Senator Kennedy

Senator Kennedy

"People know Senator Kennedy as an icon, but what they don't know is what a support he is to his colleagues. There were some rough spots in being the only Democratic woman senator while the nation was in the midst of a generational change. But Senator Kennedy was always encouraging. He was always on my side. He lifted my spirits," said Mikulski, currently recovering from ankle surgery at a rehab hospital in Baltimore. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the oldest of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's 11 children, is among the best known of the family's Maryland members. She served as lieutenant governor from 1995 to 2003 under Gov. Parris N. Glendening and was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2002, losing to Republican Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

The Kennedy family, in a public statement, described the senator as "the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply" and "the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives." The Kennedys said that "the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever." Kennedy died only 15 days after his older sister, Eunice, who was married to R. Sargent Shriver Jr. of Maryland and made her home in Potomac. Their son, Mark, served two terms in the Maryland House of Delegates, from 1995 to 2003.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who defeated Shriver in the 2002 Democratic congressional primary, called Kennedy the Senate's "most gifted legislator" and a "tenacious fighter for working men and women who share the belief that America is the greatest country in the world. His passion and purpose were dedicated to righting wrongs and ensuring that our better days are ahead." Rep. John Sarbanes of Baltimore described Kennedy as "a real inspiration," not only to himself and others in politics, but to millions of ordinary people as well. The Democrat, who has been active in the House in the faltering effort to overhaul the health care system, said that he and others in Congress would now rededicate themselves on Kennedy's behalf.

Tropical Storm Danny

Tropical Storm Danny

Tropical Storm Danny, which formed in the Atlantic Ocean today near the Bahamas, is expected to gain strength as it approaches the United States, according to the Associated Press. Most storm models predict that the storm will avoid the Southeastern coast and head to the Northeast, similar to the path Hurricane Bill followed recently. Yet hurricane trackers stress that tropical storms often change their paths, so Florida natives and travelers to Florida (and other parts of the Southeast) should monitor the storms through the National Hurricane Center Web site.

Tropical Storm Danny could be off Delmarva Saturday That tropical disturbance in the Atlantic north of Puerto Rico has strengthened to tropical storm force and earned the name Danny. Forecasters say it will likely become a hurricane by this weekend, brush the Carolina coast and be off the Delmarva peninsula by Saturday morning. Here's AccuWeather.com's take on the new storm. The fourth named storm of the season was packing top sustained winds of 45 mph, with some slow strengthening expected in the next few days. At 73 mph it would become a Category 1 hurricane, the second of the season.

At 11 a.m. Wednesday the storm's center was reported to be 775 miles south southeast of Cape Hatteras, moving toward the west northwest at 18 mph. The National Hurricane Center's forecast track map takes the storm to a position just off the Outer Banks by early Saturday, where it is expected to be at hurricane strength. According to the St. Petersburg Times, Danny is currently moving to the west-northwest but is expected to move toward the north-northwest Friday. Winds are about 45 miles per hour today but could increase over the next few days.

Mass Lottery Mega Millions

Mass Lottery Mega Millions

Mass Lottery and Mega Millions Winning Numbers from last night August 25, 2009. The Mega Millions Winning Numbers prompted state lottery websites to crash last night. Last night’s draw was the third largest in U.S. history: $252 million. The Mega Millions winning lottery numbers : 3, 12, 19, 22 and 40 with the Mega Ball, 2. Additionally, that Powerball last week that went for $260 million yielded one winner - Solomon Jackson Jr., a former South Carolina state employee. Solomon was already enjoying retirement. Now Solomon will REALLY be enjoying retirement.

A rep for the New Jersey told press last night before the draw:

“With jackpots of this size, you start to see people who don’t normally play a game like Mega Millions buying a ticket. They may notice it’s over 100 million, and they’ll say, ‘OK, I’ll take a shot at it.’”

A Georgia official additional said the following:

“Whenever we have a large jackpot, there is always excitement across the state and that translates into additional dollars for the educational programs we fund.”