Obama says HealthCare.gov works 'flawlessly'

President Obama says the federal Obamacare exchange works flawlessly and that returning customers should go shopping before the end of the day for a good deal on coverage that starts Jan. 1.

Its a good Christmas present for people who already have signed up for the Affordable Care Act to just take the time to go shopping. It wont take you long, and you may end up saving money, he told Ryan Seacrest in a taped phone interview that aired Monday.

Although customers have until Feb. 15 to sign up for health insurance under the law, Mr. Obama noted that Dec. 15 had been the long-standing deadline for Americans who use the federal HealthCare.gov portal to be covered in time for Jan. 1.

People who hold coverage and do nothing will be re-enrolled in what they have, but their premiums may rise because of year-to-year changes in plans or their government subsidy. Thats why Mr. Obama and his top health officials are encouraging customers to revisit the website.

Several state-run exchanges are giving their residents extra days to enroll and be covered by the new year, but most customers must act by midnight Pacific time, or 3 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday.

Mr. Obama acknowledged that last year did not go as planned, as website woes nearly derailed his signature achievement and people were wary of the new options.

Well first of all, the last time we spoke about this was a while back, and I think people were still uncertain about whether or not the Affordable Care Act was right for them, he told Mr. Seacrest in the interview, which had been taped Friday.

The Obamacare marketplace had 6.7 million going into this round of sign-ups, but HHS estimates it can to hit 9.1 million for 2015 by retaining customers and adding millions more.

Every survey shows that the vast majority are satisfied, Mr. Obama said.

The law continues to poll poorly overall, however, and Republicans will try to chip away at the law when they hold majorities in Congress come January.

Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/15/obama-says-healthcaregov-works-flawlessly/

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Suspect in murder of Auburn's Jakell Mitchell had criminal history

Updated DEC 15, 2014 5:36p ET

AUBURN, Ala. --An east Alabama man was already on probation for separate crimes when he was charged with killing an Auburn University football playerin a shooting eerily similar to a triple killing two years ago.

Markale Hart, 22, of Camp Hill was arrested on burglary and theft charges in 2010 and pleaded guilty to a reduced burglary charge in 2012, records show. He also pleaded guilty to a marijuana charge that year.

Hart, jailed on a murder charge in the killing of 18-year-old Jakell Lenard Mitchell, remains on probation for the burglary, for which he was sentenced to six months in jail, Tallapoosa County District Attorney Paul Jones said Monday.

"We have filed a motion to revoke his probation based on the new charges," Jones said Monday.

Hart appeared during a brief court hearing in Opelika on Monday. He told the judge that he has two children, ages 1 year old and 4 months, and he can't afford to pay a lawyer. The judge said he would appoint an attorney.

He was arrested Sunday in the fatal shooting of Mitchell, a redshirt freshman football player from neighboring Opelika. Mitchell's girlfriend said the player and another man began arguing during a party when a third person opened fire, killing Mitchell.

The shooting was similar in many ways to the shooting that killed two one-time Auburn players and a third man in 2012.

Mitchell was fatally shot during a late-night party at Tiger Lodge apartments, a large complex a few miles from campus that caters to students with amenities including a large pool, a clubhouse with games and study areas.

The complex -- since renamed and with what promotional materials describe as added security features -- is the same place where one-time football players Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips and a third man, DeMario Pitts, were shot to death during an argument at a late-night gathering in June 2012.

Desmonte Leonard of Montgomery was convicted of murder and is scheduled to be sentenced next month in the triple slaying. Evidence showed Leonard had driven from Montgomery to Auburn with friends to attend a party but got into a dispute with an Auburn football player that ended in gunfire.

In the shooting last weekend, authorities said Hart is from neighboring Tallapoosa County, where he was arrested, and apparently had gone to the apartment complex for a party.

Witnesses in both cases described hearing a hail of gunshots, followed by a scramble for cover. Mitchell was taken to the same hospital as victims of the 2012 shooting.

Outside of the court hearing Monday, Lee County District Attorney Robbie Treese said he considers the apartments a trouble spot because of shootings, robberies and other crimes through the years. Treese said he is going to review the laws to see what he can do to have the apartments declared a public nuisance and perhaps shut down.

"Enough's enough," he said.

In a message to residents posted on Tiger Lodge's Facebook page, management said those involved in the shooting weren't residents. The note said new owners took over in 2013 and have made improvements including video cameras, improved gates to control access and "courtesy patrols."

"Nonetheless, tragic events such as this can still occur anywhere and at any time," said the statement.

Source: http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/auburn-tigers-jakell-mitchell-killed-suspect-probation-121514

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Local to fly high over Army-Navy game

John Andrew Prime, jprime@gannett.com 9:18 p.m. CST December 12, 2014

U.S. Army Capt. Harrison Carmody in his AH-64 Apache helicopter.(Photo: Courtesy Harrison Carmody)

Story Highlights

• A Shreveport-born Army helicopter pilot will have a place of honor at today's Army-Navy game.
• Harrison Carmody, 29, graduated from West Point in 2008.
• Now a captain, he's stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
• He deployed to Afghanistan in 2011-2012 and has flown almost 200 combat missions.

