memeorandum: Last-minute surge of health law sign-ups (Los Angeles Times)

10:35 AM ET, December 24, 2013

Top Items:

Barton Gellman / Washington Post:

Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission's accomplished — MOSCOW — The familiar voice on the hotel room phone did not waste words. — “What time does your clock say, exactly?” he asked. — He checked the reply against his watch and described a place to meet.

RT:
Snowden will help Germany investigate NSA spying if granted asylum - report

Discussion: Liberaland and BuzzFeed

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:

ObamaCare site sees traffic surge on eve of enrollment deadline — The Obama administration on Monday reported a “record day” for visits to HealthCare.gov as it extended the deadline for enrolling in coverage by 24 hours. — Julie Bataille, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) …

Discussion: Politico

Los Angeles Times:

Last-minute surge of health law sign-ups — Federal healthcare officials push back a key enrollment deadline to Tuesday as a crush of consumers test the functioning of HealthCare.gov and Covered California. — At a Miami Enrollment Assistance Center on Monday, enrollment specialist Julienne Fontes …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, americanthinker.com and Washington Post

Chad Terhune / Los Angeles Times:

California health exchange tops 400,000 enrolled prior to deadline — Californians wait to sign up for health insurance at a recent enrollment fair in Sacramento as part of the federal healthcare law. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) — California's health insurance exchange …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mediaite

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:

Will An Appeals Court Stop Same-Sex Couples In Utah From Marrying On Christmas Eve? — With no decision from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals at the end of the day Monday, more same-sex couples will be heading to clerks' offices Tuesday to get married. — Andrea Dahl (left) marries Coral Mangus …

Discussion: Deseret News, Outside the Beltway and The Volokh Conspiracy

ThinkProgress:
Utah County Adopts Jim Crow Tactic, Preventing Same-Sex Couples From Marrying

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Salt Lake Tribune:
Judge denies Utah AG's request to halt same-sex marriages

Discussion: News Desk, Off the Kuff, his vorpal sword, Towleroad News #gay, The Raw Story, Daily Kos and The Reaction

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:
Federal Judge Says Ohio Must Recognize Same-Sex Couples' Out-Of-State Marriages

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy and Towleroad News #gay

Kevin Opsahl / Herald Journal:
County attorney cites legal confusion in closure of clerk's office, no gay marriages

Discussion: ThinkProgress, AMERICAblog News and Talking Points Memo

Julian Sanchez / The Atlantic Online:

The War on Terror's Jedi Mind Trick — National-security officials insist new violations of privacy are essential for keeping Americans safe from terror—but there's no evidence the programs have stopped any attacks. — A Republican-appointed judge and President Obama's own handpicked …

Michael B. Mukasey / Wall Street Journal:

The Air of Unreality in NSA Reform — The president's panel found no official malfeasance but recommends overhauling surveillance programs anyway. — Grope through the Styrofoam pellets of rhetoric that surround the 46 recommendations in the report issued last week by the president's Review Group …

Peter Sullivan / The Hill:

Civil rights leaders call for Obama to withdraw Georgia judicial nominees — Civil rights leaders and members of the Georgia congressional delegation on Monday called on President Obama to withdraw his nominees for federal courts in the state over concerns about their views and lack of diversity.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette

Larry Copeland / USA Today: Obama's Ga. supporters protesting his court nominees

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:

The Battle Within the Democratic Party — Things are not going well for Democrats. Riding high just weeks ago after Republicans shut down the government, the party now finds itself in a swoon: President Obama's ratings have hit an all-time low. The implementation of healthcare reform remains a mess.

Peter Beinart / The Daily Beast:
Where's the Anti-War Left on Iran?

Discussion: The American Conservative

Oliver Wright / The Independent:

Alan Turing gets royal pardon for ‘gross indecency’ - 61 years after he poisoned himself — He was the father of modern computing whose work on the Enigma code at Bletchley Park is said to have shortened the Second World War. — But he was also gay and in those less enlightened times …

Discussion: Guardian, Shakesville, NBCNews and Business Insider

Emma G. Fitzsimmons / New York Times:
Alan Turing, Enigma Code-Breaker and Computer Pioneer, Wins Royal Pardon

Discussion: Guardian, Gizmodo, Gawker and Outside the Beltway

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

GOP should try again to delay Obamacare's individual mandate — OBAMACARE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HOUSE REPUBLICANS — Last July, after President Obama unilaterally delayed the Obamacare employer mandate for a year, House Republicans asked why the break should apply only to businesses.

Discussion: Hot Air

Lisa Desjardins / CNN:
Pelosi: Obamacare fallout will be reversed, won't hurt Democrats

Discussion: CBS DC

David Brooks / New York Times:

The Legitimacy Problem — It's pretty clear that the implementation of Obamacare will set the tone for how Americans think about government for years to come. There are two large questions to be settled, which you might call the questions of competence and coercion.

Discussion: Democratic Strategist

Helen Pow / Daily Mail:

Chicago sandwich shop fires all its staff in an EMAIL just days before Christmas — Director of operations Doug Besant said in the email the restaurant will likely close for a month as they reconcept the business into a burger joint — A Chicago sandwich shop has fired all its employees over email just days before Christmas.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Jammie Wearing Fools, Gawker and Weasel Zippers

KKTV-TV:

Teen Dies After Being Shot — 14-Year-Old Girl Hospitalized With Gunshot Wound — The District Attorney's office will decide if a step-father will face charges. — Police say he shot and killed his 14 year old step daughter after he mistook her for burglar.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and CBS News

Jennifer Epstein / Politico:

W.H.: Obama enrolled in ACA — President Barack Obama has signed up for health insurance through an Affordable Care Act exchange, the White House said Monday. — In what an official acknowledged is a “symbolic” move since the president gets his medical care from the military …