The Atlanta Falcons were approved a $200 million loan by NFL owners for the construction of a new stadium.

FoxNews reports the City of Atlanta signed an agreement with the Falcons allowing for the construction of a new stadium starting March.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement Tuesday that he was "excited with the outcome of today's vote" and that he looked forward to participate in a project that would "benefit the city and state for many years to come."

Blank added that the stadium will be a multi-purpose arena and that it will probably be under construction for the next four years.

The Falcons, who have played in the Georgia Dome since 1992, expect to play in their new stadium for the start of the 2017 season.

In addition to unveiling its new Xbox One "all-in-one entertainment system," Microsoft used its presentation to announce the development of popular video game Halo into a live-action television series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Steven Spielberg is set to executive produce the scripted "Halo" series, based on the multibillion-dollar game franchise that centers on a fight for humankind against an alliance of aliens. The series will include exclusive interactive Xbox One content created in partnership with 343 Industries and Xbox Entertainment Studios.

For Microsoft, the transition to a full home entertainment system and the development of an original series around the game comes as digital platforms including Netflix and Amazon are creating original scripted content. Other non-gaming additions include voice search for TV, music and movies.

NFL owners selected Levi's Stadium, the future home of the San Francisco 49ers, as the host for the 2016 Super Bowl by secret ballot in Boston Tuesday.

The new Levi's Stadium, set to open in Santa Clara, Calif. in 2014, beat out Miami's Dolphins Stadium for the hosting rights for the anniversary game.

Miami also lost out to Houston, which was chosen to host the 2017 game.

The only other Super Bowl hosted by San Francisco was in 1985, held at Stanford Stadium, when the 49ers defeated -- who else? -- the Miami Dolphins, 38 to 16.

The Bay Area bid committee focused their presentation focused on the high-tech features of the new stadium, which will be ticketless and cashless, and offer WiFi access to its 75,000-capacity crowd. The facility will feature sustainable design elements, including a green roof and conservation-minded plumbing.

Team leadership also pledged to donate 25 percent of money generated by the game to help combat local poverty.

“Even before breaking ground in April of 2012, the vision for Levi’s Stadium has always been to build a venue that showcases all that is special about the Bay Area,” said 49ers CEO Jed York. “Innovation, sustainability and fan experience are the pillars of which we designed and constructed this facility."

“We look forward to NFL fans from around the globe enjoying our region and our stadium, the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.”

Two days after Italian media claimed Pope Francis had been caught on video performing an exorcism, the Vatican has come forward to deny the claims.

The rumors came about Sunday after Francis was seen putting both his hands on the head of a young man in a wheelchair. The Pope's actions prompted many to think he was performing an exorcism. However, Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a statesmen that wasn't the case, NCR reported.

According to the Telegraph, Italy's TV2000, a Catholic television channel owned by the Italian Bishops Conference, claimed the act took place in St Peter's Square after Mass on Sunday.

[VIDEO CREDIT: TV2000 via Telegraph]

ESPN currently has 7,000 employees -- but that number is set to drop by at least 300, USA Today reports.

The network, owned by the Walt Disney Company, was originally reported to drop more than 400 employees. A later statement clarified that the number was closer to 300 -- nearly 5 percent of their workforce.

Last quarter, revenue for Disney's media networks rose by 6 percent to $4.96 billion, according to the Hollywood Reporter. On May 7, Disney stock hit its all-time high.

An initial report from Deadspin said that the reduction is ESPN's first major layoff since 2009.

“We are implementing changes across the company to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs,” the company said in a Tuesday statement.

The Atlantic cites the cost of sports rights as the reason for the layoffs.

The company signed on for a $770 million, 11-year deal for exclusive rights to broadcast tennis live from the U.S. Open, starting in 2015. ESPN did not disclose the cost of launching the Southeastern Conference Network in 2014, but said it could bring in $240 million in subscriber fees when it launches. ESPN also just got a new SportsCenter set, which cost more than $125 million to build.

The layoffs are company-wide and reportedly concentrated in the digital department. The laid-off employees will be able to work through the end of the week. Staff was told that the layoffs are tied to ESPN not meeting its profit margin.

Forbes recently called ESPN "the world's most valuable media property," estimating its worth at $40 billion.

The daughter of Barbara Walters, Jacqueline Walters Danforth, was arrested May 19 for driving under the influence.

A police report obtained by TMZ says that Danforth, 44, had a blood alcohol level at more than twice the legal limit with a .218 on the breathalyzer.

