Gardening: Why the four guiding principles of pruning apply throughout the year

• October 27, 2023

Five things to do in the garden this week:

1. A while ago, I featured Sedum Harvest Moon (Sedum spathulifoium) as the California native of the week, lamenting that I could not find it in the nursery trade. John Lewallen sent me two online sources for this species. One is Earth and Jungle (earthandjungle.com) and the other is Bluestone Perennials, The succulent Sedum genus is replete with species showing off a variety of leaf forms. Foliage is often colorful and may be variegated, too, and the species in question has leaves that show off a captivating blend of silvery gray and and purple. Sedum flowers may appear in white, yellow, pink, or red, depending on the species. 

2. At Bluestone Perennials (bluestone perennials.com), three species of Bergenia, also known as “pigsqueak,” are available for fall planting. This is probably the toughest flowering perennial you can find for partial sun to shady locations. It can grow in virtually any kind of soil and most species are extremely hardy, capable of withstanding Alaska winters. Its large, cabbage leaves are an instant attraction. Flower color is a mix of pink, rose, and magenta although a type with red flowers is also available. The name “pigsqueak” refers to the sound made when rubbing a leaf between two fingers after a rain, a phenomenon which invariably endears this plant to kids.

3. Fran and Bill Arrowsmith, horticulturists in the South Bay, saw a toyon in their garden (Heteromeles arbutifolia) die from fireblight. This is a disease caused by bacteria that enter a plant through the nectaries at the base of its flower petals during wet weather in late winter or early spring. Leaves turn a fiery orange or red before wilt begins and the plant slowly dies. The question was raised as to what would be a good alternative plant for “front and center in our front yard.” Plants susceptible to fireblight are confined to the rose family, including apple, quince, and pear trees, pyracantha, toyon, and photinia shrubs, and others. So long as long as the replacement plant is not in the rose family, there is no concern that this disease will be a problem. I suggested a Howard McMinn arctostaphylos, commonly known as manzanita, variety. I have one that is nearly 20 years old and is almost a perfect sphere with a diameter of eight feet. It is a slow grower so you will want to plant the biggest specimen you can find. The flower display of pinkish-white urn-shaped flowers during winter to early spring is unmatched.

4. Although fall is generally regarded as the best month to prune, the four D’s, or guiding principles of pruning, apply throughout the year. The first of these is “Dead,” and concerns the removal of dead stems and branches, which can be done in any season and rightfully so, since dead wood is a source of interest to certain pathogens and insect borers that may be passing by and could cause further damage. The second D is “Diseased” growth which, as in the case of Dead, can seriously endanger the life of a tree or plant by being left in place. The third D is for “Damaged.” A branch that spits away from the trunk of a tree, for example, but is still attached to it, is a problem. Insects and/or fungi may use the area that opens up between branch and trunk, where water is likely to collect, as a safe haven, causing havoc as they later proliferate throughout the tree. The last D is for “Deranged” and refers to growth that is not healthy, especially for a tree. Such growth includes two branches rubbing together, one of which must go since the point of contact is also likely to be visited by fungi or insects. Suckers that come up from the base of a plant and water sprouts – the vertical shoots that you see on fruit trees in particular – are also considered to be Deranged, having no useful purpose and divert energy that could otherwise be used for flowering and fruit production.

5. Orchard floor management, which anyone with a few fruit trees should consider, is necessary to ensure the health of your trees. Never allow rotting fruit, leaves, or branches to remain on the ground since these can harbor fungi and insect eggs that can lead to the establishment of the pest in question when growth resumes next spring. Weeds around trees should also be removed since they can attract insects that carry pathogens in their saliva which, injected into the leaves of trees, and can bring about disease. Consider planting a cover crop among your trees. An aggressive grower like tansy leaf Phacelia (Phacelia tancetifolia) will not allow weeds to develop and will serve as green manure, enriching the soil around your trees when it matures and is turned under. 

Send questions and comments to [email protected].

