Last week, we heard about the kooky romantic exploits of Kennedy-obsessed Naeem Ahmed, who has been stalking Caroline Kennedy's daughter Tatiana Schlossberg, sending her a ridiculous amount of mushy E-cards with messages like, “My Dearest Hunny Bunny! Have A Happy Valentine's Day. Do I love you? Yes I do. Do you? Truly Yours, Yours Hubby, Naeem." Ahmed was arrested and charged with several misdemeanor counts of harassment and stalking. But court-appointed psychiatrists said today that Ahmed doesn't quite understand why he's in trouble. more ›

Tomorrow afternoon (at 2 p.m.) Times Square will serve as the stage for a Health Care rally, the NY Times reports. Over 75 "Democratic and health-related groups that support President Obama’s goals for overhauling the health care system" will converge on the Crossroads of the World to get their voices heard. The paper points out that amongst those groups will be the Upper West Side Baby Boomers and "Raising Women’s Voices, a group that mobilizes women as advocates for better health care. They and others want to ensure that any final legislation guarantees that pregnant women will have health insurance." Currently 13% of pregnant women are uninsured, with some insurers classifying pregnancy as a pre-existing condition and declining coverage. CityRoom reports that "midmorning, groups of demonstrators will congregate at sites across the city, including Mary Immaculate Hospital in Queens, which has closed. They will then walk to West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, where the demonstration will begin." President Obama's website notes that the rally is in tribute of the late Ted Kennedy. more ›

The Kennedy family estimates (via Twitter) that 25,000 people paid their respects to Senator Edward Kennedy at the J.F.K. Presidential Library in Boston yesterday. The library was scheduled to close at 11 p.m., but stayed open until 2 a.m. due to the long lines. The family said, "We could not be more grateful for the amazing support. Thank you." more ›

Senator Edward Kennedy, scion of the one of America's most famous political families, passed away at home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts late last night. He was 77. His family said, "We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever... He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him." (Full statement from the family after the jump.) more ›

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a scion of the Kennedy clan and founder of the Special Olympics, passed away at age 88 at hospital in Cape Cod, Massachusetts early this morning. While she was famous for being sister to John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Edward Kennedy and mother to Maria Shriver (and mother-in-law to Arnold Schwarzenegger), Shriver was notable in her own right, for "transforming America's view of the mentally disabled from institutionalized patients to friends, neighbors and athletes. Her efforts were inspired in part by the struggles of her mentally disabled sister, Rosemary." The NY Times notes that a 1993 U.S. News and World Report article said, compared with her brothers' storied public service accomplishments, "the changes wrought by Eunice Shriver may well be seen as the most consequential." The Special Olympics, which she founded in 1968, now gives 3 million people around the world a chance to participate in competitions between the every-two-years Special Olympics World Games—the NYC Special Olympics' fall invitational is next month—and tributes are pouring in at the Special Olympics website. more ›

Caroline Kennedy's sudden, apparently last-minute decision to abandon her Senate bid is the talk of the Empire State, you know? After varying reports about why she was ditching the chance to be junior Senator—her uncle's failing health, learning that Governor David Paterson wasn't going to choose her— plus one on saying she dropping out, Kennedy did nothing to clear things by only saying in a statement, "I informed Governor Paterson today that for personal reasons I am withdrawing my name from consideration for the United States Senate." more ›

While the weekend brought stories of Governor Paterson perhaps changing his mind about who will replace Hillary Clinton as the junior Senator from New York—a Daily News source said, "He was leaning toward one person, but he has shifted to another"—the Post suggests the decision is a done deal... and that Caroline Kennedy will be the victor. more ›

The U.S. Department of Transportation limiting flights at LaGuardia Airport to 71 per hour, down from 75 per hour, would help ease plane delays. (FYI, the Wall Street Journal notes, "The number of hourly flights at the New York area's Kennedy and Newark airports is also capped, but at higher levels.") DOT Secretary Mary Peters said LGA is the "worst of the worst" airports since it's dead-last in rankings of large U.S. airports' on-time arrivals, with only 61% of flights arriving on-time. Recently, the U.S. DOT's effort to auction flight slots at LGA, Kennedy and Newark was blocked by federal court; DOT counsel D.J. Gribbin, who noted one carrier at LGA was interested in limiting flights (the airport's four carriers must all agree), said, "Gridlock in D.C. should not result in gridlock over the skies of New York. We can still take the first step toward restoring reliable air service to LaGuardia." more ›

The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival begins April 23rd and runs through May 4th, with over 200 feature length narrative films, documentaries and shorts from around the world. This year also features discussions with filmmakers, music events, a family film series, an ESPN Sports Film Festival and other special presentations. Check out last week's preview of some of the narrative feature films in the festival, or brave the entire program of films.) more ›