Author: Connor Simpson

The Video of the Washington Bridge Collapse Is Terrifying

AP

Seattle's KIRO-TV got their hands on surveillance video capturing the very moment when a too-heavy truck starts crossing the I-5 bridge and the supports start to collapse. You can see the next truck start to cross the bridge as the whole thing is coming apart. It is a horrifying — if brief — clip.

By Connor Simpson

Feb 20, 2013

Can Playboy Survive Without Nudity?

Now that Hugh Hefner's empire is leaning out of the "smut" business, the real Playboy boss is betting you actually will read it for the articles — or at least buy an iPhone app with lingerie instead of naked ladies.

Comments | 3,276 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 20, 2013

Conan O'Brien Can Put the Colbert Back in White House Correspondents' Dinner

The Beltway schmoozefest that has become a pretty unfunny snoozefest will be headlined by a man with a good precedent for bringing some brass ones to the White House.

Comments | 345 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 19, 2013

SNL's 'Djesus Uncrossed' Skit Really Offended Muslims, Too

Just about everybody assumed religious groups would be outraged, but just about everybody thought the sketch would offend Christian organizations. But apparently it offended at least one Islamic anti-defamation group a little more.

Comments | 8,808 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 19, 2013

Poor Patricia Cornwell Can Return to the Writing Life in Her Helicopter Now

The mystery novelist was awarded nearly $51 million in a lawsuit against her old financial management team, so she should be able to buy back the personal helicopter she used for book "research."

Comments | 1,003 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 19, 2013

How Much Is Obama Controlling the Message on MSNBC?

As the administration continues to draw the ire of the Beltway press, the most White House-friendly network up and hired yet another former White House message man, David Axelrod. And that may all be part of the plan.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 19, 2013

NBC's Ratings Problems Are All Football's Fault

If you look at the numbers, the network is missing Sunday Night Football — and Donald Trump — a lot more than anyone thought.

Comments | 1,953 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 18, 2013

The Thom Yorke AMA Was as Weird as You Would Expect

Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich did a Reddit AMA Monday morning, and it shouldn't surprise any of the band's fans to hear that the answers given range from weird to... weirder.

Comments | 2,759 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 18, 2013

Who Do You Believe: Alec Baldwin or the New York Post?

That the New York Post and Alec Baldwin got into another spat is not news, really. But the latest battle between the paper and Baldwin is a little uglier, and a little unsettling, and a little more racist than their normal tiffs.

Comments | 9,484 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 17, 2013

Florida's Python Hunt Didn't Kill Very Many Pythons

Florida's Simpsons-like Python Challenge has ended, and the results aren't the greatest. Of the 150,000 Burmese pythons populating the state's Everglades, only 68 pythons were killed during the month long harvest.

Comments | 1,897 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 17, 2013

World Lets Out Collective 'Cheers!' Upon Hearing the Maker's Mark News

On a relatively quiet news weekend, the heavy drinkers populating your social media channels burst out in collective cheers on Sunday when the Kentucky whiskey brand Maker's Mark announced it would not, in fact, water down its own product as planned.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 17, 2013

Box Office Report

'Die Hard' Blows Up President's Day Weekend

Welcome to the Box Office Report, where Bruce Willie will never age into a period of bad sequels to his old movies like Stallone did, right?

Comments | 1,928 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 17, 2013

The Sunday Grind

Lindsey Graham and Hagel Make Nice (For Now)

Lindsey Graham and John McCain seem ready to move on from the whole Chuck Hagel debacle; Rand Paul and Paul Ryan talk about the potential of their respective 2016 runs; and there's some chatter over the President's leaked immigration plan.

Comments | 1,855 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 17, 2013

Holy Djesus, Christoph Waltz Was Excellent on 'SNL'

Christoph Waltz is a very talented actor. No one denies that. He even won an Oscar. But going into his hosting stint on Saturday Night Live, we had reservations. Delivering movie dialogue with wit and timing can easy; doing it live is not. Thankfully, we were so, so wrong. 

Comments | 6,407 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 17, 2013

The Potential Case Against Oscar Pistorius

A bloody cricket bat is at the center of a potential case against Oscar Pistorius in the alleged killing of his girlfriend of four months, Reeva Steenkamp.

Comments | 14,332 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 17, 2013

Rubio Fights the President's 'Half-Baked' Immigration Plan

Things seemed to escalate quickly there. After a copy of the White House's back-up immigration reform bill leaked, Marco Rubio moved quickly to shoot down the bill's proposals to ensure his bipartisan effort remained the favored method to get this deal done.

Comments | 1,724 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 16, 2013

What the President's Path to Citizenship Looks Like

In a speech given two weeks ago in Las Vegas, the President gave the first preview of his immigration reform back up plan. If Senate or Congress can't get the job done, he has a bill waiting for them to vote on. We now know what, exactly, makes up a chunk of the President's proposals.

