Mass. gov hopefuls spar over climate action

Also: Moderna seeks approval for toddler COVID vaccine; breaking ground on Boston's MLK memorial [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 28, 2022  ⛅ Partly sunny and breezy, with a high near 51 Good Morning Boston, We should all be wary of [airborne pineapples]( in my opinion. But you don't have to keep your head on a swivel for this morning's news. We've got you covered right here: - The two Democrats running to be the next Massachusetts governor met last night at WBUR CitySpace for their first in-person [forum focusing on their energy and the environmental plans.]( But, at times, the "forum" felt more like a debate. - State. Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz spent much of the hour-long event emphasizing the distinctions between [her and Attorney General Maura Healey's plans to address climate change]( arguing that she'd take more aggressive action to reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions. Healey mostly downplayed the differences, citing her record as AG taking on Exxon Mobil and fighting to stop two new gas pipelines in Massachusetts. - Perhaps the most contentious moment of the forum was only loosely related to climate change, when Chang-Diaz told Healey that there were "many moments that people of color needed you to be there to center racial equity, when you did not." She specifically knocked Healey for not being a more forceful advocate for public transit, [objecting to certain aspects of a 2020 police reform bill]( and being "not willing to stand up" for Chang-Diaz's [education funding bill]( when it was being debated in the State House. Healey responded that Chang-Diaz's remarks were "mischaracterizations" of her record, adding that she has long supported rail expansions and "always fully supported the Student Opportunity Act." Healey also pointed to her office's [work]( to [prevent evictions and foreclosures]( during the COVID pandemic. - Chang-Diaz also made a new pledge to reject all campaign donations from from the fossil fuel industry. She invited Healey to do the same and return $50,000 she received from various oil and gas distributors and consultants. Healey declined to make any immediate commitments at the forum, but said she has "shown my willingness to stand up to the fossil fuel industry." "I am not on their holiday card list," Healey added. - WBUR environmental reporter Miriam Wasser has [a full recap of the debate here](. You can also [watch the forum on YouTube,]( and hear how the candidates answered lighter questions about stuff like their favorite tree and e-scooters. - Speaking of the shaking things up at the State House, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Wednesday that the state's top environmental official, Kathleen Theoharides, will [step down next Friday]( after just over three years on the job. - What's next? Theoharides is going on to a "new professional opportunity" that she's keeping under wraps for now. Beth Card, the state's current undersecretary of environmental policy and climate resilience, will take over as EEA secretary for the last eight months of the Baker administration. - In case you were wondering: Don't expect to see the governor leaving his final term early. Baker told reporters that he and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito "plan to run straight through the tape." - The news many parents have been waiting for: Moderna said this morning that it has asked the FDA to approve a low-dose version of its COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 5. - So, when will it actually be available? NPR [reports]( the FDA is expected to wait until June to consider the request, after all the data is submitted. - Boston Public Schools is recommending that the Mission Hill K-8 School permanently close at the end of the year, citing a [report]( commissioned by BPS that found "systematic and pervasive accounts of student-on-student sexual and physical misconduct" dating back to 2014 that weren't adequately addressed by the schools' staff. - BPS said in a statement that the "only viable option" is to close the school and transition its 200 students to other schools. - [According to The Boston Globe]( the Boston School Committee will vote on the recommendation next Friday. - Police have arrested Rep. David LeBoeuf, a 32-year-old Worcester Democrat, for driving under the influence after he was pulled over Tuesday night in Quincy. He registered [a blood alcohol content nearly four times the legal limit](. P.S.— Now that we're fresh off of our forum-hosting duties, we'd like you to help us cover the rest of the 2022 gubernatorial race. All it takes if filling out [this brief survey]( about what issues you feel are most important and what you'd like to see in the next Massachusetts governor. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [What Russia cutting off energy to Poland and Bulgaria means for the world]( It was seen as a way for Russia to prop up its currency and retaliate for Western sanctions, but it could cause global energy prices to spike. One analyst sees it as a warning to the rest of Europe. [Read more.]( [What Russia cutting off energy to Poland and Bulgaria means for the world]( It was seen as a way for Russia to prop up its currency and retaliate for Western sanctions, but it could cause global energy prices to spike. One analyst sees it as a warning to the rest of Europe. [Read more.]( [Officials break ground on Boston Common MLK memorial]( "The Embrace" will be the Common's first new memorial in decades. The 22-foot sculpture honors civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King. [Read more.]( [Officials break ground on Boston Common MLK memorial]( "The Embrace" will be the Common's first new memorial in decades. The 22-foot sculpture honors civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King. [Read more.]( [Boston Engagement Center temporarily closed after series of stabbings]( The Boston Public Health Commission opened the new Engagement Center in a building on Atkinson Street in December as a place where people could gather and get help with housing, addiction and mental health services. It will close for five days because of a series of recent violent incidents there. [Read more.]( [Boston Engagement Center temporarily closed after series of stabbings]( The Boston Public Health Commission opened the new Engagement Center in a building on Atkinson Street in December as a place where people could gather and get help with housing, addiction and mental health services. It will close for five days because of a series of recent violent incidents there. [Read more.]( [Offshore wind could create more underwater noise. UNH researchers are measuring those impacts]( More development of offshore wind can bring more noise to marine environments, which could have a big impact on marine mammals, which use sound to communicate underwater. [Read more.]( [Offshore wind could create more underwater noise. UNH researchers are measuring those impacts]( More development of offshore wind can bring more noise to marine environments, which could have a big impact on marine mammals, which use sound to communicate underwater. [Read more.]( [Former Mass. correction employee arrested in 1988 killing of 11-year-old girl]( Marvin C. McClendon Jr., 74, faces a murder charge in the death of Melissa Ann Tremblay, of Salem, New Hampshire, Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said at a news conference. [Read more.]( [Former Mass. correction employee arrested in 1988 killing of 11-year-old girl]( Marvin C. McClendon Jr., 74, faces a murder charge in the death of Melissa Ann Tremblay, of Salem, New Hampshire, Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said at a news conference. [Read more.]( Outlook readers: We're having some technical difficulties, so if you're having a hard time seeing photos in today's newsletter, please click the "view in browser" link above. Thanks for your patience! Anything Else? - The inaugural "How to Boston While Black" Summit kicks off today, and several local Black leaders [spoke to Morning Edition about the purpose of the three-day event and what it will look like](. - WBUR's Barbara Moran (and her family) tried to go vegan for a month while she worked on our [upcoming newsletter]( about sustainable eating and climate change. [Here's how it went](. - Here are [five things to do this weekend]( from the first "Harvard Art Museums at Night" to the return of a beloved spring film festival. - Pamela Reynolds previews [the long-awaited (and somewhat contentious) arrival of artist Philip Guston's work at the MFA](. What We're Reading 📚 - Two Factions Square Off Over Housing Issues in Brookline Town Meeting Races ([Streetsblog MASS]( - When Smoke Gets in Your Wine ([New York Magazine]( - Libs of TikTok tweeted fake accusations about a school teaching second graders about furries ([Mashable]( Sound On [Singer Miranda Rae is intent on emerging from her cocoon]( The neo-soul artist — the latest local musician featured in WBUR's Sound On series — is coming into her own, with a performance at Boston Calling and a new project she hopes will be "even more real.” [Read more.]( [Singer Miranda Rae is intent on emerging from her cocoon]( The neo-soul artist — the latest local musician featured in WBUR's Sound On series — is coming into her own, with a performance at Boston Calling and a new project she hopes will be "even more real.” [Read more.]( Before you go: [Boston's most iconic cafes](. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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