Top Items:
Robert Pear / New York Times:
On Health Exchanges, Premiums May Be Low, but Other Costs Can Be High — WASHINGTON — For months, the Obama administration has heralded the low premiums of medical insurance policies on sale in the insurance exchanges created by the new health law. But as consumers dig into the details …
Discussion:
Power Line, The Minority Report Blog and Hot Air
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New York Times:
Amid the Uproar Over the Health Law, Voices of Quiet Optimism and Relief
Amid the Uproar Over the Health Law, Voices of Quiet Optimism and Relief
Discussion:
The Plum Line
Stephanie Kirchgaessner / Financial Times:
New Affordable Care US health plans will exclude top hospitals
New Affordable Care US health plans will exclude top hospitals
Discussion:
americanthinker.com and Weekly Standard
Beth Reinhard / NationalJournal.com:
Can Democrats Make 2014 About the Minimum Wage? — Shifting away from Obamacare is smart politics, but it won't be easy to lure GOP voters with a low-wages argument. — A prominent liberal think tank dubbed it a “political goldmine.” The New Republic called it “the issue that could take down Mitch McConnell.”
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, National Review and Mediaite
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New York Times:
Three Senators Try to Hold Off G.O.P. in South
Three Senators Try to Hold Off G.O.P. in South
Discussion:
NBCNews, Talking Points Memo, Capitol Report and Prairie Weather
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Year of living dismally
Nelson Mandela / CNN:
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, congressional Democrats to commemorate Mandela in South Africa
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, congressional Democrats to commemorate Mandela in South Africa
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, No More Mister Nice Blog and Balloon Juice
Dana Davidsen / CNN:
Durbin: Unemployment benefits won't make or break budget deal
Durbin: Unemployment benefits won't make or break budget deal
Discussion:
p m carpenter's commentary, Politico, Firedoglake and The Hill
New York Times:
Spies' Dragnet Reaches a Playing Field of Elves and Trolls — Not limiting their activities to the earthly realm, American and British spies have infiltrated the fantasy worlds of World of Warcraft and Second Life, conducting surveillance and scooping up data in the online games played …
Discussion:
Liberaland, The Verge and TechCrunch
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James Ball / Guardian:
Spy agencies in covert push to infiltrate virtual world of online gaming
Spy agencies in covert push to infiltrate virtual world of online gaming
Discussion:
ProPublica, Discourse.net, The Raw Story and emptywheel
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Punishment Cure — Six years have passed since the United States economy entered the Great Recession, four and a half since it officially began to recover, but long-term unemployment remains disastrously high. And Republicans have a theory about why this is happening.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, msnbc.com, Shakesville, Prairie Weather, Daily Kos and Post Politics
Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
Americans Discover They're Trapped In GOP's Medicaid Expansion Gap — With HealthCare.gov working better and the first deadline to sign up for health coverage that starts in January approaching, Obamacare's so-called navigators — the people and organizations receiving federal funds to help people enroll …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Liberaland and Progressive Eruptions
Joseph Curl / Washington Times:
Obama tells a whopper on IRS scandal — ANALYSIS/OPINION: — Fact: The IRS targeted conservative and tea party groups requesting tax-exempt status in the run-up to the 2012 presidential election. That's a fact. — Congress held hearings — embarrassing hearings.
Discussion:
The Other McCain, Betsy's Page and Power Line
ThinkProgress:
There's Now A Coloring Book To Teach Your Children To Love Ted Cruz — Are you a new parent terrified that the liberal media will turn your child into an Obama supporter? Or do you just need something to entertain your kids during those long drives to Tea Party rallies?
Discussion:
Mediaite and The Raw Story
Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:
Budget deal expected this week amounts to a cease-fire as sides move to avert a standoff — House and Senate negotiators were putting the finishing touches Sunday on what would be the first successful budget accord since 2011, when the battle over a soaring national debt first paralyzed Washington.
Discussion:
NBCNews, ABC News, Business Insider, Daily Kos, The Fix and Marginal Revolution
Zach Carter / The Huffington Post:
Obama Faces Backlash Over New Corporate Powers In Secret Trade Deal — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration appears to have almost no international support for controversial new trade standards that would grant radical new political powers to corporations, increase the cost of prescription medications …
Discussion:
National Review, Teamster Nation and susiemadrak.com
USA Today:
Cellphone data spying: It's not just the NSA — LAW ENFORCEMENT USING METHODS FROM NSA PLAYBOOK — Local police are increasingly able to scoop up large amounts of cellphone data using new technologies, including cell tower dumps and secret mobile devices known as Stingrays.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Mashable
Seth Stephens- Davidowitz / New York Times:
How Many American Men Are Gay? — WHAT percent of American men are gay? This question is notoriously difficult to answer. Historical estimates range from about 2 percent to 10 percent. — But somewhere in the exabytes of data that human beings create every day are answers to even the most challenging questions.
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Other McCain and Joe. My. God.
John Diedrich / JSOnline:
ATF uses rogue tactics in storefront stings across nation — By John Diedrich and Raquel Rutledge of the Journal Sentinel — Aaron Key wasn't sure he wanted a tattoo on his neck. Especially one of a giant squid smoking a joint. — But the guys running Squid's Smoke Shop in Portland …
Discussion:
Hit & Run, NPR, The PJ Tatler and Gawker
Chris Wallace / Fox News:
Sen. Rand Paul on scrapping ObamaCare, saving Detroit; ‘Pik’ Botha on Nelson Mandela's life and legacy — Special Guests: Sen. Rand Paul, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, ‘Pik’ Botha — This is a rush transcript from “Fox News Sunday,” December 8, 2013. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
Discussion:
Althouse, BizzyBlog, Crooks and Liars, Twitchy and About.com US Politics
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Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Obamacare Architect: If You Like Your Doctor, You Can Pay More
Obamacare Architect: If You Like Your Doctor, You Can Pay More
Discussion:
americanthinker.com, Scared Monkeys, Power Line and Ricochet Conversations Feed
Ben Armbruster / ThinkProgress:
Cheney: The Iran Deal Is Bad Because Of Obamacare — Vice President Cheney said on Monday that the deal the U.S. and its international partners reached with Iran last month over its nuclear program is suspect because of some of the Obama administration's initial missteps in implementing the president's new health care law.
Discussion:
Liberaland and Agence France Presse
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Worries about Hillary Clinton — Hillary Clinton may be the overwhelming front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, but she's going to have to deal with some knotty problems sooner or later. She can't ignore forever either her party or the media's entreaties to talk on important subjects.
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh and Washington Monthly
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