Health Checkup: Only 106,185 people bought an Obamacare health plan in its first month, according to the government. It’s only about 20% of the target figure for the first month. More disappointing for the administration is that only about 27,000 people got their policies through the troubled Healthcare.gov website which serves 36 states. The vast majority did it through the 15 state and DC websites.

Obamacare needs about 7 million paying customers by next spring for the business plan to work. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) jumped at the chance on CNN to say, “The only way you’re going to fix this is to repeal Obamacare.”

Health Sec. Kathleen Sebelius tried to put a brighter face on the situation pointing out that nearly a million people have registered and qualified for coverage, but have not bought a policy. Getting less attention is that nearly 400,000 people have qualified for Medicare or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Philippines: A US aircraft carrier group has arrived off the Philippines with emergency food and water. The government has begun distributing food packs, but only enough for a fraction of the population. Medical help for the injured is scarce. Tacloban’s main hospital is without power and lacks basic care supplies. The number of confirmed dead has exceeded 2,500 and many bodes are being buried in mass graves. The Red Cross reports 22,000 people missing, but acknowledges that some of those may since have been found.

National: Four Marines died yesterday in an explosion while clearing unexploded ordnance at Camp Pendleton in California. The Marine Corps said the cause of the accident is under investigation. In March, seven Marines died in Nevada during a mortar training accident.

• Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger was given two life sentences this morning for racketeering and 11 murders. The 84-year-old Bulger was described as emotionless in a pre-sentence hearing yesterday as families of his murder victims called him a rat, a punk, coward and Satan. A man whose sister was murdered said, “I’d like to strangle him myself. I hope Whitey dies the same way my sister did, gasping for breath.”
• A propane tank rigged as a bomb failed to explode and burst into flames outside of a Medford, Ore. Courthouse yesterday. Police have not determined a motive for the courthouse to be targeted.

Spy In A Bag: The London police have ruled that the odd death of an intelligence analyst locked inside of a duffel bag was probably an accident. Gareth Williams, 31, who had the misfortune to become known as “the spy in a bag”, was found dead in his apartment inside the bag in the bathtub. The key to the lock was found in the bag under Williams’ decomposing body. Investigators speculate the incident might have involved some kind of eroticism or an interest in the art of escape.

Hizzoner: In a contentious meeting, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted to his city council that he has bought illegal drugs within the last two years. But Ford defiantly said he will not leave the job, despite a 37-5 vote asking him to take a leave of absence. “I’m definitely keeping this job,” he said. “I am not leaving here.” We hope not. We already lost Anthony Weiner.

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