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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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With big, unstoppable wind-driven wildfires still a possibility, L.A.'s firefighters need any edge they can get.
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With big, unstoppable wind driven wildfires still a possibility, L.A.'s firefighters need any edge they can get.
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People living in areas that are prone to wildfires should have a go bag ready as soon as strong, dry winds show up.
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Southern California is just about the driest it’s been all year, so until we get substantial rain, big wildfires are very much a possibility.
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While it may be cold in L.A. right now, there’s a big heat wave off the coast that you might have missed.
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Federal scientists who say the Trump administration's anti-science stance made it hard for them to to do their job are cautiously optimistic about what a Biden presidency might bring.
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Federal scientists who say the Trump administration's anti-science stance made it hard for them to to do their job are cautiously optimistic about what a Biden presidency might bring.
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The same area of Orange County that’s burning in the Silverado Fire today, burned 13 years ago in what's been called one of the "most disastrous wildland fires" in county history.
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As Michael Lacroix drove away from his property, he could see flames cascading towards everything he owned. He held out hope that firefighters could save his home, but deep down he also knew he may never see any of it again.
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"Part of me was saying, the firemen are there. They're in the yard. There's probably six or eight of them. They're going to save it. And then the other part of me saying, you know, you may not ever see these things again."
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The last time La Niña rolled through in 2017-2018, L.A. saw less than five inches of rain.
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If you live in an area that's prone to wildfires you should have your go bag ready as soon as strong, dry winds show up.
