The best LED candles for a relaxing, flame-free glow

• September 6, 2024

Which LED candles are the best?

With their soft, cozy glow, candles are beautiful decor pieces. Unfortunately, they can leave puddles of melted wax on your furniture and pose a fire hazard, particularly if you have children or pets at home. LED candles are a smokeless, flameless alternative, so you can safely enjoy the ambiance of glowing candles.

LED candles are available in a variety sizes, shapes and colors. Enpornk’s top-rated candles are a great pick because the set includes nine realistic-looking candles with adjustable brightness levels and a flicker setting.

What to know before you buy LED candles

Shape and size

First, determine what shape and size of LED candles fit your needs and style. LED candles come in classic shapes, including tea lights, votives, tapered and pillars. The specific diameter and height measurements can vary from brand to brand.

Most LED tea lights are 2 inches tall and 1.5 inches in diameter, while LED votives are usually 1.9 inches tall and 1 .5 inches in diameter. LED tapered candles are generally 9 to 12 inches in height, and LED pillars are often 4 to 9 inches in height and 3 inches in diameter.

Sets

Some LED candles are sold individually, but others come in a set. Smaller candles like votives and tea lights are often available in sets of 12, 24 or 36. Larger candles like pillars can be sold individually, but some come in sets of three to nine. Tapered candles are generally available in sets of six to 12.

Appearance

All LED candles are designed to look like real candles, but the appearance of the flame can differ. Some LED candles produce flames with a warm white, amber or gold color. Many have a solid flame, while others flicker. Some candles even hide the flame for a more subtle look.

Most LED candles are made of plastic, but you can also find some with a genuine wax interior that gives them a more realistic look. Some larger LED candles are also shaped to look like they’re partially melted.

Controls

Many smaller LED candles, like tea lights, votives and tapered candles, feature an on/off switch on the bottom of the candle. Pillar candles also have a switch, but they often come with a remote control as well. Some LED candles also have a timer.

Some LED candles even allow you to control the appearance of the flame. By using the remote or moving a switch, you can change from a solid, steady flame to a flickering light.

Batteries

Smaller LED candles like votives and tea lights usually come with small buttons or cell batteries that can be replaced. Larger pillar and tapered candles typically run on AA, AAA or D batteries.

Some small styles offer 25-50 hours of operation before needing new batteries. Larger LED candles sometimes provide 300-500 hours.

Weatherproof

If you want to use LED candles outside on your deck or patio, be sure to purchase ones that are waterproof and weatherproof. Solar-powered LED candles, which are specifically designed for outdoor use, are a good choice for a waterproof option.

What to look for in quality LED candles

Flame

LED candles can feature either exposed or hidden flames. Exposed flames are usually made of small pieces of plastic in a flame shape that reflects the LED light. Some exposed flames are actually caps that sit over the LED bulb. Hidden flames sit behind a waxy shell, so they’re not actually visible. Instead, you only see the glow from the interior of the candle.

Dimmer

Some LED candles allow you to control how bright the light is. There’s usually a dimmer button, so you can dim the light to soften its brightness when desired.

Color changing

Most LED candles are white, beige or ivory in color. Other models are color-changing, so you can choose a color or have the candle rotate through colors for special occasions.

Remote

Some sets of LED candles include a remote to control the candles. The remote can adjust the settings on all of the candles, even if they’re not in the same room. In addition, most remotes have a 15 or 16-foot range, so you can control the candles from across the room.

Scented

If you are reluctant to give up traditional scented candles because of the delicious aromas they produce, you can actually find scented LED candles. Standard scent options include vanilla, cinnamon and rose.

Rings

Tapered LED candles sometimes come with latex rings that fit on their bottoms. These rings help the candles fit more securely in standard candle holders.

How much you can expect to spend on LED candles

You’ll usually pay between $7-$19 for LED candles. Those that range from $7-$10 are typically sets of 12 to 24 LED votive or tea lights. For $10-$19, you can find some single LED pillar candles, scented LED candles and other LED candles that come with a remote. You’ll spend more than $19 for larger sets of LED pillars or tapered candles.

LED candles FAQ

Do LED candles get hot?

