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November 13, 2013 | | UP, UP, UP The Standard & Poor's 500 stands at about 1766, near a record high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at about 15,727, also near a record high. Since the lows of March 2009, both indices are up nearly 140 percent. Does President Obama deserve the credit? The answer is: yes, but only some of it. YIKES Remember the smiling woman who greeted visitors at Healthcare.gov who then mysteriously disappeared? Well here's some more info: her name is Adriana and she asked that her picture be removed after she was cyberbullied for appearing on the website, she told ABC News on Wednesday. Much to Obamacare critics' delight, Adriana is not an American citizen—she is a permanent resident who lives in Maryland, and is married to a U.S. citizen, and they have a 21-month-old son. Adriana said she contacted the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services because she wanted free family photographs. With her face becoming the public face of Obamacare, she was mocked, Photoshopped, and became the subject of partisan hatred. A Healthcare.gov rep said her photo was not removed due to her request, but rather because it's a "dynamic website."
MAYOR MCCRACK Surprise, surprise. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted to the Toronto City Council on Wednesday that he has bought illegal drugs within the past two years, i.e., while he was in office. Despite the admission, Ford maintained his insistence on remaining in office, telling the council, "I'm definitely keeping this job. I am not leaving here." While the council does not have the power to force the mayor out, the motion would recommend the mayor take a leave of absence. LOSING THE FAITH Is immigration reform dead? A powerful coalition of religious leaders, including Archbishop Timothy Dolan, is pushing House Republicans to pass the stalled legislation. But even among an 88-percent Christian caucus, the message isn't getting through. Just yesterday, House Speaker John Boehner, a Catholic, told reporters has "no intention" of picking up the Senate version of the bill. The Daily Beast's Patricia Murphy talks to faith leaders' desperate mission. PEACE OUT The negotiating team for the Palestinians has resigned from peace talks with the Israelis. "The team resigned due to the Israeli illegal practices, especially settlement activities," said the Palestinian mission to the UN. Their chief negotiator, Saeb Erakat, told Al Jazeera America that the settlement building in East Jerusalem and the West Bank will "make or break the negotiations." While the talks coming to a halt would be a major setback for the Obama administration, they attached little important to the news, saying Erakat has done this before. | | 
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