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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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In one year, day will be turned to night and for the first time in 38 years North Americans will get to see their first total solar eclipse. Are you ready?
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As fire season gets worse in the western U.S., increased amounts of fine particles will likely have an adverse effect on public health.
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The USC study finds two of the 10 Zika proteins inhibit fetal brain development. A drug to combat them is likely years away.
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The failure of El Niño to bring significant rain is a reminder that a La Niña weather pattern does not guarantee a drier-than-normal winter.
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Twelve years after being placed on the endangered species list, three subspecies of Channel Islands fox will be delisted - the fastest-ever recovery by a mammal.
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The Perseid meteor shower comes along annually, but this year the sky will be flooded with shooting stars. It's all thanks to Jupiter.
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Should bottom trawling be allowed or banned? That's what one environmental advocacy group is trying to figure out by mapping the seafloor off of SoCal.
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You won't be able to walk into a supermarket to buy a joint, but you would likely see recreational pot shops in some cities and businesses that deliver to your door.
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"The motor controller has some metal parts on it and it was touching a metal screw. Didn’t realize that. Short circuited and then obviously, fire," explained Nishant Desai.
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Banning short-term rentals wasn't enough to stop sites like Airbnb and VRBO, so Santa Monica stepped it up by citing them for hundreds of violations.
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The more upscale, health-focused grocery store is a sign of change in a part of Southern California that has long been considered an affordable alternative to L.A.
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Screeners for The Revenant, Creed and The Big Short have all been leaked to pirate movie sites, and new tools are making it even easier for pirates to watch them.
