Author: Connor Simpson

Tesla Is First Green Tech Company to Pay Back Its Department of Energy Loan

AP

Tesla no longer owns the federal government a dime. On Wednesday the company announced it had repaid the outsanding balance of $451.8 million, with interest,  on its 2009 Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan from the Department of Defense. That means taxpayers earned a very, very small $12 million profit on the loan.

By Connor Simpson

May 22, 2013

Sergio Garcia Added 'Fried Chicken' to Golf's Mega Feud & Tiger Is Not Amused

What was already a years-long rivalry between two great players has now transformed into a full-fledged war of words with racial undertones fueling the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world heading into golf's major summer tournaments. Here's how Garcia's apology tour is going, and how Tiger Woods is reacting.

Comments | 2,900 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 22, 2013

Stat of the Day

Only 15% of Los Angeles Voted for Mayor

Eric Garcetti will be the new mayor of Los Angeles after only parts of the city went to the polls last night. The turnout was depressingly low for America's second largest metropolis.

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By Connor Simpson

May 21, 2013

Who Should Be the New Voice of 'This Is NPR'?

Your favorite public broadcasting network is looking for someone to record their "this... is NPR" voiceovers. You could be that person! Although, come to think of it, the following people have voices made of gold, so they might deserve the job.

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By Connor Simpson

May 21, 2013

Microsoft Wants the New Xbox One to Totally Take Over Your TV

Isn't this supposed to be a video game thing? Well, yes, but Microsoft's mission with the Xbox One is to navigate everything you do on a television, from talking to it and watching it to interacting with every gamer on the planet. Let's break down just how this bad boy can transform your living room.

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By Connor Simpson

May 21, 2013

ESPN Has to Lay People Off Because It Pays So Much for Sports Rights

ESPN is an extremely profitable company and recently made two very expensive deals for television rights to tennis and college footbal. And yet, on Tuesday the network had its first round of layoffs since 2009. So what gives? 

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By Connor Simpson

May 21, 2013

Have You Forgotten About 'The Wolverine'?

Between the billion dollar behemoth that is Iron Man and the hotly anticipated Man of Steel, it can be easy to forget there's a third superhero movie coming out this summer. So, with that in mind, this latest rock'em sock'em, robot ninja filled trailer for July's The Wolverine might pique your interest. 

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By Connor Simpson

May 21, 2013

Spying for China Is One Way to Pay for NYU Grad School

Three scientists working at New York University's Langone Medical Center are accused of leaking research funded by the National Institutes of Health to a rival research institute funded by the Chinese government. For one scientist, his compensation was pre-paid grad school tuition.

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By Connor Simpson

May 20, 2013

Yahoo! Promises 'Not to Screw It Up' on Tumblr

Yahoo! and Tumblr just officially announced their engagement to the world and they're already playing damage control. They're doing their best to calm your fears of Yahoo! digging its long, purple claws into Tumblr and ruining it forever.

Comments | 1,038 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

Teens Are This Excited About Yahoo! Buying Tumblr

Now that Tumblr is a Yahoo! property, just like the beleaguered Flickr, some are predicting the service's death already and the deal hasn't even been officially announced yet. Those people are dramatic teens who use Tumblr but that's still a pretty big deal. 

Comments | 4,360 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

Uh Oh, Another Big Burglary Happened at Cannes

Does Cannes have a serial thief in their midst? A powerful Chinese film executive had all of his luggage stolen out of his rented apartment this week just days after $1 million worth of Chopard jewelry went missing from a hotel on the city's main strip. 

Comments | 1,246 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

Box Office Report

'Star Trek' Prospers

Welcome to the Box Office Report, where we know The Next Generation is clearly the superior television show. 

Comments | 2,906 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

The Sunday Grind

Dan Pfeiffer Explains the IRS Scandal

The President's senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer did a tour of the sunday shows to try and calm everyone down about this whole IRS targeting Tea Party groups scandal.

