Advertise on podcast: Rising from the Ashes

The series closes with the voice of Nataly’s late father, Carlo, whose love, artistry, and spirit still echoed through the home he built. As the family returns to the ashes, small survivors, a palm tree, a ring, become symbols of enduring love and legacy. Through memories, laughter, grief, and resolve, this episode explores what it means to rebuild not just a house, but a sense of home, honoring a father whose presence is still deeply felt.

After the flames are gone, a new crisis begins. This episode pulls back the curtain on the invisible aftermath of disaster; the paperwork, permits, insurance battles, and endless waiting that stall recovery. Through conversations with her brother, Nataly explores why rebuilding takes so long and how resilience is tested long after the headlines fade.

In this episode, Nataly confronts what happens when professional distance disappears and grief becomes public. As media attention intensifies, she reflects on the emotional toll of telling her story again and again, and how reporting became both a survival mechanism and a container for pain she didn’t yet know how to carry.

In the first episode of Rising from the Ashes, KNX News reporter Nataly Tavidian recounts the day Southern California’s wildfires stopped being a story she was covering - and became the one she was living. While reporting on the Palisades Fire, Nataly was sent to cover a new blaze threatening Pasadena and Altadena: the neighborhood where she grew up and the home her parents built after immigrating to the U.S. As evacuation orders spread, she rushed home while still on the air, trying to reach her family and rescue what mattered most. The episode captures the collision between professional duty and personal loss, as Nataly and her brother returned to their property under extreme conditions, salvaging family photo albums and home videos while unsure if they would ever see the house again. Episode 1 sets the foundation for the six-part series, exploring survival mode, adrenaline, and the moment a reporter becomes part of the disaster she is documenting - marking the beginning of a year-long journey through grief, recovery, and rebuilding.

Episode two picks up in the quiet aftermath of the fire, when the adrenaline fades and reality sets in. Nataly Tavidian reflects on the moment she learned her family home was gone—a phone call from a close colleague/TV reporter who was reporting live from the property. The episode centers on the shock of seeing what remains for the first time and the emotional weight of hearing devastating news from someone who knew the house, the family, and its history. Through archival audio and a year-later one-on-one conversation with her friend, the episode explores how grief shows up in unexpected ways, even for journalists trained to stay composed. Episode 2 examines the human side of disaster reporting, the role of compassion in moments of loss, and the difficult transition from breaking news to personal reckoning.

Episode three turns inward, focusing on family, memory, and the long road toward rebuilding. Through conversations with her mother at the property site, Nataly captures the emotional complexity of losing not just a house, but a home built over decades - and the life that existed inside it. The episode highlights the generational impact of loss, the challenge of accepting a “new beginning,” and the strength required to move forward without erasing the past. It also introduces moments of unexpected hope, including community support and symbolic items recovered from the rubble that helped the family keep going. Episode 3 explores how grief can isolate - and how family and community help restore a sense of grounding when everything familiar is gone.

Exactly one month ago, the worlds of several thousand LA County residents were turned upside down ... when violent winds stoked massive fires that left a trail of unprecedented destruction. Tonight we will bring you the survival stories of six people who lost everything during the January 7th fires ... three residents of the Pacific Palisades, and three residents of Altadena. We'll ask about processing and overcoming the trauma, about their dealings with insurance companies and the government ... and ask about the next stages of recovering, and rebuilding. The only voices you'll hear tonight, aside from Charles & Margaret, are from the survivors. No politicians, no officials, no analysts ... just the people who lost it all, but have come out the other end still standing ... still fighting.

This is a story about historic fires, survival, and what promises to be monumental efforts to rebuild and flourish in an often hostile environment where danger lurks with every gust of wind. In short, it is a story about ourselves. As tens of thousands of L.A. County residents spent the last two weeks trying to stay alive and keep their homes from burning to the ground, there was little time to think about how these fires will change the complexion of our region. But as the flames die down and we all absorb the staggering losses of people and property, our focus shifts to picking up the pieces and choosing the best path forward. In a KNX News special, we look back at how the fires ripped through communities and the destruction left in their wakes ... and we look forward to the immensely complicated questions about recovery and rebuilding.

We dive into the brewing Republican civil war over whether businesses should be hiring foreign workers over American workers. Then we look back at four years ago today--January 6th, 2021--and whether President-elect Trump and the MAGA movement actually won that day.

We talk with two top constitutional experts about concern from some Democrats that Republicans could force a Constitutional Convention

32 days to go before Donald Trump takes over as President of the United States ... although considering how the last couple of days have gone, one would be forgiven thinking he's already moved into the White House! Thanks for counting down with us ... on today's Countdown 2025: We'll examine the chaos unfolding in Congress ... where the government is set to close down tomorrow night and Republicans can't decide if it's Donald Trump, Mike Johnson or Elon Musk in charge. We'll be talking with a Republican member of Congress to ask what comes next. Speaking of Musk ... we'll also take a closer look at the tech billionaires who once despised Trump, but have decided to butter him up this second time around.

33 days to go before Joe Biden departs the White House ... and Donald Trump moves in for a second run at America's top job. Thank you for counting down the days with us. On today's Countdown 2024: Donald Trump and his allies have perfected the art of intimidation through lawsuits ... and even before his second term has begun, the president-elect is already seeing the results of defamation threats. We'll ask whether journalists and critics will be forced to cower. And, even though it's technically guaranteed in the constitution ... should the Postal Service be handed over to private ownership?

34 days to go in the Trump transition ... thank you for counting down the days with us. On today's Countdown 2024: Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson is with us to preview the strategy for resisting Donald Trump ... a second time around. And we get a preview into the Trump administration's immigration policy playbook from the people who helped to write it at the Heritage Foundation.

35 days to go before Donald Trump is sworn back into the office of the presidency ... thank you for counting down these transition days with us. On today's show: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would bring all kinds of baggage with him to Health and Human Services, if he's confirmed as the department's next secretary ... but the biggest worry with Kennedy is his history of anti-vaccine advocacy. So we'll hear from an FDA advisor who is hoping that Kennedy doesn't come anywhere close to vaccine policy. And ... can the Trump administration derail California's controversial high speed rail project for good?

38 days to go in the Trump transition ... thank you for counting down the days with us. On today's show: we're getting the other side of the passionate debate over gender-affirming care for transgender youth, an issue that will likely be front-and-center during the next four years. And ... ? why is the Trump administration seriously considering axing several of the nation's banking regulatory agencies?