New Health Law Frustrates Many in Middle Class  —  Ginger Chapman and her husband, Doug, are sitting on the health care cliff.  —  The cheapest insurance plan they can find through the new federal marketplace in New Hampshire will cost their family of four about $1,000 a month …

In wake of ‘Duck Dynasty’ star suspension, Sheriff Miller tells A&E they are not welcome  —  The suspension of “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson by the A&E Network after making controversial remarks in GQ magazine regarding homosexuality has been called a business decision.

Assemblyman Gabryszak accused of sexually harassing three former staffers  —  ALBANY - Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak is being accused of sexually harassing three now-former legislative staffers, according to court papers filed Thursday.  —  Gabryszak, D-Cheektowaga, is the subject …

A Frigid 2013 Draws to a Close  —  2013 will go down in the record books as one of the 10 coldest years in the U.S. since 1895.  This chart, from Real Science, shows the average temperatures recorded at all NOAA USHCN stations from 1895 to the present:  —  As Real Science points out …

John Eisenhower, Historian and Ike's Son, Dies  —  The family of President Dwight D. Eisenhower says his son, 91-year-old John S.D. Eisenhower, has died.  —  The retired brigadier general and military historian had resided on Maryland's Eastern Shore in the community of Trappe, Md. No cause was given for his death Saturday.

DNI Announces the Declassification of the Existence of Collection Activities Authorized by President George W. Bush Shortly After the Attacks of September 11, 2001  —  December 21, 2013  —  Yesterday, the Director of National Intelligence ("DNI") announced the declassification of the existence …

Cover Oregon: If you don't hear from us by Monday, seek coverage elsewhere  —  The Cover Oregon board of directors met December 12, 2013.  The exchange on Friday began warning applicants that they will need to find coverage for Jan. 1 elsewhere if they don't get a phone call or mailing confirming enrollment by Monday.

PR director no longer with company after racist tweet  —  InterActiveCorp said Saturday that it has “parted ways” with PR director Justine Sacco, a day after a racist tweet from her account went viral.  —  The tweet, “Going to Africa.  Hope I don't get AIDS.  Just kidding.

The Age of Intolerance  —  Last week, following the public apology of an English comedian and the arrest of a fellow British subject both for making somewhat feeble Mandela gags, I noted that supposedly free societies were increasingly perilous places for those who make an infelicitous remark.

Exclusive: Secret contract tied NSA and security industry pioneer  —  (Reuters) - As a key part of a campaign to embed encryption software that it could crack into widely used computer products, the U.S. National Security Agency arranged a secret $10 million contract with RSA …