Comments | 1,868 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

Yahoo! Just Bought Tumblr for $1.1 Billion

That rumored $1 billion offer from Yahoo! to buy Tumblr? It's looking like a forgone conclusion at this point. But things are messy and speculative and there are already doomsayers predicting this is a bad idea for everyone involved. But mostly they're predicting it's bad for Yahoo!

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By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

Fred Armisen and Bill Hader Say Goodbye to 'Saturday Night Live'

Saturday Night Live said goodbye to two of its biggest stars last night, both in spectacular fashion, and had all time performances from Kanye West. It was a night of teary goodbyes and awkward Ben Affleck jokes. Join us, please, as we send off Stefon and Ian Rubbish in style. 

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By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

North Korea Tests Missiles for Second Day in a Row

North Korea fired a short range missile into the sea off its east coast on Sunday. It's the second day in a row the rogue nation fired short range missiles for no apparent reason. Seems a little wasteful, doesn't it? 

Comments | 1,453 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 19, 2013

What We Know About the Record Breaking Powerball Jackpot's Mystery Winner

The frenzy for last minute tickets is over. The numbers have been picked out. Somewhere, a single person is $590 million richer. Last night's record Powerball jackpot has a winner but we have no idea who that person is yet. 

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By Connor Simpson

May 18, 2013

Oxbow Upsets Orb's Bid for a Triple Crown at the Preakness

After completing a thrilling come from behind win at the Kentucky Derby, Orb was supposed to walk away with Preakness and charge onto the Belmont Stakes in pursuit of the elusive Triple Crown. Unfortunately a horse named Oxbow had other ideas. 

Comments | 830 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 18, 2013

Sore Losers Can't Accept That France Legalized Gay Marriage

France finally became the 14th country to legalize gay marriage on Saturday when President Francois Hollande signed the bill that legalizes same sex marriage into law. But ugly protests that have marked the legal process will continue even now that the bill is passed. 

Comments | 1,246 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 18, 2013

The New 'Anchorman 2' Trailer Says Hello But Not Much More

There are a lot of cool things reportedly in store for fans when Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues hits theaters on December 20. The new trailer isn't giving away any hints, though. 

Comments | 1,868 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 18, 2013

The President's Umbrella Scandal Folded Before It Could Take Off

There was a brief moment where some conservative were trying to make a scandal out of the President's moment in the rain on Thursday. But unfortunately that scandal died before it could really take off.

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By Connor Simpson

May 18, 2013

Kanye Was Watching You Watch Kanye's New Video Last Night

So if Kanye West's weird behavior in the Saturday Night Live promos wasn't enough to pique your interest in tonight's season finale, last night he surprised the world be debuting a new song and video with projections on landmarks in 10 different cities around the world. 

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By Connor Simpson

May 18, 2013

Why Is North Korea Testing Missiles Now?

North Korea noticed the world stopped paying attention to them, and so, the country fired three short range missiles off the coast to out all eyes on them. Are we about to fall back into the endless stream of provocations and threats that seemed to die down?

Comments | 2,699 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 15, 2013

Why Would Anyone Ever Switch from Spotify to Google's New Music Service?

Google unveiled its new streaming music service at their annual I/O developers conference on Wednesday. It has a very long name and some pretty cool new features. Whether it will actually do anything to upend your listening habits and the market for streaming music services, well, that's up for some immediate debate.

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By Connor Simpson

May 15, 2013

The Ultimate 'Star Wars' vs. 'Doctor Who' Nerd Fight That Wasn't

Who would win a fight, Darth Vader or Doctor Who? Nerds almost saw a dream grudge match go down over the weekend when there was a flare up at a science-fiction convention in Norwich, England, when members of two rival gangs fan clubs nearly came to blows. 

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By Connor Simpson

May 15, 2013

Joe Scarborough Is Outraged the White House Followed His Advice on Leaks

The MSNBC host is in high dudgeon because people who might leak confidential info to reporters will clam up because they fear a federal investigation into leaks that he called called for last summer.

