Kool & the Gang – Celebration
Led Zeppelin – Celebration Day
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Archive for November 23rd, 2013
@petesouza: Pres Obama meeting earlier today with natl sec advisors to discuss negotiations with Iran
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10:15 EST (approx): President Obama Delivers Statement on Iran Nuclear Talks
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If you wonder how happy we are @elilake… Wish you could party with us now 🙂 #iranelection #irantalks pic.twitter.com/p3d5J08HPe
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) November 24, 2013
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I’M IN TEARS…. Is the message I’m getting from young Iranians across the world, from Tokyo to Tehran to Geneva to Seattle. #IranTalks
— Negar Mortazavi (@NegarMortazavi) November 24, 2013
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@petesouza: Pres Obama on conference call w U.S. negotiators in Geneva earlier today
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Giving peace a chance…… pic.twitter.com/HicwDNJNTU
— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) November 24, 2013
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Dear @BarackObama in the name of my family and friends in Israel, and especially all our kids: THANK YOU. Blessed are the peacemakers.
— BWD (@theonlyadult) November 24, 2013
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A Very, Very Long Night?
History in the making. RT @lrozen: US #SecKerry press pool headed to Palais des Nations in anticipation of signing agreement. #Irantalks
— Suzanne DiMaggio (@suzannedimaggio) November 24, 2013
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Ministers will sign Iran nuclear deal at the Palais and then Ashton, Zarif, Kerry and others will brief
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) November 24, 2013
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If #GenevaTalks result in a presser tonight looks like it might be livestreamed here http://t.co/GfTifXfgg0
— Eli Clifton (@EliClifton) November 24, 2013
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A Very Long Night?
Iranian sources telling #Iran state news that “differneces have been resolved.” American sources say we should have decision in bout 30 mins
— Suzanne Kianpour (@KianpourWorld) November 24, 2013
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#Iran DepFM Araghchi to Fars: No deal so far. Talks still continuing. #Geneva
— Abas Aslani (@abasinfo) November 24, 2013
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“@BahmanKalbasi: No exaggeration 2 say millions of #Iran-ians watching #Geneva w/ hope of a deal. All over FB / twitter”
— Rana Rahimpour (@ranarahimpour) November 24, 2013
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RT @erfan_metal99: @peterson__scott @HamidRezaAz now in tehran 2:46 AM & all my family member are awake to follow #GenevaTalks news
— Scott Peterson (@peterson__scott) November 23, 2013
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Report on #Iran #Genevatalks by @BowenBBC: An agreement here could “start a new cycle of change in the Middle East” http://t.co/RiT5YDVDxW
— Cara Swift (@cswift2) November 23, 2013
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A Long Night?
@tparsi @lrozen don’t worry, sooner or later they will get a deal.
— مسفر الحفيان (@Nafs_Alsh3or) November 23, 2013
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Iranian diplomat tells Iranian journalist to stay in hotel lobby in case announcement is made tonight #IranTalks #iranelection @lrozen
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) November 23, 2013
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Asked Iranian spox for the text of the agreement. After he comprehended what I was saying, he really laughed.
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) November 23, 2013
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Chat Away
Delray Beach, Florida, October 2012 – Photo by Scout Tufankjian
Slate: Did you know when you shot it that you’d captured the kissing kids?
Scout Tufankjian: Not until afterward. I showed Valerie Jarrett, and she made me show the president. Everyone on the campaign was like, “That’s hilarious, he’s going for it!” “Kid’s got game!”
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Chat away!
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America With ObamaCare
America without ObamaCare
Pre-Obamacare #TBT: When an insurance company canceled a teenager's policy after she got sick OFA.BO/RfRk6N http://t.co/EsjyYtVGXv
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Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 21, 2013In 2009, pre-Obamacare: This 17-year-old's insurance was rescinded after she was diagnosed with celiac disease. OFA.BO/6MJnwJ #TBT
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Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 21, 2013****
America with ObamaCare
Good news: The number of uninsured children in America is on the decline. Read more: OFA.BO/5THvyq #Obamacare
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Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 21, 2013When states want #ObamaCare to work, it does: Nearly 80K Californians sign up for health insurance under #ObamaCare. reuters.com/article/2013/1…
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Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) November 21, 2013****
Rate of applications completed NEARLY DOUBLES @CoveredCA taking in 10 THOUSAND APPS PER DAY #ObamacareWORKS http://t.co/AGfA0cE5lR
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Tally (@bardgal) November 21, 2013From CA: "Nearly 23% of the sign-ups during the first month of enrollment were 18-34 years old, while 34% were 55-64 reuters.com/article/2013/1…
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Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) November 21, 2013****
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Rise and Shine
On This Day – Pete Souza: “Late at night in the Treaty Room office in the White House Residence, the President speaks on the phone to President Lee of South Korea after North Korea had conducted an artillery attack against the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.” Nov. 23, 2010
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AP: Obama Officials Upbeat About Health Site Fixes
There won’t be a magic moment, but the Obama administration’s much-maligned health insurance website should be able to weather an expected year-end crush of customers, officials asserted Friday.
