SoCal’s new Harry Potter train ride attracts fans, concerns local activists

Willie Gillespie was a 2026 summer intern on the video desk at the Los Angeles Times. Originally from Libertyville, Ill., he is a senior journalism major at the University of Oklahoma and works for the student newspaper, the OU Daily. You can connect with him on X @wgillespietv.

Emily Tarinelli is a features intern at the Los Angeles Times. She earned her master’s degree in data journalism from Stanford University in 2026, and her bachelor’s degree in English from Mount Holyoke College in 2025. Her byline has appeared in LAist, Pleasanton Weekly, Peninsula Press and more. Previously, she worked as a news anchor for Amherst Media and worked in the communications field. She takes special interest in stories about gender, art and joy.