Fifty years ago this week, the Los Angeles Times hired a young political reporter named George Skelton. He made a name for himself by covering the state capitol in Sacramento for other news organizations while he was governor. pat brown and ronald reaganwho joined the Times during Reagan's final year in the governor's office.

“The most pathetic thing in this political animal kingdom is often the lame duck flapping its wings feebly in a sea of ​​vultures,” Skelton wrote in his first article for the Times, published on January 7, 1974. . , Mr. Skelton wrote that President Reagan's “political health in Sacramento is relatively stable.”

35 years old jerry brown, Pat Brown's son was running for governor at the time. Mr. Skelton went on to serve the younger Mr. Brown twice as governor, and during Mr. Reagan's two terms in the White House. Sacramento featured a development that is almost unthinkable today. A Republican governor (Reagan) signed the most liberal abortion law in the nation, which some Democrats opposed. Another Republican Governor (George Deukmejian) Worked with Democratic lawmakers to pass the nation's first assault weapons ban.

Mr. Skelton started his column in the Capitol Journal in 1993, during the tough-on-crime era of California politics and the governor's anti-illegal immigration policies. pete wilson, Skelton remembers drinking scotch during an interview in the governor's office. A generation later, some of the politicians Skelton interviewed at the Capitol were Latino leaders who once led street protests against Wilson. In between, Mr. Skelton recorded a recall of the governor's turmoil. gray davis and political rise and fall arnold schwarzenegger.

His longstanding views on California politics make Skelton's LA Times column a must-read. But one of the things I enjoyed most about working with Skelton in the Times' Sacramento bureau was learning a piece of history just by walking into his office. The walls are covered with photos from throughout his career. It's a photo of him wearing sports sunglasses and a skeptical look on his face during the interview. richard nixon He visited Orange County in 1969 and looked into Reagan's eyes during an interview on Air Force One in 1983. One day I saw a black and white photo of Pat Brown with something fastened to the lapel of a skeleton jacket, and I asked him what was going on in this photo.

Mr. Skelton told me that this photo was taken hours after he survived a helicopter crash while covering Mr. Brown's 1966 gubernatorial campaign. Mr. Skelton and another reporter hopped into a helicopter at a stop near Los Angeles and were headed to Mr. Brown's next campaign stop when the plane “lost power and was about to crash into the side of this four-story apartment building.” “Skelton said.

Skelton said the pilot was able to maneuver the helicopter to land on the roof of the building, but the helicopter snapped several power lines during the crash landing, causing a fire.

“The fire truck came with a big long ladder and we climbed down off the roof,” Skelton said.

By the time he arrived at Brown's campaign reception that night, the governor had heard all about it.

“He decided to take an old tin ashtray and put a ribbon on it,” Skelton said. “We did a little ceremony where we wrote the word 'hero' and pinned it to his chest.”

This month, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Skeleton Times, we are rolling out our own version of the hero ribbon. The company's video production division, LA Times Studios, will soon release a mini-documentary about the modern history of California politics told through Skelton's journalism. And I'll be hosting a conversation with Skelton at the Sacramento Press Club luncheon towards the end of January. My goal is to tease out stories about his crash landings and Air Force His One interviews, ask for advice from young journalists, and explore his observations about California's political evolution. (Please pay attention Press club website Click here for ticket information)

I'm Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento bureau chief for The Times. We bring you the week's biggest news in California politics.

Congress faces the politics of Israel-Hamas war

On the day California lawmakers returned to Sacramento for the New Year, hundreds of protesters gathered at the state Capitol and shut down Congress, demanding that Israel end its war with Hamas.

Lawmakers filed out of the chamber as protesters chanted “ceasefire now!” Demonstrators filling the Capitol Rotunda unfurled banners that read, “We will not allow America to fund Israel's genocide in Palestine,” marking the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. They made paper flowers to represent the more than 22,000 Palestinians who died in the war, which began after about 1,200 people were killed. Another 240 people were taken hostage.

Wednesday's protests brought the complex politics of war to the California Capitol, where Congress was in its fall recess. The hall was quiet. The US response to the war was generational divide california electoral district Division within the Democratic PartyMeanwhile, polls show that California Republicans generally US supports Israel.

Also on Wednesday, Congressional Republicans introduced a resolution condemning Hamas, and the Congressional Jewish Caucus called on lawmakers to condemn Jewish Californians amid “an outburst of hatred directed against our community.” He sent a seven-page letter explaining his fears.

Please see here for the detail: California State Capitol shut down due to Israeli ceasefire protests

Classes for parents accused of child abuse are largely unregulated.

Noah Quatro's parents completed court-ordered parenting classes in 2017. Two years later, his parents were charged with torture and murder in the death of a 4-year-old Palmdale boy.

Court-ordered parenting classes are common in child abuse and neglect cases, but they are largely unregulated in California, said Mackenzie Mays. This new study reveals.

The state does not ensure that parent education programs meet any standards, allowing parents facing abuse allegations to take classes that experts have judged to be of poor quality. Nor can it provide research evidence for half of the programs listed in the law. State-funded database It is intended to act as an important tool for local authorities to ensure child safety.

The lack of oversight could put some of California's most vulnerable children at risk, including those whose parents are fighting for custody while being investigated by protective agencies.

“I don’t think judges look too closely at the quality of parenting classes,” the former judge said. leonard edwardswho oversaw child abuse cases for decades before retiring from Santa Clara County Superior Court in 2006.

“Most of the time, it's like a rubber stamp.”

Maze found Nevertheless national research Some parenting classes have been shown to help prevent child abuse and keep families together, but in California they often amount to over-prescribed bureaucratic remedies with no clear track record of success. It happens often. Despite the lack of oversight and data, according to more than 20 child welfare experts interviewed by the Times, including social workers, lawyers, former judges, parents and health care providers, Despite the lack of monitoring and data, participation in custody decisions can sway custody decisions, she said.

Still, experts like Edwards, a member of the California Child Welfare Council, believe in some programs and see that they benefit children and parents.

“A good parenting class can change lives,” he said.

The full article is below: Parenting classes are routinely ordered in child abuse cases. California does not guarantee they will work.

floating voters in orange county

Republican Reps. Young Kim (left) and Michelle Steele represent two Orange County districts expected to be hotly contested this year.

(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)

Orange County's four congressional districts are expected to be among the most competitive in the nation, with Republicans and Democrats competing in this year's elections. Fight to control the House of Representatives.

The key group of voters that could determine the outcome of these elections is what researchers at the University of California, Irvine describe as “modestly partisan Republicans,” according to the Times. Reporter Hannah Fry writes:. This group is different from traditional Republican voters, she reports. This article is based on a new surveybecause they are wealthier, more diverse, more socially free, and have less resistance to taxes to solve important problems.

Orange County, once considered the conservative heartland of Southern California, has transformed into a more culturally, economically, and politically diverse region, allowing congressional candidates to appeal to voters without strong partisanship. There is a need to find ways to appeal to the public. These voters will be crucial not only in deciding who Orange County sends to Washington, but also in determining the balance of power in Congress.

Read the full article here: Orange County's wealthy Asian American and Latino voters could play a key role in upcoming elections

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