Misoprostol is used as the second step in a medication abortion.
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Robyn Beck
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
California amassed a stockpile of an abortion drug last year after court rulings threatened availability of another medication used to terminate pregnancies. Now, the state is working to distribute the medication before it expires.
The backstory: Last spring, California authorities bought 250,000 misoprostol pills for about $100,000, a move the Governor’s Office said would continue to enable access to medication abortions in California in case the other key drug was restricted by the courts.
What’s next? Both medications have remained available, and California’s stockpile will be in danger of expiring in over a year. This week, all 250,000 pills were shipped to providers.
What’s happening in the courts? In March, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case that could restrict another drug used for medication abortions, putting more pressure on California’s stockpile.
A high-stakes legal battle last year over a widely used abortion pill prompted California to stockpile one of two drugs used in medication abortions.
Last April, state leaders bought more than 250,000 pills of misoprostol. The Governor’s Office said creating the reserve would continue to enable access to medication abortions in California in case the other key drug was restricted by the courts.
But now, with about a year left on its shelf life, California’s stockpile of misoprostol needs to be used before it expires.
That’s why state health officials expedited distribution of the medication, shipping them to California providers this week. Some may go to California’s 33 public university health clinics, which are required by state law to provide medication abortions to students. A recent LAist investigation found that over the past year, many of the state’s public universities had failed to let students know the service was available.
The state estimates the stockpile is enough for about 12,000 doses. The move will help stock shelves before supply could tighten this spring, when the U.S. Supreme Court reenters the abortion debate.
The court sided with anti-abortion rights groups that sued the Food and Drug Administration over its approval of the abortion pill, mifepristone. The judge issued a ruling that would invalidate the drug's approval nationwide. However, a district judge in Washington state issued a contrary ruling on the same day, preserving access to the pills in certain states.
The legal back and forth put medication abortion in the national spotlight, and blue state governors, including Newsom, announced they would stockpile pills in anticipation of further restrictions as the case escalated to a federal appeals court.
Expecting demand to soar, California providers said they’d switch to misoprostol-only abortions. Usually, medication abortions consist of a two-drug protocol used to end pregnancies in the first trimester but misoprostol can be used on its own — a method data show is slightly less effective at terminating a pregnancy than the combination regimen.
The Governor’s Office said the stockpile of misoprostol was aimed at “ensure[ing] that California remains a safe haven for safe, affordable, and accessible reproductive care.”
Misoprostol can be used on its own to terminate a pregnancy, but the method is slightly less effective. The combination regimen is considered the gold standard by health providers.
The side effects of a misoprostol-only abortion — fever, cramping and bleeding — can be worse with the single pill. And this method typically requires a follow-up appointment with a doctor.
Mifepristone stayed on the market after the U.S. Supreme Court put the lower court rulings on hold. Because the preferred two-drug regime remained available, the state’s stockpile of misoprostol sat virtually unused. Now, the countdown is on to distribute the pills before their two-year shelf life runs out.
Rather than let the medication expire in about a year, California health officials ramped up distribution to providers, including health clinics in the California State University and University of California systems, prioritizing “providers that confirm an ability to distribute the supply quickly to those who need it,” according to the Governor’s Office.
Who will get the stockpiled drug?
Ray Murillo, assistant vice chancellor of student affairs for the Cal State University system, said some of the campus student health clinics will likely receive some of the free misoprostol from the stockpile. The savings will be passed on to students.
“That will contribute to some campuses being able to offer the medication for free,” Murillo said.
California requires all 33 public university campus clinics to provide medication abortions to students who want them.
Even though the providers can get the medication for free, patients can still be charged.
The Governor’s Office says the stockpile can be replenished if needed. The state can procure “up to 2 million pills” of misoprostol at a “low price” from the manufacturer.
New York also stockpiled the pills, while Massachusetts and Washington state chose to stockpile mifepristone, the drug at the center of the legal battle.
Elly Yu
reports on early childhood. From housing to health, she covers issues facing the youngest Angelenos and their families.
Published January 26, 2026 5:00 AM
At least 280 childcare facilities were destroyed or damaged in the Palisades and Eaton fires.
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Libby Rainey
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LAist
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Topline:
Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing $11. 5 million in next year’s budget to help rebuild child care centers affected by the fires last January.