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​ Orange County Register 

High school football: All of the scores from Thursday’s Week 10 games

• October 27, 2023

The scores from the high school football games played Thursday, Oct. 26.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

CIF-SS

605 LEAGUE

Artesia 28, Glenn 20

BASELINE LEAGUE

Etiwanda 51, Damien 36

Upland 17, Rancho Cucamonga 14

BIG WEST—LOWER LEAGUE

Corona Santiago 55, Corona 6

Murrieta Mesa 31, King 14

Great Oak 49, Temecula Valley 21

BIG WEST—UPPER LEAGUE

Corona Centennial 55, Norco 0

Chaparral 59, Eastvale Roosevelt 57

Murrieta Valley 35, Vista Murrieta 21

CITRUS BELT LEAGUE

Cajon 34, Beaumont 30

COTTONWOOD LEAGUE

Bermuda Dunes Desert Christian 36, Anza Hamilton 14

DESERT SKY LEAGUE

Granite Hills 52, Barstow 35

IVY LEAGUE

Riverside North 34, Heritage 7

MESQUITE LEAGUE

Capistrano Valley Christian 45, Arrowhead Christian 6

MOJAVE RIVER LEAGUE

Oak Hills 56, Ridgecrest Burroughs 0

MOORE LEAGUE

Long Beach Poly 56, Long Beach Jordan 14

MOUNTAIN PASS LEAGUE

San Jacinto 64, Perris 12

MOUNTAIN VALLEY LEAGUE

San Bernardino 39, Pacific 12

MOUNTAIN WEST LEAGUE

Bonita 27, Charter Oak 18

MT. BALDY 4 LEAGUE

Hacienda Heights Wilson 23, Baldwin Park 0

NORTH HILLS LEAGUE

El Modena 48, Anaheim Canyon 14

PACIFIC—LOWER LEAGUE

Hoover 44, Glendale 14

RIO HONDO LEAGUE

Monrovia 29, San Marino 24

RIVER VALLEY LEAGUE

Patriot 49, La Sierra 14

SAN ANTONIO LEAGUE

West Covina 35, Chaffey 0

SIERRA LEAGUE

Covina 41, Rowland 7

VALLE VISTA LEAGUE

Diamond Ranch 36, Northview 28

L.A. CITY

WEST VALLEY LEAGUE

Granada Hills 48, Chatsworth 28

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Santa Clarita Christian 40, Lancaster Baptist 12

Milken 62, Southlands Christian 28

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Los Amigos football earns share of second straight league title with win over Santiago

• October 27, 2023

GARDEN GROVE — The Los Amigos football team secured a share of its second consecutive Garden Grove League title with a 24-8 win over Santiago on Thursday night at Garden Grove High.

Lobos coach Melo Guess, in his third season at the helm, was ecstatic and noticeably soaked after receiving a celebratory ice bath from his players.

“It feels great. I just heard it’s been 20 years, give or take, since Los Amigos has gone back-to-back,” Guess said, “so you talk about that type of stuff, there’s a lot of history involved, so that feels great and it feels great to do it with a great group of guys.”

Rancho Alamitos also won Thursday to clinch a share of the Garden Grove League title, its sixth consecutive league title.

Los Amigos (6-4 overall) and Rancho Alamitos (7-3) both finished 4-1 in league.

Los Amigos quarterback Maysen Navarro, left, and running back Isaac Galindo helped the Lobos beat Santiago 24-8 and clinch a share of back-to-back league titles Thursday, Oct. 26. (Photo by David Delgado)

La Quinta (6-3, 3-1) will attempt make it a three-way tie for the league title with a win over Bolsa Grande on Friday. It would be La Quinta’s first league championship since 1990.

Los Amigos quarterback Maysen Navarro threw three touchdown passes, each to a different receiver, Miguel Radilla, Isaac alindo and Chris Flores.

“He’s getting healthy and getting more in rhythm,” Guess said of Navarro. “We got Chris Flores back today, which is another target and no one has seen us throw the ball this much all year.”

Santiago went on an opening drive but it ended with a turnover as quarterback James Gonzalez was intercepted by Marcelito Aviles on third-and-goal.

Los Amigos’ run-heavy approach was temporarily ditched for passes on the first three plays of the game.

“Every game we try to throw a wrinkle out,” Guess said. “We knew empty (backfield) would come out and catch them off guard.”

Los Amigos got on the board first with a 25-yard field goal by Miguel Radilla on the first play of the second quarter. The drive started with 7:42 left in the first quarter.

“They hold on to the ball and they’ve got a great running game and they’re very well coached.” Santiago coach Doug Ozsvath said.

At one point in the second quarter, there were back-to-back-to-back turnovers by the two teams.

