Federal Government Rolls Out a New Official Language of Sorts: Plain English

WASHINGTON
By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press Calvin Woodward, Associated Press
Thu May 19, 6:47 am ET

That's right: Pursuant to regulations promulgated thereunder and commencing in accordance with a statute signed herein by President Barack Obama, the government shall be precluded from writing the pompous gibberish heretofore evidenced, to the extent practicable.

That sentence contains 11 new language no-nos.

Obama signed the Plain Writing Act last fall after decades of effort by a cadre of passionate grammarians in the civil service to jettison the jargon.

It takes full effect in October, when federal agencies must start writing plainly in all new or substantially revised documents produced for the public. The government will still be allowed to write nonsensically to itself.

Ahead then, if the law works,

Bank of America Agrees to Settlement in Fees Lawsuit

Bank of America has agreed to a $410 million settlement for their part in a broad class-action lawsuit filed by consumers against excessive overdraft fees. The lawsuit accuses many of the nation's banks of "manipulating debit transactions to maximize the fees they could charge customers who exceeded the balance in their accounts." Other defendants in the lawsuit include JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and Citibank Andrew Martin, The New York Times 05/23/2011

Read Article: The New York Times

First 'Skype Booth' Opens at Estonian Airport as Company Reaches 30 Million Simultaneous Users

By Vlad Savov posted Mar 30th 2011 2:57AM

Phone booths are old hat, we know that much for sure. But Skype booths? Tallinn Airport in Estonia's capital has become the first site to host a dedicated Skype station, which allows you to video chat with your friends or call them on their phones using Skype credit, exactly as you might do on your computer at home. There's a 22-inch touchscreen up front and a headset nearby, only thing you'll need are some actual friends you want to communicate with. The idea's being put into action by three Estonian companies, all of whom are quite happy to remind us Skype originated in their fine Northern European nation, and the plan is to roll the futuristic-looking booths out to other airports, hotels, shopping malls, hospitals, and the like. In the meantime, Skype usage keeps growing and the company recently recorded 30 million simultaneous users online, breaking its previous record by a trivial three million extra souls.

Honda Civics Recalled for Potential Fuel Leak

Automaker Honda has issued a recall of 1,156 Civics due to a problem with the vehicle's gas line that can pose a fire hazard. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that a misalignment with the car's O-ring may lead to a fuel leak. The recall affects 2012 model year two-door and four-door Civics. Staff Report, United Press International 05/23/2011

Read Article: United Press International