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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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The recent wave of student protests began at the University of Missouri. But students at Occidental and Claremont McKenna say they were organized long before that.
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Students have been camped out in the administrative building, demanding that administrators make the college more inclusive and that the president leave his post.
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Mary Spellman's decision comes after a heated week at the school, where students say administration has been slow to address student demands for greater inclusivity.
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Some of LA's homeless have set up camp in riverbeds and flood control channels. Local teams are trying to convince them to move before the storms come.
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As LA officials consider ways to regulate the short-term rental industry, Airbnb is playing defense, spending money on local lobbyists.
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When the landlord announces the building is up for sale, renters have to find a new place. But West Hollywood may pass a law allowing them first rights to buy.
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With the threat of a very wet winter, realtors say buyers are thinking twice about hillside homes. The rain could also mean fewer people venture out to house hunt.
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Los Angeles has yet to regulate the industry, but one L.A. councilman says he's watching how other cities, including San Francisco, are structuring their policies.
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The loss of Carlos and his daughter Marcela leaves "a hole that will never be filled." The family asks for donations to be able to bury them with "dignity" and "honor."
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The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department say they have identified "charred human remains" amid the debris of the burned down cabin that was the scene of a fierce firefight earlier in the day.
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Ovulating dancers make the best tips. That study finding caught the eye of UCLA Communications and Psychology professor Martie Haselton.
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The federal government rolled out a new version of its iconic food pyramid, today. The pyramid was replaced by a plate graphic (above). The plate has four colored sections representing fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins. Next to the plate is a smaller circle for dairy foods. Why the makeover? Marion Nestle, professor of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University explains.
