The longstanding leftist orthodoxy of the Los Angeles Times has improved noticably under Editor-in-Chief John Carroll, a respected newsman who moved here from the Baltimore Sun four years ago. Carroll has made a real effort to rein in the paper's liberal bias, at least in straight news stories; earlier this year he wrote a famous (in media circles) in-house memo scolding a reporter for a story about a Texas abortion law; the piece had implied anyone against abortion is obviously nuts. I should note though, that this improvement at the Times was underway even before Carroll's arrival, with the departure...