A local pilot and war veteran will have one of the best seats for Saturday's Army-Navy football game.

But it won't be in the stadium.

Instead, Army Capt. Harrison Carmody will look down at the decades-old interservice rivalry from the cockpit of an AH-64 Apache helicopter in an official game overflight that should be part of the local telecast on CBS stations at 2 p.m. today.

"It's a real honor to be able to do this," Carmody, 29, said in a call from Baltimore, Maryland, where the game, the 115th in a series of grudgematches since 1890, will be played. "Only a select few get the opportunity to be chosen by the commander. It was something I did not think I would be selected for. It was a great surprise."

He and three other Apache pilots left Fort Campbell, Kentucky, several days ago, but were held up in West Virginia by weather. Friday was rehearsal day.

"We're just going to do a tight, four-ship diamond formation within one rotor distance of each other," he said.

Carmody, in the Army seven years and single, joined for a number of reasons, patriotism among them of course.

"I just always wanted to do it," he said. "That, and I joined out a sense of service and adventure."

One of six children of Jacquie and Arthur Carmody III of Shreveport, he attended St. Joseph's Catholic School in Shreveport, then later went to the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, N.M. Then he was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, from which he graduated in 2008.

"We are so proud of Harrison for his service to his country," Art Carmody says of his son, "After serving as an Apache pilot in Afghanistan, being selected to do the flyover at the Army-Navy game will be a special day for Harrison and his entire family."

Currently stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the younger Carmody flies with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). In military speak, that's A/1-101 AVN REGT. He has served a tour in Afghanistan in 2011-2012 and has flown "probably close to 200 or so" combat missions.

All of that has led to an overflight at the game that closes out the college football regular season and sets the eyes of the nation on a lad from Northwest Louisiana.

"It's good that a Shreveport boy could make his way up north to Baltimore to enjoy a football game and some crab cakes," he said.

Watch

The Army-Navy game will close out the regular college football season with a game in Baltimore, Maryland, today at 2 p.m. It will be shown on CBS affiliates.

Read or Share this story: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2014/12/12/local-fly-high-bowl-game/20313329/

Source: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2014/12/12/local-fly-high-bowl-game/20313329/

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Floyd Mayweather Wants Manny Pacquiao Fight In 2015, While Amir Khan Waits

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather spent much of the weekend trading barbs and increasing speculation that boxings two biggest stars will soon agree to a mega-bout. Accused by many of avoiding Pacquiao for years, Mayweather provided a flurry of jabs at the Filipino star and called him out for a May 2 bout during an interview with Showtime Boxing on Friday.

Pacquiao, who is coming off a one-sided win over Chris Algieri, would then respond to the AFP, suggesting the undefeated champion has run out of options. "[Mayweather] has reached a dead end. He has nowhere to run but to fight me," Pacquiao said Saturday.

Mayweather flipped the "ducking" accusations, claiming Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum has stymied the fight all these years. The 37-year-old welterweight and junior middleweight champion also called Pacquiao desperate after his recent pay-per-view numbers were reportedly much lower than expected. In his response, Pacquiao seemed to choose his words carefully, both to poke fun at Mayweathers defensive tactics in the ring and to further his stance that Mayweather does not want to fight him.

"I will try my best to (make) this a thrilling and entertaining fight. But I doubt if he's gonna engage me in a slugfest," Pacquiao said. "You all know his fighting style. Most of his previous fights, if not all, induced us to sleep."

The main stumbling blocks to the fight have included Mayweather seeking Pacquiao take drug and urine tests on fight day, followed by a pair of losses from Pacquiao to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez. Now it has switched to which cable giant, Mayweathers Showtime or Pacquiaos HBO, will get the PPV rights and how the combatants will split the purse.

Arum told Sports Illustrated that he had been in contact with CBS chief executive officer Les Moonves, who also controls Showtime, about the fight being split between Showtime and HBO. The same report cited a source that indicated Mayweather wouldnt take anything less than two-thirds of the purse. Considering the historical significance of the fight, the build up, and the fighters fame and stature, the purse could exceed $200 million.

Meanwhile, Amir Khans convincing victory over Devon Alexander on Saturday could be another obstacle for the bout. Should negotiations stall between the Mayweather and Pacquiao camps, its highly likely either boxer would threaten to book a fight with the talented Khan, who is a popular boxer in the U.K.

A bout with Khan, who has won his last four fights, would be a marquee matchup for both Mayweather and Pacquiao. However, the pay-per-view buys would come nowhere close to a Mayweather-Pacquiao mega-fight, which would easily shatter the record set by Mayweather's 2013 fight with Canelo Alvarez.

There is also a possibility of both camps agreeing to a rematch clause in a Mayweather-Pacquiao deal, adding to the financial windfall for both boxers. With retirement looming for Mayweather and Pacquiao, a pair of highly lucrative fights in 2015 would be an ideal way to leave the sport. Still, casting himself in the hero role, Pacquiao insists he fights for the fans and his legacy, not the money.

