In presidential debate, Southern California voters sought answers on immigration and Israel but got a muddle

On Thursday night, televisions at a sports bar in Santa Monica, a pizza restaurant in Irvine and a dive bar in Downtown L.A. were tuned not to a baseball game but rather the presidential debate.

Southern Californians gathered to watch President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump go head-to-head in the first debate of the 2024 general election. They wanted to hear about climate, abortion and immigration from the White House contenders, many said. But voters in both parties left...