The shutdown, the debt and healthcare: a primer

These are complicated times in the affairs of Washington and the nation, with death stars everywhere and all of them a struggle to comprehend. The partial government shutdown, the debt limit squeeze just around the corner, sequestration, how they fit with the health care law, how they don't — it just goes on. So we've cooked up some questions about this grim galaxy and taken a stab at answers: Q: Which is better, "Obamacare" or the Affordable Care Act? A: When late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel asked people this question, they thought they could choose between the two, and they opted for the nice-sounding Affordable Care Act as the way to go in health care.