Kennedy Has Malignant Brain Tumor

Kennedy's glioma, depending on size of tumor, could affect speech, memory, movement

(NEWSER) - While doctors know that Sen. Ted Kennedy has the most common form of brain cancer, the positioning, type and size of the tumor will determine the degree of danger and side effects from surgery, CNN reports. Kennedy’s glioma is in the left parietal lobe, which is involved in speaking and understanding speech as well as motor control for the body's right side. More»

Yes, he's a Kennedy, but Ted is loved for effectiveness, not flash

(NEWSER) - Ted Kennedy's malignant brain tumor adds yet another chapter to the tragic epic of the Kennedy clan, Robert Kaiser writes in the Washington Post. The youngest of Joe Kennedy's sons got a huge boost from his older brothers when he entered politics, Kaiser notes, but he built his legacy of different stuff than theirs—not so much brilliance and charisma, but effectiveness, admired on both sides of the aisle, at making government work. More»

(NEWSER) - Thousands of constituents and admirers turned out this afternoon to honor Ted Kennedy as a motorcade bearing the senator's body from his Cape Cod home to his brother's presidential library wound through the streets of Boston. Some wept, some applauded as both locals and out-of-towners flooded to say goodbye. "We’re his family,” one Bostonian told the Globe. “We loved him so much, and we’ll miss him so much." More»

(NEWSER) - Ted Kennedy was a crusader for environmental protection and energy efficiency long before those causes became fashionable. Climate Progress lists his accomplishments:

• He eliminated the “oil depletion allowance,” which excluded 22% of oil producer’s revenue from taxes.
• Kennedy created the 2007 American COMPETES Act, which funds clean energy research.
• He fought Bush administration efforts to weaken the Clean Air Act and strip the EPA of enforcement staff.

President asks Benedict to pray for ill senator

(NEWSER) - President Obama delivered a letter from Ted Kennedy to Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican today, CNN reports. Obama met with the pontiff for about a half hour before leaving Rome for Ghana. The contents of Kennedy’s letter were personal, an Obama aide said, and “not known to anyone I know of except Senator Kennedy." More»