The Issue Is

Tracy Murray was one of Kobe Bryant’s teammates on the Lakers in the 2002 season and was an assistant coach on the Lakers in 2015 when Kobe was still playing. He currently works as an analyst with the UCLA Sports Network.  Murray sat with our Elex Michaelson to discuss Kobe’s legacy on the basketball court as well as in the community of Los Angeles. During this podcast he also tells us how he lear...

Hasan Piker is a millennial progressive, a former member of The Young Turks who now streams his political commentary to his followers via Twitch. John Kobylt is a conservative broadcasting icon, whose John and Ken radio show has been #1 in Los Angeles for a quarter-century.   The two men couldn't be more different, but when they sit down to debate on this week's episode of The Issue Is , the amoun...

It’s been another busy week in Washington DC. Here to break it down is House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). While Bloomberg spends millions, California Strong has raised millions to combat disasters across California. This week, California Strong held their second annual Celebrity Softball Game at Pepperdine University. Big name players that took to the field included Mira Sorvino, Patrick...

This week, The Issue Is...Pete Buttigieg At the start of 2019, Pete Buttigieg was the little-known mayor of South Bend, an Indiana town whose population totals just over 100,000. Today, “Mayor Pete" is a top-tier Presidential candidate, who, if elected, would become the first Mayor, the first Afghanistan vet, the first openly gay man, and the youngest person elected President in U.S. history. On t...

For the first time ever, progressive attorney Gloria Allred & conservative commentator Tomi Lahren debate each other.    First, we interview each one on one.    Gloria tells us about representing Harvey Weinstein's accusers in the upcoming criminal trial & what to expect.    Tomi discusses California's homelessness crisis and how her recent tweet sparked a Twitter feud between President Tr...

This podcast has nothing to do with politics. It's just a fascinating interview.    Elex Michaelson recently sat down with Wolfgang Puck inside his Hotel Bel Air restaurant.    Wolfgang redefined the way we eat, what we eat, and how we learn about food.    He invented the "open kitchen concept," became the first restaurant chef to appear regularly on TV, and then became a world-class entrepreneur....

Senator Bernie Sanders is in the top tier of every recent poll of California voters.    In this exclusive interview with Elex Michaelson for "The Issue Is:" the Senator talks about the green new deal & how climate change should be branded to the public.    He also talks about the federal government's role in solving California's homeless problem & how he'd change Senate rules to pass Medic...

A special edition from the spin room of the Democratic Debate at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. We go one on one with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer, and Gov. Gavin Newsom. And, an in depth conversation about Impeachment with Congressman Adam Schiff. " ----------  The Issue Is: with Elex Michaelson is California's only statewide political show, broadcast from FOX 11 Studios in Los A...

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger discusses climate change, homelessness, election reform, his legacy, his kids, and more.  It's an exclusive, 30-minute one-on-one interview with Elex Michaelson.  It comes on the week that he celebrated California's 1 millionth solar roof. That's a project he started as governor in 2006.  It also comes on a week that Swedish climate activist Greta T...

This week, "The Issue Is"...impeachment & the presidential race.   CA Congresswoman Karen Bass is a member of the Judiciary Committee, who took the lead in this week's hearings.    Bass says she would, indeed, vote to impeach President Trump.   Bass says Senate Republicans could choose to pursue a "secret ballot" to convict & remove the President.    We also talk to Bass about the departur...

On this Thanksgiving Week, we take a break from our normal conversation about politics. Instead, this week...The Issue Is...gratitude. Joining us: Ryan Braun and Mike Moustakas from California Strong. During the Woolsey Fire, these major league baseball stars  were evacuated from their homes in Malibu. Thankfully, they were OK...but many of their neighbors were not. They would go on to form Califo...

This week, "The Issue Is:" anchor Elex Michaelson engages in a little role reversal, as FOX 11 intern Terry Ayzman takes the reins for a bonus show! A Political Science major at UCLA, Terry has interviewed the likes of Robert Shapiro, U.S. Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA), and 2020 presidential contender Marianne Williamson since the bug bit in 2016. The pair chat about Elex’s beginnings in the journal...

