Francine Pascal, creator of ‘Sweet Valley High’ book series, dies at 92

• July 30, 2024

Francine Pascal, a former soap-opera scriptwriter from the New York City borough of Queens who conjured up an entire literary universe among the blue-eyed cheerleaders and square-jawed jocks of suburban Los Angeles, most notably in her long-running and mega-best-selling “Sweet Valley High” series of young-adult novels, died Sunday in Manhattan. She was 92.

Her daughter Laurie Wenk-Pascal said the death, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, was caused by lymphoma.

With covers instantly recognizable by their varsity-style lettering and soft-focus illustrations, “Sweet Valley High” books enraptured a generation of teenage readers with the lives of Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, identical twins attending high school in the fictional Los Angeles suburb of Sweet Valley.

Three of the books in Francine Pascal’s long-running “Sweet Valley High” series, which began publishing in 1983. (File photo)

The twins are “the most adorable, dazzling 16-year-old girls imaginable,” Pascal told People magazine in 1988. They, and the books, are also strikingly innocent: Even as the thoughtful Elizabeth and the scheming Jessica clash over boys, friends and spots on the cheerleading team, drugs, alcohol and sex barely permeate the 181 titles in “Sweet Valley High,” or the scores of others in the spinoffs — and the spinoffs of spinoffs — from the series.

Within a few years of its debut in 1983, “Sweet Valley High” had taken over the young-adult book market. In January 1986, 18 out of the top 20 books in B. Dalton’s young adult bestseller list were “Sweet Valley High” titles. Taken together, the Sweet Valley universe has sold well over 200 million copies.

That juggernaut revolutionized young-adult publishing. Though there had been no shortage of books for teenage readers — and teenage girls in particular — Pascal recognized their limitless voracity for a compelling narrative and developed a way to feed it.

“There are millions of teenagers that no one in publishing knew existed,” she told The Los Angeles Times in 1986.

Pascal wrote the first 12 books in the series, then worked with a team of writers to keep a steady, rapid publication pace, often a book a month. She would draft a detailed outline, then hand it to a writer to flesh out while relying on what Pascal called her “bible” — a compendium of descriptions of the personalities, settings and dense web of relationships that defined life in Sweet Valley.

“I can’t have any deviation, no matter how small, because it can impact future stories,” she told her daughter Susan Johansson in an email shortly before her death. “The better writers follow my outlines perfectly.”

Pascal had never been to Southern California when the first books appeared, starting with “Double Love,” in which the Wakefield twins fight over the same boy, a basketball star named Todd Wilkins.

That debut also introduced the idyllic Sweet Valley world to readers.

“Everything about it was terrific — the gently rolling hills, the quaint downtown area, and the fantastic white sand beach only fifteen minutes away,” Pascal wrote.

More broadly, those first books acquainted readers from outside Southern California with the Valley Girl aesthetic that would echo through pop culture for decades, shaping speech patterns (uptalking, using “like” as a filler word), clothing and a long list of TV shows, movies and books that are impossible to imagine without Pascal’s influence.

Though she wrote several books before starting the Sweet Valley series, including a nonfiction account of the Patty Hearst trial, Pascal first made her name writing for the 1960s soap opera “The Young Marrieds” with her husband, John Pascal. The TV genre’s influence showed in the contours of the Sweet Valley books, with their convoluted, gossip-fueled story lines, melodramatic plot twists and cliffhanger endings.

Yet she insisted that the books were at heart morality tales, instructing readers on the intricacies of life and illustrating a sense of idealism and wonder that she felt embodied the universal teen experience, whether in urban Queens or sunny Southern California.

“I loved the idea of high school as microcosm of the real world,” Pascal told The Guardian in 2012. “And what I really liked was how it moved things on from Sleeping Beauty-esque romance novels, where the girl had to wait for the hero. This would be girl-driven, very different, I decided — and indeed it is.”

Francine Paula Rubin was born May 13, 1932, in Manhattan to William and Kate (Dunitz) Rubin and grew up in Jamaica, Queens. Her father was an auctioneer.

After studying journalism at New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for gossipy magazines like True Confessions and Modern Screen, and later for outlets like Cosmopolitan and Ladies’ Home Journal.

