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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A new study says that Australia’s 2019-2020 bushfires were so massive that they could have helped kick off our recent run of La Niñas. -
We had four tornadoes touch down in one day back in 1982. -
The owls have all but completely disappeared from coastal Southern California. -
For space fans the chance to explore the famed campus is a golden ticket. -
Usually about half of our water supply comes from the L.A. aqueduct. This year it’ll be about 100% through summer. -
It's partly because the sun’s approaching solar maximum. -
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We're seeing major reservoirs reach capacity already. -
It'll take longer than usual to get one fixed. -
California won’t stay wet forever, but remember — we do need fire.
