Just days before the 2016 election cycle really kicks into gear, the US government offered new details on the Clinton email fiasco . With the Iowa caucuses set to take place soon, the Obama administration confirmed for the first time that messages from Hillary Clinton’s private server did in fact contain sensitive information. In fact, 22 of the emails have been censored as they included top secret details and state secrets. The Associated Press reports that seven email chains are being withheld from the next release from the State Department due to their sensitive nature. What’s more, 37 pages include details on “special access programs” like confidential sources or government surveillance. “The documents are being upgraded at the request of the intelligence community because they contain a category of top secret information, ” said State Department spokesman John Kirby. Some of the messages won’t be published online at all, even with black boxes cover up the sensitive info. It’s not clear whether Clinton sent the emails herself or exactly what they contained. Back in December, reports of top secret emails being stored on the server first surfaced. The State Department will further investigate if the details were classified as the time they were discussed in these most recent emails. Timing couldn’t be worse for the Democratic front-runner for the 2016 presidential nomination. With the big showdown with opponent Bernie Sanders in Iowa looming, today’s news won’t help ease critics’ concerns. Clinton has maintained that she never sent or received info on her personal email account that was classified at the time. However, the State Department’s next release of emails, which is said to come today, will be the first that includes talk of top secret contents. In addition to the presidential race, there could be legal ramifications if the on-going probe uncovers any evidence that Clinton was in any way responsible for the transmission of sensitive material. Source: Associated Press
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US government says 22 Clinton emails contain top secret info
Etherwalk writes: The Obama Administration today ordered Volkswagen to recall 500, 000 4-cylinder Volkswagen and Audi vehicles from model years 2009-15. The vehicles were programmed to turn on more thorough emissions control and generate cleaner readings when tested for emissions than they did when in ordinary operation. In effect, the software made everything operate normally when you looked at it, just like any good malware. Read more of this story at Slashdot. 
NPR reports that the Alaskan mountain which has for nearly a century been known officially as Mt. McKinley will revert to the name under which it’s been known for a much longer time: Denali. President Obama is to “make a public announcement of the name change in Anchorage Monday, during a three-day visit to Alaska.” Interior Secretary Sally Jewell’s secretarial order of August 28th declares the name change to be immediately effective, and directs the United States Board on Geographic Names “to immediately implement this name change, including changing the mountain’s name in the Board’s Geographic Names Information System and notifying all interested parties of the name change.” Read more of this story at Slashdot. 
An anonymous reader sends word that President Obama is expected to announce more that $240 million in pledges to boost STEM educations at the White House Science Fair today. “President Barack Obama is highlighting private-sector efforts to encourage more students from underrepresented groups to pursue education in science, technology, engineering and math. At the White House Science Fair on Monday, Obama will announce more than $240 million in pledges to boost the study of those fields, known as STEM. This year’s fair is focused on diversity. Obama will say the new commitments have brought total financial and material support for these programs to $1 billion. The pledges the president is announcing include a $150 million philanthropic effort to encourage promising early-career scientists to stay on track and a $90 million campaign to expand STEM opportunities to underrepresented youth, such as minorities and girls.” Read more of this story at Slashdot. 
Hillary Clinton’s burgeoning presidential campaign is not off to a good start. Just a day after papers reported that the former Secretary of State would make a bid for the nation’s highest office in April, The New York Times reports that Hillary Clinton used only her personal email address while serving as Secretary of State . This is bad. Read more… 
After the hoverboard, there are few sci-fi inventions more worked-on than Star Trek’s tricorder. Portable, simple diagnostic machines have been promised for years — there’s even a $7 million prize for building one — but most designs are still years away from reality. Read more… 
MarkWhittington writes The Washington Post reported that the NASA portion of the president’s 2016 budget proposal is basically status quo though it does provide further funding for a mission to Europa. A Europa probe is near and dear to the new chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NASA, Rep. John Culberson. However, the $18.5 billion budget proposal also funds the asteroid redirect mission, which has come under increasing fire from both Congress and the scientific community. The Houston Chronicle suggested that the final spending bill will be considerably different once congressional Republicans get through with it. Read more of this story at Slashdot.