A combination of software fixes, design changes, added hardware and newly announced wiggle room should provide the right combination to finally deliver a workable website, White House troubleshooter Jeffrey Zients said in an upbeat assessment.
The added leeway comes in the form of an extra eight days this year for consumers nationwide to sign up and still get insurance by Jan. 1. A previous Dec. 15 deadline was stretched to Dec. 23. Policyholders must pay their premiums by Dec. 31.
More here
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The brilliant, stunning, amazing, gorgeous, and wonderful First Lady Michelle Obama in Ladies' Home Journal. http://t.co/fzisJRA3WP
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Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) November 23, 2013****
Arun Chaudhary: I Was With President Obama When He First Visited George W. Bush
I was surprised by my first reaction to George W. Bush in person. “Oh wow, look at how gray he’s gotten!” It was 2008, and I was in the Oval Office as President-elect Obama’s official photographer, which was my position during the presidential transition. President Bush was giving Obama a tour of his soon-to-be home. The president was showing the president-elect a few of his favorite things. “See this room?” he said, sounding astonishingly like Will Ferrell doing his best “W” impression. “This is a good room for sittin’, Barack. I like to do a lot of sittin’ right here.”
That the presidency is taxing, grueling, and aging is cliché, but I think one of the most underappreciated parts—and tricky to observe in the veritable flipbook of pool photos of the graying President—is the vast emotional intelligence required to shift between different frequencies for different events, day out and day in. One minute, I’d be filming a tearful embrace between POTUS and a shooting victim’s family member in the oval office; the next I’d be helping Samantha Tubman, deputy Social Secretary, pep up a drooping sports team unused to standing for hours in suits.
More here
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Cancer survivor on ACA. Saves $628 per month & "Best of all -- I wasn't even asked if I've ever had cancer." cnn.it/I4hjef
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David Simas (@Simas44) November 22, 2013****
Lori Greenstein Bremner: Cancer Survivor: Obamacare Got Me Covered
As a 36-year cancer survivor, I am watching with great interest as the debate rages over whether the Affordable Care Act strengthens the individual insurance market, as the law’s supporters contend, or dismantles it, as critics say. Having been repeatedly denied health coverage I needed and wanted to buy because of my pre-existing condition, I know that provisions of the law can dramatically improve the quality and cost of insurance for people shopping for coverage on their own. I was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia as a college student. After nearly five years of aggressive chemotherapy, immunotherapy, bone marrow harvests and more, I was cancer-free. My cancer has never returned, but since then I have waged a battle of a different kind — a three-decade struggle to obtain quality, affordable coverage.
This year I had a no cost mammo. biopsy and follow up mammo thank you ACA #TBT
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teresa barrett (@Demter12teresa) November 14, 2013After months of searching, I found an expensive plan with limited benefits through a professional association, and ever since I have paid to be a member of the organization just so I can maintain coverage. For 15 years my sons and I have struggled to afford the plan’s annual deductibles of up to $3,000 per person and monthly premiums that have risen about 30% each year. Every couple of years I reduced our coverage and gave up our trusted providers to avoid yet another premium increase, until we reached the plan’s minimum coverage level. Now a single mom with three sons to put through college, I’ve had to make some very tough choices.
@BarackObama @WAplanfinder Thank you. I bought insurance that is better and costs 1/3 less (and less with the tax credit). Worth the effort.
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Curt Golden (@curtgolden) November 14, 2013I visited California’s marketplace, CoveredCA.com, on October 1 — the day it went live. At first I encountered technical problems, as so many others have, that were caused in part by the large number of people trying to find coverage. But I knew I had until December 15 to enroll for coverage to begin January 1. Recently I tried again and enrolled in my chosen plan in about 15 minutes. In January, for the first time since my diagnosis 36 years ago, I will have an individual health plan that offers quality coverage for me and my family. I will save $628 every month on premiums. Best of all — I wasn’t even asked if I’ve ever had cancer.
