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.
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Rain’s great and all, but we’re on the precipice of too much. -
The snow pack is still lagging behind. -
Shaking was reportedly felt from Santa Barbara to San Diego. -
We could go from a strong El Niño to La Niña by summer. -
Our coastline is susceptible to erosion especially during heavy rains. -
The worst of the atmospheric storms have passed, but officials say potential landslides and other hazards will remain. -
The JPL director cited ongoing budget constraints and lack of a new federal budget. -
Flood and debris flow warnings remained in effect overnight for some areas as the worst of the rain subsided Tuesday afternoon. -
Nonstop rain force mandatory evacuations for parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. -
Another stronger front is expected to hit Saturday, with the National Weather Service warning of dangerous, even life-threatening impacts.
