LITTLE ROCK — California investigators probing the death of Michael Jackson have decided not to file charges against seven doctors who treated him, authorities said Wednesday. The doctors were part of an investigation by state Attorney General Jerry Brown’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, spokesman Christine Gasparac said. One doctor whose name was not released has been referred to the California Medical Board for prescribing drugs to a Jackson alias, she said. Candis Cohen, a board spokesman, declined to confirm the action, saying complaints and investigations were not public record. Jackson’s personal doctor, Conrad Murray, has pleaded innocent to felony involuntary manslaughter in the singer’s death. Authorities say Murray provided Jackson with a mix of sedatives, including a powerful anesthetic that killed him.Murray was not among the seven doctors involved in the state investigation. Los Angeles police who investigated the death had asked state and federal investigators to look into the prescribing practices of doctors who previously treated the 50-year-old pop star.
With the release of a new album approaching, Kanye West is making sure he’s up-to-date with the social networking sites. He joined Twitter on Wednesday, one day after going to the offices of Facebook in Palo Alto, Calif., to preview some of his new material. Videos of him rapping a cappella while standing on a conference table have been posted on YouTube. On his website afterward, West posted a letter to Facebook, thanking the staff members for their support: “Your energy was a gift so electric, so genuine, that it really helped me give my best.” An e-mail request for comment from Facebook was not immediately returned. West’s new as-of-yet-untitled album is expected to be released Sept. 14.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 07/30/2010