Her first marriage, to Jerome Offenberg, ended in divorce in 1963. A year later she married John Pascal; he died in 1981.

Both her daughters, Wenk-Pascal and Johansson, are from her first marriage, as was a third, Jamie Stewart, who died in 2008. Francine Pascal, who lived most of her adult life in midtown Manhattan, is also survived by six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

She and John Pascal did well as soap-opera scribes, but were not especially taken with the work. When the producers of “The Young Marrieds” insisted that they relocate to Los Angeles, they quit and returned to journalism.

The two went on to collaborate with her brother, Tony-winning playwright Michael Stewart, on the book for “George M!” a critically acclaimed musical about Broadway impresario George M. Cohan.

Francine Pascal wrote her first young-adult novels in the late 1970s, starting with “Hangin’ Out With Cici” (1977), about a girl who travels back in time to meet her mother when she was a teenager. It was made into an afternoon TV special and led to a sequel. Pascal also wrote the young-adult novels “My First Love and Other Disasters” (1979) and “The Hand-Me-Down Kid” (1980).

She was trying her hand at a soap opera treatment, and failing miserably, when an editor friend related a story. The friend had been at lunch when another editor asked why there was no teenage version of “Dallas,” the prime-time soap opera that was among the biggest hits on television at the time.

Pascal ran home and immediately churned out a detailed sketch about twin girls in high school; she sold that, along with her first 12 books, to Random House.

Spinoffs came quickly: “Sweet Valley Twins,” about the Wakefield girls in middle school, began in 1986, followed by “Sweet Valley Kids,” “The Unicorn Club” (a spinoff of “Sweet Valley Twins”), “Sweet Valley Junior High,” “Sweet Valley High: Senior Year” and “Sweet Valley University.”

Related Articles

The “Sweet Valley” series ended in 2003, but restarted in 2011 with “Sweet Valley Confidential,” set 10 years after the action in “Sweet Valley High.”

Pascal also wrote two adult novels, “Save Johanna!” (1981) and “If Wishes Were Horses” (1994), a fictionalized memoir about her life with John Pascal.

In 1999, she began yet another young adult series called “Fearless,” centered on a girl named Gaia Moore who is born without the “fear gene”; she is a crack shot with a rifle and a black belt in karate, skills she uses to fight crime (and, in a spinoff series, in her job as an FBI agent).

Though some critics panned her books’ utopian settings and fanciful plots, Pascal was unapologetic.

“These books have uncovered a whole population of young girls who were never reading,” she told People. “I don’t know that they’re all going to go on to ‘War and Peace,’ but we have created readers out of nonreaders. If they go on to Harlequin romances, so what? They’re going to read.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

​ Orange County Register 

Men’s Olympic triathlon postponed in Paris over Seine water quality concerns

• July 30, 2024

By PAT GRAHAM and KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Concerns about water quality in the Seine River led Paris Olympics organizers to postpone the men’s triathlon Tuesday, with officials hoping the swimming portion of the race will be able to go forward in the long-polluted waterway in the coming days following an expensive cleanup effort.

Organizers said they will try to hold the men’s triathlon Wednesday instead. The women’s competition also is scheduled that day, but both will only go forward if water tests show acceptable levels of E. coli and other bacteria in the river. Friday is also planned as a backup date.

However, storms or rain are forecast Tuesday night through Thursday, which could complicate efforts to reschedule the events because rain generally causes bacteria levels in the Seine to rise.

Paris experienced a downpour during the Olympic opening ceremony Friday, with rain persisting into Saturday. The swimming portion of training events meant to let the triathletes familiarize themselves with the course was canceled on both Sunday and Monday because of concerns over water quality.

“There are unfortunate meteorological events outside of our control,” said Aurélie Merle, the Paris 2024 director of sports. “But otherwise the project is still very strong. When we see the impact on the quality and the legacy that we can leave also to the Parisians, we all feel extremely proud of what we’ve done so far.”

The delays come after Olympic organizers and city officials had expressed confidence in recent days that bacteria levels would improve as skies cleared and temperatures warmed this week, but that apparently wasn’t sufficient to ensure the athletes’ safety. The sun’s ultraviolet rays can kill the bacteria and lower levels, and Tuesday is hot and sunny.