Santiago (4-6, 1-4) threw an interception to Jacob Aguilar, then Navarro was picked off by Cavaliers defensive back Juan Valadez on the next drive.

Lobos defensive end Alejandro Carrillo sacked Gonzalez on the next possession, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Aviles.

“Three turnovers in the first half makes it difficult for us to come back from,” Ozsvath said.

The Lobos scored a touchdown with 32 seconds left before halftime when Maysen Navarro found Radilla for a 6-yard pass and a 10-0 lead.

Galindo made it 17-0 midway through the third quarter with his 44-yard TD on a screen pass.

Guess dialed up a nice play call after a timeout just before Galindo’s score.

“We knew they would load the box on us, which was going to give us some opportunities down the field, especially with the game plan this week for us to stretch the field,” Guess said. “And sure enough, we got Galindo and snuck him by everyone.

“That was just a money and a timing play, you know what I mean, and timing is everything.”

Navarro connected with Flores late in the third quarter for a 3-yard TD pass to make it 24-0.

Victor Garcia scored the Cavaliers’ only touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard pass from Gonzalez.

“I’m super happy with my boys, my boys came out and fought every single week.” Ozsvath said.

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Alexander: For LeBron James, rest is good … but winning is better

• October 27, 2023

LOS ANGELES — If you’re old enough, you know what they say about good intentions. And Darvin Ham’s intentions were pure and logical: Keep 38-year-old LeBron James’ minutes under control, thus keeping him fresh and healthy and available for more of the season.

In Game 2 of the season, those plans underwent some revision on the fly.

James played 35 minutes, exactly, including the entire fourth quarter in the Lakers’ 100-95 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. This was a Suns roster that was shorthanded, with Bradley Beal still dealing with tightness in his lower back and Devin Booker tweaking his left foot Tuesday in the late stages of the Suns’ opening night victory over Golden State.

But it was also a Suns roster that, thanks to Kevin Durant, had the Lakers by the neck for much of the night, leading by 12 points going into the fourth quarter. Through three periods, James had played 23 minutes, and the Lakers were outscored by 16 points when he was out of the game.

And all that stuff Ham had said before the game, about trying to protect LeBron? Sometimes you’ve just got to adjust.

“It’s an ongoing thing,” he said before the game. “Obviously, all the miles that he’s logged in this league over the last 20 years and going into his 21st season, we have to be careful. And, again, he makes it easy by how well he takes care of himself. But you tend to forget, again, the wear and tear that he’s had to endure.

“And, you know, you want to prevent any chance of injury by being careful on the front end and not just saying, ‘Oh, he looks fine, he’s playing great. He still has that pop, that energy, that twitch,’ and run him out there too long. And before you know it, you know, things happen. So to avoid all of that, we proactively came up with a plan beforehand, with the medical team, with him, starting with him, our medical team, Mike Macias, myself, Rob (Pelinka), we all put our heads together to see what was the best course of action. And that’s what we landed on.”

The magic number seemed to be 30 minutes a game, and LeBron played a tick over 29 in Tuesday’s opener at Denver. But, as we saw Thursday night, there can be wiggle room.

We saw why. The Lakers outscored Phoenix 28-11 in the fourth quarter, holding the Suns to 5-for-20 field goal shooting (and 1-for-9) from three-point range in the fourth with eight turnovers. James accounted for 11 points, five rebounds, seven assists and a steal in those 11 minutes.

And here’s the other number Laker observers will be watching as long as this minute control experiment goes: When LeBron was on the floor, the Lakers outscored Phoenix by 23 points. When he wasn’t, they were outscored by 16.

You’d probably ignore the limits, too.

“We were dragging our feet there for the better part of the first half,” Ham said. “And, you know, things weren’t clicking. We weren’t making shots, especially from three.

“He has that that spirit, that intensity to put the team on his shoulders. And I had timeouts to play with. And so I went to him. I said, ‘How we feeling? What do we want to do?’ And he answered my question and I saw the result.”

Ham had three timeouts available to him going into the fourth quarter, using two of them and getting another stoppage when the Suns challenged a foul call on Kevin Durant late in the game. And James had the biggest plays of the night, driving the lane on back-to-back possessions, sandwiched around a Durant miss, for baskets that gave L.A. a 95-91 edge with 41 seconds left.

