Here are the hottest stories our team is discussing now:
- Charles Keating Jr. dies at 90; key figure in S&L collapse - "Willful and self-assured, Charles H. Keating Jr. strode through a life of outsized public roles — anti-pornography crusader, luxury hotel developer, political kingmaker — on his way to becoming one of the nation's most notorious corporate rogues." [Los Angeles Times]
- What’s next for Obamacare? - "The open enrollment period for 2014 is mostly done. The Obama administration is trumping their 7.1 million sign-ups and the Republicans are still grumbly, but soon, people are going to start talking about what's next for the law, policy and politics-wise. " [The Washington Post]
- Chile Lifts Tsunami Alerts From 8.2 Earthquake That Killed Six - "Chile lifted an evacuation order of coastal areas after the strongest earthquake in four years killed six people and prompted President Michelle Bachelet to order military leaders to the region to maintain order." [BloombergBusinessWeek]
- Jail Officer Who Severely Beat Inmate Can Invoke Stand Your Ground, Court Rules - "A former corrections officer who beat a prisoner in his jail can invoke Florida’s Stand Your Ground law to argue that he is immune from criminal charges, a Florida appeals court ruled Friday." [Think Progress]
- G.M. Hires Lawyer Specializing in Disaster Payouts - "As families of crash victims lined the back of the House hearing room, displaying photos of their lost loved ones, Mary T. Barra, the General Motors chief executive, told lawmakers that the company was considering paying damages to victims of accidents in the millions of cars recalled for defective ignition switches." [The New York Times]
- MH370: Malaysia's police chief warns plane mystery may never be solved - "The investigation into Malaysia Airlines' flight 370's disappearance may never find the true cause, the country's police chief warned on Wednesday." [The Guardian]
- Congress Targets Leading Spy for Benghazi Spin - "One of the most celebrated members of America’s intelligence community is under fire for his alleged role." [The Daily Beast]
- Appeals court: Florida’s voter purge violated federal law - "Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s administration violated federal law by trying to remove non-citizens from the voter rolls too close to the 2012 presidential election, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday in calling the mistake-prone effort 'far from perfect.'" [Miami Herald]
- Anti-gay activists celebrate Mississippi ‘religious freedom’ law - "Mississippi quietly passed its 'religious freedom' law Tuesday, prompting alarm from gay and lesbian rights activists who say it could be used to justify discrimination in the name of religion." [msnbc.com]