Paris spent 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to improve the water quality in the Seine so the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming event next week could be held in the famed river that runs through the city center. But bacteria levels have remained in flux.

The decision to postpone the men’s triathlon followed a meeting early Tuesday that included the sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team, the IOC and city officials.

“Despite the improvement on the water quality levels in the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits,” organizers said, stressing that their “priority is the health of the athletes.”

Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan said “the trend is improving” but “we are still not below the necessary threshold.”

To hold the two competitions on the Seine on Wednesday “seems to us to be the best option,” he said. However, he did not rule out further delays ”if there is an issue tomorrow after the results of the analysis.”

Daily water quality tests measure levels of the fecal bacteria E. coli, with a safe limit of 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters determined by European rules. Monitoring group Eau de Paris releases data each Friday, but it is updated only through the previous Tuesday.

One of four test sites was below the threshold for E. coli Tuesday morning, said Merle of Paris 2024. Two other sites were just above the limit and one was more elevated, she said, citing a range of 980 to 1,553.

Related Articles

High levels of E. coli in water can indicate contamination from sewage. Most strains are harmless and some live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. But others can be dangerous. Even a mouthful of contaminated water can lead to diarrhea, and the germ can cause illnesses such as infections in the urinary tract or in the intestines.

Efforts to make the river suitable for swimming included the construction of a giant basin to capture excess rainwater and keep wastewater from flowing in, renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo very publicly took a swim in the river two weeks ago, along with Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet. Data released last week show that E. coli levels at the Bras Marie were at 985 units per 100 milliliters that day, slightly above the established threshold.

The men’s triathlon is now scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, which may make heat more of a factor with the event finishing at the hottest part of the day. World Triathlon is planning to provide ice and water stations along the course for the athletes. The women’s race is set to go forward at 8 a.m. as originally planned.

If the river isn’t safe for swimming after delays, that part of the race would be scrapped and only the cycling and running portions would go forward. That happened last year at the European Championships when the triathlon format was switched because of water quality issues.

“It’s just another situation of the competition,” said World Triathlon president Marisol Casado, pushing back against the idea that a switch would be unfair to triathletes who excel in the water.

Other swimming events planned in the Seine are the triathlon mixed relay on Monday and the women’s and men’s marathon swimming events on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9. Marathon swimming could be relocated, if needed, to the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in the greater Paris region, which already hosts rowing and canoeing competitions and can accommodate up to 15,000 spectators.

But it’s a logistical challenge for triathlon to switch swimming locations given that routes are already set up for cycling and running.

“We are sympathetic,” Merle said. “Let’s see how it goes.”

AP writers Barbara Surk in Nice and Devna Bose in Jackson, Mississippi, contributed.

​ Orange County Register 

Kei Coffee House opens in Westminster this week

• July 30, 2024

Kei Concepts, the team behind the Vox Kitchen and Sup Noodle Bar, will debut the latest brick-and-mortar space inside its extensive portfolio. Kei Coffee House, a cafe specializing in coffee drinks, matcha, baked goods and hot fare, will softly opening on Wednesday, July 31 in Westminster.

Featuring beans by Long Beach-based Common Room Roasters, the coffee menu will feature such tried-and-true staples as Americanos, cappuccinos, cold brews, as well as more inventive beverages like a banana toffee latte, a sweet corn latte, a coconut cold brew and a honeydew melon espresso tonic. Other libations include a matcha latte with both oat and condensed milks, a strawberry matcha latte with strawberry puree and an orange matcha tonic tinged with fresh orange jam.

SEE ALSO: In-N-Out Burger opens in Orange

Heartier fare include cookies (corn cheese, chocolate chip, white chocolate chip macadamia, cranberry oat); beef pate chaud; butter or almond croissants; egg bites with cheese, Chinese sausage and chives; waffle fries; popcorn chicken and even a kids meal box loaded with chicken nuggets, waffle fries and an apple juice box.

Related Articles

Kei Coffee House will also offer two pasta dishes for $10 a pop: a sweet Bolognese spaghetti and a mushroom cream spaghetti made with vegan cream sauce and truffle oil.

