HHS chief: President didn't know of Obamacare website woes beforehand  —  (CNN) — President Barack Obama didn't know about the problems with the Affordable Care Act's website — despite complaints from insurance companies and the site's crashing during a test run — until days …

HealthCare.gov pricing feature can be off the mark  —  (CBS News) CBS News has uncovered a serious pricing problem with HealthCare.gov. It stems from the Obama administration's efforts to improve its health care website.  A new online feature can dramatically underestimate the cost of insurance.

Exclusive: White House Official Fired for Tweeting Under Fake Name  —  A White House national security official was fired last week after being caught as the mystery Tweeter who has been tormenting the foreign policy community with insulting comments and revealing internal Obama administration information for over two years.

Obama's Uncertain Path Amid Syria Bloodshed  —  WASHINGTON — With rebel forces in Syria in retreat and the Obama administration's policy toward the war-ravaged country in disarray, Secretary of State John Kerry arrived at the White House Situation Room one day in June with a document bearing a warning.

BREAKING: Judge Refuses to Dismiss Case Challenging Obamacare Subsidies  —  UPDATE: The judge will not issue an injunction to stop the IRS from issuing subsidies, meaning Obamacare can move forward as planned.  However, the lawsuit will also move forward and depending on the outcome, could limit IRS power to issue Obamacare subsidies.

The hidden room inside Mitt Romney's new Utah house  —  Holladay » The front door of Mitt Romney's soon-to-be-constructed Holladay house opens to a massive living room, and to your left, around the fireplace, lies a study.  —  If you look closely at the bookshelves there, you find something interesting: a secret door.

Durbin: House leader told Obama ‘I cannot even stand to look at you’  —  A top Senate Democrat said that a leading House Republican told President Obama that they could not ‘even stand to look at you’ during negotiations over the government shutdown.  —  Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) …

In Utah, tea party favorite Sen. Lee faces GOP backlash over government shutdown  —  SALT LAKE CITY — When Mike Lee toppled longtime Republican Sen. Robert F. Bennett here in 2010, it was the tea party's first big triumph.  But now, after a 16-day government shutdown, it's Lee who faces a revolt within his own party.

Alan Greenspan's Bank Capital Fraud  —  I'm a little surprised to find myself saying this, but I think David Dayen's managed to be too soft on Alan Greenspan in his take on Greenspan's new book The Map and the Territory.  It's true that Greenspan's 2004-vintage pimping for adjustable-rate mortgages …

What Kind of Problem is the ACA Rollout for Liberalism?  —  “This massive IT launch sure came in on time, under budget, and without headaches” is a statement that nobody has ever said.  But even controlling for that, Healthcare.gov looks to be having a disastrous launch.

14-year-old student held without bail in slaying of Danvers High teacher  —  A 24-year-old Danvers High School teacher has been found dead, and a 14-year-old boy is being held without bail on a charge of murdering her.  —  Math teacher Colleen Ritzer's body was found in the woods behind the school …

Report: U.S. Spent $3.7 Trillion on Welfare Over Last 5 Years  —  New research from the Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee shows that over the last 5 years, the U.S. has spent about $3.7 trillion on welfare.  Here's a chart, showing that spending versus transportation, education, and NASA spending:

Craigslist makes turning food stamps into cash a SNAP  —  Food stamp recipients are turning the government handouts into quick cash with ads on Craigslist, despite efforts to stem fraud.  —  The federally-funded grocery assistance coupons — which are issued by states in the form …

Russia Putting a Strong Arm on Neighbors  —  CHISINAU, Moldova — It was not enough for Dmitri O. Rogozin, a deputy prime minister of Russia, to warn darkly that it would be “a grave mistake” for Moldova to seek closer ties with Europe.  —  Mr. Rogozin, wrapping up a visit here last month …

Guantanamo Bay prison camp still at work on its image  —  GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA — Weeds now grow where nearly two dozen kneeling and blindfolded men in orange jumpsuits were photographed as guards in fatigues looked on.  —  It's been more than a decade since these iconic images …

Bill de Blasio and the New Urban Populism  —  In an era of Clintonesque caution, when Democrats typically mute any expression of their leftward leanings, Bill de Blasio, who will almost certainly be elected mayor of New York City two weeks from now, does not concede an inch to the right.