Unease

SACRAMENTO — The most outstanding thing about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s final State of the State address last week was that he actually gave it.

Every California governor since Earl Warren back in World War II had annually paraded into the ornate 1800s-decor Assembly chamber to address a joint session of the Legislature in what was always the most festive occasion of the year in the state Capitol.

The house was packed with giddy lawmakers on their best behavior, state elected officials, Supreme Court justices, reporters, movers and shakers.

Newsom reluctantly followed custom his first two years as governor, but then brushed it all off for five — mainly because of a lifelong struggle with dyslexia, which makes it very difficult for him to read a speech off teleprompters.

“He hates giving speeches,” a top aide once told me. “It’s anxiety-producing for him.”

The governor had a good excuse in 2021: Tight seating in the crowded Assembly chamber would have risked spreading the COVID-19 virus. Instead, he strangely opted for center field in empty Dodger Stadium.

The next year, he delivered his speech before lawmakers in a sterile state auditorium, where he could practice his delivery for days beforehand in private. The year after that, he skipped the address entirely. In 2024, he went on a four-city road trip to promote his legislative agenda. And late last year, he merely sent a written message to the Legislature.

The question arose whether Newson was capable of delivering a traditional State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress if he ever did achieve his presidential ambition.

He answered that a few days ago by flawlessly delivering an hour-long State of the State speech, displaying some wit and plenty of charisma and rhetorical skill while expressing passion for California and repulsion against President Trump.

The ceremony resembled a mini-State of the Union as the beaming governor was escorted down the Assembly’s center aisle to the Speaker’s rostrum, shaking hands with delighted legislators crowding into camera range.

Newsom returned to the customary State of the State format because he realized this was his last opportunity as a lame-duck governor who’s termed out after this year. He wanted to show some farewell respect for the legislative institution, a gubernatorial insider told me.

Of course, it also was a relatively high-profile gift speaking slot that could catch some national attention.

And he wanted to do it in early January — as all previous governors had — because, he believed, it would attract more attention now than later. Soon the race to replace him will shift into high gear, he theorized, and he could be crowded out of public focus by the gubernatorial candidates.

That theory doesn’t add up.

This is not an attention-grabbing field of gubernatorial wannabes, to put it politely. Conversely, Newsom is an early front-runner for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. Regardless, it’s Trump who will continue to draw most of the political attention, not the scarcely known group running for governor.

Whatever his purpose, the speech paid off for Newsom. It got lots of news media coverage. And he continually was interrupted with loud applause by Democrats — what you’d expect when they dominate the Legislature with a supermajority.

But it required a lot of pre-speech work. Newsom spent more than a week in practice, reading his script off teleprompters, off and on, and devouring its content, the insider says.

As he began the live address, Newsom ad-libbed a reference to his long absence from the State of the State ritual and struggles with dyslexia.

“I’m not shy or, you know, embarrassed about my [below average] 960 SAT score,” the governor said, grinning, “but I am a little bit about my inability to read the written text. And so it’s always been something that I have to work through and I’m confronting.”

His performance — the delivery, at least — matched, if not exceeded, all previous governors I’ve watched give State of the States.

Newsom used the speech to continue the anti-Trump barrage that has boosted his national standing among Democratic activists.

“The president believes that might makes right, that the courts are simply speed bumps, not stop signs,” Newsom asserted. “Secret police, businesses raided, windows smashed, citizens detained, citizens being shot, masked men snatching people in broad daylight….

“In California, we are not silent. We are not hunkering down. We are not retreating. We are a beacon.”

Newsom defended California against Republican attacks — and common mindsets throughout much of America — that the Golden State is a socialist hellhole of high taxes, unaffordable living and rampant crime. It’s an albatross he’ll need to fight off running for president.

“The declinists — you know who you are — the pundits and critics suffering from ‘California derangement syndrome,’ look at this state and try to tear down our progress,” he said,

“It’s time to update your talking points. California remains the most blessed and often the most cursed place on Earth — profound natural beauty and prosperity, profound natural disasters, testing our spirits and resources.”

Afterward, Newsom was criticized by Republicans and chided in the news media for not mentioning that the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Office had forecast an $18-billion state budget deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Newsom brushed that off with a stroke of the pen the next day. He submitted a significantly lower deficit projection — just $3 billion — in a $349-billion budget proposal he sent the Legislature. He credited a revenue surge based on stock market profits, fueled largely by artificial intelligence investments.

Gee, what could go wrong?

Breaking with gubernatorial tradition, Newsom did not show up to personally brief reporters on his budget proposal, a task he has mastered in the past.

This time, Newsom had been too busy practicing his State of the State address to bone up on a budget presentation.

That’s OK. The State of the State was a needed feel-good tonic for both the Legislature and Newsom.

What else you should be reading

The must-read: Deadly ICE shooting in Minnesota, affordability stir up California gubernatorial forums
CA vs. Trump: Federal judge blocks Trump administration’s freeze of $10 billion in child-care funds
The L.A. Times Special: Citizens are finally getting it: No one’s safe from Trump’s deportation ambitions

Until next week,
George Skelton

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Described as ‘haunting’ and ‘disturbing’ the 12-episode show is certainly not for the faint of heart

A supernatural horror series on Netflix is winning rave reviews from viewers who are hailing it as ‘perfect’ and ‘disturbing’ – and it boasts a rare 100 per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating.

The Summer Hikaru Died centres around a town still recovering from the disappearance of a young schoolboy, Hikaru (Shuichiro Umeda), who vanishes for a week into a forbidden forest in the mountains. When he returns, it becomes apparent to his best friend Yoshiki (Chiaki Kobayashi) that he has come back fundamentally changed – but by what?

As per Netflix’s synopsis: “Two best friends living in a rural Japanese village: Yoshiki and Hikaru. Growing up together, they were inseparable… until the day Hikaru came back from the mountains, and was no longer himself. Something has taken over Hikaru’s body, memories, feelings… and everything they know begins to unravel.”

As Yoshiki grapples with the grief of his losing his best friend while maintaining a friendship with the shell of him, he finds himself losing grip of his emotions and questioning if he’s truly safe with Hikaru in his life.

Love horror? Sign up for our free TV, film and streaming newsletter Scream Society so you never miss a new release

The 12-part anime series blends horror with a coming-of-age tale, and many have praised its LGBTQ+ undertones. It is based on a comic of the same name by manga creator Mokumokuren.

At time of writing the Japanese language show has an impressive 100 per cent critics’ score while viewers awarded it a strong 87 per cent, with plenty of praise for the animation style.

One glowing review praising its director read: “Ryohei Takeshita’s direction is something to behold. His masterful orchestration of perspective, textures, and spatial composition is reminiscent of Twin Peaks in its gift for making the ordinary feel faintly poisoned.”

“The Summer Hikaru Died is the perfect series for horror fans to experience a haunting, heartfelt reminder that anime still has the power to surprise, disturb, and move viewers,” another show fan penned, while a third added: “Each episode leaves you with a constant feeling of unease, which doesn’t rely too heavily on jump scares but instead focuses on building tension.”

Tentative anime watchers were reassured by one viewer, who gushed: “This is the most interesting animated series I’ve ever seen. It’s use of animation is so fun and unique, working perfectly in tandem with the surreal plot. The whole tone of the show is spectacular.”

The Summer Hikaru Died is now streaming on Netflix