Inside the Issues: The Podcast

Former Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna has picked up the endorsement of all five Los Angeles County supervisors and all the other candidates for sheriff he defeated in the primary. He joins us this week to talk about why he got into law enforcement and what he would do about alleged deputy gangs if elected. Plus, a special announcement from the SoCal in 17 team. Get in Touch Want to ask Alex a...

As Southern California faces blistering heat, we're joined by Los Angeles Chief Heat Officer Marta Segura, who is one of just three in the country. Segura opens up about how her parents' struggle with heat-related illness informed her approach to this new and critical role, and she shares her vision for the job. Plus, LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on why we cannot let ourselves think this we...

As classes resume at the University of Southern California, we are joined by professor Manuel Pastor, who teaches a course called "Los Angeles and the American Dream." He shares how LA holds a special place in the American narrative — a land of great opportunity but also great disparity. We then speak with Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, about how his upbringing...

This week, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is back with us to discuss why he has not shown up at recent hearings of the LA County Civilian Oversight Commission investigating deputy gangs. He also shares his thoughts about the approved measure that will allow voters to decide whether the LA County Board of Supervisors can remove a sheriff. Then, Inspector General Max Huntsman offers his...

This is an encore episode. To listen to the original episode from Feb. 18, 2022, click here . What would California look like if we eliminated poverty? According to former Stockton mayor  Michael Tubbs , that's no science fiction plot but rather a plausible version of our future. Tubbs recently launched a new initiative called End Poverty in California. He joins us to explain his EPIC vision and h...

This is an encore episode. To listen to the original podcast from Dec. 17, 2021,  click here . Republicans talk in headlines, Democrats speak in fine print, so how can those on the Left do a better job of messaging? Last December,  Ben Meiselas , host of " The MeidasTouch " podcast, joined us to talk about creating an effective political message and why many Democrats are lousy at it. Plus,  Rep....

This is an encore episode. To listen to the original podcast from Sept. 3, 2021, click here . In 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Assemblyman Rob Bonta to the role of California Attorney General after Xavier Becerra was confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Bonta sprung into action in his first hundred days by combating hate incidents against the Asian American Pacific Isl...

This is an encore episode. To listen to the original podcast from Oct. 1, 2021,  click here . Last fall, after weeks of speculation,  Rep. Karen Bass  made it official she was running to be the next mayor of Los Angeles. At the time, she joined us to share why. Find out more about just how deep her LA roots go and why she almost did not get into politics at all. Plus, we discuss what went wrong wi...

This is an encore episode. To listen to the original podcast from Feb. 4, 2022, click here . As tensions escalate between Russia and Ukraine, we're bringing you a conversation with Russia expert Dr. Fiona Hill, who dives into her experience working in the Trump administration and what it was like to testify before Congress on Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. Hill recently p...

This is an encore episode. To listen to the original podcast from July 30, 2021, click here . This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia duked it out on Twitter over vaccines. Find out why politicians thrive on spewing COVID-19 falsehoods and why regular Joes are using codewords like Maxine instead of vaccine and Moana instead of Moderna with former White House COVID-1...

This is an encore episode. To listen to the original episode from March 11, 2022, click here . Oscar-nominated filmmaker  Adam McKay  is with us to talk about his latest film " Don't Look Up " and how life imitated art, which imitated life. The man behind the "Anchorman" franchise also opens up about his beef with broadcast news and how he thinks it could be better.  Get in Touch Want to ask Alex...

As a filmmaker, mother of four and wife of California's governor, Jennifer Siebel Newsom knows a thing or two about trying to balance work and family. Her new documentary "Fair Play" looks at the imbalanced gender dynamic that exists in many American households and the toll it takes on our society. The first partner joins host Alex Cohen to discuss the film, her own personal experiences in this re...

As the House Committee on Jan. 6 wraps up its fifth public hearing, we're joined by member Adam Schiff of Burbank. The Democrat breaks down what the goals of the committee are and how they hope to get there. Plus, Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State University, San Bernardino, discusses the role of groups like the Proud Boys and the Oathkeepers and...

