Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore shamed all of the United States of America by ceding hegemony over House Of Windsor gossip to filthy British tabloids. People is flying the white flag of surrender over its London bureau and shutting it down, two tipsters inform us, sending its handful of staffers, like writers Courtney Rubin and Pete Norman, packing. Former bureau chief Simon Perry was purportedly told to work from home after a demotion to "correspondent," but there's skepticism he'll comply. Good luck trying to crack the Brits' white-glove treatment of their silly "royal" family now, People! Meanwhile, a reckoning is coming in the U.S.

One tipster reminded us the deadline to apply to join the round of 18 buyouts at U.S. People is Dec. 1, so responses to the applications, and any needed layoffs to meet the goal of 18, are expected thereafter.

We are also told of grumbling about a People editor who flew her best friend (also with People) out from across the country to complete an interview — apparently an annual tradition for the buddies, but one staff now trash as an extravagance amid the layoffs. Know anything?

Send an email to Ryan Tate, the author of this post, at ryan@gawker.com.