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Jacob Margolis
What I cover
I cover science, with a focus on environmental stories and disasters, as well as investigations and accountability.
My background
I created, wrote and hosted the LAist Studios podcasts, The Big One: Your Survival Guide and The Big Burn: How To Survive In The Age of Wildfires. I was part of the team that won the 2021 Investigative Reporters and Editors Audio Journalism Award for the series "Hot Days: Heat’s Mounting Death Toll On Workers In The U.S. "Most recently, I’ve published investigations into large scale illegal dumping in L.A. County and previously unreported heavy metal concentrations in fire retardants.
My goals
To uncover how science, policy, and power intersect — so people have the information they need to hold decision-makers accountable and protect their communities.
Best way to reach me
You can reach me by email: jmargolis@laist.com. Or for encrypted communications, I'm on Signal: @jacobmargolis.1.
Stories by Jacob Margolis
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Debate continues about zone zero, the California rules nearing the finish line that would regulate what can be planted and stored within 5 feet of millions of homes.
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A new study addresses the question, concluding that climate change increased the likelihood of the fires and boosted the amount of land that burned.
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You may be able to see the Orionid meteor shower from darker pockets of the Southern California suburbs, but the desert and mountains will offer the best viewing.
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People in and around recent burn scars should be alert to the risk of debris flows. Typical October weather will be back later this week.
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory leadership says the cuts amount to 11% of the workforce.
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The report is quite critical, documenting how systemic problems endangered the lives of firefighters and the public.
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The release comes the same day federal prosecutors charged a man in connection with starting an earlier blaze that became the Palisades Fire.
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Fires can smolder underground for months. "It really is more common than I think people realize,” a fire scientist says. “It just doesn’t usually reignite another fire."
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The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings.
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All disasters are chaotic, but an LAist review of reports produced after two wildfire incidents found similar shortcomings and similar recommendations about how to fix them.
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You need to know when to evacuate, but a recurring problem during emergencies is that the authorities can't reach all the people they need to. So sign up today.
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The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems.
