Sources close to the Daily News say the newsroom has just been told that publisher Doug Hanes has left the company. No immediate word on a successor, if any. For what it's worth, the Los Angeles News Group website lists LANG president and CEO Edward Moss as publisher of the Daily News.

* Worse than we thought: An LA Observed regular emails,

The number for the Daily News newsroom is (818) 713-3636. But when you call it, you don't reach anyone. It rings five or six times and then you get this automated message.

"You have been forwarded to a voicemail system. However, the person at 3-6-3-6 does not subscribe to this service. A valid attendant has not been specified. Your session can not be continuous at this time. Please try again later. Goodbye."

I tried several times and each time I got this message.