LED candles, including their bulb, usually stay cool. That makes them a safe option to use inside a pumpkin, luminary bags or other decorative containers for special occasions.

How long do LED candles usually last?

Duration varies from candle to candle, but the bulb in most LED candles can last for up to a year. Of course, you may have to replace the candle’s batteries during that period.

What’s the best LED candle to buy?

Top LED candle

Enpornk Flameless Candles, Set of 9

What you need to know: This large set of realistic LED candles can create the perfect ambiance for your home.

What you’ll love: It contains nine flameless candles that resemble traditional candles and a remote. The user can control the candles’ brightness and flicker. They’re also made with real wax, which makes them look more realistic.

What you should consider: The glow the candles give off is very orange. They’re also all only one height.

Top LED candle for the money

Homemory Battery Operated Tea Lights, Set of 12

What you need to know: Homemory makes a realistic set of LED tea lights, which provide warm white light and feature a partially melted look.

What you’ll love: The set comes with 12 tea lights. Each tea light offers a battery life of more than 100 hours and is guaranteed to work out of the box.

What you should consider: The tea lights are made of plastic, which may not look realistic.

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 

The best LED candles for a relaxing, flame-free glow

• September 6, 2024

Which LED candles are the best?

With their soft, cozy glow, candles are beautiful decor pieces. Unfortunately, they can leave puddles of melted wax on your furniture and pose a fire hazard, particularly if you have children or pets at home. LED candles are a smokeless, flameless alternative, so you can safely enjoy the ambiance of glowing candles.

LED candles are available in a variety sizes, shapes and colors. Enpornk’s top-rated candles are a great pick because the set includes nine realistic-looking candles with adjustable brightness levels and a flicker setting.

What to know before you buy LED candles

Shape and size

First, determine what shape and size of LED candles fit your needs and style. LED candles come in classic shapes, including tea lights, votives, tapered and pillars. The specific diameter and height measurements can vary from brand to brand.

Most LED tea lights are 2 inches tall and 1.5 inches in diameter, while LED votives are usually 1.9 inches tall and 1 .5 inches in diameter. LED tapered candles are generally 9 to 12 inches in height, and LED pillars are often 4 to 9 inches in height and 3 inches in diameter.

Sets

Some LED candles are sold individually, but others come in a set. Smaller candles like votives and tea lights are often available in sets of 12, 24 or 36. Larger candles like pillars can be sold individually, but some come in sets of three to nine. Tapered candles are generally available in sets of six to 12.

Appearance

All LED candles are designed to look like real candles, but the appearance of the flame can differ. Some LED candles produce flames with a warm white, amber or gold color. Many have a solid flame, while others flicker. Some candles even hide the flame for a more subtle look.

Most LED candles are made of plastic, but you can also find some with a genuine wax interior that gives them a more realistic look. Some larger LED candles are also shaped to look like they’re partially melted.

Controls

Many smaller LED candles, like tea lights, votives and tapered candles, feature an on/off switch on the bottom of the candle. Pillar candles also have a switch, but they often come with a remote control as well. Some LED candles also have a timer.

Some LED candles even allow you to control the appearance of the flame. By using the remote or moving a switch, you can change from a solid, steady flame to a flickering light.

Batteries

Smaller LED candles like votives and tea lights usually come with small buttons or cell batteries that can be replaced. Larger pillar and tapered candles typically run on AA, AAA or D batteries.

Some small styles offer 25-50 hours of operation before needing new batteries. Larger LED candles sometimes provide 300-500 hours.

Weatherproof

If you want to use LED candles outside on your deck or patio, be sure to purchase ones that are waterproof and weatherproof. Solar-powered LED candles, which are specifically designed for outdoor use, are a good choice for a waterproof option.

What to look for in quality LED candles

Flame

LED candles can feature either exposed or hidden flames. Exposed flames are usually made of small pieces of plastic in a flame shape that reflects the LED light. Some exposed flames are actually caps that sit over the LED bulb. Hidden flames sit behind a waxy shell, so they’re not actually visible. Instead, you only see the glow from the interior of the candle.

Dimmer

Some LED candles allow you to control how bright the light is. There’s usually a dimmer button, so you can dim the light to soften its brightness when desired.