This Father's Day weekend, we talk about dads and how they are portrayed on television with Geena Davis. Her Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media recently published a new report titled "This is US? How TV Does and Doesn't Get Men's Caregiving." Davis explains why Hollywood needs to do better than bumbling dads like Homer Simpson. Plus, local writer and mom Suzanne Barston sheds light on the lo...

One big night with so many contests — this week, voters cast their choices on dozens of political contests with huge implications for California's future. We break down the results with "Inside Golden State Politics" host Sherry Bebitch Jeffe and CalMatters reporter Ben Christopher. Get in Touch Want to ask Alex a question? Visit the  SoCal in 17 page On Twitter using hashtag #SOCALIN17 or her han...

California Senate leader Toni Atkins — who has repeatedly made history in state politics — joins us to talk about her experiences as an openly gay legislator. She also discusses her work at Southern California clinics, which offer abortions and how that has shaped her views on reproductive rights. Get in Touch Want to ask Alex a question? Visit the  SoCa l  in 17 page On Twitter using hashtag #SOC...

California's First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom joins us to talk about gender and guns. On the gender front, she responds to a recent ruling by a judge overturning a state law which requires companies based in California to have at least one woman on their boards. Siebel Newsom shares why that's important, plus, how she plans to fight back against the decision. As the mother of four young kids,...

After the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, millions of dollars poured into the accounts of the Black Lives Matter Global Foundation Network. Critics, including BLM leaders, have complained about how the money has been spent. This week, investigative journalist Sean Campbell joins host Alex Cohen to discuss the investigation on the organization and its acquisition of a $6 million house in Stud...

This Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, host Alex Cohen is joined by voiceover artist Rosalie Chiang who got a huge break when she landed the leading role of Meilin Lee in the Disney/Pixar film "Turning Red." Chiang shares what it was like to go through puberty at the same time as her animated character. Get in Touch Want to ask Alex a question? Visit the  SoCa l  in 17 page On Twitte...

This Mother's Day weekend, we are joined by local author and mom Anna Malaika Tubbs. Her new book, "The Three Mothers," shines a light on the difficult and often overlooked work of Black mothers, and explores the lives of the women who birthed and raised Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin. She and host Alex Cohen also talk about the best gifts one can give to mothers everywhe...

On April 29, 1992, a jury in Los Angeles found four police officers not guilty of use of excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. A video of that beating had gone viral and had set the city on edge. In this week's episode, we hear about the days of unrest that followed which resulted in more than 50 deaths and approximately a billion dollars worth of damage. First, journalist Héctor Tobar ta...

This Earth Day weekend, "SoCal in 17" brings you a special episode featuring Wade Crowfoot, California's Natural Resources Secretary, talking about the drought. Crowfoot explains why he and Gov. Gavin Newsom do not think it is time just yet for mandatory water cutbacks.  Plus, Sanden Totten from the "Brains On!" podcast drops by to talk about their new book, "Earth Friend Forever," and how to talk...

The contest to replace Eric Garcetti as the next mayor of Los Angeles is heating up. Which candidate will get your vote? This week, we bring you a special episode, featuring four of the leading candidates. They shared their stances on everything from homelessness to traffic with host Alex Cohen at a forum sponsored by the LA Business Council. Get in Touch Want to ask Alex a question? Visit the  So...

Frustration over years of watching Muslim women depicted as either super timid and ruled by men or hypersexualized, casting director Serena Rasoul decided it was time for a change. Through a partnership with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, Rasoul developed " Surviving to Thriving: Muslim Women on Screen Test ." Rasoul and filmmaker Iman Zawahry join host Alex Cohen to talk about how...

On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden's pick for the Supreme Court. Rep. Barbara Lee joins us to discuss Jackson's confirmation hearing and how race and gender shaped the intense questioning Jackson faced as the first Black woman nominated to the court. Get in Touch Want to ask Alex a question? Visit the  SoCa l  in 17 pag...