Newsletter: Today: End-of-Life Decision. Made, and Bankrupt, in USA.

I'm Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times. Gov. Brown signs an "end of life" bill into law; and American Apparel faces more tough times. Here are some story lines I don't want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

End-of-Life Decision

"In the end, I was left to reflect on what I would want in the face of my own death." Gov. Jerry Brown wrote those words and more in a statement explaining why he signed a measure allowing doctors to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to terminally ill patients who want to end their own lives. The governor, who is 77 and has had brushes with cancer, consulted with two of his own doctors, a Catholic bishop and advocates for the disabled. Here's how the law will work.

Made, and Bankrupt, in USA

It was once at the forefront of fashion's made-in-USA movement. Its racy ads provoke. After years of turmoil, American Apparel has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Even if the restructuring is approved, the L.A.-based company isn't out of the woods. One analyst's blunt assessment: "They need to find a way to get relevant again." 

'The Abyss of the Valley'

Unsafe water. Power outages. Crumbling trailers. These neighborhoods were never designed to be permanent. But for thousands of farmworkers in the Coachella Valley, unpermitted mobile home parks are a way of life. County officials and some nonprofits are trying to help, but it's costly. "It's like the abyss of the Valley," says one advocate. "We get left out of the California dream."

FYI: The TPP

We won't know all the details right away, but the Trans-Pacific Partnership is the biggest regional trade deal ever reached. The TPP would eliminate duties on countless goods and create uniform rules for business among 12 nations. It's also designed to counter China in establishing a vision for the Asia-Pacific area. Here are the potential winners and losers if Congress OKs it -- and why that approval is not a given.

More Kunduz Questions

Why was a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan bombed? The U.S. military revised its account Monday, saying Afghan forces, not American advisors, initiated the request for a U.S. airstrike. So far, that's only raising more questions. Plus: War crimes prosecution for hospital bombings has been historically rare. 

CALIFORNIA

-- A new study of rail transit stations gives the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority a C rating. 

-- The city of Los Angeles is facing a lawsuit over the demolition of a San Fernando Valley house that Marilyn Monroe once lived in.

-- Will Californians get to vote on corporate political spending? 

-- Rabbi Jacob Pressman, a longtime leader of the L.A. Jewish community, has died at 95. 

NATION-WORLD

-- Super PACs are acting more aggressive.

-- How Kevin McCarthy could lose the race for Speaker of the House. 

-- Russia admits violating Turkish airspace; NATO says it happened twice. 

-- South Carolina is hit with deadly flooding. Plus: Does a 1,000-year storm really happen every 1,000 years?

-- Wildlife bounces back near the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. 

BUSINESS 

-- Disneyland fans are unhappy about the annual pass price increase. And Walt Disney Co. is looking at dynamic pricing as a way to control attendance at its theme parks.

--  Lionsgate studio and Starz movie channel are in advanced merger talks, according to sources.

-- General Mills issues a massive Cheerios recall because some of its gluten-free labeled products may contain wheat.

-- Your next boss: a computer algorithm?

SPORTS

-- What to expect when the NFL owners this week discuss the prospects of a return to L.A. 

-- Bill Plaschke's Wakeup Call video: Can UCLA football bounce back from its loss to Arizona State?

ENTERTAINMENT

-- The Times' weary pop music staff recounts the highs (and lows) of a season's worth of festivals. 

-- Review: "Appropriate" is epic drama, written by one of American theater's rising stars. 

-- After seeing "New Objectivity" at LACMA, "you may need a stiff drink and a soft chair."

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- How a five-minute phone call put a 9/11 trial on hold for more than a year. (Reuters)

-- Extreme commuting: Some people work half the week in far-off countries, rather than relocate. (The Atlantic)

-- The U.S. Army's green service uniform has been phased out. (Army Times)

-- Forget the club: New York partyers go on juice bar crawls. (New York Post)

ONLY IN L.A.

A French bulldog chasing bears? It could have ended badly. Instead, Jules -- weighing in at 20 pounds -- scared off three of them from her owners' Monrovia property. It was caught on video, naturally. Proof that it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.