Color changing

Most LED candles are white, beige or ivory in color. Other models are color-changing, so you can choose a color or have the candle rotate through colors for special occasions.

Remote

Some sets of LED candles include a remote to control the candles. The remote can adjust the settings on all of the candles, even if they’re not in the same room. In addition, most remotes have a 15 or 16-foot range, so you can control the candles from across the room.

Scented

If you are reluctant to give up traditional scented candles because of the delicious aromas they produce, you can actually find scented LED candles. Standard scent options include vanilla, cinnamon and rose.

Rings

Tapered LED candles sometimes come with latex rings that fit on their bottoms. These rings help the candles fit more securely in standard candle holders.

How much you can expect to spend on LED candles

You’ll usually pay between $7-$19 for LED candles. Those that range from $7-$10 are typically sets of 12 to 24 LED votive or tea lights. For $10-$19, you can find some single LED pillar candles, scented LED candles and other LED candles that come with a remote. You’ll spend more than $19 for larger sets of LED pillars or tapered candles.

LED candles FAQ

Do LED candles get hot?

LED candles, including their bulb, usually stay cool. That makes them a safe option to use inside a pumpkin, luminary bags or other decorative containers for special occasions.

How long do LED candles usually last?

Duration varies from candle to candle, but the bulb in most LED candles can last for up to a year. Of course, you may have to replace the candle’s batteries during that period.

What’s the best LED candle to buy?

Top LED candle

Enpornk Flameless Candles, Set of 9

What you need to know: This large set of realistic LED candles can create the perfect ambiance for your home.

What you’ll love: It contains nine flameless candles that resemble traditional candles and a remote. The user can control the candles’ brightness and flicker. They’re also made with real wax, which makes them look more realistic.

What you should consider: The glow the candles give off is very orange. They’re also all only one height.

Top LED candle for the money

Homemory Battery Operated Tea Lights, Set of 12

What you need to know: Homemory makes a realistic set of LED tea lights, which provide warm white light and feature a partially melted look.

What you’ll love: The set comes with 12 tea lights. Each tea light offers a battery life of more than 100 hours and is guaranteed to work out of the box.

What you should consider: The tea lights are made of plastic, which may not look realistic.

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 

Chargers 2024 defense preview: Position-by-position breakdown

• September 6, 2024

Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz took a good look around once they got settled into their new jobs last winter as coach and general manager of the Chargers. They liked what they saw on defense, but believed they could do better with a few key additions to a few significant positions on the roster.

After all, the Chargers’ defense, while not the worst in the 32-team NFL during the 2023 season, was close to the bottom. The Chargers were 24th in points given up per game (23.4). They were 28th in net yards given up per game (362.9). They were 30th in passing yardage given up per game (249.8).

So, Hortiz went to work by adding veteran pass rusher Bud Dupree to provide depth beyond Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa and Tuli Tuipulotu, an emerging talent who filled in capably as a rookie from USC for an injured Bosa midway through the year. Bosa sat out the final seven games last season.

Hortiz also signed defensive lineman Poona Ford and cornerback Kristian Fulton.

But he wasn’t done – not by a long shot.

Denzel Perryman was signed to add depth at linebacker and the same went for Troy Dye. Scott Matlock, a defensive lineman, was given an additional role as a fullback, swapping his old uniform No. 99 for No. 44. Matlock maintained his gig as an important special teams player, too.

In addition, Hortiz drafted linebacker Junior Colson from Michigan, defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe from Alabama and defensive backs Cam Hart from Notre Dame and Tarheeb Still from Maryland. Hortiz wasn’t content, so he kept looking for talent even as training camp ended.

Here’s a look at the Chargers’ defense heading into the 2024 regular season, which begins Sunday afternoon against the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium:

Defensive linemen: Morgan Fox, Poona Ford, Otito Ogbonnia, Scott Matlock, Justin Eboigbe, Teair Tart

The Chargers were actually a middle-of-the-pack team when it came to defending the opposition’s ground game during the 2023 season. They ranked 17th against the run, giving up 113.2 yards per game. They also were 13th in red zone touchdown defense (59.94%). But by signing Ford and Tart and drafting Eboigbe, they filled a few gaps intended to make the defensive line stronger than in the past. Fox, Ogbonnia and Matlock were the only returners. By the looks of it, going into Sunday’s opener, this group is stronger and deeper.

