memeorandum: Judge sentences man to write ‘boys do not hit girls’ 5,000 times (Michael Muskal/Los Angeles Times)

11:30 AM ET, December 25, 2013

Top Items:

Sign-Up Period Extended Again for Health Plan — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Tuesday that it would provide more time for people to complete their applications for health insurance if they could show that they missed the deadline because of problems with the federal health care website.

Discussion: American Power, Associated Press, Hot Air, National Review and Politico

Joanne Kenen / Politico:

HHS offers help for people who miss Obamacare deadline — People who can't finish the online signup for Obamacare health insurance by midnight today because of website problems can seek extra time to finalize their application and still get covered by Jan. 1, according to a message posted on HealthCare.gov early this afternoon.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Los Angeles Times

Health Insurance Blog:
Couldn't enroll by December 23? We can still help you get covered

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Los Angeles Times, Jammie Wearing Fools, Post Politics and CNNMoney.com

Rebecca Shabad / The Hill:

Iran's top leaders praise spirit of Christmas — Iran President Hassan Rouhani is endorsing the spirit of Christmas. — Rouhani on Tuesday retweeted two tweets, one by Iran's supreme leader and one by its foreign minister, that focused on the spirit of Christmas.

Jennifer Bendery / The Huffington Post:
Here Are The 15 Democratic Senators Bucking The White House And Threatening War With Iran

Discussion: PERRspectives, Hullabaloo and Mondoweiss

Rebecca Shabad / The Hill:

House Republican vows to defend Christmas from ‘offended’ minority — Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) on Tuesday vowed to protect Christmas against what he called a “vocal minority” offended by its symbols and traditions. — “There is a vocal minority that is offended at the rest of us …

Discussion: CNN, Booman Tribune and Guardian

Michael Muskal / Los Angeles Times:

Judge sentences man to write ‘boys do not hit girls’ 5,000 times — Montana District Judge G. Todd sentenced a man convicted of assaulting his girlfriend to write “boys do not hit girls” 5,000 times, in addition to six months in jail. Above, a file photo shows Baugh in court in Great Falls, Mont. (Larry Mayer / Billings Gazette)

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Billings Gazette, NBCNews and Outside the Beltway

Chris Geidner / BuzzFeed:

Appeals Court Refuses To Halt Utah Marriages For Same-Sex Couples — A Christmas Eve order from the 10th Circuit. Update: State officials say they will ask the Supreme Court to step in. — Nicole Barnes, left, and her partner Tarah Camarillo exchange rings as they get married …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, AMERICAblog News and FOX13Now.com

McKenzie Romero / Deseret News:
About 700 marriage licenses issued in Utah since judge's ruling

Discussion: New York Times, LGBTQ Nation and BuzzFeed

BBC:

Royal pardon for codebreaker Alan Turing — Computer pioneer and codebreaker Alan Turing has been given a posthumous royal pardon. — It addresses his 1952 conviction for homosexuality for which he was punished by being chemically castrated. — The conviction meant he lost …

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Mashable and Business Insider, more at Mediagazer »

Jethro Mullen / CNN:
Alan Turing, British code-breaker castrated for homosexuality, receives pardon

Discussion: Mediaite, Advocate and The Independent

Jose DelReal / Politico:

Bill de Blasio daughter reveals drug, alcohol abuse — In an unusual and moving Christmas Eve video, the college-age daughter of New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio is revealing for the first time her struggle with alcohol, drugs and depression — and is urging others in need to get help.

Discussion: ABC 7 Eyewitness News, NY Daily News, CNN and The Hinterland Gazette

Andrea Peyser / New York Post:
Give her the heave-ho, de Blasio

Discussion: Mediaite, Politicker and The Daily Caller

Las Vegas Review-Journal:

The gist of Christmas lost — 'Twas the season of Christmas, and all through the land — Were signs and symbols some folks couldn't stand. — The evergreen conifer many decorate with glee, — But don't you dare call it a Christmas tree. — Heaven forbid a Nativity in the town square

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Obama's albatross: Transparency — Five years into his presidency, Barack Obama might have been reaping kudos for ushering in a new era of transparency in government. — Instead, he's under fire for his administration's secrecy. — The White House has faced a fusillade of high-profile complaints …

Discussion: Washington Wire and Mediaite

Rick Kambic / Chicago Sun Times:

Morton Grove Library Board rejects $3K donation from atheist — Comments on a Facebook page, including one that said “[expletive] God,” led Morton Grove Library trustees to reject a $3,000 donation that was made to support Park Board member Dan Ashta's Pledge of Allegiance boycott.

Discussion: The Raw Story and Mediaite

Philip Rucker / Post Politics:

In fundraising pitch, Hillary Clinton says Bill will match donations — Hillary Rodham Clinton fired off an end-of-the-year fundraising solicitation to supporters of her family's charitable foundation - and she offered an intriguing pitch. — Her husband, former president Bill Clinton …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and Talking Points Memo

Adam Withnall / The Independent:

Kim Jong-un: North Korean leader ‘was very drunk’ when ordering executions — Source tells Japanese newspaper purge of Kim's powerful uncle Jang Song-thaek was inevitable after ‘surprising’ first deaths — The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was “very drunk” when he ordered the recent execution …

Discussion: Scotsman, Firedoglake, Hot Air, Mediaite and Fox News