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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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Last year, more than 137,000 SoCal Edison customers had their power shut off to help mitigate fire risk from utility lines.
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Residents are seeing trucks with Army Corps markings far from any sites where fire debris is allowed to go. Here’s what we figured out.
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The fire broke out on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. The danger had passed by about 6 p.m.
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Shaking was likely felt as far away as downtown Los Angeles.
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For all the Southern California space fans, the full moon Tuesday night into Wednesday morning coincides with a major lunar standstill.
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Tropical moisture rolls into the region, bringing thunder and rain. The mugginess will clear up by Thursday, forecasters say.
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Sweet orange scab is a fungal pathogen that's already been found in Orange County. Here's what you need to know if you have citrus trees.
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The county planned to send concrete from the Eaton Fire burn area to the Antelope Valley for later use reinforcing roads. The plan was abandoned after community outrage.
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The drier plants get, the easier they burn. So after a dry rainy season and the recent heat in Southern California, grasses are primed to catch fire.
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The U.S. government filed the lawsuit in 2023 to recover firefighting costs and to address other damages from the wildfire in fall 2020.
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Heal the Bay’s annual beach report card just came out, and the water at the Santa Monica Pier is once again some of the dirtiest along the West Coast.
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L.A. County is offering free tests after recent analysis showed high levels of lead downwind of the January fire that devastated Altadena.