Edge rushers: Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Bud Dupree

Mack set a career high with 17 sacks last season, reaching 101.5 for his Hall of Fame-caliber career. It’s unlikely he’ll repeat that sort of menacing performance in 2024. He is, after all, 32 and has played 10 seasons at a physically demanding position. Overlook him at your own peril, though. He looked as fit as ever during training camp, breaking down the Chargers’ new and improved offensive line during drills and getting close enough to their quarterbacks to make them a little nervous despite the yellow no-contact jerseys they wore. Bosa broke his left hand during camp and underwent surgery, but he said recently that he’s sound enough to start the season Sunday. Tuipulotu and Dupree give the Chargers depth they lacked beyond Mack and Bosa in the past. Chris Rumph II will start the season on injured reserve.

Linebackers: Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman, Junior Colson, Troy Dye

Henley barely saw the field as a rookie last season, but performed well in a special teams role. The new regime installed him as a starter and he was excellent in training camp, making plenty of observers wonder why former coach Brandon Staley limited him to only a handful of snaps at linebacker during the 2023 season. Perryman began his career with the Chargers, who drafted him in the second round in 2015, when they were still based in San Diego. After two seasons with the Raiders and one with the Houston Texans, he’s back with the Chargers. Colson was sidelined for most of his first NFL camp after undergoing an appendectomy during the offseason, but he was a forceful presence upon his return to the practice field. Dye spent the past four seasons largely as a backup while with the Minnesota Vikings, and he’ll be asked to accept a similar role with the Chargers for the upcoming season.

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Defensive backs: Asante Samuel Jr., Kristian Fulton, Derwin James Jr., Alohi Gilman, Deane Leonard, Ja’Sir Taylor, Cam Hart, AJ Finley, Elijah Molden, Tarheeb Still

If there were any doubts as to who might play opposite Samuel at cornerback, Fulton eased them within, what, hours of the start of camp? Minutes? Seconds? It was that quick. So, that problem was solved. James and Gilman formed a starting tandem at safety at some point during the 2022 season. Leonard made an impression as a special teams player over the past few seasons, but also showed himself to be a valuable defensive back. Taylor has been a versatile DB, too. Finley is the only other defensive back from last season’s roster, and he also was primarily a special teams player. Hart and Still were drafted to add talent and depth. Molden was acquired in a trade from the Tennessee Titans during training camp.

​ Orange County Register 

Heritage Barbecue expanding space with new smokers, seating and a historic barn

• September 6, 2024

One of Southern California’s best restaurants is about to get bigger.

Heritage Barbecue, Daniel and Brenda Castillo’s lauded Texas-style barbecue joint in downtown San Juan Capistrano, is in the working stages of an expansion. In addition to six new covered smokers and an upcoming prix-fixe menu option, a 144-year-old barn from the nearby Casa Manuel Garcia historical site will move to Heritage Barbecue, repurposed as an indoor/outdoor dining space.

The barn, a wooden structure constructed in 1880 and later reinforced in the 1930s with corrugated steel, will be disassembled gingerly, piece by piece, and then hauled two blocks down Camino Capistrano to the Heritage site.

SEE ALSO: Heritage Barbecue changed OC’s restaurant landscape — and beyond. Here’s how they did it.

“I talked to the developer who is building a distillery on the property, and they wanted to catalog it and put it away. Then I had the idea of using it as a part of Heritage,” said co-owner and pitmaster Daniel Castillo, who received approval the city and the San Juan Historical Society to use the outbuilding. “Originally I wanted to use it to house our new smokers, but then opted to use it as an indoor dining space.”

Once completed, the revamped barn will seat roughly 50 diners inside, a handful of new outdoor dining tables and a dedicated bathroom.

Rendering of Heritage Barbecue’s space will feature a circa-1880 barn. (Rendering by Bickel Group Architecture, Almquist – courtesy of Heritage Barbecue)

“There will be a butchering and meat fabrication room with a big window where people can see, you know, sausages being made and meats being hung,” he said.

