Michael Monks Reports

Michael Monks Reports

Michael Monks joined KFI in 2024 after fulfilling a longtime dream of moving to L.A. He is a native of Covington, Kentucky where in 2011 he founded a multimedia local news operation called The River City News, which was acquired in 2021 and rebranded as LINK nky. At the same time, he was also the host of the award-winning daily radio program “Cincinnati Edition” on WVXU, an NPR member station. He holds a master’s degree in communication from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor’s degree in radio/TV from Northern Kentucky University. Michael and his spouse, Osmar, live in DTLA with their cat, Milo. Follow him on Twitter @MicMonksLA.

Episodes

@MicMonksLA Reports: Michael recaps the No Kings rally that drew tens of thousands of people to downtown L.A.

June 15, 2025 • 34 mins
Michael recaps the No Kings rally that drew tens of thousands of people to downtown LA and monitors the ongoing unrest as agitators and law enforcement continue to butt heads amid the ongoing demonstrations against immigration enforcement.
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@MicMonksLA Reports: Michael is joined by the co-founders of the Downtown Residents Association.

June 15, 2025 • 36 mins
Michael is joined by the co-founders of the Downtown Residents Association who say they're worried about the lingering impact of a curfew on downtown Los Angeles, but the vandalism and violence seem to leave little choice for City Hall.
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@MicMonksLA Reports: Federal immigration enforcement efforts have been met with intense demonstrations across LA County.

June 8, 2025 • 34 mins
Federal immigration enforcement efforts have been met with intense demonstrations across LA County. Now the White House and other federal officials have sharpened their words against local elected officials and law enforcement agencies. Michael breaks it down from all perspectives. 
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@MicMonksLA Reports: Federal immigration enforcement efforts have been met with intense demonstrations across LA County.

June 8, 2025 • 35 mins
Federal immigration enforcement efforts have been met with intense demonstrations across LA County. Now the White House and other federal officials have sharpened their words against local elected officials and law enforcement agencies. Michael breaks it down from all perspectives. 
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@MicMonksLA Reports: A series of fires break out around the LA area, Mayor Bass's homeless emergency, LA city council bank proposal.

June 1, 2025 • 34 mins
A series of fires, some large, some small, break out around the LA area including by Dodger Stadium during LA's game with the Yankees. Santa Monica residents are angry with Waymo's noise, but Michael's mom says the service is better at driving than he is. Immigration busts take place in LA and San Diego, worrying activists. Some at LA City Hall have pushed back against extending Mayor Bass's homeless emergency. Three LA city counci...
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@MicMonksLA Reports: An activist group has released a report on the Palisades fire, Interview with Elaine Culotti, a Palisades resident.

June 1, 2025 • 37 mins
An activist group has released a report on the Palisades fire and concludes the official narrative from government officials about how it was an unprecedented event is unfounded. Elaine Culotti, a Palisades resident and real estate developer, says she's angry with the government response to the fire, particularly the removal of debris, and says she has a better idea on how to deal with it. Finally, Hollywood's problems continue to ...
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@MicMonksLA Reports: Diving into the winners and losers of the new city budget in Los Angeles, Plus, Catalina Island advice.

May 25, 2025 • 36 mins
Michael dives into the winners and losers of the new city budget in Los Angeles: many jobs have been saved but others are still at risk. City council members spoke passionately for the budget and against it, with some saying the slow-down of police hiring and elimination of proposed new fire department positions puts the public at risk. Plus, Michael gets advice from listeners on what to do on Catalina Island.
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@MicMonksLA Reports: LA city council lays off employees, asks union workers to delay their promised pay raises, more Catalina Island tips.

May 25, 2025 • 34 mins
The LA city council lays off employees and asks union workers to delay their promised pay raises while at the same time demanding that hotels and airport businesses pay their workers a minimum wage of $30 an hour. Those businesses say they can't afford it and now some Olympic plans are in jeopardy. LA Metro promises to spend more money on security and cleanliness on its trains and buses, and at its stations. Plus, more tips from li...
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@MicMonksLA Reports: Mother's Day, Bad Words, Zoo Elephants!

May 11, 2025 • 33 mins
LA City Hall has postponed its plan to crack down on slurs during city council meeting which have been derailed by vulgar, derogatory language. So why do people swear at these meetings, or even cuss in general? Michael chats with a language and profanity expert who says yes, there are physical benefits we feel when choose a dirty word at certain times. The city has also continued grappling with its finances, so how did the most int...
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@MicMonksLA Reports: Menendez Crime, Teen Bike Gangs, Hollywood Tariffs!

