Sound Shore

Watch and participate in a live Editorial Spotlight panel discussion on child abuse prevention and prosecution 2 p.m. Thursday on LoHud.com. The discussion — watch it at www.lohud.com/editorialspotlight — follows the recent beating deaths of two babies in separate communities; in both, prosecutors have charged the fathers with murder. Khalil Leak, 2, of New Rochelle died Jan. 9. Michele Aviles, 5 months old, died Jan. 16.

Children under the age of 4 account for nearly 80 percent of all child fatalities, with more than half of those fatalities inflicted upon babies under 1 year old, according to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Children are the most vulnerable for many reasons, including their dependency, small size, and inability to defend themselves,” according to the department.

Some of the ground to be covered: How can abuse be detected before it escalates into a child’s death? What prevention steps can be taken to ensure that children are safe in their home? What are the duties and obligations of the various players involved, including the courts?

Our panelists include Trish Gunning, a prosecutor in the Rockland District Attorney’s Office who oversees special victims cases; and Laura Schwartz, a social worker and executive director of the Child Abuse Prevention Center of New York in White Plains.

If you wish to submit a question during the conversation, engage the CoverItLive feature on the right side of your screen.

To watch the interview later, visit www.lohud.com/editorialspotlight; click “On Demand” and select the video from the menu.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who recently passed the six-month mark in office, appears in an Editorial Spotlight interview at 2 p.m. today on LoHud.com. Astorino has been trying to marshal public and political support for budget cuts, financial concessions from union workers and a host of other changes in how the county does business.

He also is obliged to build 750 units of affordable housing, under a consent decree that he neither had a hand in crafting nor supports.

To view the LIVE interview, go to www.lohud.com/editorialspotlight; to submit a question, engage the CoverItLive feature on the right side of your screen.

On Tuesday, the Editorial Board hosted an Editorial Spotlight panel on drunken driving. The discussion, one year since Diane Schuler’s drunken, wrong-way crash on the Taconic River Parkway claimed eight lives, focused on what has transpired in the time since. Here’s a highlight reel:

To watch the entire hour-long session, navigate to lohud.com/editorialspotlight and select the video from the on-demand menu.

Earlier today, we posted our endorsement of Democrat Greg Varian in the race to fill the 10th Westchester County Legislative District seat of Vito Pinto, D-Yonkers. Opposing Varian is Republican Sheila Marcotte, a veteran public servant who currently serves on the Eastchester Town Board.

On Wednesday, the Editorial Board hosted an Editorial Spotlight interview with both candidates. Here’s a highlight reel from their appearance:

To watch the interview in its entirety on demand, navigate to lohud.com/editorialspotlight.