After the Ashes: A Beautiful Altadena Podcast
We are Beautiful Altadena, the online community group that launched in 2015 and the Substack by the same name, and we started this podcast to ask: Who’s writing the rules of recovery, who benefits, and who’s being left out? This podcast will deep dive into the issues of recovery and rebuilding through the lens of policy.
Each episode, we’ll dissect the policies and bills impacting Altadena post Eaton Fire. We’ll break down what they say, what they really mean, who they affect, and what – and who – they leave out.
Your hosts:
Shawna Dawson Beer / Beautiful Altadena, Eaton Fire Total Loss Survivor
Stephen Sachs / AltaPolicyWonk, Eaton Fire Survivor, Current Altadena Resident
Every episode closes out with a local small business shout out. We are not advertiser, sponsor or grant funded and have no agenda beyond ensuring our Altadena neighbors are as in the know as possible so that we can all be our own best advocates for ourselves and our town.
Episodes
20 episodes
Episode 20: TIME Magazine, In Government We (Mis)Trust, and the Call for Unity
We kick of this episode with a media roundup and the biggest headline yet: Altadena on the cover of TIME Magazine. The digital story is live now, and the print ...
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51:00
Episode 19: Altadena in the Big Picture – Local Failure, National Conversations
We're back from a Thanksgiving break with a long one. In Episode 19 we step back from the rubble and zoom out to the national landscape — because what’s happening in Altadena is playing out on a national stage. We dig into local government fail...
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1:01:15
Episode 18: Journalists Are Writing the First Draft of History
Another long episode recorded as we approach the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire, this episode examines the questions that still hang in the air. The questions that will shape not only how we remember the fire, but how we rebuild from it...
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55:37
Episode 17: The Stories They’re Writing—And the Ones We’re Living
As the one-year anniversary approaches, the journalists are circling—and so are the headlines. In this episode of After the Ashes, we sift through the news storm hitting Altadena: FEMA’s Acting Administrator steps out (and what that real...
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56:43
Episode 16: The Long Rebuild – Nearing One Year and Facing What Comes Next
As we move closer to the one-year mark in January, After the Ashes takes stock of where Altadena’s recovery really stands — and what the next twelve months might bring.We look at the rebuild by the numbers: 520 unique parcel ...
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55:26
Episode 15: From the Ballot to the Burn Zone – Post-Remediation Realities and Post-Election Reflections
Welcome back to After the Ashes, a Beautiful Altadena podcast where we dig into what’s really happening in our foothill community — from rebuilding after disaster to rebuilding trust. In Episode 15, we unpack a full slate of local headlines and...
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53:18
Episode 14: The Sound of Neglect – No Policy, No Peace
In this episode we’re talking about the silence that speaks volumes — the sound of neglect. As we head into the Altadena Town Council elections (November 1st, 4th, and 8th), we break down what the ATC actually is, who’s running, a...
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32:16
Episode 13: A Bit Dog Always Squeals – SB 254, SCE’s ‘Final Offer,’ and LA County’s $2M Secret
On this episode the bit dog always squeals — and this time it’s coming straight from Sacramento. Governor Newsom’s last-minute legislation, SB 254, quietly lets Southern California Edison further off the hook, shifting more of the...
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38:47
Episode 12: Lines of Power – A Redistricting Primer
After the firestorm of Episode 11, we’re slowing it down, but not letting up.In this shorter episode we zoom out and take a look at Prop 50, what’s really at stake, and why redistricting — that seemingly dry, procedural word — is a power...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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23:30
Episode 11: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – What Just Happened in Sacramento?
In this special double episode of After the Ashes (think: '80s after-school special meets legislative meltdown), we dive into a weekend full of political gut punches. Despite community protest, SB782 passed and the County machine wins,...
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1:00:00
Episode 10: Philanthropy & Power — Who’s Rebuilding Altadena, and Why?
In this episode, we explore the deep and often unseen role that philanthropy plays in shaping disaster recovery, including Altadena's. Building on our co-host Stephen Sachs’ AltaPolicyWonk Substack series — Philanthropy I, II, and ...
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39:07
Episode 9: Insured & Burned – Who Pays, Who Profits, and What You Should Know
In this episode, we dig into the tough realities of insurance in a post-fire California. With the state’s CFP (California FAIR Plan) already insolvent before the fires, private insurers pulling out, and premiums skyrocketing, we’re all l...
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37:13
Episode 8: Relief or Ruse? AB238, Property Tax Increases & the Questions Still Unanswered
In this episode, we dig into AB238, the so-called mortgage relief bill — but is it truly relief, or just another setup for long-term displacement? We also explore how this bill connects directly to property taxes and AB782
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30:04
Episode 7: AB782 & SB9 — The Quiet Bills That Could Change Altadena Forever
We're back in bed with these bills. Did we ever really leave? In this episode, we’re breaking down the latest on AB782, which has already passed behind closed doors and is now sitting on Governor Newsom’s desk just waitin...
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36:26
Episode 6: Truth, Power & Subpoenas — Altadena Demands Accountability
In this episode, we break down the McChrystal Report, the powerful press conference held by Altadena for Accountability, and our urgent call for an independent investigation with subpoena power from the California Attorney General Rob ...
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24:42
Episode 5: The $22B Question– Who Pays When a Town Burns Down?
In this episode we discuss the multi-billion dollar California Wildfire Insurance Fund that the crisis that was the bankruptcy of PG&E created– how it works, who pays to fund it, who benefits from it, and what it means for wildfire recovery...
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28:21
Episode 4: A billion-dollar warning –What the Tetra Tech Whistleblower Story Means for Altadena and Beyond
The fires are out. The cameras have moved on. But in the aftermath of LA County's devastating Palisades and Eaton fires, a different kind of disaster is unfolding – one that reveals the messy reality of how federal and state agencies are suppos...
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37:18
Episode 3: Financial Engines for Recovery – Understanding AB797 and SB782
In our last episode, we covered a high level view of the legislative landscape and promised to come back with a more in-depth discussion of two key pieces of legislation that represent different approaches to financing Altadena's recovery: Asse...
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44:07
Episode 2: A Little History, SB79, the West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan, SB782 and AB797
We talk about SB79, touch on the West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan, overview SB782 and AB797 and talk a little about our trip to Sacramento and how and why we can all be our own best advocates and lobbyists.
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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35:21