Wisconsin Shooting Rattles Boston-Area Sikh Community

Wisconsin Shooting Rattles Area Sikh Community. After seven people were shot and killed at a Sikh temple in Milwaukee, members of the New England Sikh Study Circle in Milford feel that their religious freedom has been threatened. “I think this is very tragic,” Malkit Singh Gill, the study circle’s president, said. “The country was founded on the belief that there should be no religious persecution.” Gill said that he does not know what’s next for the Sikh community, but that they plan on reaching out to the victims. [WHDH] [Patch]

Herald: Enough with the Closed-Door Lawmaking. The Herald‘s editorial staff is fed up with the “insiders’ game.” In an editorial today, they cite the health care reform bill enacted last week, stating that the majority of House and Senate members never even laid eyes on it, despite the fact that lawmakers championed it as one of the most important bills pretty much ever. “None of the important business takes place inside the ornate chambers of either branch. Power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a tiny number of legislative leaders, and it shows.” [Herald]

Boston’s Commuter Rail: Going Once, Going Twice — That’s It? Only two firms have bid on the MBTA’s contract for Commuter Rail operations — a disappointing result for officials. “We did a significant amount of work to encourage bids,” Jonathan Davis, the MBTA’s acting general manager, told the Globe. Despite initial interest, many firms have dropped out over concerns that the challenging bidder, the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail, would have an inside track with the MBTA. [Boston Business Journal]

MIT Grad Allen Chen to NASA: ‘We’re Safe on Mars.’ “Touchdown confirmed,” engineer and MIT grad Allen Chen said after the robotic explorer Curiosity successfully reached Mars late Sunday. Chen and the Curiosity team led the rover to a safe landing on the red planet in one of the most ambitious digs ever. The team attempted never-before-tried acrobatics, and the robot will give NASA (and all Earthlings) a crucial look at the planet and its history. [CBS]

Thousands Bike Through Mass. in Nation’s Most Successful ‘A-Thon.’ The Pan-Mass Challenge took place over the weekend, gathering thousands of bicyclists to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund. Among those riding across the state were U.S. Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown. After last year’s Challenge, which raised $35 million, the Globe dubbed it “the most successful athletic fund-raising event in the country.” If the past is any indication of the future, this year’s goal of $36 million will likely be met with ease. [NPQ]