The Issue Is: Stephanie Miller, Michael Reagan, Gianno Caldwell   The Issue Is...Impeachment.    After the House Intelligence Committee wraps up a week of dramatic testimony, what happens next?   Joining us: progressive radio talk show host Stephanie Miller & conservative commentator Michael Reagan.    We also discuss the most recent Democratic debate, including insight from our focus group of...

This week, we have two, exclusive one on one interviews with two Democratic presidential candidates.  Polls show both Andrew Yang & Tulsi Gabbard with increasing momentum in the polls. Both are recently outpacing previously better known Senators and Governors seeking the nomination.  We talk on a week where Congress holds the first Impeachment hearings & there's yet another school shooting...

The impeachment inquiry is in full swing! Chairman of the powerful House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, joins FOX11's "The Issue Is:" this week to preview next week's televised impeachment hearings, and reacts to mounting scrutiny launched by Republicans. "These three witnesses will lay out the broad story...and will chronicle the president's flagrant abuse of his office." Schiff, a Democrat...

In this week’s ‘The Issue Is:’ podcast extra we sit down with LA Times columnist Gustavo Arellano to discuss Proposition 187. 25 years ago California passed Prop. 187 which prohibited illegal immigrants from using non-emergency health care, public education, and other services in the state. We discuss the history and passage of 187 as well as how it transformed the state. ----------  The Issue Is:...

Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti steps onto "The Issue Is:" set this week & weighs in on homelessness, CA's power blackouts, and the backstory behind his rumored presidential bid. Pointing to the city's success in sheltering the homeless, Garcetti declares L.A. "the model" for dealing with the issue. Just this year, the city and county have borne a 16 and 12 percent uptick in homelessness, respectiv...

For this week's "The Issue Is:" podcast extra, Elex Michaelson sits down for a candid and revealing conversation with Johanna Maska, a former President Barack Obama's Director of Press Advance. During her stint at the White House, Maska coordinated press coverage for  thousands of presidential visits, town halls, and speeches. The communications guru was catapulted into the political arena after s...

This week, "The Issue Is" impeachment, the CA wildfires, and mental health awareness.   Freshman Democratic Congressman Harley Rouda joins us. In 2018, he defeated long-time Orange County Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.   He was inside the House's SCIF as some GOP members "stormed" inside.    "It was obviously a stunt...We had 20, 25 additional Republicans not on this committee force their way throu...

Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-California) is on the House Intelligence Committee investigating the President.    He discusses the Impeachment strategy, the PG&E power outages, and what it's like for him watching the Democratic debates.    Speaking of debates...we have our own epic showdown between FOX nation host Tomi Lahren and attorney and author Areva Martin.    They debate Impeachment, the...

In today's podcast, we take a break from politics for a fascinating conversation with an iconic figure.    Dr. Arthur C. Bartner is retiring after 50 years directing the USC Trojan Marching Band.    He's transformed the band from a struggling group without an identity to an international institution. They've performed with some of the top stars all over the world.    In this conversation with Elex...

The Issue Is...Impeachment Democratic Donor Tom Steyer has always dabbled in politics, but never quite like now.   Since July, he’s hopped into the crowded field of 2020 Democratic hopefuls.   In his interview on FOX11’s “The Issue Is: with Elex Michaelson,” Steyer explained what separates him from the pack.   “The debates were about very important policies…none of these policies can happen until...

The Issue Is...Andrew Yang, Ben Lyons, Ramona Shelburne, Arash Markazi  Andrew Yang is a long shot presidential candidate that's turned into a sort of political phenomenon. His rallies are filled with foul language, chants about math, crowd surfing, and pyrotechnics. His agenda is ambitious and unique. He wants to give every American $1,000 a month--regardless of their income. He calls it the "Fre...

Today's guests:  Jesse Ventura, retired professional wrestler, and former politician who served as the Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota from 1991 to 1995 and as the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999. We also talk to Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr., an American politician and author. A Republican, Sanford is a former governor of South Carolina and a former member of the U.S. House of Repres...

Beto O'Rourke lays out his plan for a mandatory gun buyback plan.    Sec. Ben Carson explains the Trump Administration's vision to combat California's homelessness crisis.    Then, a discussion of it all with St. Senator Holly Mitchell, Seema Mehta of the Los Angeles Times & Joel Pollak of Breitbart News.  ----------  The Issue Is: with Elex Michaelson is California's only statewide political...