Comments | 3,401 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 16, 2013

They're Already Talking About Who Might Be the Next Pope

The long road to the conclave is well under way. But who wants to wait until then? The campaigning and quizzing about who should be the next Pope is already going on, behind the scenes, in "phone conversations" and "e-mails." How very 21st Century of the Catholic church.

Comments | 2,334 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 16, 2013

Why 'Vogue' Is About to Break Up with Andre Leon Talley

The 30 year relationship between Vogue and its popular editor Andre Leon Talley is about to come to an end, according to New York Post Page Six report out Saturday morning.

Comments | 3,620 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 16, 2013

Marco Rubio Is Taking a Spring Trip to Israel (Sound Familiar?)

Marco Rubio has to shadow everything the President does these days. The potential Republican 2016 hopeful was the official State of the Union rebutter earlier this week. On Saturday morning, Rubio announced he is embarking on week long trip to Israel, just like the President. 

Comments | 1,897 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 16, 2013

Stat of the Day

Facebook Is Getting a $429 Million Tax Refund This Year

February really is the cruelest month because, on top of all this snow, one is forced to start contemplating death, or at least filling out one's taxes. You might be left scratching your head, and wishing you had a better accountant, when you hear how Facebook is getting hundreds of millions in a tax refund this year. 

Comments | 8,621 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 16, 2013

The FBI's Bob Menendez Investigation Is Coming Up Short on Prostitutes

The FBI's investigation into New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez's potentially shady dealings is still ongoing, but for now it seems like he's going to get off an least one of the charges: they can't find any evidence he solicited any Dominican prostitutes, underage or otherwise.

Comments | 3,361 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 16, 2013

The California Meteor Sighting Wasn't Half as Cool as the Russian One

So, after yesterday's Russian meteor, and the asteroid passing that could have leveled an entire city, we thought the brief "space stuff falling from the sky" trend was over. But that's not the case. The U.S. just needed to have its own meteor sighting. 

Comments | 7,821 Views

By Adam Clark Estes and Connor Simpson

Feb 13, 2013

Four Airlines Now Control 86 Percent of Air Travel in the U.S.

We've been waiting and waiting for the final confirmation that -- finally! -- American Airlines and U.S. Airways would complete their merger this week. It seems today is the big day.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 13, 2013

Canadian Parliament Prepares for Zombie Attacks After Undead War on America

The Canadian government made it very clear on Wednesday that once America is overrun by zombies, the flailing, hungry, murderous undead would not be welcome on the frostier side of the border.

Comments | 4,483 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 13, 2013

Get Used to Deadspin Scooping Your Old Media Idols

Earlier this week, Deadspin published a story about a University of Toledo track coach who was busted for sending illicit messages to students. The Toledo Blade, the 177-year-old newspaper that was also chasing the story, got scooped. Sound familiar? 

Comments | 3,571 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 13, 2013

Why Robin Hood Photobombed Jack Lew's Confirmation Hearing

Two pranksters who were anything but that showed up at the Senate on Wednesday in a move that made neither Rand Paul or Senate security very proud.

Comments | 2,742 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 13, 2013

The Pundits Who Got What They Wanted from the State of the Union

As the instant reactions and morning-after columns settle in, it's becoming surprisingly clear that the President's speech — as uplifting and aggressive as it was wide-ranging and occasionally specific — may have actually satisfied our before-and-after sample of commentators across the issues.

Comments | 345 Views

By Adam Clark Estes and Connor Simpson

Feb 12, 2013

Police Can't Confirm if Chris Dorner Was Found Inside Cabin

After stealing a truck and exchanging fire with a small phalanx of police, feared fugitive Chris Dorner disappeared into a cabin in the woods, never to be seen again. Within minutes, the cabin was engulfed in flames.

Comments | 30,475 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 12, 2013

What's Next for the Violence Against Women Act

The Senate finally passed the latest draft of the Violence Against Women Act on Tuesday. Now the bill will be sent back to Congress, where it seems to have an uncertain future.

Comments | 2,173 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 12, 2013

Obama's Israel Trip Said to Include a Look at the Iron Dome

Some details have leaked about the President's big spring trip to Israel, including a planned dinner with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a stop so the President can check out Israel's rocket intercepting Iron Dome.

Comments

By Connor Simpson

Feb 12, 2013

The State of the Union Pundit Preview

Here, from the big economic push to other pressing issues and Obama's general attitude from the podium, is what the talking heads and editorial boards are betting on. It actually serves as a nice outline for the kind of speech the White House has promised — even if you never can trust a pundit.

Comments | 690 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 12, 2013

France Is One Step Closer to Gay Marriage

Gay marriage equality may slowly be sweeping across Europe. Taking a cue from their English neighbors, the French took one very big step toward legalizing gay marriage on Tuesday.

