This is our second episode of the new year, and the second of two back-to-back recordings made during the one-year anniversary week of the Eaton Fire. We begin shifting back into deeper policy conversations, asking one of the most important questions of all: did it have to go this way and does it still have to?

Steve takes us through a deeper dive into the financing options for the $20 billion rebuild of Altadena and other fire-impacted communities. Options that existed then and still exist now. We revisit the “Marshall Plan” Governor Newsom called for in January 2025 and ask why so little of that bold rhetoric translated into meaningful recovery on the ground.

We also dig into two major reports that dropped during the anniversary week. The House Judiciary Committee report on where the $100 million in FireAid concert funds actually went, and the Milken Institute report on the roughly $1 billion in philanthropic dollars distributed in the name of fire survivors. The findings are sobering but not suprising. Very little of that money ever made it into the hands of people who lost their homes and lives in the fires.

We also discuss Governor Newsom’s announcement this week of $107 million in grants for affordable housing for fire survivors. Despite the headlines, none of that funding was awarded to projects in Altadena, raising serious questions about how recovery dollars are being distributed. 

This week’s coverage also included a major spotlight for this podcast itself. We were featured on KCRW’s Press Play with Madeleine Brand, discussing the anniversary and the ongoing fight for accountability and resources for fire survivors.

Small Business Shout Out
 
Rather than a traditional small business shout-out this week, Shawna takes a moment to highlight the brands — from small businesses to major corporations — that have truly shown up for fire survivors and earned real brand loyalty in the process. A full list will be published soon on Substack, so keep an eye out for that.

And a quick production note: Episodes 25 and 26 were recorded on January 8 and would have landed a little sooner, but Shawna decided to get wild and sprained a wrist this week. A reminder that even when you’re chasing accountability and rebuilding a community, life still finds a way to slow you down!

Thanks for being here as we keep asking the hard questions and keep pushing for better answers.