“He (Ham) asked me if I could go the quarter,” James said. “I look at the time and score and what was going on in the game. And it was an easy answer for myself. I know how much work I’ve put in to be able to play quarters or whatever the case may be. And I understand that we definitely have a system put in place, but tonight called for me to try to go outside of the box.

“I felt very fresh going on the stretch, not long as so many minutes beforehand, before the fourth quarter. The coach trusted me, and I had to go out and prove it.”

The great ones are easy to trust. Sometimes, of course, you have to make sure they don’t talk you out of what makes the most sense.

“When you get the competitive juices flowing, and you’ve got two all-time greats on the floor battling and going back and forth like that, it’s hard to sit out on something like that,” Ham said.

“He never ceases to amaze us. And he cares. He cares. That’s why you see this type of stat line. He’s laying it all out for his team, in year 21. I just hope a lot of these young pros out here are looking and seeing what he’s doing off the court, pre-game preparation, in-game impact, post-game recovery and his own private sessions of making sure his body is functioning and not just functional but functioning at a high level.”

The Lakers don’t play again until Sunday in Sacramento, which was a factor in rolling the dice with this one. And the suspicion is that instead of a hard and fast minutes limit, James’ usage might depend in part on the surrounding schedule.

It may also depend on his teammates, and how well they pull their weight. This, right now, is an issue. Anthony Davis provided 30 points and 12 rebounds Thursday night and D’Angelo Russell added 14 and five assists. But the Lakers are still searching for cohesion continuity with a roster that does have a lot of new parts.

“That’s okay,” James said, “because I know there’s no way we should be where I want us to be right now.”

But this may be a delicate balancing act. The victories do matter early in the season, especially if you take the new in-season tournament seriously. But the objective is to make sure James, and Davis as well, are fully functional when the games mean the most.

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Newsom’s China trip showcases a lack of statesmanship

• October 27, 2023

SACRAMENTO – During a speech in January, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that “In our finest hours, California has always been freedom’s force multiplier, protecting liberty from a rising tide of oppression taking root in statehouses, weaknesses masquerading as strength, small men in big offices.”

The talk sounded statesmanlike, but statesmanship is not about spouting words in a manner reminiscent of John F. Kennedy Jr. As a piece in the Art of Manliness summarized, a true statesman “does not make his countrymen’s hearts soar and burn with empty promises; he keeps his word and does what he says he will do.” He or she builds consensus by convincing the public of “the soundness of his philosophy.”

The most glaring problem with Newsom’s words is that they are self-evidently not so, plus he’s not convincing anyone of anything with his cram-down approach to climate policy. Historically, California has indeed been a place that beckoned people from across the world – a blank slatewhere people regardless of their background could build a prosperous life.

Yet our government knows little else beyond stifling regulation and punitive taxation. Across the globe, people tend to flee more-oppressive places (even if they have great scenery and weather) for freer locales. In 2022, 817,000 Californians left for other states – a net loss of 342,000 residents. We’re losing the equivalent of the population of Anaheim every year – and there are few signs that the exodus is slowing.

I regularly document the problems and loss of freedoms here. But Newsom’s hypocritical words jumped out after watching the press coverage of his tour last week of communist China. A true statesman isn’t afraid to speak truth to power. Yet Newsom received well-deserved brickbats for meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping and not mentioning that country’s well-documented human-rights abuses.

The U.S. State Department details the following Chinese policies toward the minority Uyghur population: “Documented human rights abuses include coercive population control methods, forced labor, arbitrary detention in internment camps, torture, physical and sexual abuse, mass surveillance, family separation and repression of cultural and religious expression.”

Instead of even gently raising those freedom issues, Newsom posed with Xi, toured an electric-vehicle factory and talked about climate change. The latter is legitimate. “The world’s most populous country processes the vast majority of rare metals needed for electric car batteries,” CalMatters reported. If human-caused emissions are the root of a warming climate, then China and India – the source of most of those emissions – need to be part of the discussion.

But they needn’t be the only points of discussion. When asked about his refusal to tackle the human-rights issue, Newsom gave reporters a typically glib response: “I can’t be everything to everybody at every moment of every minute of every day.” Newsweek also quoted a Human Rights Watch official who said this strategy abetted Chinese efforts to downplay the human-rights matter.

