A KTLA anchor jumps ship, sheriff's deputies in the hot seat, Barbie's behind (not my words) and a "nasty, naughty boy." (Again, not my words.) All that and Britney, too! Mid-week madness just a click away.

Day into night

Carlos Amezcua, KTLA's longtime "Morning Show" host, wooed and won by Fox's KTTV for the 10 p.m. newscast. Michael Schneider in Variety.

Gangsta rap

Cadre of LA County Sheriff's deputies deny charges of racism and brutality. Stuart Pfeifer has the story in the LAT.

They call themselves the Regulators.

They wear tattoos of a skull-faced man holding a shotgun, fire screaming from its barrels. They refuse to testify against their buddies. They've been accused of extorting and intimidating those outside their ranks.

No, they're not members of a street gang. They're Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies at the Century station in Lynwood. And their "club" is part of a culture that's dogged the nation's largest sheriff's department for years.

Deadly heat

Scorching weather takes heavy toll with 16 deaths. Francisco Vara-Orta, Ari B. Bloomekatz and David Pierson team up on the LAT weather story.

Have a heart

Stealing from a charity? LAPD looks into possible embezzlement of more than $700,000 from the Save A Heart Foundation. Brad Greenberg in the Jewish Journal.

Anthony Day passes away

Former LAT editorial page editor, hired by Otis Chandler to give integrity and balance to the Times' opinion section, was 74. Jon Thurber writes the obit.

"Nasty, naughty boy"

Christine Ziemba in LAist on reaction to news that Sen. Craig may not resign after all.

Barbie's butt as metaphor

Jennifer Tang in the LAT. And you thought the Times' opinion pages were predictable...

Rhyme Scheme

Larry Wilson on Pasadena's upcoming Festival of California Poets.

Oops, she...never mind

Anyone surprised the Brit tab, The Sun, is one of the first with news that child abuse charges against pop star Britney Spears have been dropped? Didn't think so.

More bread and circuses

As long as we've veered into tabloid territory, Halle Berry's having a baby. Newsday.