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Government

The Democracy Center, an organization founded to advance global social justice, posted on its website that Bolivian President Evo Morales had accused the United States of engaging in a clandestine effort to force Bolivia to adopt Daylight Savings Time. The article quoted Morales as saying, "We have seen the government of the U.S. try to undermine our democracy, block us from the lawful export of coca products, and smuggle in munitions. But now we see that these conspirators also have their sights set on changing our clocks. We denounce this before the world community." The news was initially reposted as fact by a few blogs, including the Huffington Post, before it was identified as an April Fool's Day joke.

An advertisement that appeared on page five of the Australian newspaper claimed that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had volunteered the use of the electorate offices as a child-minding service: "Each MP's electorate office will today be accepting newborns for a free child minding service. This is another example of Labor's commitment to working families." The advocacy group Get Up later claimed responsibility for the ad.

The Daily Mail reported that Tony Blair, in a "literally incredible break with decades of tradition," had decided to paint the door of 10 Downing Street red. "After 270 years, Blair paints No. 10 front door socialist red."

National Public Radio's All Things Considered reported that the U.S. Post Office was introducing a new portable zip codes program that would allow individuals to take their zip code with them when they moved. The program was inspired by the recent FCC ruling that allowed people to retain the same phone number wherever they moved or whatever service they switched to. Opponents of the portable zip code program pointed out that zip codes "serve a clear, unambiguous purpose: They tell the postal worker on his or her rounds where you live." But its proponents argued that "A modern, mobile society… can no longer afford to remain grounded in locale-specific zip codes… a zip code is a badge of honor, an emblem symbolizing a citizen's place in the demographic, rather than geographic, landscape."

The Tokyo Shimbun reported this on its front page: "The government is seriously considering a project which includes issuing lottery tickets to citizens to balance the inevitable cuts in pensions counting on the fact that it would be better to give them dreams of future wealth instead of making them pay more in order to keep present pension figures." Readers were said to be hopeful that the joke didn't turn out to be a satirical prophecy.

Norway's Aftenposten reported a plan by government health authorities to implant electronic id chips under patient's skin in order to better monitor their medical needs. Health workers would be able to monitor their movements and know when they entered a hospital. Aftenposten later noted that over 2,000 people clicked on a link that accompanied the internet version of the story for people who wanted to participate in the project.

The European Committee issued a communique in which it declared that it was banning single-shelled eggs, in order to prevent cracked eggs being found in food stores. The ban was a play on the French word "coque" which means both egg shell and ship's hull.

Radio Russia reported that the Russian parliament was considering a proposal to declare April 1st a public holiday: "Telephone jokes, absurd tasks for managers, warnings that the power, light or heat is to be cut off and other practical jokes are much more extravagant then than on other days. As a result, expert analysis shows, industrial efficiency in Russia falls," the report explained. By declaring the day a national holiday, efficiency would be maintained.

A special edition of the Denver Bar Association's newsletter, The Docket, described a new dress code supposedly adopted by the Colorado Supreme Court. Male lawyers would be required to wear blue blazers with a Colorado state seal displayed on the pocket, while female lawyers would have to wear plaid skirts. The Docket received five calls from lawyers concerned about this new dress code.

The German Der Tagesspiegel reported that the City of Berlin planned to raise money by auctioning the naming rights of the city's railway stations to the highest bidders. The city hoped it could raise as much as DM5m per station in this way. There was also discussion of charging the descendants of the 19th century composer Richard Wagner retrospectively for the existing station at Richard Wagner Platz.

Rush Limbaugh, a radio talk-show host famous for his support of conservative issues, declared his belief that the U.S. government should raise taxes for the poor because "they're the wealthiest poor in the world." Many of his listeners called in to applaud his belief. Later Limbaugh confessed that he does not actually support such a belief and chastised his listeners for being "too quick to believe anything that hits a hot button."

The Daily Telegraph reported that Margaret Thatcher was considering privatizing the Army and selling off the Brigade of Guards. According to the article, "Strict flotation terms would prevent hostile foreign interests gaining majority control over the brigade."

Carolyn Fox, a disc jockey for WHJY in Providence, Rhode Island, announced that the 'Providence Labor Action Relations Board Committee' had decided to close the city for the day. She gave out a number for listeners to call for more information. The number was that of a rival station, WPRO-AM. Reportedly hundreds of people called WPRO, as well as City Hall and the police. Even more called into their offices to see if they had to go into work. WHJY management later explained that it had never imagined its joke would have such a dramatic impact on the city.

The President of the World Bank. A.W. Clausen, circulated a letter to World Bank officials declaring that a search committee had decided that he would soon be replaced by Jeane J. Kirkpatrick. The text of the letter read: "The appointment represents the culmination of a lengthy worldwide selection process, involving a search for candidates who were neither encumbered by any previous ideas on international development in general nor likely to be embarrassed by any prior commitment to the concept of multilateral assistance in particular. Ms. Kirkpatrick, a U.S. nationalist, has had a distinguished career in all the main political parties in this country, but at the moment is a Republican. Although she taught at Georgetown University long before basketball was ever invented, as U.S. Ambassador at the United Nations she gained a well-deserved reputation for putting the Third World countries through the hoop. The Search Committee feels that this experience abundantly qualifies her for the exacting duties of a position that I myself am looking forward to vacating, now that the World Bank and the I.M.F. have made the world safe again for private banking." The letter was an April Fool's Day joke.

Former Municipal Court Judge Lewis Wenzell sent an anonymous letter to San Diego Union-Tribune writer, Neil Morgan, describing a book he was supposedly about to publish detailing the seamy, behind-the-scenes lifestyle of San Diego's judiciary. According to the anonymous letter, the book described bitter feuds between judges, sexual relationships between a married judge and a clerk, and after-court pot parties in a judge's chambers. Morgan fell for the bait and printed an article, which he titled 'The Trash Pile,' detailing the sordid revelations. In the article he frequently referred to the book as if he had seen it himself. San Diego judges were outraged by the accusations, and were not much happier when they learned that they were victims of an elaborate prank. Morgan later claimed that he had attempted to phone Wenzell to verify the story, but Wenzell denied that he had ever received a call.