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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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Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order which bans the sale of new gas-powered cars from 2035.
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In the middle of the Angeles National Forest, the Bobcat Fire is dangerously close to the historically significant Mt. Wilson Observatory.
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We'd lose historic scientific equipment that helped us discover the universe, cement SoCal as an astronomy hub, and connect the public to the wonders beyond our own world.
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It’s a combination of fire location and atmospheric conditions.
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With roads blocked and thick smoke billowing in, the backpackers prepared to make their way to the middle of a lake if the world around them went up in flames.
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With roads blocked and thick smoke billowing in, the backpackers prepared to make their way to the middle of the lake if the world around them went up in flames.
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An estimated 30% of renters in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area don't have air conditioning.
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When record-setting temperature hit, those without air conditioning have to figure out how to survive.
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Some cities could see record high temperatures as Southern California's walloped by an even hotter heatwave than the one we experienced mid-August.
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It’s at the point where the fires are so bad, and resources so stressed, that the focus on many fires has shifted mainly to saving lives and defending structures.
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The agency has requested additional help from out of state.
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They're located in the desert, beneath the Salton Sea, in an area called the Brawley Seismic Zone.
