The fire in the Pacific Palisades was still smoldering when Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass announced we would rebuild. Now, almost 18 months later, progress has been a mixed bag. Yes, homes are going up, but there still doesn't seem to be a "plan" for the return of all these neighborhoods, prompting many to ask whether we've moved too fast and without a bigger vision for making these communities whole again.

These are provocative questions we’ve been trying to answer - who is this all for? Author and CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti attempts to answer some of them in his new book about the Palisades Fire — and names a motive for a quick rebuild: the Olympic games coming to Los Angeles in 2028. His book is titled “Torched: How a City Was Left to Burn, and the Olympic Rush to Rebuild L.A”

GUEST: CBS News Correspondent & Author of "Torched," Jonathan Vigliotti

Excerpt of "Torched: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/book-excerpt-torched-by-jonathan-vigliotti-pacific-palisades-altadena/.

Find the Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Torched/Jonathan-Vigliotti/9781668219034.

Op-Ed: L.A. is rebuilding for the Olympics, not the next fire: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2026-02-11/la-fires-rebuild-for-olympics