The new coffee house moves into the former Cali Veggie Restaurant space with an entirely new remodel that includes a towering sign reading, “Start your say with intention.”

In addition to this week’s opening, Kei Concepts, according to its website, has plans to open a slew of new spots in the future, including the Sugarcane Press, a juice joint, and Sea, a Sino-Vietnamese seafood eatery.

Find it: 15691 Brookhurst Street, Westminster

​ Orange County Register 

Santiago Canyon College’s new animal training program opens the door to careers

• July 30, 2024

For those who have a passion for the furry friends in our community, Santiago Canyon College is offering a new Companion Animal Training program beginning this fall that will serve as a pathway to earning an associate’s degree in the field.

The genesis behind the idea came from SCC professor of psychology Cari Cannon. A lifelong dog lover, Cannon had a dog about a decade ago that was a challenge to train, and her background in experimental psychology and animal learning prompted her to take a deeper dive into applied animal behavior to help her pet.

Now a doctoral-level animal behaviorist who has been privately consulting pet owners for years, Cannon decided to bring her knowledge in this area to the SCC classroom and offer an affordable way for students to learn effective techniques in animal behavior and training.

“There’s just so many myths about dogs and people misunderstanding dogs and misreading them,” Cannon said. “I thought, I’m in the perfect position to create a cost-effective way for people to learn the scientifically valid and ethical approach to working with animals.”

The major coursework for SCC’s associate degree in companion animal training is based in psychology, but students can customize the degree path to suit their career goals. For those looking to pursue a veterinary medicine path, biology electives can be paired with the degree plan. Public speaking or business-focused classes can be added for those students with an interest in opening their own training facility.

“SCC’s new Companion Animal Training Program embodies our commitment to providing innovative and relevant education,” said SCC Dean, Division of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, Michelle Samura. “This program is an excellent example of how we’re preparing our graduates to meet industry demands and make a tangible impact in their chosen fields.”

Cannon will be teaching the four major core classes, one per semester. As the only pathway of its kind in the state, all four classes will be offered online to make the program accessible to as many California residents as possible.

Cari Cannon’s animal behavior program can be applied to career paths or to family pets. (Photo courtesy of Cari Cannon)

Students will begin the pathway with a companion animal psychology class where they will learn about animal behavior, with an emphasis specifically on dogs. Cannon feels the class is structured for anyone interested in improving their relationship with their pet.

“Even if somebody only wanted to take that class, they would learn so much about dog behavior that it would be transformative in their relationship with their dog,” Cannon said.

The second core class focuses on animal learning, the subject of Cannon’s doctorate, where students will study how animals think and learn, along with the underlying principles behind how animal behavior can be changed by experience.

The applied version of the animal learning course is the behavior modification course, the third class in the CAT Program degree path, where students will learn the science behind positive reinforcement and discipline techniques. This class also pairs well for students who are interested in working with those with developmental disabilities or who are looking to pursue clinical psychology.

The fourth course focuses on dog training and is similar to a practicum, where students will apply actual skills training on dogs, either their own pets or dogs that belong to friends or family. The hands-on class will provide students the opportunity to teach dogs basic training skills.

When it comes to training dogs, Cannon feels that many of the more popular programs currently in use include outdated techniques that are punitive in approach. She is excited to be using her extensive background as an animal behaviorist to introduce a pure positive or force-free approach to SCC students that shows the science behind the effectiveness of these techniques.

“The single best way to get a well-behaved companion is to prevent problems, and I dream of a world where this knowledge that I have about dog behavior and the best way to interact with dogs is common knowledge for everyone,” Cannon said. “I’m looking forward to bringing something new to people who’ve never had an opportunity to learn about this topic.”

The hope is that in establishing this program, SCC will be able to provide future offerings in veterinary science, including a possible focus on equine studies.

“The CAT Program addresses a critical gap in California’s community college offerings and in our local communities,” Samura said. “By launching this unique program, we are opening doors to exciting career opportunities for our students while addressing a growing demand in our region for skilled professionals in animal behavior. We are making vital education in companion animal training more accessible and affordable, and we are proud to be at the forefront of offering this specialized training.”

