The following is a rundown of the day’s news drawn from other media sources with topics curated just for Money and Markets readers: Obamacare, personal security and freedom, politics and more.
Obamacare
The Case That Could Topple Obamacare
A little-heard of challenge currently making its way through the court system may represent opponents’ last best hope of, as they are fond of saying, driving a stake through the heart of the law.
Video Teaches Parents How to Inject Obamacare Into Christmas Dinner
The targeted advertising appears to be a last-minute attempt to reverse devastating trends in the Affordable Care Act’s — and the president’s — nosedive in the public opinion polls as the year wanes and HealthCare.gov continues to fail millions.
Drag Queens Promote Obamacare
Wednesday Night Tea — “a unique, interactive drag queen show held every Wednesday at Central Station in Shreveport, Louisiana” — has partnered up with the non-profit Out2Enroll to help market Obamacare to the LGBT community.
‘Every Democrat Should Be Scared’ of This Obamacare Ad
The ad begins with footage of Shaheen on the Senate floor echoing President Obama by saying, “If you like your insurance, you can keep it.” Obama was given the “Lie of the Year” award from a fact-checking group for that whopper.
How the Vitamin Industrial Complex Swindled America
Americans have been wasting lots of money on vitamins. About half of U.S. adults take dietary supplements, and the vitamin industry has grown to $12 billion a year for vitamins alone and about $30 billion for all dietary supplements. That’s just in the U.S.
Personal security and freedom
Merkel Compared NSA to Stasi in Heated Encounter with Obama
In an angry exchange with Barack Obama, Angela Merkel has compared the snooping practices of the U.S. with those of the Stasi, the ubiquitous and all-powerful secret police of the communist dictatorship in East Germany, where she grew up.
Task Force Blasts NSA’s Collection and Storage of Personal Data
The recommendations would make leaking documents more difficult by narrowing the pool of people with security clearances. At the same time, they would seek to make NSA programs more transparent.
Target Stores’ Customers Hit by Major Credit Card Attack
Investigators believe the data was obtained via software installed on machines that customers use to swipe magnetic strips on their cards when paying for merchandise at Target stores.
Carjacking ‘Epidemic’ in New Jersey’s Largest C ity
There are about 400 carjackings a year in Essex County alone. While Los Angeles and New York rank high in carjackings, Newark takes the cake. People in Newark are known for posting videos of stolen cars doing drag races, doughnuts and drifting in the streets.
Increasing Marijuana Use in High School Is Reported
Health officials are concerned by the steady increase and point to what they say is a growing body of evidence that adolescent brains, which are still developing, are susceptible to subtle changes caused by marijuana.
Politics
New Obama Adviser Compares GOP to Jonestown Cult
In a profile published by Politico Magazine, Podesta is quoted comparing Republicans to the infamous cult led by Jim Jones, who was responsible for the 1978 cyanide poisoning of more than 900 of his followers in Guyana.
Rep. Scalise Calls for Obama to Fire Podesta ‘Immediately’ for ‘Jonestown’ Comparison
“It’s disgraceful that President Obama’s new counselor is not only comparing the Republican Party to a cult that murdered those who disagreed with them, but is also using that comparison as an argument in support of shredding the Constitution and governing like a third-world dictator.”
Krauthammer: It Took Barbara Walters Five Years to Realize Obama’s not the Messiah?
“Five years to realize the man isn’t a messiah? I think it took some of us — well, almost all of us — about, you know, an hour and a half to realize that he gives a good speech, but he’s shown no aptitude at governing. So I’m glad that she’s aboard, but she’s a little late.”
Bloomberg’s Meddling Ways on Unions Don’t Sit Well with De Blasio
Mayors usually go quietly at the end of their term, but not so with Bloomberg. On Wednesday, he told the incoming Bill de Blasio he will have a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to slash union health and pension benefits — and that he should ignore his own political allegiances and ambitions to do it.
Paul Ryan Will Lead House on Amnesty After GOP Primaries
House GOP leadership plans to push an immigration bill that would grant amnesty to at least 11 million illegal aliens in 2014, a bill that would move after GOP primary season and have House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) leading the way.
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