Netflix's New Parental Leave Policy, Making L.A.: Public Spaces

Netflix has a new parental leave policy that’s generous even by cushy Silicon Valley standards. New moms and dads at the streaming video service now get up to a year of unlimited, paid time off. Most American workers get only three months of unpaid family leave. Is Netflix leading the way to better work-life balance, or can unlimited time off backfire?

Then, the L.A. County jails have been full of mentally ill inmates for years. Conditions are deplorable and a rash of suicides in recent years prompted a Department of Justice investigation. This morning, the DOJ and the Sheriff’s Department announced a new deal for increased federal oversight in county jails.

And the L.A. city council voted unanimously yesterday to impose stricter regulations on gun owners. In an attempt to make it harder for kids to get their hands on guns, firearms will now have to be under lock and key or disabled with a trigger lock when out of reach of the owner.

Next, public spaces can make or break a city. They’re escapes from the relentless urban pace and help turn neighborhoods into communities. But aside from the beach, Los Angeles has never been known for great public spaces.

Finally, now that Boston dropped out of the running to host the 2024 Summer Games, the baton could be handed off to Los Angeles. What made the 1984 games such a success?