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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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As temperatures rise, California's once-groundbreaking heat-safety rules haven't kept up.
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It was in the perfect spot to send a tsunami down here, so how'd we luck out?
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Less than half an inch has fallen and it's already one of the wettest Julys on record.
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People from L.A. to San Bernardino reported feeling an earthquake this morning, but it wasn't plate tectonics that shook their homes, it was a sonic boom.
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California’s wildfires have gotten increasingly destructive and deadly. That's been underscored with destructive fires kicking off 2025.
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Whether it’s at home or at work, there's an assumption that people will be safe if an earthquake hits.
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We’re launching a community science project and we want you to participate!
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Disturbed by unrelenting heat waves, massive wildfires, disappearing beaches, and worsening droughts? Here’s what you need to know.
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One local fire department is turning to behavioral science to battle misinformation that's driving the vaccine hesitancy, and its efforts may be working.
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How one firefighting agency is using peer pressure to convince firefighters to get vaccinated.
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This year everything's already so dry that our landscapes are just about ready to burn in Southern California.
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The Mission Creek strand, which runs from Indio through the San Bernardino Mountains, is actually Southern California's fastest slipping section of the San Andreas Fault.
