How Awful Policies Fueled the L.A. Fires

The Reason Roundtable

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman reflect on the failed policy decisions that have exacerbated the L.A. wildfire crisis, as well as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's announcement that the company is ditching third-party fact checking on Facebook.

01:54—L.A. wildfires and failed policy

28:06—Weekly listener question

37:36—Zuckerberg announces the company nixes third-party fact checking

47:06—This week's cultural recommendations

Mentioned in this podcast:

"California's Fire Catastrophe Is Largely a Result of Bad Government Policies," by J.D. Tuccille

"Looting Is Bad. So Are Curfews," by Jack Nicastro

"What's Wrong With a Private Firefighter?" by Liz Wolfe

"Los Angeles Zoning Laws Pushed People and Homes Toward Fire-Prone Areas," by Jack Nicastro

"Fires Incinerated the Facade of California Governing Competence," by Matt Welch

"Hell Out West," by Liz Wolfe

"A Failed State," by Liz Wolfe

"Burning Los Angeles," by Nick Gillespie

"California Regulations Prevent Insurers From Accurately Pricing Wildfire Risk, so Now They're Fleeing the State," by Ronald Bailey

"Why is the bureaucracy and red tape there in the first place?" by Nick Gillespie

"Zuck Finds His Spine," by Liz Wolfe

"Mark Zuckerberg Was Right To Fire Facebook's Rogue Fact-Checkers," by Robby Soave

"Facebook's New Free Speech Policy Shows Business Getting Back to Business," by J.D. Tuccille

"An Urgent Meeting of the Fact-Check Legion of Doom," by Robby Soave

"Let's Stop Talking about Free Speech and Start Defending It," by Nick Gillespie

"Why Facebook 'Welcomes' Regulation, by Todd Krainin," Nick Gillespie, and Jim Epstein

"Mark Zuckerberg: 'I Believe We Need a More Active Role for Governments and Regulators,'" by Nick Gillespie

"TikTok Took a Beating at the Supreme Court," by Robby Soave

"Trump Dodged My Question About the Federal Debt," by Nick Gillespie

"Parents, Not the Government, Should Make IVF Decisions," by Ronald Bailey

"Breeder Reactionaries: The 'feminist' war on reproductive technologies," by Wendy McElroy

"The Brutalist Is Great American Cinema," by Peter Suderman

Event:

Reason Speakeasy: Bryan Caplan and David Bier, January 21, 2025

Send your questions to [e-mail]. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

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Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

• Video Editor: Ian Keyser
• Producer: Hunt Beaty

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