The backstory: At least 40 childcare facilities were destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires, and more than 200 were damaged. Providers have struggled to reopen, even a year later, especially those who ran their businesses out of their homes that then burned down. They have called on the state for assistance. Some providers did receive payments from the state for 30 days after the L.A. fires, after which point the governor’s office directed them to an unemployment phone line.
“We fought hard to win this funding and will continue to advocate for policies and funding that ensure the state is better prepared to support providers and families in the immediate aftermath of future disasters,” said Claudia Alvarado, a child care provider with the union Child Care Providers United.
What’s next: Lawmakers have until June 15 to agree on and pass the state’s budget.
This week, check out Cat Video Fest, Grammy Week, a Bridgerton ice cream social, Katherine Ryan at the Wilshire Ebell and more.
Highlights:
The L.A. Central Library is turning 100 this year, with a number of events celebrating 100 years of learning. The kickoff includes the unveiling of a time capsule that was placed in the building’s cornerstone during its original construction in 1926.
Part Dear Abby, part Joan Rivers, Katherine Ryan is touring with her new special, Battleaxe.
Storied L.A. cocktail bar The Varnish closed in 2024, but you can step back behind the bar with one of its legendary mixologists, Sari Asher. This class will teach you the secrets behind three classics and provide a chance to relive the Varnish magic.
From the Upper Valley in the Foothills at Marta in Los Feliz centers on wood. The exhibit is sponsored by Angel City Lumber, a “unique lumber mill that specializes in sourcing downed trees from around L.A. County for use in community projects,” and each artist chose a section of wood that was cleared from Altadena. The invitation called upon artists to “examine the regenerative potential of a single, fundamental material” and includes works from furniture to sculpture and more.
While the rest of the country battles a real season with snow and freezing temps, we are deep into awards season, with Oscar noms already out and the Grammys coming up next weekend.
Since it’s Grammy Week, I’ll let our Licorice Pizza expert Lyndsey Parker give the lowdown for all the best music events:
Pull all the strings you can to get into the VIP parties and events around town, but there’s plenty of great tunes even for those without red carpet status. On Monday, everyone’s favorite indie-rock comic Fred Armisen is back at Largo, while Texas rockers Nothing More will take over the Belasco on Tuesday. On Wednesday, singer-songwriters Madison Cunningham and Mike Viola play the Bellwether, folk buzz band Lavender Diamond is at 2220 Arts + Archives and bluegrass star Molly Tuttle is at the Grammy Museum. On Thursday, Cannons play the Fonda, Lindsey Troy of Deap Vally is at Bardot for “It’s A School Night,” Inara George is at Zebulon, Grace Bowers plays the Troubadour, Robert Glasper plays the Blue Note and perhaps most exciting of all, Lizzie McGuire herself, Hilary Duff, makes her comeback at the Wiltern.
Thursday, January 29, 11 a.m. Mark Taper Auditorium L.A. Central Library 650 W. 5th Street, Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Downtown L.A.'s Central Library.
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Wikimedia Commons
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The L.A. Central Library is a gem in our fair city — it hosts incredible author events and artists residencies; has a dedicated teen area and a museum; and is an architectural icon. There’s an entire prize-winning book about the 1986 fire that ripped through it (one of my favorite books ever, highly recommend). And the library is turning 100 this year, with a number of events celebrating 100 years of learning. The kickoff includes the unveiling of a time capsule that was placed in the building’s cornerstone during its original construction in 1926.
Bridgerton Ice Cream Social
Thursday, January 29, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams 1954 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Dearest Reader, Cool down from the steamy launch of Bridgerton season 4 with a cool Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams social. The afternoon includes a performance from Vitamin String Quartet (who do those cool orchestral covers of pop songs in the show) and free scoops of the new Queen Charlotte Sponge Cake flavor.
Remember the Varnish: Cocktail intensive
Monday, January 26, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. TalkTales Entertainment 555 N. Spring Street, Suite 106, Downtown L.A. COST: $85; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Talk Tales
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Storied L.A. cocktail bar The Varnish closed in 2024 (and if you, like me, frequented it in its mid-aughts heyday, it might be time for your first colonoscopy), but you can step back behind the bar with one of its legendary mixologists, Sari Grossman, who created balanced concoctions there for eight years. This class will teach you the secrets behind three classics and provide a chance to relive the Varnish magic.
