LA Podcast - Smoke and Smearers

Alissa and Mike sit down for a full assessment of recovery efforts six months after the January fires — and discuss why a key rebuilding effort went off the rails. Plus, we check in on the accomplishments of the fire-recovery billionaires, and try to figure out why one of those billionaires, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, announced he’s taking the paper public.

Listen below, on Apple Podcasts, via Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

SHOW NOTES

Cleanup was astonishingly fast, but as this LA Times summary of progress notes, only 800 rebuilding permits have been filed so far across both burn zones 

One reason: there are a lot of concerns about what people are returning to, both when it comes to the toxicity of their homes and the future of their communities

The UCLA Blue Ribbon Commission Climate Action and Fire-Safe Recovery that was convened by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath released its six-month fire recovery report with one topline recommendation: create a special Resilient Rebuilding Authority at the state level. Here are some extremely good explainers from UCLA’s Emmett School of Law on what a rebuilding authority could do and how it would have aided Woolsey Fire recovery

That effort, SB 549, has now stalled, in part due to conspiracy theories amplified by reality star Spencer Pratt, and State Senator Ben Allen talked to KCRW’s Madeleine Brand about what’s next

Meanwhile, Altadena’s land is being gobbled up by outside developersand lots are losing value for those who want to sell and efforts to rebuild smarter and to have families collaborate and source materials more sustainably are largely left up to homeowners

And while there haven’t been any significant charges for rent gougers, LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto is going after Airbnb for price gouging

Listen to Kate Cagle’s podcast, “Rebuilding LA”

Six months after the fires, the LA Times reached out to nearly a dozen city, county and state agencies involved with evacuation planning. “All either did not respond to requests for comment, could not point to an evacuation analysis in line with the state’s guidelines for AB 747 or indicated the responsibility for doing the work lies with other agencies”

Many big name philanthropists have gone missing but Department of Angels, Evan Spiegel’s partnership with California Community Foundation, seems to be carrying out important work

The block captain model is powerful and Altatogether is coordinating it in Altadena

Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong went on The Daily Show to announce that he’s taking the LA Times public

Status: “Jon Stewart torched media executives for bowing to Trump — then handed Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, one of the worst offenders, an unchallenging interview minutes later”

This week’s episode is produced by Sophie Bridges and Olive Greenspan

Support for LA Podcast is provided by LA Forward and by listeners like you. The reporting and analysis you hear in the show is put together by our rotating cast of producers and co-hosts every week. If you want to help us bring more independent voices to California media, you can subscribe at thinkforward.la

All opinions expressed on the show are solely those of co-hosts and may not represent the views of LA Forward