California’s New ‘Reproductive Loss’ Law (And Other Headlines)

Beginning Jan. 2024, California workers will be guaranteed five days off after a miscarriage, stillbirth, and other types of “reproductive loss” under legislation Gov. Gavin Newsom signed earlier this month.

California law offers parents new bereavement leave

Current state law allows for five days of bereavement leave in the event of the death of a family member, such as a child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or domestic partner.

What is considered a “reproductive loss”? The category includes: failed adoption, failed surrogacies, and failed assisted reproductions, and the law extends to spouses and domestic partners.

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My colleague Elly Yu also talked to Cynthia Swaminathan, an Irvine mother and attorney who lost her daughter Nina, who was stillborn in 2020. Read the full story here.

Stay safe and cool, L.A. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

• About 700 healthcare workers at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank walked off the job on Monday. The strike is expected to last five days.
• A new California law aims to close loopholes that have allowed oil drillers to walk away from wells that are no longer profitable but remain harmful.
• The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a lower court decision that barred White House officials and a broad array of other government employees at key agencies from contact with social media companies.
• In the weeks following Hamas’ attack in Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel’s declaration of war, many Angelenos with ties to the region are suffering with what they are seeing and hearing from the Middle East. These ripples of devastation felt by all can be defined as something called "collective trauma," or the psychological reactions to an event that affects an entire society. Here's how to cope.
• The Food and Drug Administration is proposing a ban on using the chemical formaldehyde as an ingredient in hair relaxers, citing its link to cancer and other long-term adverse health effects.
  

Wait... one more thing

Ghost stories and events spooktacular

Upcoming Spooked from Snap Judgment event

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Boo! I’m back from vacation, but my brain is still in Halloween mode. And nothing screams spooky season quite like scary stories. We want to hear your supernatural L.A. ghost story, whether it’s a friendly encounter or a not-so-nice one. And no, ghosting of the dating app kind doesn’t count. Submit your story here and we may contact you to use it in a future How to LA episode!

And here are three spooky events happening this week. Not in a Halloween mood? Here’s a full list of things to do this week.

• Be afraid: The hit podcast Spooked comes to Los Angeles as host Glynn Washington and guests celebrate All Hallows' Eve with a night of Snap Judgment LIVE storytelling magic this Thursday. Get your tickets here. Check out all of our upcoming LAist events here. 
• Mes de los Muertos: Calaca Mamas Cantina, Anaheim's Day of the Dead-themed restaurant, celebrates the holiday all month long with a Mes de los Muertos menu. Available now through Nov. 2.

Hollywood's Greatest Monster Maker: Jack Pierce was the legendary makeup department head at Universal Pictures from 1928 to 1947, responsible for some of cinema history's most memorable screen characters, including Frankenstein's Monster, The Mummy, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man and The Phantom of the Opera. Learn more about Pierce's work and legacy in a multimedia presentation at the Hollywood Heritage Museum.