The Issue Is

This week, confirmed cases of coronavirus continued to climb as millions of unemployed Californians feared the impending end of additional unemployment benefits. Schiff joins Elex to discuss future relief in Congress, national security threats posed by Russia and China, and his new legislation regarding Presidential pardons. ————— The Issue Is: with Elex Michaelson is California's only statewide p...

This week, some four months after California’s stay-at-home order began, the situation continues to take a turn in the wrong direction. For the first time, California recorded more than 10,000 new cases in a single day, as the total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in the Golden State ballooned to more than 370,000. As a result, Governor Newsom followed up his announcement that indoor servi...

Ambassador John Bolton and California Congressman Eric Swalwell are of different generations, they hail from different sides of the political spectrum, but the men have a surprising amount in common. Bolton served in four presidential administrations. Swalwell is currently in his fourth term in the House of Representatives. Bolton was born in, and currently resides in, Maryland. Swalwell, on the o...

July 4, 2020 marks the 244th birthday of America. But this year, the celebration is quite different. As Coronavirus cases spike nationwide, millions of Americans are being told to avoid the BBQs, the fireworks, and the parties, and instead celebrate their nation’s freedom while locked at home. At the same time, as protests continue in the fight for racial justice following the killing of George Fl...

More than three months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as states and localities take steps to reopen, cases are instead on the rise, jumping this week in 33 states. Elex Michaelson breaks down the spike in cases, what it means for our reopening efforts, our schools, our politics, and more, as he’s joined on The Issue Is by Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task...

This week, after nearly three weeks of protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, changes of all shapes and sizes started to take place in America. From newly announced police reforms at the state and national levels to the removal of Confederate portraits in the halls of Congress, from a prominent Senator passing the baton in the race for Vice President to the possible return of an NFL...

Another busy week in the world of politics. Another week marked by outrage, fear, and uncertainty. Coronavirus deaths in the US surpassed 115,000. On Tuesday, the Georgia primary was marred by voting problems. On Thursday, the Dow suffered its worst day since March. The debate over Civil War statues was reignited. And depending on the source, a six-block area of Seattle was occupied by protestors...

Another difficult week for The United States. This, as in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, protests spread from coast to coast. While many peacefully took to the streets, calling for justice reform and systemic change, others used the opportunity to loot and riot. Major cities instituted nightly curfews, starting as early as 1:00PM in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Thousands were arrested...

With churches not set to reopen in California until Phase 3, Pastor Jim Franklin of Fresno's Cornerstone Church was one of 1,200 California pastors who wrote to Gov. Newsom saying they would reopen on May 31 no matter what, as the state's reopening plan infringed upon their religious freedom. ------------------ The Issue Is: with Elex Michaelson is California's only statewide political show, broad...

This week, grim economic news out of California. First, a revised budget proposal that would see cuts to the likes of public education as the state works to fill the $54B deficit caused by coronavirus-shutdowns. To fill that hole, the state is also looking for aid from the federal government. This, as Governor Gavin Newsom predicted the state’s shutdown-induced unemployment could peak as high as 2...

What should have been a week punctuated by celebrations of Cinco De Mayo and Mother's Day, has instead been defined by anxiety, as more and more states cautiously ease restrictions in an attempt to reopen their economies.   This, as coronavirus-induced shutdowns led non-farm payrolls to fall 20.5M in April, and the nation's unemployment rate to shoot to a Depression-era-level 14.7%. In February, b...

Under a cloud of anxiety and partisanship, this week saw both the federal government start to phase-out their "stop the spread" guidelines as well as a number of major cities and states make their first steps towards reopening. This, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the US surpassed 1 million, and the number of newly unemployed ballooned to 30 million Americans. ------------------ T...

The federal guidelines for reopening America have been unveiled, but returning to normal could be a long way off.   This, as the number of Americans testing positive for coronavirus has passed 700,000, the number of deaths has hit 37,000, and the number of those filing for unemployment as a result of the virus has ballooned to 22,000,000 in just four weeks.   This week, Elex and "The Issue Is" con...

