Game Theory: Is L.A. Rebuilding For Survivors - Or For The Olympics? (with CBS News' Jonathan Vigliotti)

Family, faith, and good neighbors: how one Eaton Fire survivor has found the strength to move on and rebuild.

Eighteen months after the Eaton and Palisades Fires, it's not gotten any easier for survivors. But there are good things happening. People are rebuilding. Survivors are making plans to return to these burned out communities — and it's not just one person at a time, but neighbors are coming back and rebuilding together. One street where that's happening is Poppyfields Drive in Altadena. Resident Whitney Haggins has been charging ahead on her rebuild since her home burned down in January 2025, and at least 6 of her neighbors are following in her footsteps. It may be not the typical but it is a story of optimism that these residents hope will rub off on more people throughout Altadena. GUEST: Whitney Haggins, Eaton Fire Survivor

A Conversation with SoCal Edison: Lessons, Recovery, and What Comes Next

This is a sponsored episode, paid for by Southern California Edison, and does not involve the L.A. Times Newsroom. It’s been more than a year since the Eaton and Palisades Fires. And since then, Southern California Edison has focused on recovery initiatives including the launch of a new one-stop resource center designed to help Altadena community members navigate the rebuild and recovery process.   To hear more about SCE’s commitment to help communities recover and rebuild, host Audrey Ngo speaks with Edison International president & CEO Pedro Pizarro, SCE executive vice president and COO Jill Anderson and Kenneth Feinberg and Camille Biros, who designed the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program.   They’ll discuss how SCE is supporting the Altadena and Malibu communities’ recovery and rebuilding efforts, the community’s role in shaping the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program, steps SCE is taking to strengthen its wildfire mitigation approach and the launch of the Altadena Rebuild and Community Hub.   GUESTS: Pedro Pizarro, Edison International president & CEO Jill Anderson, SCE executive vice president and COO Kenneth R. Feinberg and Camille S. Biros, Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program Designers   To learn more about SCE’s Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program:  https://sce.com/directclaims [https://sce.com/directclaims]   To learn more about the Altadena Rebuild and Community Hub:  https://energized.edison.com/stories/sce-opens-altadena-rebuild-community-hub [https://energized.edison.com/stories/sce-opens-altadena-rebuild-community-hub]

Game Theory: Is L.A. Rebuilding For Survivors - Or For The Olympics? (with CBS News' Jonathan Vigliotti)

The fire in the Pacific Palisades was still smoldering when Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass announced we would rebuild. Now, almost 18 months later, progress has been a mixed bag. Yes, homes are going up, but there still doesn't seem to be a "plan" for the return of all these neighborhoods, prompting many to ask whether we've moved too fast and without a bigger vision for making these communities whole again.   These are provocative questions we’ve been trying to answer - who is this all for?  Author and CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti attempts to answer some of them in his new book about the Palisades Fire — and names a motive for a quick rebuild: the Olympic games coming to Los Angeles in 2028. His book is titled “Torched: How a City Was Left to Burn, and the Olympic Rush to Rebuild L.A”   GUEST: CBS News Correspondent & Author of "Torched," Jonathan Vigliotti   Excerpt of "Torched: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/book-excerpt-torched-by-jonathan-vigliotti-pacific-palisades-altadena/.                                                                                                                                                                 Find the Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Torched/Jonathan-Vigliotti/9781668219034.               Op-Ed: L.A. is rebuilding for the Olympics, not the next fire: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2026-02-11/la-fires-rebuild-for-olympics

Recovery, From The People's Perspective: 'It's About To Get A Lot Worse'

About 2 in 3 fire survivors are still displaced and, as coverage for temporary housing disappears, that number could get increase. That's according to the latest report from Department of Angels, a nonprofit that regularly surveys survivors from both the Eaton and Palisades Fires to monitor how the recovery from the L.A. fires is going. As people continue to wait on insurance payouts and building materials get more expensive, the hope that many people had for rebuilding their homes is dwindling.  This "hope gap" underscores the need for the nearly $34 billion in Federal funds that California Gov. Gavin Newsom has requested.                                                                               Additionally, on May 8, Newsom asked for a 12-month extension from Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster assistance program for the fire victims.   GUESTS: Andrew King, Eaton Fire Survivor and Head of engagement and Education for Department of Angels + Miguel Santana, President & Chief Executive Officer, California Community Foundation, and  co-founder of the Department with Snapchat's Evan Spiegel.   Department of Angels' Community Voices: LA Fire Report: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6792c245599ed84703227b1e/t/69fb99d59526446388bdd51b/1778096597336/Department+of+Angels+Community+Voices+LA                                                 Nearly half of L.A. fire survivors face crisis as temporary housing funds dry up, survey finds: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-05-07/nearly-40-of-la-fire-survivors-face-crisis-as-temporary-housing-funds-dry-up-survey-finds

The Political Firefight To Be LA's Mayor

There's a big election this year, and we are not just talking about the congressional midterm races. There's a lot of consequential local races, too, including one for LA's next mayor. As incumbent mayor Karen Bass Bass campaigns to stay in office, there's a big question about how much LA's fire recovery will dominate the political narrative — and your vote. There's more than a dozen candidates currently on the ballot. Can Bass hold on to her seat? Or could councilmember Nithya Raman or reality star Spencer Pratt take it?   GUEST: Noah Goldberg, City Hall Reporter, Los Angeles Times.     Voter guide to the 2026 California primary election: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-05-01/2026-california-election-voter-guide-primaryIn                               L.A. mayor’s race, everyone is campaigning on change — even the incumbent: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-06/in-la-mayors-race-everyone-is-campaigning-on-change-even-incumbent                                                                                   In L.A. mayor’s race, controversial poll shows Nithya Raman ahead of Karen Bass: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-30/in-la-mayors-race-controversial-poll-shows-nithya-raman-ahead-of-incumbent-karen-bass                                                               Pratt and Raman lead Bass in latest fundraising for L.A. mayoral race: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-24/pratt-raman-lead-bass-in-latest-fundraising-for-la-mayoral-race                                                                       Spencer Pratt’s time in Santa Barbara County likely won’t affect his bid for L.A. mayor, analysts say: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-10/spencer-pratts-time-in-santa-barbara-county-likely-wont-affect-his-bid-for-la-mayor-analysts-sayå