The Billion Dollar Questions

This episode opens with a media round-up, because there is no shortage of big stories shaping the narrative around Altadena’s recovery. We unpack recent reporting and what it gets right, what it gets wrong, and what’s being oversimplified. Stories discussed include: LA Times: Leaked Memo Reveals California Debated Cutting Wildfire Soil Testing Before Disaster Chiefs Exit. A look at how environmental testing decisions were being debated behind the scenes and what that means for communities now dealing with toxic fallout and incomplete remediation. LA Times: Wildfire Victims Decry State Law Protecting Utilities from Cost of Disasters They Cause. We tackle the growing focus on demanding So Cal Edison “pay up” and why chasing a $200,000 payout that will never materialize misses the larger, more urgent reality. The $22B Wildfire Fund while unsavory and emblematic of the deep problems with private, for-profit utilities is currently the only mechanism that will ensure fire survivors are made even remotely whole through legal settlements. The real problem isn’t the fund. It’s private utilities and state and county authorities failing to enforce maintenance standards, safety laws, and accountability before disaster strikes. Black Enterprise: Altadena’s Historic Little Red Hen Café Facing Landlord Woes After Devastating Fire. The uncertain future of one of Altadena’s most iconic institutions. Despite donations from Paris Hilton, the 15 Percent Pledge, and a GoFundMe, owner Annisa Shays shares that funding remains the biggest obstacle. We discuss the whiplash of being offered the chance to buy the land, quoted at $500,000 by landowner Perry Bennett, only for the offer to be abruptly withdrawn. CalMatters: How Altadena Businesses Are Trying to Recover from the Eaton Fire. Small businesses still don’t know when, how, or even if they can return. Another reality that threatens to hollow out the community long before homes are rebuilt. We also dive into Steve’s Friday Stack on homelessness, drawing uncomfortable parallels between that crisis and this one. Over $24 billion spent, fragmented oversight, mismanaged funds, and shockingly little to show for it. Without accountability, transparency, and coordination, even massive spending fails, whether the crisis is homelessness or wildfire recovery. Small Business Shout-Out: Daz-E Thrift This week we’re shouting out Daz-E Thrift, which is reopening this weekend — Saturday, January 24. Find them at 2525 N. Lake Avenue and follow their updates and reopening details on their website dazeshop.org Note: This episode was recorded Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The podcast takes the week of January 25 off and returns the week of February 1