More here
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HHS.Gov: Progress On Capacity
Jeff Zients offered an update on our efforts to improve HealthCare.gov; data on key metrics on site performance, the progress made this week and the view looking forward. In late October, we appointed QSSI as the general contractor to deploy their expertise in technology and program management to lead this project forward.
The team from QSSI continues to work with people from CMS and other contractors around the clock to troubleshoot the system, prioritize fixes, and provide real-time management decision making. Thanks to this team effort, we have made measurable progress.
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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Boehner put the #ObamaCare rep on hold for 35 mins while pretending he had problems with the website
This is the GOP http://t.co/XnHJb4sCLa
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Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) November 22, 2013****
Desert News: Hospital Association Supports Medicaid Expansion For Low-Income Utahns
As the governor and state Legislature continue to mull over the decision to expand Medicaid in Utah, the Utah Hospital Association has come out with a position to do it — but only for a portion of the state’s low-income population. The health care policy and advocacy group believes it is important for the state of Utah to “take care of its own,” but to also thoughtfully develop a unique solution to insure individuals up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, according to the association’s new president, former Lt. Gov. Greg Bell.
Others throughout the state chimed in Wednesday as well, rallying at the Capitol rotunda to ask the governor to adopt Medicaid expansion, albeit a full and wide-sweeping model. “I think the whole reason for us here on the Earth is to learn to be compassionate,” said Nelda Bishop, one of roughly 150 who gathered in support of expansion. “We’re the richest nation in the world. Surely we can find a way to get basic health care to our poor,” Dr. Ray Ward, a family physician and expansion supporter, told the Deseret News.
More here
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Ryan Cooper: Pundits Bemoan End Of Filibuster
The partial end of the filibuster has inspired a good deal of wailing and garment rending among Washington establishmentarians, who see it as only the latest sign of the demise of bipartisanship and comity in the Senate. Putting aside that there hasn’t been a scrap of bipartisanship in Washington since January 2009, criticism of the Dem decision to go nuclear is, in effect, tantamount to legitimizing, or at least accepting, the Republican position. The choice Dems faced was very simple: Either they accept the blanket GOP filibuster designed to block Obama from filling any vacancies on the second most important court in the country — one pivotal to the success of his agenda – or they change the rules. What’s the argument in defense of the GOP power grab?
Notably, pundits who are bemoaning the Dem decision to go nuclear haven’t been offering one. Instead, they admit that Republican obstruction was unjustified, but still blame the Democrats simply because they supposedly worsened D.C partisanship by doing something in response to that unjustified GOP obstruction. Both sides should have come to a compromise, they say. But what is to be done when one side’s position is that important judicial vacancies shall remain empty simply because filling them would help advance Obama’s regulatory agenda? They don’t say. Establishment pundits seem destined ever to pine for a mythical Golden Age of Congress when Senators hashed out deals over steak and cigars. But insofar as those days ever existed at all, it hasn’t been for thirty years or more. So let’s not shed any tears about the partial end of the filibuster. This is about giving the American government an angioplasty.
More here
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Washington Post: State-Run Health Insurance Exchanges Report November ‘Enrollment Surge’
After anemic enrollment in the federal health insurance marketplace, several states running their own online exchanges are reporting a rapid increase in the number of people signing up for coverage, a trend officials say is encouraging for President Obama’s health-care law. By mid-November, the 14 state-based marketplaces reported data showing enrollment has nearly doubled from last month, jumping to about 150,000 from 79,000, according to state and federal statistics.
The nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, which has been tracking the data, called the most recent numbers “a November enrollment surge.”
Health policy experts said the momentum from state exchanges is encouraging. California, which has had about 80,000 sign-ups, is now reporting about 2,000 enrollments per day. New York and Washington state reported enrollment numbers in the tens of thousands as of this week. “It’s not all doom and gloom,” Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman said. “What this says is that the problems are system problems, not problems with demand or interest.”
More here
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The spectacular First Lady Michelle Obama with a beautiful smile as the holiday cover girl for Ladies' Home Journal. http://t.co/R9ZYhnVZG2
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Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) November 23, 2013****
On This Day:
President Obama waves after greeting children at Sycamore Elementary in Kokomo, Ind., Nov. 23, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama and Vice President Biden walk arm and arm before speaking at the Chrysler Transmission Plant in Kokomo, Ind., Nov. 23, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama stops to buy treats at the Gingerbread House Bakery in Kokomo, Ind., Nov. 23, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama greets people outside the Gingerbread House Bakery in Kokomo, Ind., Nov. 23, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama pardons the 2011 Thanksgiving Turkey, Liberty, alongside his daughters Sasha and Malia on the North Portico of the White House, November 23
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The Obama Diary 
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