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By Connor Simpson

May 15, 2013

Syria's Internet Is Offline Again

For the second time in as many weeks, the Internet usage in Syria disappeared mysteriously around 10 a.m. local time Wednesday with little to no warning. So, is it another case of the Assad regime trying to disrupt rebel communications or are they really having technical difficulties?

Comments | 1,029 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 14, 2013

Why Gosnell Didn't Get the Death Penalty

Dr. Kermit Gosnell will live. The 72-year-old Philadelphia physician struck a deal with prosecutors on Tuesday that will allow him to avoid the death penalty and stay alive. This is how he did it. 

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By Connor Simpson

May 14, 2013

Look at These Flippant Startuppers Trying to Rap

Rap videos from weird startup guys are nothing new, but the genre may have reached its ultimate nadir. Dave McClure's 500 Startups released this homage to Macklemore's "Thrift Shop" on Tuesday — and it's so tone deaf that you'll be begging for the bubble to burst.

Comments | 617 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 14, 2013

Even MADD Doesn't Just Want to Drop the Legal Limit for Drunk Driving

In an effort to cut down on the number of alcohol related accidents, the National Transportation Safety Board wants to lower the legal limit for driving from a 0.08 to 0.05 blood alcohol content in all states. That doesn't mean post-dinner-out driving standards will be more exacting anytime soon, though — indeed, the fight is just now underway, and from some of the most unlikely of lobbyists.

Comments | 1,234 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 14, 2013

Freedom: BlackBerry's BBM Is Coming to the iPhone

Considering there's a large swath of people who hate iMessage for its frequent downtime and unreliability, you would think BlackBerry would be smart enough to launch its long-popular BlackBerry Messenger app for the iPhone. Oh, they're doing that now? And for Android, too? Good. Finally. Now here's how they're going to make money off you.

Comments | 3,701 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 14, 2013

ESPN Hasn't Stolen the U.S. Open Rights from CBS... Yet

ESPN's upfront presentation on Tuesday had more soccer, more football, and more SportsCenter, but the Worldwide Leader refused to explain the most puzzling sport on its moneymaking lineup of contracts: tennis.

Comments | 823 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 14, 2013

If U.S.-Trained Troops in the Congo Rape 6-Year-Olds, How Do We Train Troops?

Troops of the Congolese Army trained by a U.S. Special Forces team went on to commit mass rape and murder of women and children while fleeing rebel forces last year, according to a new United Nations report, raising questions not just about these particular atrocities but surrounding the United States's Africa Command operations in general.

Comments | 1,440 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 13, 2013

Social Roulette Is the Best (and Scariest) Way to Delete Your Facebook Account

If you have suicidal Facebook tendencies — as in, you want off the social network but just can't bare to part with your photos, wall posts, and all those precious, precious likes — then you should probably try playing the new game Social Roulette. If you feel lucky.

Comments | 2,668 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 13, 2013

Watch Barbara Walters Make Her Teary Goodbye to TV

The television news icon finally confirmed the news of her retirement on Monday's episode of The View with a heartfelt (if early) farewell in advance of her leaving behind the show — and more than a half-century of TV history — this time next year.

Comments | 820 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 13, 2013

Yes, the '24' Comeback Can Still Work in the Binge-Watching Era

Perhaps the biggest news out of TV upfront week so far is Fox's decision to give Jack Bauer the zombie treatment with a 12-episode, time-skipping "limited series" return next summer. A lot has changed since 24; went off the air, but there's hard evidence that 24: Live Another Day won't fizzle just because primetime viewing habits have changed.

Comments | 1,846 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 13, 2013

Everything You Loved About 'Arrested Development' Will Be Back

Did you hear? Did you hear?! It's almost here! The TV show that no one watched until after it was cancelled, Arrested Development, is less than two weeks away from returning for another flight on Netflix. Last night, they finally debuted the trailer that promises everything you love is returning. 