Of the 1.7 million confirmed cases worldwide, 500,000 are in the US. More than 18,000 Americans have succumbed to the disease, although the models keep improving in terms of how many ultimately will. This, as roughly 17 million have filed for unemployment in the past three weeks as a result of the preventative shutdown. ----------  The Issue Is: with Elex Michaelson is California's only statewide...

Dr. Oz kicks things off by evaluating the response to coronavirus in California, especially as the rates of infection and mortality have lagged behind many other less-populated states. Oz called much of the state's response "nimble," "sage," and "decisive." While looking at Los Angeles specifically, which has yet to become a hot-spot akin to New York City, Oz pointed to aggressive social distancin...

Now  the House and Senate have passed the CARES Act, Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA37) breaks down how the bill will impact those Americans sitting at home weathering the storm. "If you filed your taxes, and had a direct deposit, you just get money put directly into your account," Bass said. "If you didn't have direct deposit, then it will take you a little longer, and you'll get a check in the ma...

We kick things off with Dr. Paul Song. Song, the husband of journalist Lisa Ling, is a radiation oncologist and healthcare activist, advising on insurance policy, clinical trials, and Medicare for All. Dr. Song discussed a potentially hopeful development, a study out of France that found a combination of hydroxychloroquine and zithromax had cured patients with coronavirus, eliminating the viral lo...

We kick things off with Dr. Drew Pinsky, who is currently co-hosting the nightly Coronavirus Crisis special on FOX 11 with Elex. The show airs nightly at 7:00 PM, and streams for a full-hour on the FOX 11 Facebook page. Pinsky worked to downplay the fears currently gripping many Americans who are panic-shopping in the face of a global pandemic and the declaration of a national emergency. Most conc...

It's been another chaotic week in American politics: Millions of Americans in 15 states and territories cast their primary ballots, four major candidates suspended their campaigns, Coronavirus fears skyrocketed, and the stock market felt the impact of it all. Here to break everything down, Elex Michaelson is joined by an all-star panel of political insiders, political strategist and director of th...

This week, new cases of coronavirus have been detected in South Korea, Italy, Iran, the US and 45 other countries; with the threat of a global economic slowdown, the Dow Jones tumbled some 3,600 points, the largest weekly drop ever; and as politicians look to pass the blame, the world is being gripped by fears of a global pandemic. To put the virus in context, provide advice on staying healthy, an...

On March 3, voters in 15 states head to the polls, awarding nearly 1/3 of delegates in the Democratic Presidential Primary. The largest share of those delegates will be from California. Will Sen. Sanders maintain his momentum through Super Tuesday? Who will come out triumphant in the battle for second place? Are Democrats on their way to the their first contested convention since Adlai Stevenson t...

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg took questions on some of the biggest issues of the 2020 election race during an exclusive town hall hosted by FOX 11's Elex Michaelson at the University of Southern California on Thursday. The town hall gave voters the chance to learn more about Buttigieg, his policies, background, and goal for the country. Those in attendance also got the opportun...

In 2019, 567,715 people in the US experienced homelessness on a single night. 151,278 of those individuals were in California. California’s total represented a 16.4% increase over 2018, one of the largest year-to-year gains of any state, and enough to erase what would have otherwise been a national decrease in homelessness. This week, in an effort to speak with lawmakers and leaders on both sides...

For political junkies, every day this past week was like the Super Bowl. On Monday, the Iowa caucus kicked off the Presidential primary in the worst way possible. Tuesday saw the President deliver his third State of the Union, which was quickly overshadowed when Speaker Pelosi literally ripped his speech to pieces. The next day, the Senate acquitted President Trump in his impeachment trial. Since...

The Oscars are this Sunday, to discuss the state of the race and make their final predictions, Elex is joined by Elizabeth Wagmeister of Variety, and Grae Drake, better known as Ms. Moviefone.  Beyond the awards, the group also discuss the impact of the streaming wars and the lack of female representation behind the camera. ----------  The Issue Is: with Elex Michaelson is California's only statew...