What happens when the California fires go out? More gentrification.

A person on a scooter watches large flames and thick smoke engulf houses on a residential street.

Story by Vox. It is often said that climate disasters are great equalizers. They rip through neighborhoods, rich and poor, devastating communities and upending lives without discriminating between them. But it is, of course, not that simple. As the wildfires blaze through Southern California, class divides are as evident as ever. It is true that…

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Los Angeles’ Destruction Was Fueled by Bad Policy—and Bad Incentives

A devastated neighborhood with burned trees and buildings after a wildfire, showing widespread destruction.

Story by The Dispatch. As fire still rages in the Los Angeles area, I’ve been torn about whether to write about it. Beyond the very real tragedies and my general rule against public dunking, a lot of what’s going on out there has nothing to do with policy. As our friends at The Morning Dispatch explained, for…

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A long road to rebuilding and fights over government funding await L.A. fire victims

Story by NBC News. The scenes of destruction in Los Angeles have brought a sense of déjà vu for Steve Crowder. Six years ago, similar images of fires ravaging his community of Paradise, California, were plastered across televisions and social media. “It is Paradise revisited,” said Crowder, the mayor of Paradise. “Sitting here watching the news, these…

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Gov. Newsom lifts environmental requirements for those rebuilding from LA fires

Story by NBC Bay Area. Survivors of the fires in Los Angeles County will face many hurdles in the days, weeks, and months ahead. California Gov. Gavin Newsom told NBC’s Jacob Soboroff on Sunday’s Meet the Press that he doesn’t want logistical red tape to be one of those hurdles. “California leads the nation in environmental stewardship.…

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The Last House Standing

A white house with a red-tiled roof stands beside tall cypress trees on a lawn under a cloudy sky.

Story By The New York Times. After evacuating her home early Wednesday morning and escaping the fires that had engulfed swaths of Altadena, Calif., Monica Perez clutched her rosary and chanted a Hail Mary as her 19-year-old son drove the two of them up the I-5. Then a neighbor called with miraculous news: Her century-old,…

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Bay Area agency works to help Southern California fire victims recover

Story By NBC Bay Area. A Bay Area-based agency is stepping up to help those impacted by the deadly and destructive Southern California wildfires. After the Fire USA, based in Sonoma, is already getting to work in the Los Angeles area. CEO Jennifer Gray Thompson said the nonprofit group works with local agencies, providing hope…

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