Comments | 345 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 11, 2013

Kobe Bryant Takes One Big Leap for the NBA on Gay Slurs

The major sports leagues don't have the best reputation when it comes to gay issues these days, but Kobe Bryant, in a sudden reversal for himself and perhaps a growing trend for the notoriously conservative NBA, may have single-handedly changed that.

Comments | 3,449 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 11, 2013

Nate Silver Calls an Early End to Karl Rove's War on the Tea Party

The king of all geeks thinks the would-be king of all Super PACs is about to watch his house of campaign cards implode, which could actually lead to something of a Tea Party resurgence.

Comments | 4,746 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 11, 2013

Chuck Hagel's Confirmation Vote Is Set, No Matter What Lindsey Graham Says

Despite continuing objections from Republican holdouts, the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a panel discussion and vote on Chuck Hagel's nomination to become the next Defense Secretary on Tuesday afternoon.

Comments | 517 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 11, 2013

This Woman Live-Tweeted the Delaware Courthouse Shooting

Attorney Jennifer Lubinski, ended up documenting pretty much the entire horrifying scene on Twitter, and in pretty unprecedented fashion.

Comments | 3,882 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 10, 2013

How One Obama Lawn Sign Tore This Community Apart

Yes, that sounds like a parody movie trailer. But unfortunately this is a real story based on real things that happened in real life instead of brilliant satire. The Washington Post has an amazing story about how an Obama lawn sign ignited an intense legal battle in a Virginia neighborhood. 

Comments | 6,958 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 10, 2013

The Brits Loved Ben and 'Argo'

The slow march toward an Oscar win for Argo got another boost on Sunday. The British Academy of Film and Television had their yearly to-do on Sunday, and they just loved Ben's big movie. 

Comments | 690 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 10, 2013

L.A. Mayor Offers $1 Million Reward for Chris Dorner

The manhunt for Chris Dorner, the ex-cop who killed three people, is still ongoing.

Comments | 12,398 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 10, 2013

Box Office Report

Melissa McCarthy: Box Office Star

Welcome to the Box Office Report, where we're always appreciating funny ladies. 

Comments | 1,897 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 10, 2013

The Sunday Grind

Graham Threatens Hagel Confirmation Over Benghazi

Rand Paul defended his Tea Party response to the President's State of the Union address from criticism that it shows division in the Republican party, and Lindsay Graham has a new problem with confirming the nominations of Chuck Hagel and John Brennan: he wants more info on Benghazi. 

Comments | 1,149 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 10, 2013

The Paterno Family Strikes Back

The Paterno family released their big response to the Freeh report Sunday morning, alleging it condemned Paterno based on (at best) circumstantial evidence and was for the mort part "factually wrong." 

Comments | 6,725 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 10, 2013

Justin Bieber Promises He'll Never Smoke Weed Again

Justin Bieber hosted Saturday Night Live last night and tried to do his best Justin Timberlake impression -- or, more to the point, he pretended to have personality. So, how convincing was he? Not very! He also addressed those pesky reports of him smoking weed.

Comments | 6,428 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 9, 2013

Ron Paul Is Feuding with His Fans

Ron Paul is feuding with his rabid fan base over the ownership of RonPaul.com. Paul wants it, but his fans own it. They're willing to sell it to him... for a price Paul doesn't agree with. So now he's taken the dispute all the way to the United Nations. 

Comments | 33,495 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 9, 2013

Sean Combs Reads Magazines, Gets Magazine-Inspired Tattoos

Who says print media is dead?

Comments | 3,621 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 9, 2013

This Is What It Looks Like in Boston Right Now

Of all the major northeastern cities, Boston got the worst of the storm. A car ban has been in effect since yesterday evening while nearly two feet of snow fell in some areas. But a Boston covered in snow and without any traffic sure brings in some amazing pictures. 

Comments | 7,414 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 9, 2013

SnapChat, the Coupon App?

There's a curious little line in The New York Times' SnapChat story that has us scratching our heads: the app may incorporate coupons to try and make money.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 9, 2013

So, 'In Cold Blood' Was Kind of a Sham

The accuracy of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood is being called into question. New evidence in a Wall Street Journal investigation shows details in two chapters were fudged to make the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the book's hero, Alvin Dewey Jr., look better in history's light.  

Comments | 13,085 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 9, 2013

NBC's No Good, Very Bad Week Got Worse

Despite being the toast of the first half of this TV season, perpetual major network basement dweller NBC has seen a strong of terrible luck lately, and it got even worse late Friday. They were probably hoping you wouldn't notice through all the storm hype. 

Comments | 10,519 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 9, 2013

If You Live in the Northeast, It's Snowed a Lot and You Might Not Have Power

The storm currently making it's way through the east coast knocked out power for more than half a million people across eight states, and some places have snow drifts that go well above your chest. This storm is real, people. 

Comments | 7,561 Views

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