Here's how the White House just tweaked Obamacare  —  The Obama administration confirmed to The Washington Post a little bit ago that it is indeed tweaking the way the individual mandate works as to not penalize anyone who purchases coverage during this first open enrollment period.

Frustrated Dems lament damage from website bugs … WASHINGTON (AP) — Frustrated Democrats lamented Wednesday that persistent problems with new health care exchanges have inflicted damage on the public's perception of the already unpopular “Obamacare” — with some lawmakers insisting President Barack Obama …

The Cry of the True Republican  —  I AM a genetic Republican.  —  Five generations of Tafts have served our nation as unwaveringly stalwart Republicans, from Alphonso Taft, who served as attorney general in the late 19th century, through William Howard Taft, who not only was the only person …

Voter ID Law May Cause Problems for Women Using Maiden Names  —  The state's new voter ID law is meant to prevent voter fraud, but it may be causing some delays at your neighborhood polling place, especially if the name on your driver's license differs from the name on your voter registration card, even a little bit.

The Affordable Care Act's Lower-Than-Projected Premiums Will Save $190 Billion  —  Endnotes and citations are available in the PDF version of this issue brief.  —  The Affordable Care Act is already working: Intense price competition among health plans in the marketplaces for individuals has lowered premiums below projected levels.

Why Not Medicaid For All?  —  My Sunday column on the potential consequences of Obamacare's botched rollout ended by sketching a scenario in which the program's Medicaid expansion is deemed a success while its reform of the individual market leads to much-higher-than-expected costs and much-lower-than-expected participation rates.

Manchin Working On Bill To Delay Obamacare Individual Mandate  —  Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is working on legislation to effectively delay Obamacare's individual mandate for one year, his office told TPM on Wednesday.  —  His spokesman, Jonathan Kott, said Manchin opposes a bill proposed by Sen. Marco Rubio …

A Wife Committed to Cruz's Ideals, but a Study in Contrasts to Him  —  WASHINGTON — At first glance, Senator Ted Cruz's wife, Heidi Nelson Cruz, seems to be just the sort of person the Tea Party supporters who celebrate her husband's anti-establishment positions love to hate.

Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria  — Saudi diplomats now promise a ‘major shift’ in relations with the U.S. over inaction in the conflict in Syria  — Secretary of State John Kerry says he is committed to keeping a good relationship with the Saudis

Feds ask Blue Cross Blue Shield not to release exchange numbers  —  FARGO - The Obama administration asked North Dakota's largest health insurer not to publicize how many people have signed up for health insurance through a new online exchange, a company official says.

Arkansas Poll  —  Update: Results from the 2013 Arkansas Poll have been released.  —  Summary Report  —  Survey Questions  —  Arkansas Poll Track Record  —  The mission of the Arkansas Poll is to supply timely, accurate, and impartial public opinion information on matters of policy …

GOP Senate Candidate Addressed Conference Hosted by Neo-Confederate Group That Promotes Secessionism  —  Mississippi Republican Chris McDaniel, who is challenging Sen. Thad Cochran and backed by the Senate Conservatives Fund and the Club for Growth, took the stage with a historian who says Lincoln was a Marxist.

The hidden room inside Mitt Romney's new Utah house  —  Holladay » The front door of Mitt Romney's soon-to-be-constructed Holladay house opens to a massive living room, and to your left, around the fireplace, lies a study.  —  If you look closely at the bookshelves there, you find something interesting: a secret door.

‘Very, Very Major’ Social Media Site Co-Founder: Obamacare Technology ‘Sucks’  —  Don't take it from conservatives.  The co-founder of a “very, very major social-media site” has said the criticism of the Obamacare website is fair because the “technology sucks.”

14-year-old student held without bail in slaying of Danvers High teacher  —  A 24-year-old Danvers High School teacher has been found dead, and a 14-year-old boy is being held without bail on a charge of murdering her.  —  Math teacher Colleen Ritzer's body was found in the woods behind the school …

‘HealthCare.gov is in de facto shutdown’  —  Robert Laszewski is president of Health Policy and Strategy Associates, a policy and marketplace consulting firm that has him working closely with many in the heath industry as they try to navigate the Affordable Care Act, as well as the author …