Hello fellow Insiders, 

It’s been a heavy week. There’s so much to think about as we start to figure out the scale of suffering and impact from these wildfires and what the new, new normal may have to be for our homes, our friends, our families, our city, our state… 

I do my best thinking when I’m walking my dog, Tofu, but lately, she and I have been restless, staying indoors because of the air quality that lingers at unhealthy even as the campfire smell has subsided in my area. I tried taking her out today, at last, but her nose is a little vacuum and the sidewalks are still covered in black soot with god-knows-what in it. I certainly don’t want that in her lungs (shoutout to my newsletter counterpart, Joey P. for this tip - masks for dogs)! 

So how can I do my part to help more? I know one way right now. If you’ve been wondering about how safe it is to return to homes and schools in the vicinity of burn areas, then join this panel hosted by our own Madeleine Brand with wildfire public health information for families, tonight at 7 PM. And if this panel is very much for you, I am so sorry — we are here for you.

Take care, 

Connie Alvarez
Your KCRW Insider 

P.S. Our colleague and evacuee (as well as a two-time survivor of wildfire home loss) Adria Kloke, has turned to music for solace. Check out her playlist below and feel free to send her your picks — just hit reply.

7 Songs to Hear this Week from Adria Kloke

5 Songs newsletter writer Adria Kloke pours her heart out with a seven-song takeover for the Songs You Should Hear This Week. In a week full of feels and loss, Adria brings out the generational catharsis because sometimes when the now is breaking your heart, you lean on the past for the good times. From Agnes Obel to Fiona Apple to Radiohead to Alberto Balsalm to… Sublime — Adria says, “Don’t be weird about it.” We suggest you heed that advice.

Public Matters: Brian Reed on the Future of Journalism

Speaking of a week full of feels, the journalism surrounding the LA fires calls into question the future of journalism. In a fragmented political landscape, misinformation abounds during a crisis — the very time when people need reliable and accurate news. Brian Reed, host of KCRW and Placement Theory’s Question Everything, is interviewed by KPBS to get his take on topics like the value of truth in American society and what he thinks about Meta’s change to end fact-checking.

KCRW’s Joint Wildfire Newsletter with Local Public Media Orgs

In light of getting accurate information to the public about LA fires, your local public media outlets came together to provide a wildfire newsletter. KCRW, LAist, CalMatters, and PBS SoCal joined arms to collect the latest news, fact-checking information, resource guides, and more in a free, reliable, essential newsletter during this fire crisis. Sign up if you want to keep up with what’s happening and what to look out for moving forward.

Could Seaweed Be the New Kale?

From tangled piles of bull kelp to blankets of bright green sea lettuce, California's coast is home to nearly 700 different kinds of seaweed, nearly all of which are edible. But when you walk into the average grocery store, you most often see one variety on the shelf, imported nori. Read up on the struggle to cultivate and market seaweed as a sustainable consumable for the future. Plus, KCRW reporting fellow Gabriela Glueck goes to Eureka for the California Seaweed Festival — consider it for your next road trip destination!

The Edge of Death: Unraveling the Mysteries of Human Resilience

Human resilience is the ingredient of the week for Angelenos. Life Examined chats with writer and palliative care doctor Sunita Puri about people’s will to live. She says, “[There’s] this idea of a final act. What it means to still have hope to do something personal, and meaningful, and leave a final legacy — even when you may be in the very final stretch of life.” Puri explores the hope that compels people to hold on until they can achieve a personal or meaningful milestone. This isn’t the end for LA, not yet, so listen in and…