Newsom’s comments from January were an obvious attempt to needle conservative states about their policies regarding abortion and LGBQT rights. Newsom keeps playing this “I’m not running, but I’m ready” game as he gallivants around the country and world holding events typically held by candidates. He’s even planning a debate with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for president. The purpose of that debate is anyone’s guess.

It’s nothing new for governors to parade on the international stage, whether or not they are running for president. Former Gov. Jerry Brown went to China on in 2017 to give a keynote address at some energy conference, and made this overwrought pronouncement: “Nothing is more difficult. Nothing is more important. … We’re talking about turning around the whole of modernity.”

Newsom should at least try to make these meetings as substantive as possible. Instead, he’s just serving as a prop for a tyranny because, like Brown, he apparently believes that climate change poses such an existential crisis that nothing else really matters.

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When asked about critics who complain that he’s in China when major problems such as homelessness are festering at home, Newsom gave an answer worthy of a fanatic rather than a statesman: “Our soil is becoming aridified because of climate change!” He insists that he’s still focused on California problems, but the latest news reports – e.g., huge delays in his homeless housing proposals – suggest otherwise.

Not that Republicans have gotten this statesmanship thing down, either. Donald Trump’s narcissism is the opposite of statesmanship (and he lavished praise on various despots). Perhaps I’m spoiled, because I came of age politically with the ascendancy of Ronald Reagan. I remember his words to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at the Brandenburg Gate: “Tear down this wall.”

That’s more moving than Newsom’s words from China: “Addressing climate change can be the bridge we’ve been missing.” Then again, former Gov. Reagan was a statesman and current Gov. Newsom seems like the latest in a long line of “small men in big offices.”

Steven Greenhut is Western region director for the R Street Institute and a member of the Southern California News Group editorial board. Write to him at [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

Yorba Linda football powers past Foothill to claim share of Crestview League title

• October 27, 2023

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TUSTIN — Yorba Linda took the field Thursday seeking to inject more drama into the Crestview League football race.

The Mustangs succeeded despite playing without its best all-around playmaker, Dylan Gardner.

The reigning CIF-SS Division 3 champion scored on its first seven possessions and streaked to a 45-29 victory against Foothill at Tustin High to earn a share of its third consecutive Crestview title.

Running back Chase Jones stayed hot with four rushing touchdowns while quarterback Holden Nagin threw two touchdowns to freshman wide receiver Troy Roberts.

Senior lineman Joshua Grethen helped lead the Mustangs’ defense with three sacks of Foothill quarterback Nicholas Miali, who tossed four TDs.

Yorba Linda (7-3, 2-1), ranked 16th in Orange County, rebounded from a 34-33 overtime loss to Villa Park last week to hand No. 21 Foothill (6-4, 2-1) its first defeat in the league.

Foothill beat Villa Park (22-21) and Brea Olinda (55-0) earlier to claim a share of the league title.

Villa Park (8-1, 1-1) can earn a share of the championship with a triumph at Brea Olinda (5-4, 0-2) on Friday but won’t claim an automatic playoff berth. That’s because Yorba Linda and Foothill won a coin flip for the league’s two automatic playoff berths.

Villa Park will need to secure an at-large berth.

“It’s just the cream on the top,” Yorba Linda outside linebacker/safety Jake Ridenour said of the results of the coin flip. “That (win) was mainly a team effort. Our line kicked their butts all game long. Chase Jones ran (wild). … And it’s big going into CIF.”

Gardner, the reigning Crestview player of the year, didn’t play due to injury, Yorba Linda coach Jeff Bailey said.

The Mustangs received several step-up performances, including one from Ridenour.

He contributed big plays on offense, defense and special teams.

At the end of the first half, Ridenour made a jarring tackle on a fourth-down stop at the Mustangs 37. Two runs by Nagin set up a 32-yard field goal on the final play by Bradley Staveley, who gave Yorba Linda a 31-14 lead.

Late in the first quarter, Ridenour intercepted a pass at the Foothill 47. Holden turned the takeaway into a 11-yard TD to Roberts, who helped ease the loss of Gardner at wide receiver.

Just moments earlier in the first, Ridenour took a screen pass as a fullback and broke a tackle near midfield for a 74-yard reception the Foothill 6. That led to a 1-yard TD run by Jones, who finished with 104 yards on 24 carries.