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Student loan forgiveness is vote-buying 

• July 30, 2024

Lost in all the noise following the assassination attempt against former President Donald was confirmation of what many sensible Americans already understood: President Joe Biden’s student loan debt relief schemes have been purely political.

On July 15, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona sent an official letter to student loan borrowers lamenting recent court rulings blocking the Biden administration’s policies on student loans.

“Let me be clear: President Biden and I are determined to lower costs for student loan borrowers, to make repaying student debt affordable and realistic, and to build on our separate efforts that have already provided relief to 4.75 million Americans — no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us,” Cardona wrote in the bluntly partisan letter.

Cardona continued, “While we disagree with the Republican elected officials’ efforts here to side with special interests and block borrowers from getting breathing room on their student loans, President Biden and our Administration will not stop fighting to make sure Americans have affordable access to the lifechanging opportunities a higher education can provide.”

The message is a peculiar one. Beyond the partisanship, the notion that “special interests” are behind the successful legal challenges to the Biden administration’s overreaching efforts to forgive student loan debt is a strange one.

As Frederick Hess and Michael Brickman of the American Enterprise Institute put well: “Those ‘special interests’ that Republicans are ‘siding with’? They’re the 90 percent of Americans who don’t owe student debt but whom Cardona is hoping to stick with the tab. Those awful court rulings? They were issued by judges who were appointed by President Obama, back when Joe Biden was Vice President.”

To the latter point, two Obama-nominated judges — one in Kansas and one in Missouri — indeed blocked one of Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. Upholding the law, after all, shouldn’t be a partisan exercise.

It would be one thing if this letter from Cardona was a typical, overwrought campaign message. But, no, this was the official messaging from a Cabinet official tasked with overseeing and implementing federal policy.

For that reason, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach are among those accusing Cardona of violating the federal Hatch Act, which requires that “federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.”

Setting aside whether Cardona is in fact guilty of violating the law by engaging in naked partisan messaging under the guise of his official capacity, the incident is a reminder that, yes, the Biden administration sees student loan relief through a strictly political lens.

That approach to federal policymaking lends itself to sloppy decision-making. If the goal is to provide sweeping relief to the millions of Americans with student loan debts, that should be done through Congress.

Unfortunately, President Biden — and he is still the president — has consistently chosen to sidestep the appropriate channels on this issue.

Whoever is the next president of the United States should brush up on the Constitution and learn how to do things correctly.

​ Orange County Register 

Best pool filter

• July 30, 2024

Which pool filter is best?

There’s no greater pleasure during a summer heat wave than relaxing in the cool waters of your own pool. That is unless algae growth has your pool looking more like the Swamp Thing’s studio apartment than a suburban oasis. If your pool is being overtaken by green slime, then a new pool filter is probably in order. A good pool filter is essential to keeping your water crystal clear. If you’re in the market for a new one, there’s no better place to start than right here.

What to know before you buy a pool filter

The three main types of pool filters are sand filters, cartridge filters, and D.E. filters.

Sand filters use #20 silica sand to filter out pollutants. The water enters from above and seeps through the sand, which traps particles as the water exits below the sand. Sand filters are inexpensive and simple to maintain; the sand is cleaned off the particulate by “backwashing.” They last for approximately five years. They are, however, the least energy-efficient of any pump.
With cartridge filters, water passes through a thick tube containing a pleated material (similar to a car oil filter), which traps the unwanted particles inside. Cartridge filters work well at lower motor speeds and don’t require backwashing, unlike sand filters. They do require more work than sand filters, but they last approximately three years.
D.E. filters clean water using diatomaceous earth, which is composed of the fossilized remains of diatoms, which are found in the ocean and soil. D.E. filters incorporate some of the principles of both sand and cartridge-type filters. They do the best job cleaning water, as they filter the smallest particles of all the filter types. However, they are the most labor-intensive type of filter.

Regardless of the filter type you opt for, a pool filter requires a pump to function. The pump is what draws the water through the filter and pushes it back out into the pool. To determine what size pump you’ll need, you will need to determine the flow rate and resistance number for your pool. Flow rate refers to the gallons per minute your pump needs to move in order to clean all of the pool water within an eight-hour period. Resistance is a calculation based on the distance between the pump and the skimmers and drains, as well as the number of skimmers and drains.

