For more than three years, Gilad Shalit has been held hostage. It is believed he is being held somewhere in Southern Gaza. Since his capture, his parents have received three handwritten letters from him.
A petition letter from the Jewish Agency for Israel • Regarding the status of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli prisoner of war who has been prevented contact with his family over three years. This was part of a coordinated campaign to get Shalit’s hashtag to become one of Twitter’s trending topics, and it worked. He’s now only below Sen. Ted Kennedy, plus we learned something new. This is the new activism, kids. Take notes. • source
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Full of jerks who hate science. When millions of businesses band together under one massive umbrella to fend off scientific theories with lots of evidence, expect people like us to take notice. The massive business lobby, trying to avoid tightened emissions regulations, wants to have the Environmental Protection Agency to hold a trial on man-made global warming. We hope, just like the Scopes trial, it’s a circus. source
An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States senator of our time.
President Barack Obama • In a speech regarding the death of Ted Kennedy. Obama was close to Kennedy, even when the Senator was quickly declining in health. “Even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness,” he said, “I’ve profited as president from his encouragement and wisdom.” Kennedy’s endorsement of the president was seen as a turning point in last year’s campaign, even if it came at a cost of damaging longstanding relationships with former president Bill Clinton. • source
“B … but … *sob* We wanted to play Ohio State!” New Florida International University coach Isiah Thomas, looking to recover from a rep essentially decimated by years of crappy decisions for the New York Knicks, is off to a bad start. This morning, it was reported that Thomas was threatening to pull his team out of an early season game against North Carolina – no spring chicken, for sure – because the school had their heart set on playing Ohio State. When you earn the right to whine, Isiah, you can. For now, accept the fact that you’ve been called back to single-A and you no longer call the shots. source
It has a profound impact on Massachusetts politics and elected office. Everything’s going to fall down because everyone will start moving around either jockeying for his seat or for the other positions that could open up.
Boston University statehouse program director Fred Bayles • Discussing the “domino effect” Kennedy’s death will have on politics in Massachusetts. Kennedy’s death leaves a reliable Democratic Senate seat open at the peak of the health care debate. While Kennedy had recently pushed for finding a replacement, he made the announcement just days before his death, leaving the state with little time to come up with a suitable replacement. We’re guessing the two-thirds majority stays put. • source