Renderings of the new space show a 22-foot tall structure with repurposed wood and corrugated metal that will feature the original barn door, new wire mesh and a dark bronze finish. “We’re repurposing a lot of of the wood that we can’t use into furniture, like communal tables,” he explained. The completed look will maintain the original structure’s aesthetically appealing patina.

The new expansion will offer patrons seated dinner service as well as new, yet-to-be-revealed seasonal menu items. “The menu will consist of a prix-fixe and then the rest of it people will be able to order off the menu” a la carte, said Castillo.

Heritage Barbecue will keep its current seating area and window service at the front of the restaurant; the new additions will be found in the back portion of the restaurant.

Construction will start at the end of the year, with an anticipated completion in early 2025.

The smokers at Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano. The new expansion will see six more added to the restaurant. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The timing for Heritage Barbecue’s growth couldn’t be better: The Michelin Guide once again bestowed it with Bib Gourmand honors, which the dining guide gives to restaurants that serve good food at reasonable prices, earlier this year. And Daniel Vaughn, the unimpeachable authority on all things barbecue, of Texas Monthly named Heritage as one of the best Texas-style barbecue spots in America (outside of the Lone Star State, of course).

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The plaudits, which came fast and furious after its 2020 opening, and the long lines of customers, which remain daily occurrences at the San Juan Capistrano institution, will help Heritage Barbecue allow for more guests to get their paws on some of the Golden State’s best food — barbecued or otherwise.

The Castillo family plan on opening Les Brisket Hut, a taco and wine spinoff, in Santa Ana later this year.

​ Orange County Register 

Derek Tran says he’s fluent in Vietnamese. Rep. Michelle Steel’s campaign says he’s not.

• September 6, 2024

Derek Tran is vying to become the first Vietnamese American elected to represent Orange County’s Little Saigon in Congress.

That uniqueness is something Tran, and the Democratic Party, often play up on the campaign trail. Tran has said he is “the only candidate that speaks fluent Vietnamese,” and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats, calls Tran “a candidate fluent in Vietnamese.”

In California’s 45th congressional district, where Tran is attempting to unseat two-term incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Seal Beach, Vietnamese fluency could be critical in reaching out to an electorate in a majority-minority district where the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam resides. But Tran’s ability to fluently speak the language has come under scrutiny after clips of TV interviews began circulating online, where he uses a translator or appears to struggle to understand a basic question asked in Vietnamese.

In an interview earlier this year with Saigon Entertainment Television based in Garden Grove, a translator stepped in to correct Tran when he misunderstood a question asking him how many years he served in the Army. Tran, instead, answered by talking about what he’s done as a lawyer.

Tran’s campaign declined to comment directly on his Vietnamese proficiency but provided a series of video clips in which Tran speaks the language.

In some of those clips, including an interview on Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, the host asks his question first in Vietnamese, then in English, after which Tran responds in English. In other clips, including an interview on Phố Bolsa TV, Tran appears to understand the question posed in Vietnamese, but he responds in English.

In another interview with Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, Tran speaks in Vietnamese without a translator for the majority of the interview while reverting to English briefly here and there — similar to a Zoom fundraiser by the Nguoi Viet Channel, where Tran speaks in Vietnamese without a translator before reverting to English.

Another clip shows reporters asking questions of Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democratic contender for U.S. Senate, at an August campaign stop in Santa Ana. One reporter asks Schiff, around the 52:57 mark, what he thought of the event, if he has any advice for Tran and whether he’ll come back to Orange County, then tells Tran, “I’d like you to translate.”

After Schiff’s response, the reporter again asks Tran, around the 54:43 mark, if he would translate what Schiff said, but a campaign staff member intervenes and says time is up. Tran, as a result, did not translate Schiff’s response.

In a recently published interview with the Los Angeles Times, which the campaign said was done several weeks ago, Tran said Vietnamese was his first language, but he has lost his childhood fluency. He uses a translator “because I don’t want any of my messaging to get lost from my broken Vietnamese,” he said.

Will it matter in November?

