Emails Cast Unflattering Light On Internal Politics of Obamacare Website Rollo

An anonymous reader writes with this report from The Verge linking to and excerpting from a newly released report created for a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, including portions of eight “damning emails” that offer an unflattering look at the rollout of the Obamacare website. The Government Office of Accountability released a report earlier this week detailing the security flaws in the site, but a report from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released yesterday is even more damning. Titled, “Behind the Curtain of the HealthCare.gov Rollout, ” the report fingers the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversaw the development of the site, and its parent Department of Health and Human Services. “Officials at CMS and HHS refused to admit to the public that the website was not on track to launch without significant functionality problems and substantial security risks, ” the report says. “There is also evidence that the Administration, to this day, is continuing its efforts to shield ongoing problems with the website from public view.” Writes the submitter: “The evidence includes emails that show Obamacare officials more interested in keeping their problems from leaking to the press than working to fix them. This is both both a coverup and incompetence.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Emails Cast Unflattering Light On Internal Politics of Obamacare Website Rollo

Doctors Could 3D Print Their Own Tools For a Fraction of the Cost

The cost of the instruments needed to run a hospital or a lab is often exorbitant—but what if doctors and scientists could simply print their own tools from an open library of designs? That’s what a paper published today suggests. Read more…

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Doctors Could 3D Print Their Own Tools For a Fraction of the Cost

LA Schools Are Giving Back Grenade Launchers (But Keeping the Tank)

Los Angeles School Police Department announced this week that it would be sending some controversial surplus military equipment back to the federal government. Specifically, the school police will send back three grenade launchers. In related news, LA school police had grenade launchers . Read more…

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LA Schools Are Giving Back Grenade Launchers (But Keeping the Tank)

Qatar’s $45 Billion Plan to Build a Brand New City for the World Cup

Qatar, the 2022 host of the World Cup, is not a large country, with a population just over 2.1 million. So to prepare for the millions who’ll descend on the country eight years from now, it’s going to great lengths—including building an entire new city from scratch. Read more…

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Qatar’s $45 Billion Plan to Build a Brand New City for the World Cup

New Ultralight Ceramic Cubes Can Be Squished and Recover Like a Sponge

A CalTech scientist and her team just announced the development of one of the strongest and lightest materials ever created. It’s light enough to float like a feather, and so uniquely strong, it can be crushed and completely recover its shape. And—get this—it’s made of ceramic. Read more…

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New Ultralight Ceramic Cubes Can Be Squished and Recover Like a Sponge

AT&T Will Give You $200 Minimum for Your Old iPhone 4

As expected, would-be iPhone 6 owners are currently wading through a torrent of trade-in and upgrade offers. It’s all very, very confusing. But AT&T is being clear about one thing: If you trade in an iPhone 4, 4S, 5, or 5C, you will get at least $200 credit towards a new device. Read more…

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AT&T Will Give You $200 Minimum for Your Old iPhone 4

Get Lost in This Map of 170,000 Photos From Depression-Era America

Some of the most haunting images of the U.S. were captured from 1935 to 1945, as the country emerged from the depths of the Great Depression and rallied for World War II. A team from Yale has collaborated on one of the most visually stunning interpretations of the era, called Photogrammar : 170, 000 photos from the period, plotted on a map of the country. Read more…

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Get Lost in This Map of 170,000 Photos From Depression-Era America

How This ISS Fireball Revealed a New Type of Cool, Invisible Flame

Remember that flame burst recorded by an astronaut aboard the ISS ? Well, it wasn’t just for the fireworks. In fact, that great ball of fire led to the discovery of a previously unknown type of cool-burning flame that isn’t even visible to the naked eye. Read more…

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How This ISS Fireball Revealed a New Type of Cool, Invisible Flame

​How To Build Your Own Altoids Tin Survival Kit

Tiny, light and infinitely transportable, this affordable little kit might save your life in an emergency. Here’s how to build your own mini survival kit and how to use the stuff in it. http://indefinitelywild.gizmodo.com/now-that-its-u… Read more…

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​How To Build Your Own Altoids Tin Survival Kit