Archive for November 22nd, 2013
Chat On, Night Owls
Pure Gold
First Lady Michelle Obama by Alexei Hay for Ladies Home Journal Dec 2013/Jan 2014
@petesouza: Pres Obama w John Kerry, Susan Rice and Phil Gordon in the Oval Office today
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Al Jazeera: Kerry Geneva-bound as Iran nuclear deal inches closer
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is heading for Geneva to join talks on Iran’s nuclear program, and several other foreign ministers are on their way as well, in an indication that ongoing negotiations between Tehran and six world powers may be closer to finalizing an interim agreement.
The State Department announced Kerry’s trip after diplomats in the Swiss city said a major sticking point in negotiations on an agreement – under which Tehran would curb its contested atomic activities – may have been overcome. Negotiators have been working since Wednesday to find language acceptable to Iran and its six negotiating partners.
Kerry will head to Geneva “with the goal of continuing to help narrow the differences and move closer to an agreement,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
More here
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Big surge in November ACA enrollment. Beginning to look a lot like the MA trendline in ’07. http://t.co/9U0qIaYIeJ
— David Simas (@Simas44) November 22, 2013
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Check out update on http://t.co/tFuCe1Bpr0. Response times & error rates falling. Daily capacity increasing to 800k. http://t.co/Fj9krtDzl3
— David Simas (@Simas44) November 22, 2013
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More ways to get covered under ACA. Insurers in FL, TX and OH test directly enrolling consumers. http://t.co/YiHw062fu7
— David Simas (@Simas44) November 23, 2013
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ThinkProgress: You Probably Didn’t Hear About The Most Important Health Care News This Week
On Wednesday, the new head of the White House Council of Economic Advisers released a bombshell report finding that U.S. health care spending since 2010 has increased by just 1.3 percent — the smallest cost growth over a three-year period in American history — while prices in the health care sector rose by 50-year lows, thanks in part to structural changes made by the Affordable Care Act. But most media outlets ignored that story, instead choosing to focus on ongoing glitches with the Healthcare.gov website.
According to a ThinkProgress analysis, English-language online and print media published about ten times as many pieces on the troubles with the Obamacare site than they did on the new health care spending report….
More here
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TPM: Admin To Launch ‘Direct Enrollment’ Obamacare Pilots In Three States
The Obama administration is launching a pilot program in Florida, Ohio, and Texas that will allow insurance companies to sign people up for coverage under Obamacare directly and forgo HealthCare.gov.
The administration has been considering the process, known as “direct enrollment,” for some time.
“This is one more way we are working to offer consumers a variety of ways to enroll in affordable coverage. Direct enrollment is one more option,” Julie Bataille, spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services, wrote in a blog post Friday announcing the program. “By strengthening the multiple channels to enroll in quality, affordable coverage through the Marketplace, we are ensuring that every American who wants it can gain access to these new coverage options.”
More here
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ThinkProgress: Vice President Biden Visits Immigration Activists On 11th Day Of Fast
On Friday morning, Vice President Joseph Biden stopped by the “Fast for Families” tent pitched on the National Mall to pray with faith leaders and immigration activists who are fasting as a way to pressure House Republicans to advance immigration reform legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship. Three core fasters, Eliseo Medina, Cristian Avila, and Dae Joong Yoon, are going into their eleventh day of fasting — they will continue to fast until they are medically advised to stop. The movement has spread across the nation with numerous activists fasting in solidarity and then sometimes marching to the offices of elected officials.
Biden said to the fasters, “What you’re doing here is to bring attention to what’s morally right and attention to a community that is already American.” He also said, “We will win this. As my father always says, come hell or high water.”
More here
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More in the morning, chat away!
The Medal of Freedom Recipients
Chat Away
A Tweet or Two
Cancer survivor on ACA. Saves $628 per month & “Best of all — I wasn’t even asked if I’ve ever had cancer.” http://t.co/xdCMzQtuK3
— David Simas (@Simas44) November 22, 2013
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“Anytime you upend the staus quo as FDR did in the 1930s and Barack Obama has done with the ACA now, the status quo is going to strike back”
— Rick S (@gratepool) November 22, 2013
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That awkward moment when the narrative that ObamaCare is a failure begins to fall apart: http://t.co/Ztkmh0E1P6
— YeaYouRite (@YeaYouRite) November 21, 2013
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Get Covered: #Obamacare 1. http://t.co/psrNS1oo36 2. Call 1-800-318-2596 3. Mail paper app 4. Apply in person pic.twitter.com/aRPAWfb6V1
— Lizbeth528 (@elizabeth28536) November 22, 2013
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The Senate must now give simple up or down votes on the President’s judicial nominees. Or as FOX calls it, ‘dictatorship.’
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) November 21, 2013
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i guess if i spent 8 years defending a president who needlessly got 4,000 americans killed id get angry when liberals bring it up too.
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) November 22, 2013
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section 60 at arlington national cemetery. thats the bush legacy. forever.
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) November 22, 2013
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seems very insulting for white pundits to talk about “america lost its innocence” with kennedy, when slavery, native americans, etc..
— SheriffFruitfly (@sherifffruitfly) November 22, 2013
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I am alive so must live. Some wounds won’t heal. Your prayers and your friendship are important to me
— Creigh Deeds (@CreighDeeds) November 22, 2013
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More later, chat away!
Early Bird Chat
On a tour of the State Floor of the White House, President Obama looks at a portrait of John F. Kennedy by Aaron Shikler, January 24, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Morning everyone.
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