Home Care In El Segundo, CA

Mattel, the toymaker behind Barbie and Hot Wheels, is laying off 89 workers at the company’s El Segundo headquarters as part of a restructuring of its global brands team.

Karen Ancira, Mattel’s executive vice president and chief people officer, wrote in a Nov. 13, 2025, letter filed with the state’s Employment Development Department that the toymaker would begin the layoffs Jan. 12, 2026.

“We greatly value the contributions of all our employees and do not take any action regarding our workforce lightly,” Ancira said.

Ancira made the filing as part of the EDD’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification process. A WARN notice is required when an employer lays off more than 50 employees or a significant percentage of its staff.

The permanent job losses are part of a cost-cutting effort the company began last year focused on growing Mattel’s profits, and bracing for the potential effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on global imports.

The company set a target of $200 million in cost savings by the end of 2026.

A Mattel spokesperson told the Southern California News Group that the layoffs were on its “global brands team” and follow an announcement within its brand organization leadership and new approach toward “marketing integration.”

The spokesperson said the “new brand-centric organizational structure and operating model will help Mattel best leverage capabilities and resources to enhance its brand management strategy and drive its next phase of growth.”

In September, Mattel announced a leadership team to accelerate growth in its entertainment business, including newly created positions for global head of dolls (Barbie and American Girl) and global head of vehicles (Hot Wheels) and building sets (Mattel Brick Shop).

Roberto Stanichi, a 20-year Mattel veteran with experience running Mattel categories in infant, toddler and preschool, action figures, building sets, games and vehicles, was promoted to the newly created position of executive vice president and chief global brand officer to lead the new organization.

In March, Mattel laid off 120 workers in various roles, including marketing, design and information technology. Some employees held positions as managers, directors or vice presidents.

In the latest round of layoffs, affected workers include positions in brand marketing and designing, franchise marketing and product designers, video creative developers, and senior managers and vice presidents.

Flexible workspace solutions provider Premier Workspaces recently announced the opening of its new coworking space in Los Angeles. The highly amenitized hub is strategically located on the Rosecrans Corridor within easy reach of Los Angeles airport, Manhattan Beach and Interstate 405.

The new flexible office location welcomes members at The Atrium at Continental Park in Suite 5200 in El Segundo, Calif. Offering a mix of contemporary executive suites and coworking hub, the space includes private offices, team suites, meeting rooms, and shared workspaces designed to meet the diverse needs of startups, established enterprises and remote professionals.

“Today’s companies need real estate that moves at the speed of their business,” said Michael Pollack, senior vice president of real estate at Premier Workspaces. “This location provides the flexibility and polish that helps teams attract talent and impress clients.”

A professional presence at The Atrium ensures that members make a premium first impression due to the property design and amenities, as well as its location on the Rosecrans Corridor, which is home to leading firms in technology, aerospace, media and professional services.

Notably, The Atrium at Continental Park stands out for its indoor-outdoor design; abundant natural light; and convenient proximity to top dining, retail and fitness establishments. Premium Workspace builds on that strong amenity base by adding thoughtfully curated interiors, concierge-style service and enterprise-grade technology.

Membership and access options here include: Fully furnished private offices and team suites ready to accommodate either individuals or teams; bookable meeting spaces equipped with flat-screen TVs, whiteboards and on-site support; on-demand day offices by the hour, for the day or for the week; and virtual office plans that provide a professional business address, mail handling and on-demand access to meeting rooms.

The location offers easy access to and from the I?405 and I?105; on-site parking; and dining and retail within walking distance. In addition, other amenities include: 24/7 access with secure entry; an on-site hospitality team; reception services; print, scan and copy service; enterprise Wi?Fi and wired connectivity; a premium coffee and tea bar; and lounge areas.

“We’re thrilled to expand in the South Bay and bring a modern, hospitality-forward workspace to Continental Park,” said Amy Fuller, president of Premier Workspaces. “This location offers a polished, plug-and-play environment with the flexibility businesses need to scale — plus a neighborhood amenity set that’s hard to beat.”

Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort has been lighting up the bay for more than three decades, and this year the display includes 50 floating holiday trees and decorations that reflect off the water in a magical way. The lights come on daily at dusk and you can view them for free, along with fire dancing shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. and visits with Santa every Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m., but of course there are opportunities to spend money too, such as s’more making ingredients at the resort’s on-site store, which can be used in the public fire pits (first come, first served), rides on giant inflatables ($6 for single rides, $16 for unlimited access), and multiple food trucks on Thursday and Friday evenings.

Dates: Nov. 28 through Jan. 4

Hours: The floating trees in the bay are illuminated at dusk. The other activities are open from 4 to 9 p.m.

Admission: Free, but on-site parking is $15 to $30, depending on how long you stay.

Santa Barbara Zoo has added new characters this year to its holiday display of thousands of silk-covered lanterns in the form of animals and exotic plants, including giant butterflies, peacocks and creatures from the African plains and Australian Outback.

Dates: Through Jan. 11.

Hours: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m daily, except Nov. 27, Dec. 1, 2, 8, 11, 15, 18, 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1 and 7.

Admission: Prices range from $20 to $34 depending on ages and dates. Members save $2 per ticket. On-site parking is $11 (free for zoo members).

Residents of the Seaside Ranchos neighborhood of Torrance, otherwise known as Sleepy Hollow, have been working together to create elaborate residential holiday light displays since 1984. This is an all-volunteer effort. No one is required to participate, but the displays involve about 300 houses and bring in thousands of visitors every year. The city of Torrance puts out cans to collect trash and restricts street parking to only one side of the road for emergency vehicles.

There are no public restrooms, and visitors are asked to stay out of people’s yards. Walkers are welcome if they park elsewhere, but if you drive, expect long waits, especially on weekends. The website includes a map of the light displays, which are largely located on Robert Road, Doris Way, Linda Drive, Carol Drive, Reese Road and Sharynne Lane. Enter from Pacific Coast Highway on Robert Road.

Dates: Specific dates have not been announced but generally, members of the neighborhood start turning on their holiday lights the weekend after Thanksgiving and turn them off for the year after Jan. 1.

Hours: 6 to 10 p.m. nightly.

Admission: Free.

The Bloc open-air shopping center debuts its Sparkle DTLA holiday light show with synchronized music and “18 million hues of light” on Dec. 6, with with face painting, glitter tattoos (temporary), a bracelet bar, visits from Santa and the Grinch, and live musical performances. After that, the holiday light show is available nightly through New Year’s Eve.

Dates: Sparkle DTLA’s grand debut is Dec. 6; holiday light show comes on nightly Dec. 7-31.

Hours: The debut event on Dec. 6 is from 5 to 7 p.m. Starting Dec. 7, the synchronized holiday light show is visible night every hour on the hour at 5 to 9 p.m.

Admission: Free.

Pasadena’s shopping district on South Lake Avenue is laced with holiday lights through Jan. 2, but the biggest celebration is on Dec. 6, with holiday music, live bands and visits from many life-sized holiday characters, including, of course, Santa Claus, who arrives at noon and is available for visits and free photos throughout the day.

Dates: Dec. 6 for the Holidayfest celebration; holiday lights stay on through Jan. 2.

Hours: Holidayfest noon to 6 p.m. (Santa arrives at noon).

Admission: Free.

This is the 49th year for Ventura Harbor’s Holiday Parade of Lights and Fireworks, a two-day event that includes a kid’s carnival, faux snowfall and live musicians starting at 4 p.m. But the main event begins with the boat parade at 6:30 p.m., when gaily-decorated boats of every shape and size slowly make two tours around the harbor. Visitors can watch for free wherever they can find a good viewing spot along the promenade or in water-facing restaurants, but note that restaurant reservations go quickly, so bundle up if you watch from outdoors.

This is a weather-dependent event — especially the fireworks — so be sure to check the website before you go.

Dates: Dec. 12-13.

