Lindsay William-Ross

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor has ordered that Dr. Conrad Murray, personal physician to Michael Jackson, stand trial for involuntary manslaughter in the death of his famed client, according to E! Online. Pastor "also ordered that Murray's medical license be suspended, effective immediately," saying he believes Murray's continued medical practice "does pose an imminent danger to the state of California." Much of the controversy surrounds Murray's use of propofol, and his failure...

Edward Furlong was arrested at the order of a judge yesterday while the actor was in court to discuss a three-year restraining order taken out on him by his estranged wife, Rachael Kneeland, according to the Daily News. The 33-year-old, who was just at the premiere of his new film "Green Hornet" on Monday, was in violation of a court order that stipulated he needed to stay 100 yards away from Kneeland. The couple...

Smokers, and smoking supporters, put a big red circle on your calendar on March 8th, because that's the first day of enforcement for a ban on smoking on outdoor eating areas in the City of Los Angeles. The motion, first introduced in 2008 by Councilman Greig Smith, and seconded by Tom LaBonge, will see to it there will be no second hand smoke with your meal on outdoor patios of establishments where food is served.

Our warming trend isn't immune to an impact from East Coast blizzards today, as a few airlines servicing Los Angeles International Airport have had to cancel or delay flights to destinations on the other side of the country where the snow has descended in full force. Airports affected include New York's Kennedy, New Jersey's Newark and Boston's Logan, according to CBS2.

Photo by R.E.˜ via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr This is a pretty big heads up, but it involves one of our favorite events: A warm-weather meets impromptu "block" party mixed with fun food-venture and the chance to shop from local farmers and vendors. Yamashiro has announced a return date for their seasonal farmers market. Held weekly on Thursday nights up on the hill by the decades-old historic restaurant, the market is...

A 50-year-old Rancho Cucamonga man was shot and killed overnight as he sat in a parked car on a residential street, says KTLA. Jesus Calderon was found "slumped over his front wheel," when officers arrived in response to calls reporting multiple gunshots. Calderon died at a nearby hospital. Sheriff's investigators say they "aren't sure if the shots came from another vehicle or someone on foot," and do not have a suspect or motive yet....

It's a rat's life these days at Los Angeles' City Hall, where the four-legged furred foes are scurrying about a bit more than usual, according to the Daily News. Officials note that this isn't an increase in rat population, but rather their presence seems to be more felt because of weather and sanitation issues.

A 1992 TMC RTS runs on eastbound Line 20 along Wilshire Boulevard, February 2008. (Photo by LA Wad via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr) The next time you're waiting for a Metro bus, take a deep breath, and know that we will soon have an all clean-air vehicle fleet of buses. On Wednesday, Metro will ceremoniously haul off and "retire" the last diesel bus in their fleet, which now contains 2,221 compressed...

On Sunday morning, authorities called to a residence in the 25200 block of Petroleum Avenue in Harbor City discovered the bodies of two women, 56-year-old Bich Loan Truong, and her 27-year-old daughter, Lisa Truong Nguyen. Just over an hour later, the crime's perpetrator, the husband and father to the victims, 60-year-old Bach Xuan Nguyen, jumped to his death from the roof of an eleven story building in the 300 block of South Mesa Street in San Pedro.

The driver responsible for a fatal hit-and-run that happened Friday night in North Hollywood was arrested early Saturday morning when he returned to the scene of the crime. The LAPD say 21-year-old Adrian Diamond of Stevenson Ranch struck 76-year-old Earl Biggs of North Hollywood as he crossed Sherman Way at Coldwater Canyon. Diamond fled the scene, but came back at 2 a.m. and was taken into custody, and booked for felony hit-and-run. If Diamond...

In tonight's TGIF Extra, Extra we've got people without pants, a big oops at Cal State LA, Umami burgers for (almost) everyone, and more news bites of the day. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

If you're headed in or out of Van Nuys tonight by car, let the driver beware: The Los Angeles Police Department have announced a sobriety checkpoint to be conducted tonight. The checkpoint will run from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Roscoe Boulevard between Woodley Avenue and Haskell Avenue. Officers will be checking drivers for proper licensing, as well as for signs of alcohol and or drug impairments. This checkpoint is part of the...