President Barack Obama is closing out a difficult year in low-key fashion, with hopes for better results in 2014, particularly for his troubled healthcare law.
Obama kicked off the last day of 2013 with an hourlong workout at a military base near his rented vacation home on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The White House said the president planned to stay home Tuesday night and ring in the new year with friends and family.
The president has largely stayed out of the spotlight since arriving in Hawaii more than a week ago. He's spent his days golfing with friends, hiking with his family, and hitting the town for dinner at several high-end restaurants he frequents while in his home state.
Behind the scenes, aides say Obama is receiving updates on the problematic rollout of his signature healthcare law. Insurance coverage is scheduled to start Jan. 1 for the more than 2 million people who have enrolled since signups opened at the beginning of October.
Widespread glitches on the HealthCare.gov website appear to be largely fixed, but insurers say they are still receiving thousands of erroneous signups from the government.
Aides say the president has also been reviewing a presidential panel's recommendations for placing limits on the National Security Agency's surveillance programs.
Obama is not obligated to accept the panel's recommendations, and is expected to announce his decision in January.
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