President Barack Obama, stands with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and people who support the Affordable Care Act, his signature health care law, as he speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) by Josh LedermanAssociated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Hailing it as an "historic day," President Barack Obama pressed forward his flagship health care program Tuesday, inaugurating new insurance exchanges to expand access for those without coverage despite the shutdown taking hold across much of the government.
President Barack Obama speaks about the Affordable Care Act, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013, at Prince George's Community College in Largo, Md. The president is promoting the benefits of his health care law before new insurance exchanges open for business next week. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) by Jim KuhnhennAssociated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — This time, President Barack Obama says, he's not budging. This is the confrontational Obama, the "Make my day" president, betting Republicans blink to avoid a government shutdown or a first-ever default of the nation's debts. It's a proposition not without risk and one with a history of last-minute accommodations on both sides. Brinkmanship between Obama and congressional Republicans has often stopped at the precipice's edge.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks during an event discussing the federal health care overhaul in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) by Ricardo Alonso-ZalvidarAssociated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — With new health insurance markets launching next week, the Obama administration is unveiling premiums and plan choices for 36 states where the federal government is taking the lead to cover uninsured residents. Before tax credits that work like an upfront discount for most consumers, sticker-price premiums for a mid-range benchmark plan will average $328 a month nationally for an individual, comparable to payments for a new car.
This April 30, 2013 file photo shows the short form for the new federal Affordable Care Act application in Washington. Getting covered through President Barack Obama’s health care law might feel like a combination of doing your taxes and making a big purchase that requires some research. You’ll need accurate income information for your household, plus some understanding of how health insurance works, so you can get the financial assistance you qualify for and pick a health plan that’s right for your needs. (AP Photo/J. David Ake) by Ricardo Alonso-ZaldivarAssociated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — You might be pleased with the low monthly premium for one of the new health insurance plans under President Barack Obama's overhaul, but the added expense of copayments and deductibles could burn a hole in your wallet.
In this 1928 file photo, Actress Joan Crawford is seen dancing the Charleston in "Our Dancing Daughters" in Hollywood, Calif. (AP Photo/File) by Paul WisemanAP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The income gap between the richest 1 percent and the rest of America last year reached the widest point since the Roaring Twenties.
This photo provided by Jameson Hsieh shows a clown wearing a mask intended to look like President Obama at the Missouri State Fair. The announcer asked the crowd if anyone wanted to see “Obama run down by a bull,” according to a spectator. “So then everybody screamed. ... They just went wild,” said Perry Beam, who attended the rodeo at the State Fair in Sedalia on Saturday Aug. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Jameson Hsieh) by David LiebAssociated Press Writer JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri State Fair on Monday imposed a lifetime ban on a rodeo clown whose depiction of President Barack Obama getting charged by a bull was widely criticized by Democratic and Republican officials alike.
In this June 25, 2009 photo, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. watches as President Barack Obama meets with members of Congress to discuss immigration, in the State Dinning Room of the White House in Washington. Obama and McCain, the Republican he defeated in his first White House campaign, have become one of Washington's most talked about odd-couple pairings. And like any successful business deal in the nation's capital, the relationship works because it has benefits for both men. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — There was no conciliatory phone call, no heart-to-heart talk to soothe the tensions. No one knows exactly when President Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain went from bitter rivals in the 2008 presidential campaign and foes over health care and national security to bipartisan partners.
In this Aug. 18, 2009, aerial photo is downtown Pittsburgh located at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers on the north side of Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Blue-collar workers poured into the cavernous auto plants of Detroit for generations, confident that a sturdy back and strong work ethic would bring them a house, a car and economic security. It was a place where the American dream came true. It came true in cities across the industrial heartland, from Chicago's meatpacking plants to the fire-belching steel mills of Cleveland and Pittsburgh. It came true for decades, as manufacturing brought prosperity to big cities in states around the Great Lakes and those who called them home. Detroit was the affluent capital, a city with its own emblematic musical sound and a storied union movement that drew Democratic presidential candidates to Cadillac Square every four years to kick off their campaigns at Labor Day rallies.
In this publicity image released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Lili Taylor portrays Carolyn Perron, left, and Joey King portrays Christine in a scene from "The Conjuring." The films opens nationwide on Friday, July 19.(AP Photo/New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. Pictures, Michael Tackett) SAN DIEGO (AP) — Moviegoers were ready for a fright this weekend, sending "The Conjuring" into first place at the box office. The Warner Bros. haunted-house horror — based on a true story — debuted with $41.5 million in North American ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. Starring Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Patrick Wilson and Ron Livingston, "The Conjuring" unseated three-week box-office champ, "Despicable Me 2," which dropped to second place with $25 million.
