Senator Kennedy defied reports that he would not speak at the DNC last night, almost upstaging Michelle Obama with his calls to action and achievement. Below are some excerpts from his speech. I have come here tonight to stand with you to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals, and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States. Barack Obama will be a commander in chief who understands that......

Longfellow Bridge photo by iMatthew 95 years after the fact, the Massachusetts Senate finally votes to repeal a law that was designed to prevent interracial marriage and recently functioned to prevent out-of-state gay marriage. About time. [Herald] I can haz better owner? [Herald, MSPCA] Dog racing ban wins spot on ballot. [Globe] Bush vetoed the Medicare bill Teddy came back to vote for. [Guardian] A great white shark washed up in Nantucket. [Globe] The......

Senator Kennedy's back in business after beginning his cancer treatment. He made a surprise appearance to cast the deciding vote that smacked down a Republican filibuster on a Medicare bill. Glad to have you back, Teddy.......

Senator Ted Kennedy went under the knife today for his brain tumor, and is now out of surgery. The Globe reports that Senator Kennedy has emerged from surgery at Duke University Medical Center (what, MGH wasn't good enough?), where his doctor, Allan Friedman, said "Senator Kennedy's surgery was successful and accomplished our goals." As of now, Kennedy plans to return to the senate when his treatment has been completed. We hope Teddy is on a......

Senator Kennedy has his first media conversation since his seizure--and it's incredibly quiet, though he appears to be doing well. If you listen closely, he thanks everyone for an outpouring of support, and there's talk of a Figawi conspiracy. The senator was scheduled to speak at Wesleyan's graduation Sunday. It's now reported that Barack Obama will replace him. WBZTV has more, if you can't comprehend the video.......

Updates on two big stories from yesterday: Senator Kennedy is out of MGH, and the woman found dead in Mission Hill has been identified as a Northeastern student. Kennedy's apparently planning his course of treatment as though it was a legislative bill, grilling experts and seeking out multiple options. There is no indication that he would have to step down as senator, but if it were to happen, there'd be a special election to fill......

Our Senators, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, are catching some heat for an earmark on a transportation bill designed to help prevent delays at airport hubs. The earmark is for $8 million, which is peanuts in guv'mint terms, but that $8 million isn't going to Logan--it's going to airports in Barnstable and Nantucket. And Barnstable and Nantucket are hardly "hubs." Money flowing into Massachusetts is a good thing, but an $8 million earmark for Barnstable......

The seemingly invincible Ted Kennedy has left Mass General after his surgery to repair a partially blocked artery in his neck. His recovery sounded a lot like what Cindy of the Brady Bunch went through after she had her tonsils taken out: "By Friday afternoon, doctors said Senator Kennedy was sitting up, eating ice cream and drinking ginger ale. He planned to watch the Red Sox game Friday night." Even though they won Friday night,......

Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy underwent surgery this morning for a partially blocked artery in his neck. Here's the details: "As part of a routine evaluation of Senator Kennedy's back and spine, MRI studies picked up an unrelated, asymptomatic blockage in the senator's left carotid artery," said a statement from Kennedy's Washington office. "This morning, Senator Kennedy underwent preventive surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital to remove the blockage." Doctors were checking on his back because he......

It seems a bit of a coincidence, doesn't it? Senator Edward Kennedy has been all over the news this week with his focus on Judge Samuel Alito in the congressional hearings. So, while the nation sits and watches the Democrats and Republicans duke it out, Scholastic Inc. has decided to strike while the iron is hot and send out a press release about an upcoming book written by Senator Kennedy himself. Now don't get too......

If, like Bostonist, you feel a perverse thrill when Senator Kennedy's paunchy, serious face appears on your television screen to inveigh against the evils of Republicans, you are in luck: Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for Judge Samuel Alito are going on now. The ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee is, of course, our own Teddy, so expect tonight's news to feature his lips forming the phrases "woman's right to choose" and "our fundamental constitutional......

Boston has become home to some Hollywood stars for a few weeks as director Martin Scorsese's new film, "The Departed," finally began filming. This movie is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film, "Infernal Affairs," and will feature some big Hollywood talent. IMDB describes it in the following blurb: "The story, set in Boston, revolves around a gangster (Matt Damon) who infiltrates the police department and a cop (Leonardo DiCaprio) who infiltrates the gangs.......

Trying to sort out where Bostonist is going go this fine Tuesday night we almost forgot that today is the 2005 National Hunger Awareness Day. Still having trouble sorting it out? The competition is on at the Greater Boston Food Bank’s annual food sorting competition. Senator Kennedy kicked off the week long series of corporation vs. corporation events yesterday with a visit to the Food Bank. A true publicity stunt to raise awareness for the......

For our favorite family that seems to constantly be in the eye of the storm another unexplained occurance has befallen a member. Joan Kennedy, the ex-wife of Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass), was found in the early morning hours on Tuesday lying on a street in Boston with a concussion and a broken shoulder. The media is being polite about the Joan Kennedy incident only citing her past troubles with alcoholism, rather than the standard tag......