The doctor is out: Conrad Murray gets shortened term

The doctor convicted of killing Michael Jackson walked out of an L.A. jail this morning after serving just about half of his four-year sentence. Conrad Murray managed to elude a crowd of reporters and angry Jackson fans. The 60-year-old caused Jackson’s death by providing the pop star with an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol. Murray says he wants to work as a doctor again, but his license has been suspended or revoked in three states, including California…The L.A. City Council will take up a motion this week that would boost the value of gifts that lawmakers can get from individuals and companies with business before the council. Council President Herb Wesson wants to raise the limit to $150, from the current $100. That goes against a recommendation from the City Ethics Commission, which says the gifts erode public confidence in local government…A woman convicted of killing her pimp when she was a teenager has won parole as a result of a new state law that her case helped inspire. The law allows people convicted of life in prison as minors a new chance at freedom. Sara Kruzan, who is now 35, was 16 when she shot the man she says sexually abused her for years…The L.A. Sheriff’s Department has quietly dropped a program that allowed some county inmates to serve out their sentences at home wearing electronic monitors. The problem was that some inmates were claiming to be homeless to avoid the program: The reason: they figured it would be better to serve a portion of their sentences in jail – where early releases are common – instead of serving their entire sentences at home…The Page Museum is offering free admission today to celebrate 100 years of digging at the La Brea Tar Pits, perhaps the most famous patch of ooze on the planet. About 5.5 million bones have been recovered from the tar pits, the richest collection of Ice Age fossils anywhere. Among other creatures, the tar pits have given up the remains of mastodons, saber tooth cats, dire wolves and ancient camels…And finally, interviews with President Barack Obama and Senator Ted Cruz will highlight  today’s launch of the Fusion Channel, a new cable network from ABC and Spanish-language media company Univision. Fusion is in English but it aims to tap into the burgeoning Latino population in the U.S, especially so-called “millennia” viewers between 18 and 34. The programming is described as a mix of news, satire and pop culture.