The much ballyhooed Fire Aid concert in January, featuring artists from Billie Eilish to Joni Mitchell to No Doubt, raised $100 million to help assist people in the immediate aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades Fires. Over the summer, the organizers came under a lot of scrutiny by some residents — and even President Donald Trump — who all questioned how the money was spent.
August Brown covers the music industry for the Los Angeles Times and made a lot of calls, trying to track down where the Fire Aid grants went, and how they were used. He’s got some answers for the skeptics, and shares them with host Kate Cagle.Guest: Los Angeles Times Reporter August BrownAugust’s Stories:
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2025-07-30/fireaid-retains-law-firm-to-review-grants-after-trumps-misleading-criticismhttps://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2025-07-23/where-did-the-fireaid-money-gohttps://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2025-07-23/where-did-the-fireaid-money-go
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2025-02-18/fireaid-grants-50-million-la-wildfire-relief