You will also need to determine the type of mount you want and whether you want a 110-volt or 220-volt pump. Once you’ve determined these items, you’ll know what type of pump you’ll need to accompany your filter.

How much you can expect to spend on a pool filter

Most pool filters cost somewhere between $60 and $1500. The difference in price is based mostly on the filter’s total square-foot cleaning capacity.

Pool filter FAQ

Are chlorine pools better than saltwater pools?

A. Neither is necessarily better than the other. In a chlorine pool, however, chlorine is added to the water directly, whereas saltwater pools create their own chlorine by turning the salt into chlorine via electrolysis.

How high should the water level be in my pool?

A. As a general rule, you should try to keep the water level of your pool approximately halfway up the opening of your skimmer basket. This will guarantee that both the skimmer and the pump will work their best.

What are the best pool filters to buy?

Top pool filter

Hayward W3DE3620 ProGrid Diatomaceous Earth Pool Filter

What you need to know: This filter will keep your pool “hotel clean.”

What you’ll love: It’s a workhorse in every sense of the word, with the perfect combination of power, sturdy build and first-rate results.

What you should consider: The instructions can be somewhat difficult to follow.

Top pool filter for the money

Blue Wave Sand Filter System for Aboveground Pools

What you need to know: This is a filter that will get the job done on a budget.

What you’ll love: It’s easy to clean and has good water flow.

What you should consider: It malfunctions occasionally.

Worth checking out

Intex Krystal Clear Cartridge Filter Pump

What you need to know: It’s an inexpensive choice, but you’ll have to add peripherals.

What you’ll love: It’s quick and easy to install, and the double-insulated walls are a nice benefit for this cost-effective pick. Not much maintenance is needed.

What you should consider: The motor is not as powerful as some of the other options. Hoses and adapters must be purchased separately.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

​ Orange County Register 

Niles: The made-up betting guide to Disney’s D23 reveals

• July 30, 2024

It’s almost time for the return of D23 to Anaheim. For Disney fans, that should mean a long-awaited list of announcements about new attractions coming to Disneyland and other Disney theme parks around the world.

To prepare for Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro’s Aug. 10 show at the Honda Center, here is my completely unauthorized and totally made up odds on what he might announce. Remember, all that is at stake here are imaginary internet points, so place your pretend wagers accordingly.

Concept art of the Avatar themed land proposed for the Disneyland resort. (Courtesy of Disney)

Avatar (Off the board): Disney already has announced that it will bring an Avatar-themed attraction to Disneyland, so this is not a fair bet. But with the approval of the DisneylandForward proposal, fans are hoping to hear more details about the ride and its setting.

Visitors ride the Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs roller coaster ride after opening ceremony of the World of Frozen themed area at Disneyland Resort in Hong Kong, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. (Photo by Louise Delmotte, The Associated Press)

World of Frozen (-800): Next to Avatar, a new installation of Disney’s World of Frozen land in the DisneylandForward expansion is the closest thing to a sure bet we have here. The big question is whether Disneyland will get the Wandering Oaken kiddie coaster in addition to the Frozen Ever After boat ride.

More from Robert Niles

What’s in a name at Disneyland?
What’s the hot button issue dividing Disneyland and employees?
The new Six Flags does not need to go cheap to succeed
Knott’s, Universal offer different takes on kids’ lands
Disney needs to look indoors for its theme park future

Encanto musical at the Hyperion Theater (-200): Disney has posted a casting notice for a live-action Encanto show, so expect this one sooner rather than later. But will this be a Broadway-style production in the Hyperion or something smaller on another stage in the park? The bet here is the big house.

Casa Madrigal dark ride (+200): At the Destination D23 event in Orlando last fall, D’Amaro teased an Encanto-themed attraction for a Tropical Americas revamp of Dinoland USA in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The concept art showed what looked like a Casa Madrigal façade for what could be a new dark ride experience. A duplicate of that could be a good bet for inclusion in the DisneylandForward expansion.

A Maleficent costume and Maleficent dragon head from Fantasmic in 1992 are displayed at the D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center in 2015. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A big Maleficent dragon returns to Fantasmic! (+100): Here’s an even-money bet — that Disneyland will find some way to return a plus-sized Maleficent dragon to Fantasmic! for the park’s 70th anniversary next summer.

