Everybody's yapping today about the Los Angeles Times dumping Robert Scheer and Michael Ramirez. But there's other news on Spring Street. Assistant Managing Editor Melissa McCoy has been promoted to deputy managing editor overseeing the design desk, graphics department and news operations group, says L.A. Observed. McCoy, who was AME for copy desks, was given oversight of design and graphics last August when Deputy Managing Editor Joe Hutchinson was freed up to work on other projects.

As for the news design director position left vacant when Bill Gaspard lit off for the territories, we hear it's frozen as Editor Dean Baquet evaluates staffing levels. Update: And now I hear that it may not be frozen. So there you are.