"Mayweather can get the amount he wants. As early as January this year, I challenged him to a charity fight. Until now, he has not agreed to it. So, money is not the issue in our fight," he said.

"This fight is about legacy, this is about making the fans happy and, above all, this is for the good of boxing."

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/floyd-mayweather-wants-manny-pacquiao-fight-2015-while-amir-khan-waits-1756210

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Amir Khan Calls out Floyd Mayweather After Win over Devon Alexander

John Locher/Associated Press

After a dominating performance over Devon Alexander on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Amir "King" Khan pulled no punches in calling out the pound-for-pound king of the sport, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Khan's length and speed led to a masterful performance against Alexander. After winning a dominant unanimous decision, it would appear there's nothing left for Khan to do but challenge the best. As good as he looked on Saturday night, he may never get a shot at Mayweather.

Just before the bout, Mayweather, who was watching the fight, appeared on the Showtime broadcast and called out Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather even threw out the date of May 2 for what would likely be the biggest pay-per-view bout in the history of the sport.

Here's a look at the interview with Showtime's Steve Farhood:

Khan still persists, per Golden Boy Promotions, that he is the one who would be most competitive against Mayweather.

While a Mayweather-Khan bout could potentially be a draw, the monetary compensation for Money would pale in comparison to what he figures to make from a fight with Pacquiao.

Because of that, and the longstanding public outcry for Money and Pac-Man to finally meet, Khan getting his wish seems like a long shot. If Mayweather does fight Pacquiao in May, he would still have one more fight left on his current contract with Showtime/CBS.

It's possible that fight could be against Khan.

That would likely require Khan to take and win one more fight in the meantime. Quite possibly, he could fight on the undercard of Mayweather-Pacquiao in May. An opponent like Keith "One-Time" Thurman seems like a logical option.

He easily outpointed Leonard Bundu on the undercard of Khan-Alexander to set up his own ascension up the 147-pound ladder. Thurman is a boxer-puncher who would be especially dangerous for Khan considering the latter has a reputation for having a weak chin.

Khan's camp could target a less dangerous fight, but that might not be impressive enough to make him a compelling opponent for Mayweather.

If Khan can't get Mayweather, it seems he's already trying to line up a fight with Pacquiao. In an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report, Khan said:

"Manny and I used to train and spar together, so I know what he is capable of. I also know that I can beat him. If I was to get a chance to prove that, then I think it would be a great spectacle for boxing and a great fight for the fans to see."

He may run into a similar issue challenging Pac-Man. There's no way Pacquiao would turn down a fight with Mayweather to face Khan. If Pacquiao or Mayweather loses the potential superfight, they won't carry the same appeal for Khan.

The best option for Khan is to hope the Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations somehow fall apart once again.

This is Anfield columnist Thomas McMahon loved Khan's performance on Saturday night but doubts he'd have the same success against Mayweather or Pacquiao.

There's no doubting the ambition, hunger and skill Khan possesses. Armed with all three qualities, he's hunting the biggest fish in the boxing pond. We'll have to see if he reels one in. From there, the question will be whether his catch sinks his boat.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2299323-amir-khan-calls-out-floyd-mayweather-after-win-over-devon-alexander

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Johnny Manziel's rude welcome to NFL? Defenses might rough up Cleveland ...

Updated DEC 14, 2014 1:26p ET

This is now Johnny Football's team, and opponents know it.

According to FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer, there are defensive players who are discussing how to handle Johnny Manziel's introduction to the league.

"There are defensive players who said they'd take a 15-yard penalty to welcome him to the NFL," Glazer said.

Bengals defensive players aren't sure what they're going to do "if we can get our hands on this guy," according to Glazer. Manziel is making is first career start on Sunday against the Bengals.

Also, Manziel took to heart reports that he wasn't named the starter last Sunday against the Colts because he went to a Cavaliers game the Tuesday prior when the Browns hadn't yet named a quarterback.

This week, Glazer said, Manziel showed up earlier, left a lot later so his teammates could feel like "you can trust me with the keys to the car," Glazer said.

Source: http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/johnny-manziel-cleveland-browns-bengals-defense-penalties-glazer-121414

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Johnny Manziel's pregame routine before first NFL start

December, 14, 2014

Dec 14

1:17

PM ET

Johnny Manziel showed up to FirstEnergy Stadium shortly after 10:50 a.m., around the same time as many players and coaches. A white SUV dropped him off. By 11:03, he was walking onto the field with headphones and an assistant coach close by.

Manziel probably threw 100 pregame passes. Got a ton of work. After jogging around the field on a misty yet calm Sunday, Manziel threw dozens of quick outs to a group of receivers with no helmet on. He worked on three-step drops, five-step drops, worked out of the shotgun. Everything was quick and decisive.

Then, with a helmet on, he threw deep lobs to the tight ends, running backs and receivers. At one point, Manziel took off his helmet to tell Josh Gordon something before fielding a shotgun snap.

And now the game is here.

• ESPN senior NFL writer
• Previously a college football reporter for CBSSports.com
• University of Florida graduate

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/153819/johnny-manziels-pregame-routine-before-first-nfl-start

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