Top Items:
Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:
The individual mandate no longer applies to people whose plans were canceled — Today, the Obama administration announced that people whose insurance plans were canceled this year will “temporarily” be exempted from the law's individual mandate. Here's how they're doing it — and what it means for the law.
Discussion:
neo-neocon, Power Line, Guardian, Weasel Zippers, Connecting.the.Dots, Shakesville and Weekly Standard
RELATED:
Avik Roy / Forbes:
Utter Chaos: White House Exempts Millions From Obamacare's Insurance Mandate, ‘Unaffordable’ Exchanges — It's hard to come up with new ways to describe the Obama administration's improvisational approach to the Affordable Care Act's troubled health insurance exchanges.
Discussion:
National Review, Maggie's Farm, Josh Blackman's Blog, NBCNews, The PJ Tatler, Betsy's Page and Los Angeles Times
Paul Mirengoff / Power Line:
Let's call the whole thing off — When President Obama signed Obamacare into law, Joe Biden famously told him, “this is a big f___ing deal.” So too, minus the adjective, is the Obama administration's decree that those whose health insurance policies were terminated will be allowed …
Discussion:
New York Times, Outside the Beltway, BizPac Review and neo-neocon
Amy Goldstein / Washington Post:
Obama administration relaxes rules of health-care law four days before deadline
Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
Does New Obamacare Mandate Exemption Open A Pandora's Box?
Discussion:
Health Affairs Blog
Bloomberg:
Obama Lifts Health Mandate for Those With Canceled Plans
Discussion:
protein wisdom and The Gateway Pundit
Louise Radnofsky / Wall Street Journal:
White House Will Allow Some To Buy Catastrophic Health Plans
The Atlantic Online:
Phil Robertson's America — I've yet to take in an episode of Duck Dynasty. I hear it's a fine show, anchored by a humorous and good-natured family of proud Americans. I try to be good natured, and I have been told that I can appreciate a good joke. I am also a proud American.
Discussion:
American Prospect and Balloon Juice
RELATED:
Swalker / Duck Commander:
The Robertson Family Offical Statement — We want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. The family has spent much time in prayer since learning of A&E's decision. We want you to know that first and foremost we are a family rooted in our faith in God and our belief that the Bible is His word.
Discussion:
Politico, TheBlaze.com, Guardian, Business Insider, Achenblog, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, No More Mister Nice Blog, Shakesville, The Hinterland Gazette, Deadline.com, CNN, Scared Monkeys, CBS Houston, National Review, NewsBusters, The Reaction, Gawker, Washington Post, Taylor Marsh, Towleroad News #gay, Hot Air, Patterico's Pontifications and Michelle Malkin
Amanda Terkel / The Huffington Post:
Ian Bayne, GOP Congressional Candidate: ‘Duck Dynasty Star Is Rosa Parks Of Our Generation’ — WASHINGTON — Embattled “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson has been suspended from his show by A&E for his remarks about gays and African-Americans, and now some high-profile conservatives are rallying to his side and defending him.
Discussion:
Daily Kos, The Hinterland Gazette, Wonkblog, PostPartisan, The Baffler and ABC News
Ian Bayne for US Congress:
Duck Dynasty Star is Rosa Parks of Our Generation — Today, Ian Bayne called Phil Robertson, star of the A&E series “Duck Dynasty,” the ‘Rosa Parks’ of our generation. — “In December 1955, Rosa Parks took a stand against an unjust societal persecution of black people, and in December 2013 …
Discussion:
Politico, Little Green Footballs, Liberaland, BuzzFeed and The Raw Story
Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:
GOP Congressional Candidate: Duck Dynasty Star Is ‘Rosa Parks Of Our Generation’
Discussion:
Suburban Political Recount
Washington Post:
Officials' defenses of NSA phone program may be unraveling — From the moment the government's massive database of citizens' call records was exposed this year, U.S. officials have clung to two main lines of defense: The secret surveillance program was constitutional and critical to keeping the nation safe.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Right Turn, Conservative Intelligence …, Secrecy News, Prairie Weather and The Reaction
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Politico:
Six questions for Obama — There can be little doubt that President Barack Obama would like to put 2013 into the history books and head for Hawaii for a little rest and relaxation. — But before he leaves town, there's one more torturous rite of passage he's expected to undergo: A year-end press conference.