Danforth and a male passenger were both intoxicated when they got pulled over for driving without headlights at 1:24 a.m. But when police put her passenger, potentially her boyfriend, in handcuffs, Danforth got violent.

While the cop was cuffing him, she began shouting and grabbed one of the officers.

The arresting officer had to put Danforth on the ground to subdue her because he "was afraid that [Danforth] may run into traffic on the highway," he wrote in the report.

Danforth has been on several shows with her mother to talk about her tough teenage years, during which she confessed to substance abuse. She also made a vow to stay clean and out of trouble.

For some time, she ran a wilderness program for troubled girls. The program closed in 2008.

Danforth was released on $1,000 bail.

A federal appeals court Tuesday upheld the decision by the Obama administration to classify the photos taken of the body of Osama bin Laden after his death in 2011.

The U.S. Court of Appeals three-judge panel ruled against an appeal from conservative advocacy group Judicial Watch, which had filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Defense and the CIA. The government argued to keep them secret because the photos could spark attacks against Americans.

The federal district court in Washington, D.C., had similarly ruled against Judicial Watch.

“It is undisputed that the government is withholding the images not to shield wrongdoing or avoid embarrassment but rather to prevent the killing of Americans and violence against American interests,” the judges said.

In 2011, just days after Navy Seals entered bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and shot the notorious al Qaida leader, Judicial Watch announced its decision to sue for the release of the photos.

"President Obama announced... that he will not release the death photos of Osama bin Laden to the public, saying 'we don’t need to spike the football' or 'gloat,'" Judicial Watch wrote at the time. "Simply put, those are not lawful reasons from withholding these historic documents. Judicial Watch plans to fight for the release of these photos."

Sterlington Assistant Police Chief Todd Newton has been indicted in Louisiana in connection with an investigation into the sale of fake “moonshine” to minors from August 2011 to March 2012.

The News Star reports that the beverages were a mixture of Everclear grain alcohol and another high-proof alcohol brand called Diesel, both of which have an extremely high alcohol content. According to a news release by the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s office, Newton represented the concoction to buyers as “moonshine.”

Newton also allegedly threatened the minors with physical harm if they informed authorities about his activities.

Newton was charged with one count of intimidating witnesses, unlawful sales to persons younger than 21, unlawful purchase of alcoholic beverages by persons on behalf of persons younger than 21 and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.

Sterlington Police Chief Barry Bonner said Newton resigned his position following the indictment. While noting that an indictment doesn't indicate guilt, Bonner said it was the "correct and moral" thing to do.

Chief Keef, a 17-year-old rapper from Chicago, was arrested near Atlanta, Ga. on Monday after he was caught smoking marihuana a hotel room.

NBC Chicago reports Keef (ne Keith Cozart) faces disorderly conduct charges after security at a Dunwoody, Ga., hotel notified police after noticing a smell of marijuana coming from his room.

Officials arrested the rapper and he was booked at the Dekalb County Jail at 4:37 p.m. on Monday.

Upon being released Tuesday at around 3:38 a.m. the Keef posted a photo of his mugshot on the image sharing site Instagram and tweeted about the arrest.

A police spokesman said a court hearing for Keef will be set for a later date.

Just last month the teen rapper was released from prison after serving a 60 day sentence charged with a probation violation for pointing a gun at a police officer in 2011.

A farmer in Olympia, Wash. has found a way to make use of the waste that comes from growing marijuana: it's going to the pigs.

Susannah Gross fed a selected group of pigs on her farm leftover stems, roots and leaves, and discovered that the pot-munching pigs had a much bigger appetite than the ones without the supplement to their diet, Inquisitr reported.

Four of her pigs were fed the leftovers of the plant and each gained between 20 and 30 pounds more than the rest of her swine.

The state of Washington legalized recreational use of marijuana in November, just before Gross teamed with medical marijuana grower Matt McAlman. The pair has plans to expand their experiments to other animals to see if they, too, get the munchies.

Medical marijuana has already been tested on animals not intended for consumption, according to Time, when a California veterinarian prescribed it for a pet suffering from cancer.

Doug Kramer, the veterinarian, used it when steroids and other medications were not alleviating the dog's pain, and determined that it restored some of itsappetite and provided therapeutic benefits toward the end of its life.

Mother Jones reported that it has also been used for injured horses and cats.

Research still has not determined whether any THC -- the active psychoactive ingredient in marijuana -- remains in the meat of animals headed to the slaughterhouse.