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, world news.
Obamacare:
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Democratic Senator Says Obamacare Could Have ‘Meltdown,’ Hurt Party
“If it’s so much more expensive than what we anticipated and if the coverage is not as good as what we had, you’ve got a complete meltdown at that time,” Manchin told CNN’s “State of the Union” program.
Obamacare Pitched at Gay Clubs
Washington’s new health insurance exchange dispatched a sign-up envoy to one of the city’s gay clubs one recent night to get out the word about Obamacare. It envisioned men mingling on the dance floor, a cocktail in one hand and enrollment information in the other.
Obama Health Care Overhaul Top 2013 Story
The glitch-plagued rollout of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul was the top news story of 2013, followed by the Boston Marathon bombing and the dramatic papal changeover at the Vatican, according to The Associated Press’ annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors.
Health Plan Sticker Shock Ahead for Some Buyers
As a key enrollment deadline hits Monday, many people without health insurance have been sizing up policies on the new government health care marketplace and making what seems like a logical choice: They’re picking the cheapest one.
The Hidden Impact of Obamacare and the Economy
Now that people can actually see the real cost of insurance plans available, they are finding that Affordable Care is big hit to the family budget. And when the family budget gets hit in the solar plexus, guess what happens to consumer spending and the economy.
Personal security and freedom:
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Scientists Angry Over Experiments Making Bird-flu Virus More Dangerous to Humans…
“The potential for accidental release of a hazardous pathogen is real, not hypothetical, as demonstrated by an alarming increase in the number of potential and actual release events in laboratories working with high-threat pathogens,” they say.
NSA Panel Member Recommends Increased Data Collection
“I would argue actually that the email data is probably more valuable than the telephony data,” Morell told National Journal in a telephone interview. “You can bet that the last thing a smart terrorist is going to do right now is call someone in the United States.”
Snowden Ally Claims Series of Raids at Apartment…
In an interview published on Saturday he described strange scenarios which have been haunting him. “When I flew away for an appointment, I installed four alarm systems in my apartment,” Appelbaum said. “When I returned, three of them had been turned off.”
Target Faces Lawsuits, State Probes after Customer Data Breach
The attorneys general of four states eye Target after its system is hacked, exposing account information of some 40 million customers. The retailer promises free credit monitoring to those affected.
Duck Dynasty Star and Family Hit Out at A&E
Sources within the close-knit Louisiana clan say they are convinced A&E are manipulating the controversial situation to bring them — and particularly Robertson — back into line after television executives grew tired of the family pushing their deeply-held, Christian beliefs.
World news:
Pope Urges Italy to Find Homes for All Families
The pope read aloud one of their banners: “The poor cannot wait.” He urged everyone from charities to Italian authorities “to do everything possible so that every family can have a house” this holiday season.
Netanyahu Moves to Calm Clamor over U.S. Spying Allegations
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved on Sunday to avoid friction with the United States over allegations it spied on Israeli leaders, slapping down demands in his cabinet to press Washington for redress.
Chicago’s Mayor Travels to China to Promote Chicago
He’s set deliver remarks at Tsinghua University in Beijing on Monday morning and later at a Choose Chicago luncheon. He’s also scheduled to address the minister of commerce, vice mayors and leaders of several major Chinese cities to sign an agreement related to trade with Chicago.
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Iran: World Powers Should Avoid “Troublemaking”
Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comment in a joint news conference with Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino. He also expressed hope the talks will conclude “sooner or later,” though he said the current expert-level talks in Geneva are “slowly” moving forward.
Saudi Sentences Protester to 30 Years over Bahrain
Protests erupted in eastern Saudi Arabia, home to most of the country’s minority Shiites, the same year that Saudi-led Gulf forces intervened in Bahrain to quell Shiite-led riots that threatened to topple the tiny island nation’s Sunni monarch.
Best wishes,
The Money and Market Team
