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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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Crumbling buildings are a real danger, but the fires that follow an earthquake can be even more destructive.
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We promise this article isn't as dry as L.A.'s vegetation
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It's August, which means the spectacular Perseids meteor shower is upon us. That said, they're not going to be nearly as bright as they could be given the moon.
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When you're laying on the beach, beware of the crumbling cliffs above you. They could be deadly.
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The 7.1-magnitude Ridgecrest quake is a good reminder that we've still got a lot to learn.
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More dead trees in California means more wildfires, decreased air quality, more runoff, a loss of habitat for insects and animals and more CO2 in the atmosphere.
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Sometimes beach water is full of poop. Or, more specifically, fecal-related bacteria primarily found in the intestines of mammals.
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Travel 390 million miles away from Earth to Jupiter’s moon Europa and you’ll find something more often found on dining tables. Salt. That’s according to a new study from researchers at Caltech and JPL.
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The potential presence of salt on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, could point to the possibility of life.
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Researchers found tiny microplastics in the guts of every sea creature they sampled.
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It’s been a bit shaky in parts of the Inland Empire. Glen Avon and Fontana have experienced a swarm of earthquakes, more than 430 in the past week or so. Does that mean that a big one is right around the corner?
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The Inland Empire got some serious shakes.
