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 …

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 …

Obama Repeals ObamaCare  —  Under pressure from Senate Democrats, the President partly suspends the individual mandate.  —  It seems Nancy Pelosi was wrong when she said “we have to pass” ObamaCare to “find out what's in it.”  No one may ever know because the White House keeps treating …

Steve Stockman's Campaign Headquarters Condemned  —  Once again a member of the ‘Party of Personal Responsibility’ shows absolutely no personal responsibility.  —  What the hell is the deal with these Republican slobs living in filth?  First, we learned that the Rohrabacher family took umbrage …

DCCC raises $5M in November  —  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $5 million in November, its best showing in an off-year November ever and $1 million more than its Republican counterpart.  —  According to a DCCC aide, the committee had $27.6 million cash in the bank …

THE STUPIDEST THING EVER WRITTEN UNTIL GOLDBERG WRITES SOMETHING ELSE, PART INFINITY.  —  I actually subscribe to “The Goldberg File,” through which Jonah Goldberg sends special email columns to the late-night real people, and this is how today's transmission begins: … Blink.  Blink.

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.

Tomgram: Engelhardt, Washington's Wedding Album From Hell  —  Follow TomDispatch on Twitter @TomDispatch. … “Bride and Boom!”  —  We're Number One... In Obliterating Wedding Parties  —  By Tom Engelhardt  —  The headline — “Bride and Boom!”  — was spectacular …

U.S. Economy Begins to Hit Growth Stride  —  Stronger-Than-Expected Increase in GDP Fueled by Consumer Spending  —  The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in two years, as a recovery that has otherwise chugged along in fits and starts builds up a head of steam going into the new year.

Federal Judge Rules That Same-Sex Marriage Is Legal in Utah  —  Salt Lake City began issuing marriage licenses to jubilant same-sex couples on Friday hours, after a federal judge ruled that Utah's amendment barring same-sex marriage violated the United States Constitution.

Cards Stolen in Target Breach Flood Underground Markets  —  Credit and debit card accounts stolen in a recent data breach at retail giant Target have been flooding underground black markets in recent weeks, selling in batches of one million cards and going for anywhere from $20 to more than $100 per card, KrebsOnSecurity has learned.