Sophomore Owen Smith intercepted another pass early in the second half that Yorba Linda turned into a 4-yard scoring run by Jones, who was coming off 306 yards and four TDs against Villa Park.

Yorba Linda senior Jake Winners also stepped up at wide receiver with three receptions for 90 yards, including a tone-setting 57-yard gain that led to an early score.

“We had to battle our butts off in this league,” Bailey said. “Both Foothill and Villa were tremendous, hard games.”

The CIF Southern Section is scheduled to announced the playoff pairings Sunday at 10 a.m.

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House Republicans find a Speaker, but at what cost?

• October 27, 2023

Although it took far too long – over three weeks – the United States House of Representatives is finally functioning again. Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the little-known vice chair of the GOP conference, managed to win on his first floor vote.

It is a welcome development for the country and for Washington’s ability to govern. Unfortunately, the selection does not guarantee that the United States will be able to swiftly come to the aid of its close allies, including Israel, as well as fund its own government and sustain domestic strength.

After conservative firebrand Jim Jordan’s third failed attempt at becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives last week, the Republican conference dropped him as their nominee.

This led to a new open nominating process that started with nine candidates from across the Republican spectrum and ended with moderate-leaning Majority Whip Tom Emmer as the nominee.

However, within four hours, his bid was shot down by the MAGA wing of the party and he never made it to the House floor. Right-wing representatives were following the lead of former President Donald Trump who signaled he was against Emmer and even made calls to House members expressing his opposition.

The root of the MAGA hostility towards Emmer’s nomination was his vote to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral college victory. Some GOP members also singled out Emmer for supporting same-sex marriage, and in an appalling exchange a colleague even questioned his Christian faith.

After Emmer’s withdrawal on Tuesday, the Republican conference miraculously coalesced around the lesser known Mike Johnson – a deeply conservative member and mentee of Jordan who was backed by the far-right of the party – and he was elected speaker on Wednesday afternoon without losing a single Republican vote on the floor.

While it is undoubtedly positive that the American people finally have a Speaker of the House again, the Republican Party is playing with fire by choosing someone with little leadership experience and a rigid hard-right track record. Democrats are not innocent either, as their decision to join the motion to vacate on Kevin McCarthy led to an extreme conservative gaining the speaker’s gavel

Johnson is extremely conservative on social issues, as he voted against federal protections for same-sex marriage and has repeatedly supported and co-sponsored national abortion ban bills. In fact, he is the first former chair of the deeply conservative Republican Study Committee to become speaker.

Furthermore, Johnson was a prominent election denier in 2020 and the legal architect of the Electoral College objections that were denied by the Supreme Court.

It is clear that Trump and his MAGA acolytes got exactly what they wanted, as one of their own is now the most powerful Republican in Washington. If their victory could not be any more clear, Rep. Matt Gaetz emphasized it with glee on Steve Bannon’s podcast, “If you don’t think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement and where the power in the Republican Party truly lies, then you’re not paying attention.”

House Democrats are already seeking to paint Johnson as “Jim Jordan in a suit.” Make no mistake, Johnson’s extreme positions along with his lack of fundraising skill compared to his predecessor will hurt congressional Republicans’ electoral chances in 2024. While former Speaker Kevin McCarthy raised over $100 million for Republicans during the 2022 election cycle, Speaker Johnson has raised just $553,013 total this cycle.

This dynamic will certainly create challenges for Republican congressmen from moderate districts in California who benefitted from McCarthy’s robust political operation. Along with losing out on fundraising opportunities, Johnson’s extreme right-wing social positions will not play well in these swing districts.

There is also some doubt over whether Johnson will be on the side of public opinion on upcoming legislation to strengthen our allies and ensure we avoid a government shutdown that could have catastrophic economic consequences.

Johnson voted against the current continuing resolution, which has reached its halfway mark, and he has been one of the staunchest opponents to sending aid to Ukraine.

It is clear the American people want Congress to support our allies as they battle terrorism and authoritarianism, and Johnson and the GOP must show voters they can be trusted. A poll this week from The Economist/YouGov found 61% of registered voters think the U.S. should maintain or increase military aid to Ukraine and 83% of registered voters think the U.S. should maintain or increase military aid to Israel.

While President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries line up behind a supplemental bill that will send military aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, as well as new funding to help secure the southern border, there is significant opposition among House Republicans to additional spending, especially for Ukraine.