In CA-45, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, close to 40% of residents are Asian, and more than four in 10 of them identify as Vietnamese. The district encompasses Little Saigon, a collection of Vietnamese-heavy neighborhoods in Garden Grove, Westminster and Fountain Valley, and Buena Park, home to one of several officially-recognized Koreatowns in Southern California. CA-45 also picks up Cerritos and Artesia in Los Angeles County, both where Asian residents make up the largest racial group.

David Nguyen, a registered Republican voter who resides in Fountain Valley within the CA-45 boundaries, said he believes most Vietnamese Americans understand that there is a wide range of fluency.

“I’m in Tran’s position where I can speak Vietnamese but not as fluently as I would like,” Nguyen, 47, said. “That makes it harder to connect with older Vietnamese, but a lot of older Vietnamese are very forgiving if you make mistakes because they have children who can’t speak it fluently … they actually admire that you try.”

“As a Vietnamese American who’s also Vietnamese challenged, the definition of fluency is wide,” Nguyen continued. “I consider myself fluent in Vietnamese, but I speak it in a conversational way.”

To Long Bui, an international studies professor at UC Irvine, Tran’s comments about his Vietnamese fluency “comes off as personal exaggeration, typical of political campaigning.”

“Fluency can mean many things, including the fact that a candidate can speak in a casual conversation fluently,” said Bui, who studies generational differences around homeland politics. “But technical terms about commerce, the law, and government can be harder to express.”

While language fluency is important to the Vietnamese American community, Bui said, there are translation tools they can use.

But Steel’s campaign is attempting to paint Tran as dishonest. Lance Trover, a spokesperson for the congresswoman, said lying about speaking Vietnamese in this district is “borderline disqualifying with voters.”

“For everyone inside the Beltway who continues entertaining the DCCC’s spin that Derek Tran is some kind of star recruit, the last two weeks of stories uncovering his lies should be a wake-up call,” he said.

Orrin Evans, Tran’s spokesperson, responded: “Steel’s corruption is translatable into any language and voters see right through her attempt to distract from the fact that her former colleague and long-time ally Andrew Do is being investigated by the FBI for stealing taxpayer funds,” alluding to Steel scrubbing her campaign website of endorsements from Do, an Orange County supervisor who is facing mounting calls to step down amid allegations the nonprofit he directed millions of dollars in COVID relief funds to instead embezzled the funds meant for feeding the elderly.

The race in California’s 45th congressional district has grown increasingly more volatile as the countdown to Election Day continues. It’s one where election forecasts have begun to move toward being more favorable for Democrats: Election analyst Cook Political Report today changed its rating of the race from “lean Republican” to “Republican toss up,” and Inside Elections, a newsletter that provides campaign analysis, also recently changed its rating of the race to “tilt Republican.”

In June, Tran was criticized by dozens of local leaders and organizations for saying Steel, who was born in South Korea and grew up in Japan, “came to this country for economic gain.” Steel has said her parents fled communism in North Korea.

“Michelle still tries to run on that she’s a refugee or she tried to flee communism. No, that’s not true at all,” Tran told Punchbowl News. “She came to this country for economic gain. That’s not the same as losing one’s country after the fall of Saigon in ’75 and having no home.”

Tom K. Wong, an associate professor of political science at UC San Diego, said this is “likely not the last time” voters will see identity-based attacks as Steel and Tran continue to fight to win the support of the large Vietnamese community in the district.

Broadly speaking, Wong said co-ethnic voters value authenticity because they want to believe that a candidate is “one of us.”

“Thus, if an opponent can cast a candidate as inauthentic, this can significantly erode support among co-ethnic voters,” he said.

Voters in CA-45 are no stranger to campaign attacks based on candidates’ identities.

In 2022, the midterm race between Steel and Democrat Jay Chen was marked heavily by accusations of racism and red-baiting. After Steel had utilized campaign material that portrayed Chen, a Taiwanese American, as a communist sympathizer, an Asian American PAC rescinded its support of her.

Chen, on the other hand, was accused of mocking Steel’s accent. He had said in a closed-door meeting that people needed an interpreter to understand Steel.

