Covered California vastly overstated web site traffic

State officials crowed about the massive response Covered California received the first day the new healthcare exchange was up and running. Five million web site hits! But it turns out that was

more than a slight exaggeration. That actual number was more like 650,000. Covered California officials blame the faulty count on “internal miscommunication.” The web site is back up and running after being shut down for a time yesterday for upgrades…

In the end, jurors in the

civil lawsuit brought by Michael Jackson’s family against concert promoter AEG found that the drug-addicted pop star was responsible for his own death. Jackson’s family had argued that Anschutz Entertainment Group should pay up to $1.5 billion for hiring Dr. Conrad Murray to treat the ailing singer ahead of his planned “This is It” comeback tour. But the jury agreed it was Jackson himself who pushed for Murray’s hiring, and that the singer’s mother and his three children are not entitled to any compensation…

A developer is drawing up plans for a

huge residential development in downtown L.A. that would include six apartment towers and 1,500 upscale units. The L.A. Times reports the $750 million development would be located a few blocks east of Staples Center, between 11th Street and Pico Boulevard…

Ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw is poised to take the mound as the

Dodgers open their playoff run tonight against the Atlanta Braves in Georgia. The Dodgers finished first in the National League West this season. They’ll have to get by the Braves and then the winner of the Pittsburgh Pirates-St. Louis Cardinals series if they are to make it to their first World Series in 25 years.