The Paint the Night parade rolls down Main Street as part of Disneyland’s 60th anniversary celebration in 2015. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The return of Paint the Night (+400): Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but I know that the return of the Paint the Night parade for the 70th anniversary celebration would make countless Disneyland fans very happy.

A new Zootopia themed land opened recently at Shanghai Disneyland. (Courtesy of Disney)

Related Articles

Zootopia (+900): Along with World of Frozen, this was the other new land that Disney opened in its Asia parks last year. But its main attraction shares much of its ride design with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Disneyland does not need a dupe of that, so I would be surprised to see a copy of Zootopia here.

Retheming “Disney Genie” to “Disney Anxiety” (minus infinity): It’ll never happen, but with Disney dropping the Genie+ brand in favor of “Lightning Lane Multi Pass,” why not change the name of the free Disney Genie automated day-planning feature to promote the breakout star of “Inside Out 2,” which is now Disney’s biggest animated hit? “Disney Anxiety” is what that feature is supposed to address, anyway, so why not be clear about it?

​ Orange County Register 

Overzealous regulation won’t help AI policy keep pace with innovation

• July 30, 2024

When was the last time you used facial recognition to unlock your phone? How about a digital assistant like Siri or Alexa to streamline tasks with simple voice commands? Or a meeting transcription service that freed you from taking notes during calls? Or an online shopping platform that automatically identified the best deals among thousands of listings?

Everyday tools powered by artificial intelligence have saved you time, money and hassle. They’re also equipping small business owners that stand up the backbone of our economy to thrive in crowded digital marketplaces. So why is California poised to adopt overzealous regulations at odds with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2023 executive order committed to shaping “the future of ethical, transparent and trustworthy AI, while remaining the world’s AI leader”?

Despite a once-promising trajectory for AI innovation in California, the state’s current process threatens to do more harm than good, with murky proposals from both its legislature and ever-growing web of government agencies. While state legislators consider approximately 50 AI-related bills, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) – an agency governed by appointees rather than elected representatives – is moving to formalize its own AI regulations. Many conflict with proposed legislation, as well as Newsom’s executive order directing the state to guide, as opposed to control, the continued rollout of AI technologies.

The more complicated the legal roadmap, the more time and resources it takes to follow its directions. Larger companies may have the resources to navigate these twists and turns, while small business owners are disproportionately left behind. It is only fair that laws are clearly written and not overly burdensome to comply with. It is only fair that laws are associated with reasonable penalties for noncompliance. Unfortunately, the suite of AI proposals before California lawmakers are neither fair nor logical.

Assembly Bill 2930, introduced by Asm. Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, which covers “automated decision tools,” would fine businesses $10,000 per violation, while allowing the state attorney general’s office to bring additional civil penalties of as much as $25,000 per violation. The governor, Legislature and regulatory bodies should be on the same page before laws are enacted. It makes no sense for elected leaders and an appointed board to pursue competing points of view about a subject as complicated and consequential as AI.

Related Articles

The issue with the CPPA is its attempt to regulate the use of AI across all industry sectors, although the agency’s purview is data privacy, specifically. The agency’s jurisdiction is hard to define because the technology it seeks to regulate – like automated decision-making (or ADM), where a computer computes a decision, as opposed to a human deciding one – is already a key part of so many everyday functions: automated bill payments and direct deposits, voice assistants, social media algorithms, automated email sorting and filtering, colleges’ admissions decisions and more. Any regulations on ADM end up applying to almost every industry.

This regulatory overreach threatens to stifle innovation and diminish the vibrant digital economy that is a hallmark of our state. We ask legislators to step up and rein in the power of the CPPA with sensible checks and oversight before it adopts misguided rules that trample ingenuity. We urge leaders of this regulatory agency to work collaboratively with Newsom and the Legislature, in consultation with academics and issue experts, on crafting AI guardrails that position California to be the world’s AI leader.

Let’s protect businesses, employees and taxpayers from the well-documented dangers of technology gone rogue while continuing to support tools that save people time, money and hassle.

Tracy Hernandez is Founding CEO of the Los Angeles County Business Federation,

​ Orange County Register