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CJR
WSJ Looks at the Overdraft Bottom Feeders
July 29, 2010, 7:59 am
By Ryan Chittum The Wall Street Journal is terrific this morning to throw the spotlight on the seedy cottage industry that feeds off the overdraft-fee racket. Starting on the 15th, banks won't be able to charge their $35 overdraft fees (which are really 4500 percent short-term loans) to customers who haven't specifically asked to be charged $30 for overdrawing their accounts.

The Grammarphobia Blog: Grammar, Usage, Etymology, and More
Should we strike out "stricken"¯?
July 29, 2010, 5:10 am
Q: Please tell me that someday soon the word "absolutely"¯ will be stricken from the language. Oops! Did I commit an egregious error by using "stricken"¯ in lieu of "struck"¯? If your answer is in the affirmative, please do not respond by saying "absolutely."

Regret the Error
Plagiarism at the Wall Street Journal Europe
July 29, 2010, 5:02 am
The Wall Street Journal published this correction yesterday: Two “Agenda” columns by Bill Jamieson, executive editor of the Scotsman, that appeared in The Wall Street Journal Europe and on WSJ.

Regret the Error
Correction with a kick
July 29, 2010, 5:00 am
In Monday’s editions of the New York Post, we published a story that confessed wife-killer Johnny Concepcion underwent a liver-transplant operation at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. The hospital yesterday issued a statement that no such operation took place.

Regret the Error
Don't front on me
July 29, 2010, 5:00 am
A July 16 op-ed column on the Commentary page regarding banning plastic bags said the American Chemistry Council had “spent millions of dollars to create front groups such as the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition.

Regret the Error
Apology
July 29, 2010, 5:00 am
A recent blog post, written by Tim Bousquet and published at thecoast.ca May 26, was unfair to local polling company Corporate Research Associates and its president, Don Mills. The bulk of the blog post repeated excerpts from a press release from the citizens' group Save the View.

Visual Thesaurus : Word Routes
In Defense of Harding the Bloviator
July 28, 2010, 9:00 pm
During my appearance on WNYC's "The Leonard Lopate Show" yesterday to talk about Sarah Palin's much-ridiculed use of the word refudiate, I found myself in the odd position of defending Warren Gamaliel Harding, one of the least admired presidents in American history.

CJR
Audit Notes: Moody's Market, Revolving Door, Tables Turned on Zuck
July 28, 2010, 5:13 pm
By Ryan Chittum Kevin Hall of McClatchy has a great scoop on Moody's CEO's suspiciously timed stock sales. In one case, CEO Ray McDaniel sold 100,000 shares of Moody's stock on the same day that the Securities and Exchange Commission notified Moody's that it was under investigation.

CJR
Yglesias and McArdle Miss on Interchange Fees
July 28, 2010, 3:46 pm
By Ryan Chittum Matt Yglesias is defending the interchange industry, which transfers money from the poor to the rich—all through hidden fees. Once you keep in mind the fact that the median household income in 2008 was slightly above $52,000 it's not at all obvious to me that this is any kind of scam.

CJR
Apple's Controlling Instincts Hit Time and SI
July 28, 2010, 11:57 am
By Ryan Chittum The Wall Street Journal's approach to charging the iPad has been the smartest of any of the media. The Journal app is free in the iTunes store, so you can download it and check it out. Even after a trial period is over, some of the stories remain free to read, just like on WSJ.