From the Upper Valley in the Foothills
Through January 31 (open Wednesday to Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.) Marta 3021 Rowena Ave., Los Feliz COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Ryan Belli
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Marta
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The concept for this group show in Los Feliz centers on an element that came into singular focus following last year’s devastating Palisades and Eaton fires: wood. The exhibit is sponsored by Angel City Lumber, a “unique lumber mill that specializes in sourcing downed trees from around L.A. County for use in community projects,” and each artist chose a section of wood that was cleared from Altadena. The invitation called upon artists to “examine the regenerative potential of a single, fundamental material” and includes works from furniture to sculpture and more.
Katherine Ryan: Battleaxe
Thursday, January 29, 7 p.m. Wilshire Ebell Theatre 4401 W. 8th Street, Mid-Wilshire COST: FROM $30; MORE INFO
Full disclosure, if there’s one podcast I keep up with, it’s Katherine Ryan’s Telling Everybody Everything. Part Dear Abby, part Joan Rivers, Ryan is relatable even when she’s not. Always a little too honest, she spills about raising a family, the ups and downs of a comedy career and all the guilty pleasure celeb news you’re afraid to admit you read. The Canadian comic has been living in the UK since she was in her 20s and has a unique take on England that’s more Real Housewives than Bill Bryson. She’s touring with her new special, Battleaxe.
Transgresoras: Artists Giana De Dier and Marilyn Boror Bor with Elena Shtromberg Tuesday, January 27, 1 p.m. California Museum of Photography, UC Riverside 3824 Main Street, Riverside COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Latina women artists used the postal service starting in the 1960s to circulate their artworks and avoid censorship. Now, that work is being shown to the public in a new exhibit at UC Riverside’s California Museum of Photography. On Tuesday, there’s a free online talk with artists Giana De Dier and Marilyn Boror Bor, both featured in the exhibition, moderated by the exhibition’s co-curator Elena Shtromberg. The discussion will explore “both artists’ interventions in narratives around public space in Panama and Guatemala within the context of their broader artistic practice.” You can stream the talk for free; it will take place in Spanish with live audio translation. The show is on at the museum until February 15.
NHM Movie Night: Cat Video Fest Thursday, January 29, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Natural History Museum’s NHM Commons Theater 900 Exposition Blvd., Expo Park COST: $20; MORE INFO
Regular readers of this column know I can’t pass up a good cat event, and this one at the Natural History Museum might be the, um, lion of them all. The CatVideo Fest features 75 minutes of curated cat videos, plus the entire evening is cat-centric, with an opportunity to walk through the lauded Fierce Cats exhibit, check out local cat-friendly vendors and meet with museum educators.
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Demonstrators gather in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night over the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota.
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Jordan Rynnin
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LAist
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Topline:
Demonstrations are planned by several different local groups in SoCal today over the fatal shooting of a man by federal agents in Minnesota on Saturday morning
Read on to learn more.
Several local groups in SoCal have planned demonstrations today over the fatal shooting of a man by federal agents in Minnesota on Saturday morning.
A Kaiser Permanente employee works on a computer at Kaiser Permanente Medical Office in Manhattan Beach, California.
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Etienne Laurent
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
Some 31,000 nurses and healthcare workers employed by Kaiser Permanente will begin an open-ended strike in California and Hawaii on Monday.
Why it matters: California has the largest share of picketing Kaiser workers, with about 28,000 employees.
Why now: The health system and the union representing Kaiser workers — United Nurses Associations of California & the Union of Health Care Professionals — have been negotiating for a new labor contract for months.
Some 31,000 nurses, pharmacists and healthcare workers employed by Kaiser Permanente will begin an open-ended strike tomorrow in California and Hawaii, with 28,000 of those workers in California alone.
The health system and the union representing Kaiser workers — United Nurses Associations of California & the Union of Health Care Professionals — have been negotiating for a new labor contract for months. Core bargaining issues include wages for nurses, understaffing and retirement benefits.
"Staffing's been a big problem, wages, working conditions ... and that's just to name a few," said Peter Sidhu, Executive Vice President of UNAC/UCHP. "We will have the largest open-ended healthcare strike in U.S. history."
Picketing is slated to begin at 12 local Kaiser medical facilities in the following communities: Anaheim, Baldwin Park, Downey, Fontana, Irvine, Los Angeles, Ontario, Riverside, Harbor City, Panorama City, West Los Angeles and Woodland Hills.
Kaiser said in a statement that their hospitals and medical offices will stay open during the strikes, but some pharmacies will close.