Hours: The boat parade starts at 6:30 p.m. Fireworks begin at 8 p.m.

Admission: Free to watch the parade and fireworks.

The government shutdown has led to numerous flight cancellations and delays coming into and out of Southern California airports over the weekend.

Roughly 217 flights out of SoCal airports were canceled since Friday, when the Federal Aviation Administration’s flight reductions began, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Los Angeles International Airport, the region’s busiest airport, suffered the highest number of delays and cancellations in the area.

As of Monday at 5:30 a.m., 129 departing flights had been canceled out of LAX since Friday. One hundred and thirty-four arriving flights had been canceled as well. Another 110 departures and 109 arrivals were canceled at San Diego International Airport.

Comparatively, other airports throughout the country fared worse than LAX on Monday.

Just 3% of flights out of LAX were canceled Monday, compared with 8% out of New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International and 10% out of New York’s LaGuardia. Chicago O’Hare saw 11% of its outbound flights canceled.

Meanwhile, 3% of flights out of LAX experienced delays.

The cancellations and delays stem from the government shutdown, which has left air traffic controllers working without pay, leading to staffing shortages across the country.

As a result, the FAA called on airlines at 40 airports, including LAX, San Diego International Airport and Ontario International Airport in Southern California, to reduce operations by 4% Friday. They are under orders to ramp that up to 10% by next Friday.

Major carriers were downplaying the affect of the reductions, as NPR reported. A United Airlines executive told the news outlet that the airline would try to minimize the impact on customers. “If there is a silver lining here, [it’s] that we are not in peak travel period now,” David Kinzelman, a senior vice president for airport operations, told NPR.

But with no end to the government shutdown in sight, the situation is likely to worsen.

“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” said Bryan Bedford, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Experts have said that booking flights that are nonstop is best. The lack of stops reduces the chances that your flight will be delayed or canceled. Also, experts say, avoid routes that use smaller planes, as those are likely to be the first that are canceled.

Morning flights are also safer bets than afternoon or evening ones, as the crew is usually already at the airport.

Staff writer Summer Lin contributed to this article.

After a weekend storm brought downtown Los Angeles one of its wettest Novembers in decades, more rain is forecast for Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Monday’s rain will add to soils already saturated from a big storm on Friday and Saturday. By early Sunday, so much rain had already fallen in downtown L.A. that it was enough to be the wettest November on record in the last 40 years.

As of 4:30 a.m. Sunday, downtown Los Angeles reached 2.57 inches of rain for the month following intense downpours over the weekend. That brought the region to its wettest November since 1985, when 2.91 inches fell in the November of 1985.

The big rain was the result of an unusually wet weekend that saw scattered showers turning into heavy downpours on Saturday. The rain continued in scattered pockets through Sunday afternoon.

A flood advisory was in effect across the region through Sunday afternoon, with the rainstorm bringing relief from dry conditions but threatening mudslides and flooding in parts of the county that were ravaged by wildfires in January. No major damage was reported in the fire-scarred neighborhoods of Altadena and the Pacific Palisades.

The dreary weekend is expected to be followed by a gray week that will push this month’s rainfall total well past the 1985 benchmark.

Two more storms are expected to arrive in Southern California. The first is forecast to last from Monday through Tuesday, bringing light rain that will likely start midmorning on Monday. Forecasters have predicted up to another inch of rain from the storm.

Along with showers, a 10% to 20% chance of thunderstorms is possible in Southern California, with locally heavy rain in the Sana Ynez and western Ventura mountains. Snow levels in local mountains will drop with the cold front to around 4,500 feet by Tuesday, according to the weather service. But only 1 to 3 inches of snow is expected.

The second storm will likely hit in the later half of the week. The weather service expects light to moderate rain from that event, but said there was still “considerable uncertainty” over the timing and intensity of the storm.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department lifted all evacuation measures related to the rain, but residents were encouraged to drive slowly and pay attention to changing road conditions.

Malibu residents were warned Sunday to continue looking out for mudslides and debris flow, particularly in the canyons.

Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.