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The ultra conservative Johnson mirrors the right flank of his caucus on these issues, but to pass real solutions to the pressing challenges facing Congress he must find a middle ground that Democrats and Senate Republicans can accept. Otherwise, moderate Republicans will be forced to go around him and work closely with their Democratic counterparts.

The first big test for Speaker Johnson is in less than a month when he will either let the government close down or work on a bipartisan basis to keep America as a functioning democracy at a crucial moment for our allies. Positively, Johnson seems to be moving towards the middle in his new leadership role, as he has proposed a second continuing resolution that would last through January, albeit with little detail about the spending numbers.

In order to have a successful speakership and meet the needs of the United States at this critical inflection point, it would be wise for Johnson to moderate his views and seek productive compromise with centrist Republicans and Democrats. Speaker Johnson must put policy over politics to bolster our allies and protect our economy.

Douglas Schoen is a longtime Democratic political consultant.

​ Orange County Register 

LeBron James fuels Lakers’ late rally to beat Suns in home opener

• October 27, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Lakers coach Darvin Ham knew there could be pitfalls in his team’s home opener with their opponent, the Phoenix Suns, not having two of their top three players in Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

Although the Suns would be a different team without two of their stars, Ham knew they couldn’t be underestimated.

“I mean, they’re still pros,” Ham said. “They have a lot of firepower still over there. This is not going to be a cakewalk by any means. We have to go out and make sure we take care of our business, and that starts with bringing energy and effort.”

Ham added: “It has to be about maximum effort, maximum effort on both sides of the ball. It’s as simple as that.”

The Lakers (1-1) heard Ham’s message and did just enough of what was required to pull out the win, beating the Suns, 100-95, Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. Anthony Davis had 30 points and 13 rebounds, LeBron James scored 10 of his 21 points while playing the entire fourth quarter, and the Lakers blew past their short-handed opponent in the final minutes with a dominant fourth quarter.

Despite a slow start in which the Lakers allowed 12 second-chance points in the first quarter that led to an early 30-18 deficit, they still had a shot to secure their first victory of the season.

Trailing 84-72 at the end of the third quarter, the Lakers locked in defensively for the final period. The Suns missed 13 of their next 14 shots and committed 10 turnovers in the next 10 minutes.

An Austin Reaves steal led to a James layup in transition to give the Lakers an 89-87 lead with 3:43 remaining, the Lakers’ first lead since the middle of the second quarter.

Kevin Durant, who finished with 39 points and 11 rebounds, hit back-to-back shots to tie the score at 91 with 1:30 remaining.

But James made sure the Lakers weren’t going to start another season 0-2.

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He made a layup with 1:11 left for a 93-91 lead. After forcing a Durant miss on a 3-point attempt, James again methodically brought the ball up the floor for a pick-and-roll with Davis, driving into the paint while using his body to shield the ball from Jusuf Nurkic to make another layup for the deciding bucket.

Davis (who also had three blocked shots, three steals and two assists) sealed the victory with four free throws with the Suns fouling late. James added nine assists and eight rebounds to his point total in 35 minutes. The Lakers outscored the Suns 28-11 in the fourth.

Booker, who played in the Suns’ season-opening victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, sat because of left foot soreness. Beal has missed the first two games of the season because of lower back tightness.

The Lakers get a couple of days off from gameplay before traveling to Sacramento for a matchup against the Kings on Sunday night at Golden 1 Center.

More to come on this story.

“We gotta keep putting it together one game at a time.” Anthony Davis speaks with @LakersReporter about guarding Kevin Durant and transitioning into the new offense. pic.twitter.com/ICtIAiKQSX

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 27, 2023

LeBron James and Kevin Durant dueled off in a #KiaTipOff23 thriller, with the Lakers coming out on top

LeBron: 21 PTS, 8 REB, 9 AST, 2 BLK, 2 STL
KD: 39 PTS, 11 REB pic.twitter.com/yZXUwdXjXG

— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2023

“OH, WHAT A FAKE BY RUSSELL!”

DLo with the TOUGH bucket in transition! pic.twitter.com/UzvzN3rxck

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 27, 2023

LeBron KD

Mutual respect between two of the best from this generation. pic.twitter.com/23Cb1dTovz

— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2023

​ Orange County Register