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 freedom and security, the economy and more!
Obamacare
Video Exposes Even More Obamacare Navigators Telling People to Commit Fraud
Critics said the first video was an isolated incident so we decided to visit with more navigators funded by your tax dollars. What we found was disturbing and showed a clear pattern of fraud through the Obamacare navigator program.
Obamacare Plans Will Cost More Even With Government Subsidies, Officials Admit
Consumer information official Gary Cohen’s written statement contradicts President Obama’s campaign promises that the Affordable Care Act would lower costs for Americans.
Bad Call: Obama Proposes Extralegal Obamacare Fix
The proposed White House fix so Obama can honor his commitment is likely to create more problems and distrust among the American people.
Obamacare Fix for Canceled Health Policies May Further Raise Costs
“Changing the rules after health plans have already met the requirements of the (Obamacare) law could destabilize the market and result in higher premiums,” AHIP President Karen Ignagni said in a statement.
Obama’s Prosecutorial Discretion Raises Questions About Executive Authority
The president’s claims of executive authority have irked conservatives ever since he took office in 2009, but Republicans said it has been particularly egregious when it comes to the health-care law.
Personal freedom and security
CIA Collecting Bulk Records of Financial Data
The Central Intelligence Agency is secretly collecting bulk records of international money transfers handled by companies like Western Union — including transactions into and out of the United States, according to current and former government officials.
How Silicon Valley Turned on President Obama
“Our hopes were that the Obama administration would hold true to their promises and end these [surveillance] programs. But instead, they’ve expanded to unimaginable levels. That’s been crushingly disappointing for many in our community.”
$1 Billion TSA ‘Chat Down’ Program a Complete Failure
According to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the “program is fundamentally flawed, cannot be proven effective and should no longer be funded with taxpayer dollars.”
FBI: Cyber-Attacks Surpassing Terrorism as Major Domestic Threat
Acting Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security Rand Beers and FBI director James Comey both pushed Congress to expand the government’s power to gain access to data held by privately owned companies.
Americans’ Personal Data Shared With CIA, IRS, Others in Security Probe
U.S. agencies collected and shared the personal information of thousands of Americans in an attempt to root out untrustworthy federal workers that ended up scrutinizing people who had no direct ties to the U.S. government and simply had purchased certain books.
Economy and business
Tennessee Valley Authority to Close 8 Coal-Fired Power Plants
The decision was prompted by a combination of environmental requirements, the age of the plants, competition from natural gas and declining electricity consumption in the TVA’s service area.
Prairies Vanish in the U.S. Push for Green Energy
Plowing untouched grassland releases carbon dioxide that has been naturally locked in the soil. It also increases erosion and requires farmers to use fertilizers and other industrial chemicals. In turn, that destroys native plants and wipes out wildlife habitats.
McDonald’s Eyes Bigger Share of Coffee Market
The world’s biggest hamburger chain on Thursday highlighted beverages as one of its key growth opportunities at a daylong presentation for investors.
Bitcoins: Coming Soon to a Campaign Near You?
Bitcoins are a four-year-old unregulated, underground online currency. And soon the FEC may let you donate them to political campaigns.
Best wishes,
The Money and Market Team