Discussion:
Reuters and Weasel Zippers
Guardian:
GCHQ and NSA targeted charities, Germans, Israeli PM and EU chief — • Unicef and Médecins du Monde were on surveillance list — • Targets went well beyond potential criminals and terrorists — • Revelations could cause embarrassment at EU summit
Discussion:
Spiegel Online, Lawfare, Washington Post, Mashable, The Daily Caller, Angry Bear, New York Times and Boing Boing
RELATED:
Massachusetts State Police / Facebook:
Trooper Joe Petty assisted by Tpr Dave Stucenski & K9 Frankie Locate 1250 Bags of Heroin in Hatfield — Early this morning, Trooper Joseph Petty was on a traffic stop of Route 91 in Northampton when a vehicle passed by him. Trooper Petty observed several violations.
Discussion:
Politico, CBS Boston, Business Insider and The Raw Story
RELATED:
Eric Lach / Talking Points Memo:
Massachusetts State Police Bust ‘Obama Care’ Heroin
Discussion:
The Jawa Report
Charmaine Noronha / Associated Press:
CANADIAN COURT STRIKES DOWN ANTI-PROSTITUTION LAWS — You are here — Home » Canada » Canadian court strikes down anti-prostitution laws … TORONTO (AP) — Canada's highest court struck down the country's anti-prostitution laws Friday, a victory for sex workers who stepped …
Discussion:
Liberaland and Lawyers, Guns & Money
RELATED:
Sean Fine / Globe and Mail:
Supreme Court strikes down Canada's prostitution laws — The Supreme Court of Canada has struck down the country's major prostitution laws, saying that bans on street soliciting, brothels and people living off the avails of prostitution create severe dangers for vulnerable women and therefore violate Canadians' basic values.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and Hit & Run
Jenny Beth Martin / New York Times:
John Boehner's Betrayal — WOODSTOCK, Ga. — THERE'S a political axiom that says if nobody is upset with what you're doing, you're not doing your job. We've seen this proved time and again in the liberal attacks on conservatives like Sarah Palin and Dr. Benjamin Carson …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
RELATED:
Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
Senate hatches last-minute deal
Discussion:
Daily Kos and Booman Tribune
Paul Steinhauser / CNN:
President ends year at all-time CNN polling low — Washington (CNN) - Fourteen points. — That's how far President Barack Obama's poll numbers fell in CNN polling over the course of what's been an especially tough year. — Obama's approval rating stands at 41% in a new CNN/ORC International …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Reuters, Business Insider and The PJ Tatler
McKay Coppins / BuzzFeed:
Paul Ryan Finds God — How a backstage prayer in Cleveland and a new leader in the Vatican set the budget-slashing congressman on a mission to help the poor. “My bet is that he's on Pope Francis' team.” — On Oct. 24, 2012, Paul Ryan slipped into a high-ceilinged backstage room …
Discussion:
JSOnline, ThinkProgress and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Jeff Manning / Oregonian:
Cover Oregon: Official who oversaw development of health exchange, Carolyn Lawson, resigns — Tim Lagerhausen, left, and Shailesh Jain of Oracle join dozens of programmers at work completing the Cover Oregon website. With the application deadline looming, the state was forced …
Discussion:
Jammie Wearing Fools, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, National Review and The PJ Tatler
Lucy McCalmont / Politico:
Jack Kingston defends school lunch quote — Georgia Rep. Jack Kingston, who suggested children should sweep cafeteria floors to earn meals from the federal school lunch program, is clarifying his comments Friday, saying he meant all children should be instilled with a work ethic.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, CNN and Daily Kos
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