allocated for a horse trailer and a truck to begin the program. That’s where it began.”

In forming the policies and responsibilities of the unit, Arana sought input from the Anaheim and Buena Park police departments and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, all of which have mounted patrol units.

He then put out a department-wide blast, looking for officers interested in joining the new mounted unit.

“We just were looking for people who had the passion, who had the enthusiasm, the willingness to put in the time, the work and the responsibility of, No. 1, purchasing a horse, caring for the horse, but there’s a lot of your own time, and a lot of your own money that goes into it,” the captain said.

Horses in mounted units tend to be older and need to have a calm demeanor, Arana said.

The inaugural team of five riders also includes Officer George Peterson, Cpl. Josh Manes, Sgt. Manny Pulido and Det. Daniel Chiodini.

Chiodini, who has been around horses since childhood, is the most experienced rider in the unit.

“I got my first horse when I was 18,” he said, though he was a rider well before that. “I thought it would just be awesome to be able to patrol as a police officer on a horse, go through our trails, all the community engagement and stuff like that.”

Each officer owns and cares for their horse at their own expense, which includes food, boarding, veterinary care and farrier service (putting on horseshoes). And, their duties in the mounted unit are in addition to their regular assignments.

The mounted unit can be called into action to search for suspects, locate missing persons and do homeless outreach, the captain said.

Fullerton’s new unit will also join the Orange County Regional Mounted Enforcement Unit, a cooperative effort between the Sheriff’s Department and police departments in Anaheim, Buena Park, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Santa Ana.

Collectively, the regional unit can have more than 60 mounted officers in service to patrol trails, beaches and wilderness areas and handle crowd control at high profile events throughout the county.

The county’s mounted units have been put in service to maintain order for large-scale events in Angel Stadium and the Honda Center. It also participated in this year’s Rose Parade.

And as the presidential election draws closer, Arana said he anticipates being summoned to maintain order at political rallies, which have devolved into violence in the past in Orange County.

In April 2016, a protest outside a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump in Costa Mesa had fights break out and a police car got smashed before officers on horseback helped restore order, he said.

“Oh yeah,” Arana said. “We’ll definitely work with all of the Orange County mounting units.”

The public can meet the officers and the horses of Fullerton’s new Mounted Unit at the Police Department’s National Night Out from 5 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 6 at the Downtown Fullerton Plaza.

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​ Orange County Register