Cheat Sheet - How Santa Ruins Christmas

Today: Obamacare Gets Secret Extension , Americans are Clear: Obamacare Just Isn't Liberal Enough , Judge Rejects Ohio's Marriage Law December 23, 2013 BAH HUMBUG 1. How Santa Ruins Christmas Yes, it's true—Mr. Claus is just about the worst thing to happen to Christianity. We make kids believe in a fat man who hands out gifts unfairly and makes out with mom, and then ask them to believe in Jesus? C'mon. By Candida Moss, professor of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of Notre Dame. Read it at The Daily Beast Why So Mum? 2. Obamacare Gets Secret Extension The White House is playing Secret Santa. Monday night was supposed to be the deadline for signing up for federal health insurance plans that take effect on January 1, but the Obama administration secretly updated Healthcare.gov over the weekend to extend the deadline 24 hours. The change was announced after the Washington Post broke the story. Last week, the individual mandate was extended for people whose insurance plans were canceled. Read it at Washington Post SURVEY SAYS 3. Poll: Obamacare Support Plunges Meanwhile, a CNN poll released Monday seems like a blow to supporters of the Affordable Care Act. When asked if they "generally favor or generally oppose" the president's health-care overhaul, only 35 percent say they "favor." The large majority—65 percent—say they "oppose." But as The Daily Beast's Jamelle Bouie points out, many of those detractors think the law just isn't liberal enough. Read it at The Daily Beast BENCH BOMBSHELL 4. Judge Rejects Ohio's Marriage Law A federal judge on Monday rejected Ohio's ban on same-sex marriages, calling the law unconstitutional when it comes to death certificates. But the decision only requires Ohio to recognize same-sex unions on death certificates. Despite the limited effect, Judge Timothy Black made a sweeping case against the same-sex marriage ban. "Once you get married lawfully in one state, another state cannot summarily take your marriage away," wrote Black. The suit was filed by two gay men who wanted to be recognized as spouses on their respective partners' death certificates. Read it at Associated Press OBIT 5. AK-47 Creator Dies at 94 Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the world's most popular gun, the AK-47, died Monday at age 94. Kalashnikov was a Soviet Union weapons designer when his creation, the Avtomat Kalashnikov went into production in 1947. It has since become the most popular firearm in the world, with an estimated 100 million spread across the globe, and is the weapon of choice for many soldiers, guerrillas and terrorists. Kalashnikov, who'd been hospitalized in Russia's Udmurtia republic when he died of unspecified causes, had often commented on how unconcerned he was about the bloodshed his invention had caused. "I sleep well," he said in 2007. It's the politicians who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence." Read it at The Associated Press FOR THE REST OF US Rand Paul Celebrates Festivus Airs his grievances on Twitter. TERRIFYING 13 Injured in LA Bus Crash 38 trapped inside as door is blocked. OVER IT Rodman Leaves North Korea Unclear if he met with Kim Jong-un. ROAR Kate Winslet Names Son Bear Taking a cue from Alicia Silverstone? WHO RUNS THE WORLD? Beyoncé Visits Walmart Pays $50 of all customers' checks. Esquire Toronto City Councilor Wants to Make "Whore Island" a Reality New York Magazine How to Get Drunk With Your Family This Christmas Wonderwall Celebs Who Got New Tattoos in 2013 GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. The Queen of Calling Bullsh#t by Caitlin Dickson The Cult of Canada Goose by Keli Goff Jimmy Fallon's Perfect Xmas 'SNL' by Kevin Fallon

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