May 11, 2025 • 33 mins
A man and his husband were attacked outside a grocery store by a roving gang of teens of bikes who also stole liquor from the grocery. He says the police haven't been helpful so he's taken it upon himself to track down the culprits and hold them accountable. Plus, President Trump has suggested tariffs on foreign films but Hollywood doesn't seem to keen on that plan to save the troubled TV and movie industry.
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@MicMonksLA Reports: Michael recaps a hectic week at LA City Hall, The City warning from the White House and guestions on LAPD's Helicopters

May 4, 2025 • 34 mins
Michael recaps a hectic week at LA City Hall where the city council is looking for a way to close a 1 billion budget shortfall. The City got a warning from the White House and guestions were raised about LAPD's use of helicopters.
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@MicMonksLA Reports: is LA Metro safer now? When will we feel the tariffs. LA Counties new mental health campaign, Gondola madness.

May 4, 2025 • 36 mins
is LA Metro safer now? When will we feel the tariffs. LA Counties new mental health campaign, Gondola madness.
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@MicMonksLA Reports: LA’s Budget Crisis Deepens: Layoffs, Downgrades, and Public Outrage

April 27, 2025 • 37 mins
Michael Monks breaks down LA’s growing financial emergency. As Mayor Karen Bass proposes a budget that includes 1,600+ layoffs and sweeping department cuts, Michael recaps her State of the City address — and explains why residents and workers are outraged. Plus, Michael reports on a major public backlash in Van Nuys, LA’s downgraded credit rating, and what’s next for a city facing a $1 billion deficit. Also: concerns over a controv...
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@MicMonksLA Reports: Schiff Talks: California’s Economy, Housing Crisis, and Hollywood’s Fight to Survive

April 27, 2025 • 33 mins
Senator Adam Schiff joins Michael Monks to break down California’s complicated future. Despite the state now ranking as the fourth-largest economy in the world, Schiff explains why a booming economy hasn't solved California’s worsening housing crisis or protected its signature industry, Hollywood. They also tackle the fallout from immigration policies, national security concerns at the Pentagon, and Schiff’s push for new legislatio...
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@MicMonksLA Reports: 100 Days After the Fires — Still Waiting for Help

April 20, 2025 • 35 mins
Michael Monks opens the show with a local sports update before diving into a sobering look at life in Los Angeles 100 days after the devastating fires. He contrasts Mayor Bass’s optimistic public comments with growing frustration from Palisades residents who feel left behind. Michael investigates the $10 million contract with Hagerty Consulting that’s yielded little visible recovery progress and speaks with resident David Howard ab...
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@MicMonksLA Reports: Layoffs Loom, Homeless Fires Surge & LAPD Turns to YouTube

April 20, 2025 • 33 mins
Michael Monks breaks down Mayor Karen Bass’s latest announcement: layoffs are officially on the table as LA stares down a $1 billion budget deficit. He then tackles the alarming 475% spike in homeless-related fires across the city and the broader toll the homeless crisis is taking on quality of life. Plus, with LAPD recruitment numbers lagging, the department is betting big on a new YouTube ad campaign—and Michael wraps the hour wi...
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@MicMonksLA Reports: LA’s Late-Night Shift, Convention Center Expansion, and Homelessness Fraud Crackdown

April 13, 2025 • 32 mins
Michael Monks opens the show with updates on LA sports and shares his personal take on grocery store reorganizations. He then delves into a proposed California bill aiming to create "hospitality zones," allowing bars to serve alcohol until 4 a.m.. Through City Hall audio, Michael discusses the LA City Council's vote to continue plans for the Convention Center expansion, despite challenges posed by recent wildfires. Finally, he revi...
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@MicMonksLA Reports: Bernie & AOC Ignite LA, Olympic Gender Shift & Fast-Food Wage Fallout

April 13, 2025 • 32 mins
Michael Monks breaks down Bernie Sanders and AOC’s explosive "Fight the Oligarchy" rally that brought approximately 30,000 energized supporters to downtown LA. He also spotlights the historic LA28 Olympics, where women athletes will outnumber men for the first time ever, and explores how LA's rising minimum wage is unexpectedly hurting fast-food jobs. Plus, a Dodgers game gone wrong, and Huntington Beach struggles with a massive wa...
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@MicMonksLA Reports: LA's Billion-Dollar Budget Crisis & Parking Enforcement Debacle

April 6, 2025 • 36 mins
Michael Monks breaks down the alarming $1 billion budget deficit haunting the city of Los Angeles, exploring exactly how city officials got it so wrong. With revealing clips from Mayor Bass and city administrators, Michael revisits the warnings and promises that didn’t add up. Plus, how is LA spending tens of millions more on parking enforcement than it brings in? Michael investigates the costly mismanagement behind LA’s parking pr...
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@MicMonksLAReports: Homeless Spending Under Scrutiny, Olympic Visa Drama, and LA's Decade-a-Day Bus Delay!

April 6, 2025 • 35 mins
Michael dives into LA's new effort to oversee homelessness spending after audits exposed transparency issues—Councilwoman Nithya Raman weighs in. Meanwhile, LA28 Olympic Chair Casey Wasserman reassures global leaders that U.S. politics won't block athletes' entry into the 2028 Games. Plus, Michael reveals a shocking report: LA Metro buses are cumulatively delayed by a full decade every single day, costing riders valuable time and m...
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