Comments | 2,663 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 12, 2013

What We Can Expect from Google's New Mobile Game Hub

Are you an Android user who's been hoping for a service similar to the iOs GameCenter or XBox Live on your phone? Fear not, your wishes may be granted sooner than you think.

Comments | 1,023 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 12, 2013

Box Office Report

'Gatsby' Not Great Enough to Defeat 'Iron Man'

Welcome to the Box Office Report, where we're not ready for flapper girls to be a thing again. How depressingly 2010.

Comments | 1,432 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 12, 2013

The Sunday Grind

Durbin: You're All Scared of Hillary 2016

Sen. Dick Durbin blamed Republicans fear of Hillary Clinton dominating the 2016 Presidential election on the obsession with turning Benghazi into a major scandal. He called the whole thing part of the "political show" in the election's build up. 

Comments | 1,637 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 12, 2013

Seth Meyers Is Officially Fallon's Successor on 'Late Night'

The New York Times' Bill Carter reports current Saturday Night Live head writer Seth Meyers will replace Jimmy Fallon as the host of Late Night when Fallon moves to The Tonight Show.

Comments | 3,277 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 12, 2013

Things Are Getting Ugly for Syrian Refugees in Turkey

Turkish officials arrested nine Turkish nationals accused of having ties to Syrian intelligence forces for the brutal car bombings that killed 46 people in Reyhanli, a town on the border of the two countries where Syrian refugees have started living since the conflict began. 

Comments | 409 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 12, 2013

Minnesota Lawyer Pimped Himself to a Client

There's one way for a lawyer to cross the line from officer of the law to officer of pleasure: when he bills a client for time they spent having sex. A Minnesota lawyer logged time he spent getting intimate with a lady he was representing in a divorce case in his billable hours.

Comments | 3,478 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 12, 2013

Kristen Wiig's Mom Is Way Worse Than Your Mom

So less than a year since her departure, Kristen Wiig made her triumphant return to Saturday Night Live last night to retread all the characters you knew and loved. But most importantly she stayed out of the way when she needed to let the new, very strong female cast shine. 

Comments | 3,273 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 11, 2013

So What Were Bloomberg Reporters Using Those Terminals for Anyway?

Investigations are being launched by the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve to see if their employees were spied on by Bloomberg reporters, too. But they may find Bloomberg reporters didn't always use the terminals to get scoops. They used them for fun on slow days, instead. 

Comments | 2,859 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 11, 2013

Why the IRS Abruptly Apologized to the Tea Party

It came as a surprise when the Internal Revenue Service apologized, seemingly out of the blue, to a number of Tea Party groups for unfairly scrutinizing their tax exempt status on Friday. Now we know why the apology came when it did. 

Comments | 19,400 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 11, 2013

They're Going to Tear Down and Rebuild Sandy Hook Elementary

After weeks of deliberations, the task force assigned to figure out where to build the new Sandy Hook Elementary have finally concluded their search. They're going to demolish the old one and build the new school in the very same spot. 

Comments | 1,838 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 11, 2013

Astronauts at the International Space Station Successfully Fixed Its Leaky Pump

Astronauts Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn completed the most impromptu spacewalk in NASA history ahead of schedule. The two men spent roughly five hours outside of the International Space Station repairing an ammonia pump used to cool the laboratory's engine system. 

Comments | 1,429 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 11, 2013

Violence Doesn't Stop Pakistan from Voting on Election Day

Despite violence from the Taliban, citizens in Pakistan turned out in huge numbers on Saturday to vote in the country's historic first ever democratic elections.

Comments | 408 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 11, 2013

Why Elon Musk Broke Up with Mark Zuckerberg's PAC

Tesla CEO Elon Musk decided to leave Mark Zuckerberg's immigration reform pushing political action committee FWD.us Friday evening because he doesn't agree with the group's habit of supporting politicians on both sides of the aisle, just so long as they support immigration. 

Comments | 22,197 Views

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