Chen, a Mt. San Antonio College trustee, has publicly endorsed Tran. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Chen has repeatedly criticized Steel this cycle, alleging that she will be behind racist ads to voters in CA-45 to “scare up votes in the Vietnamese community.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Freeway sign can’t be depended on for ramp-closure times

• September 6, 2024

Q. Caltrans is working on the northbound 5 Freeway on-ramp from Alicia Parkway and has been doing so for months. The sign says it could be closed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., yet workers sometimes close down the on-ramp much earlier. Just Wednesday, it was closed well before 9 p.m. and, needless to say, it forces a circuitous re-route and makes it difficult to plan around. Can they just start anytime they wish?

– Michael Gamerl, Laguna Beach

A. Well, kinda …

Although Caltrans is largely responsible for our freeway system, other agencies jump in and build and remodel stuff, such as in this case, Michael.

The Orange County Transportation Authority is spending $664 million on 6.5 miles of the 5, from Lake Forest into Mission Viejo. A regular lane, both north and south, is getting added and so is a second carpool lane for part of the stretch. Projected to be completed early next year, some street sections and interchanges are getting makeovers, too.

“The stationary signs the reader is referring to are informational signs put in place around 2019 when the project began to give drivers a general idea of when to expect overnight closures,” said Eric Carpenter, an OCTA spokesman, in an email.

The California Highway Patrol, OCTA officials and the project contractor are involved in such closures.

“This process … is often decided in the field and results in closures of on-ramps and off-ramps at earlier hours to set up (a) safe work environment,” Carpenter said.

But why is there a need to go outside the time listed on such signs?

Joel Zlotnik, another OCTA spokesman, told Honk that to shut a freeway lane down to work on, it can close a ramp as well.

“This work can’t be done behind the K-rail, and it takes more time to set up to help ensure a safe work zone,” he said. “Allowing for a longer work window also helps keep the project on schedule as we near the finish line. … We understand it’s inconvenient and really appreciate the patience of the community.”

Michael, it’s frustrating to come across an unexpected closure, for sure. Honk isn’t one to sign up for email or text alerts on ramp closures, but you can if you want to for this project at octa.net/i5south.

Q. Hey Honk: Is it true that hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2 is no longer recommended? I read that hands in that placement could cause injury in the event of an accident when the airbag is inflated. Would hands at 9 and 3 provide the same level of control?

– Barry Riemer, West Covina

A. All Honk can tell you on this one, Barry, is what the experts say.

These days, the Department of Motor Vehicles suggests tooling about with our paws at 9 and 3 o’clock, or at 8 and 4.

Both positions work with the “hand-to-hand” technique, the DMV says on its website: “Keep your hands in these positions, even when making turns.”

Or, with the 8-and-4 approach, you can also do the “hand-over-hand” strategy.

And, yes, you have it right.

“Those positions would minimize possible damage from the airbag,” said Marie Montgomery Nordhues, a spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Should the airbags deploy, if using one of the newer suggested hands-on-wheel positions, the chances are better that our arms and hands won’t be pushed rather rudely into our faces.

To ask Honk questions, reach him at [email protected]. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk

​ Orange County Register 

Thomas Elias: Why Kamala Harris’ gender continues to be downplayed by her own campaign

• September 6, 2024

Kamala Harris has been a trailblazer in politics for most of the last two decades, giving more and more young women a sense of unlimited possibility.

But on the night she accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, only one national convention speaker stressed the fact she is but the second woman so nominated and just the third female to make a national ticket.

That speaker was Hillary Clinton, the first woman nominated for president and the winner of the popular vote in 2016 by almost 3 million, a margin that once all but guaranteed Electoral College victory but has not for the last two decades, which featured two of only three American presidents elected with a minority of votes.

Clinton, who stressed her then-unique status as a female at the top of a presidential ticket, spoke of “cracking this last glass ceiling,” and fervently hoped Harris would bust it wide open.

But Clinton has a different perspective from Harris, perhaps because she is almost 17 years older. It’s much like younger women today who cannot remember when married or engaged women were denied jobs legally because they might become pregnant. That discrimination was fully authorized until court decisions of the 1980s used an earlier Civil Rights Act to ban it.

