Lawmakers Urge Justice Department Probe of VA Health-Care Delays

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The U.S. Department of Justice should investigate allegations that delays in health care at military veterans hospitals were covered up, lawmakers from both political parties said today.

Only the Department of Justice and the FBI have the resources, the expertise and the authority to do a prompt and effective criminal investigation of the secret waiting lists, potential destruction of documents, falsification of records -- in effect, the cooking of books and covering up that may have occurred, Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who sits on the Veterans Affairs Committee, said on CBSs Face the Nation program.

A Justice Department investigation would provide an outside independent authority that can offer accountability and the perception of accountability, said Blumenthal, a former federal prosecutor and state attorney general.

The Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general is investigating reports that some hospitals kept phony waiting lists designed to hide lengthy delays in providing health care.

President Barack Obama last week promised to punish any officials responsible for covering up delays while saying Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki will keep his job for now, amid calls that he be fired.

The Department of Justice needs to get involved in this, Representative Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican and Iraq war veteran, said on CBS. The president has got to show some intense outrage.

Blumenthal said that hes urged Shinseki publicly and privately to request a Justice Department investigation.

The Veterans Affairs department may need more funding after enrolling 2 million veterans in its system since 2009 and setting an ambitious goal of scheduling appointments within 14 days, said Senate Veterans Affairs Chairman Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent.

At the end of the day, when you have 2 million new veterans coming in to the system, some with very difficult and complicated problems, I do think we have to take a hard look and see if we have the resources, Sanders said on CNNs State of the Union program.

Representative Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican who is chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said problems plaguing the veterans health-care system are an issue of manipulation and mismanagement.

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Lawmakers Urge Justice Department Probe of VA Health-Care Delays

Poll: Health care enrollees rise but little love for Obamacare

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WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama celebrated when sign-ups for his health care law topped 8 million, far exceeding expectations after a slipshod launch. Most Americans, however, remain unimpressed.

A new Associated Press-GfK poll finds that public opinion continues to run deeply negative on the Affordable Care Act, Obama's signature effort to cover the uninsured. Forty-three percent oppose the law, compared with just 28 percent in support.

The pattern illustrates why the health care law remains a favored target for Republicans seeking a Senate majority in the midterm elections.

The poll does have a bright spot for the administration: Those who signed up for coverage aren't reeling from sticker shock. Most said they found premiums in line with what they expected, or even lower.

But even that was diminished by another finding: More than one-third of those who said they or someone in their household tried to enroll, were ultimately unable to do so. For the White House, it's an uncomfortable reminder of the technical problems that paralyzed the HealthCare.gov website for weeks after it went live last fall.

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Poll: Health care enrollees rise but little love for Obamacare

Smaller is better: BYU creates new gene therapy technology

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Combine some microbiologists with some mechanical engineers and you never know what might happen.

A recent collaboration of those two fields of scientists at Brigham Young University produced a machine so small it takes a microscope to see it.

It's not just for fun, however. It could pave the way for research into diseases including Alzheimer's, cancer and diabetes.

For decades scientists have conducted gene research by transferring genetic material into a new cell by a process called microinjection. It was just considered an unfortunate by-product of the process to have 40 percent of the cells die.

Enter BYU and a different process called nanoinjection, which occurs by transferring material including DNA into cells.

"Because DNA is naturally negatively charged, it is attracted to the outside of the lance using positive voltage," said Brian Jensen, a BYU professor of mechanical engineering, in a release. "Once we insert the lance into a cell, we simply reverse the polarity of the electrical force and the lance releases the DNA."

The lance being used is 10 times smaller than what was used previously. In the past, researchers used a hollow needle to pump a DNA-filled liquid into an egg cell nucleus, but the extra fluid caused many of the cells to swell and die.

With the new method, the team found that nearly 80 percent of the cells proceeded to the next stage of development, a significant increase from the previous 60 percent success rate.

No extra fluid is used and the cells undergo less stress and have a higher survival rate.

"It is really great engineering stuff," said Sandra Burnett, associate professor of microbiology at BYU.

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Smaller is better: BYU creates new gene therapy technology

CHAT Freedom Fest Singer/Songwriting Competition – Johnny Lo – Mus Zoo Koj (Original) – Video

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CHAT Freedom Fest Singer/Songwriting Competition - Johnny Lo - Mus Zoo Koj (Original)
Hey everybody, this is my entry video for the CHAT Freedom Fest Singer/Songwriter competition. I hope you all are inspired by this song. Please share this video if you were inspired by this...

By: Johnny Lo

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CHAT Freedom Fest Singer/Songwriting Competition - Johnny Lo - Mus Zoo Koj (Original) - Video