Now women occupy positions of authority in a host of fields, including law, medicine and clergy. More than 56 percent of current law school students are women. And in 2023, 54.6 percent of medical school students were females, having become the majority in 2020. Both men and women by now are accustomed to representation and treatment by skilled females.

Millions of American churchgoers also are used to hearing women deliver sermons from myriad pulpits. Every Anglican denomination ordains women priests, along with most Lutheran and Presbyterian churches, while both Reform and Conservative Jewish denominations ordain women rabbis.

But there remains considerable resistance to female clergy, where fields like law and medicine have no problems with women, who occupied less than 5 percent of student slots in those fields just 100 years ago.

The Roman Catholic church remains the largest resistor to women in pastoral roles, but Mormons, Southern Baptists, Southern Methodists, some Pentecostal churches, Muslims and Orthodox Jews also allow no female clergy.

But the indications are more women will be in more positions of authority in the future. Example: Caltech, one of America’s premiere colleges, now has its first majority female freshman class.

Taken together, all this has made it ever easier for both men and women to accept females in positions of authority.

That’s probably one reason Harris’ gender drew so little note during the four weeks she took to solidify herself as the Democratic nominee before the party convention. It’s also likely why her gender was not a major focus of either conventional speeches or her own almost hourlong acceptance speech.

Yes, Harris has had to walk something of a tightrope: She’s had to project strength without aggressiveness, boldness without being strident, physical attractiveness without vanity, and caring without submissiveness.

But she’s long handled those complications without much problem. As district attorney of San Francisco, attorney general of California and vice president, Harris burst through previous glass ceilings without offending many very masculine men.

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It was the same this summer as she vetted and interviewed possible vice presidential running mates. The likes of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and eventual nominee Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, had no qualms about accepting her as their boss.

Some of these men epitomize masculinity, but none quailed at the notion of serving a female occupying arguably the world’s most powerful political position.

Walz displayed nothing but comfort after his selection, seemingly having no trouble ceding the limelight and most public attention to Harris during bus tours and at the convention itself.

So anyone expecting her to act timid or fearful of Trump in their first debate (and others that may follow) probably doesn’t know Harris very well.

She may turn out to be the ideal candidate for this time, and if that’s so, it will be because of the success of myriad other women who broke through to their own successes and authoritative stature.

Email Thomas Elias at [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

High school football: Scores form Thursday’s games, Sept. 5

• September 6, 2024

All of the scores from the Week 2 high school football games Thursday, Sept. 5.

CIF SOUTHERN SECTION

Nonleague

Buena 23, Fillmore 19

West Ranch 36, Antelope Valley 14

Century 40, Azusa 14

Westminster La Quinta 41, Bassett 6

Bloomington 38, Rubidoux 11

La Canada 41, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 0

Covina 45, Diamond Ranch 39

Los Amigos 33, Irvine University 14

West Covina 41, El Rancho 14

Norte Vista 36, Fontana 28

Foothill 55, Orange 35

Granite Hills 41, Hesperia 14

Estancia 21, Katella 7

La Quinta 13, Rancho Verde 6

Northwood 24, Garden Grove Pacifica 0

King 24, JW North 14

Jurupa Valley 38, Ontario 12

Palm Desert 7, Elsinore 0

Pioneer 47, Magnolia 0

Rim of the World 31, Perris 14

Hacienda Heights Wilson 36, Rowland 22

San Jacinto 19, Yorba Linda 16

San Bernardino 27, Arroyo Valley 0

Beaumont 34, Summit 0

Temecula Valley 19, Temescal Canyon 14

Tustin 42, El Dorado 10

Victor Valley 42, Twentynine Palms 0

Murrieta Mesa 28, Valencia 22

Schurr 27, Village Christian 18

Whittier 24, Rosemead 6

San Marino 23, South Torrance 22 (OT)

Xavier Prep 47, Riverside Notre Dame 0

Franklin 21, San Gabriel 0

Lynwood Firebaugh 40, View Park 12

L.A. CITY SECTION

Nonleague

Chatsworth 21, Manual Arts 12

Crenshaw 8, L.A. Hamilton 6

Huntington Park 40, Fremont 0

Jefferson 48, Torres 0

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​ Orange County Register