A long-shot 2024 bid "born in Boston"

Also: As Bay State College collapses, students feel abandoned; an exploration of race and gender at the ICA [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 19, 2023 🌤️ Partly cloudy with a with a high near 56. Good Morning Boston, Donald Trump may be making his first post-[indictment]( visit to New Hampshire [next week]( but the 2024 presidential campaign is landing even closer to home today — a stone's throw from the Boston Common. And the event features another familiar, if controversial, name. - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is formally launching his dark-horse Democratic primary challenge against sitting President Joe Biden at 10 a.m. at the Boston Park Plaza. If you're not ponying up the $5 to get in the door, here's what to know: - Who is he? Kennedy is one of the 11 children of his namesake: former U.S. attorney general and senator Robert F. Kennedy. The 69-year-old has made his career as a renowned environmental lawyer, taking on Monsanto and working to clean up the Hudson River. (He [was even a candidate]( to lead the EPA in 2008.) - But in more recent years, he's become one of the faces of the anti-vaccine movement. While his stance dates back well before COVID, researchers say RFK Jr. [emerged as one of the most influential disseminators of vaccine misinformation]( during the pandemic. He wrote a book accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci of a "coup d’etat against Western democracy" and produced [an anti-vax movie aimed at Black Americans](. ([Several]( of Kennedy's siblings have [publicly rebuked]( his anti-vax crusade as "dangerous" and "heartbreaking.") - What's he running on? To quote Kennedy's announcement email, his "top priority is to end the corrupt merger between state and corporate power that has ruined our economy, shattered the middle class, polluted our landscapes and waters, poisoned our children, and robbed us of our values and freedom." - Why here? Kennedy has called New York home for the past few decades and Boston isn't much of a hotbed for anti-vax sentiment, but Kennedy's campaign is hoping to invoke the city's history as the birthplace of RFK, JFK and the American Revolution. The "campaign is being born in Boston," his team said in an email. - Who else? In the field of long shots, Kennedy joins [fellow Democratic primary challenger Marianne Williamson](. - The big picture: Most voters think Biden is too old for a second term. But [the White House isn't too worried]( — mostly because they see 2024 as a choice, not a referendum in a vacuum. - The Massachusetts Air National Guard member accused of being behind [a major leak of classified Pentagon documents]( is due back in court today. WBUR's Ally Jarmanning [reports that a Boston judge will decide]( Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old Dighton resident, should remain in custody ahead of his trial. - What was in the documents: NPR reports they included [details about top-secret American plans]( to build up the Ukrainian military for an expected offensive against Russian troops this spring — though they do not reveal specific battle plans. - The fallout: Following the leak, the Air Force launched an [investigation into the intelligence unit on Cape Cod where Teixeira worked]( plus a 30-day review of all Air Force units. - Go deeper: WBUR's Beth Healy and Todd Wallack report [a major part of the Massachusetts Air National Guard's job was analyzing intelligence]( which gave Teixeira top-secret security clearance. This week, the unit's intelligence mission was [temporarily reassigned to other Air Force organizations](. - The MBTA is inspecting all 24 of its newer "[Type 9]( Green Line trolleys after a mechanical failure during Marathon Monday resulted in [long downtown delays and even a partial suspension of service](. T officials are looking for the "root cause" of the breakdown. - The silver lining: The T isn't pulling the trolleys off the track, so there shouldn't be any additional impacts on service. P.S.— Our own Barbara Moran made [her debut on Vox's daily podcast Today, Explained this week to talk about PFAS]( and the Biden administration's new plan to reduce the amount of those so-called “forever chemicals” in our drinking water. Give it [a listen]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [As Bay State College collapses, students feel abandoned]( Set to close in August after losing its accreditation, the for-profit school had bright spots — like its nursing program — that are now set to disappear. [Read more.]( [As Bay State College collapses, students feel abandoned]( Set to close in August after losing its accreditation, the for-profit school had bright spots — like its nursing program — that are now set to disappear. [Read more.]( [Mass. firefighters and their families are on the front lines of a battle with 'forever chemicals']( PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," are found in the protective gear firefighters wear. Some members of the firefighting community are raising concerns about the health risks of PFAS, and taking their fight to firehouses, statehouses and courthouses. [Read more.]( [Mass. firefighters and their families are on the front lines of a battle with 'forever chemicals']( PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," are found in the protective gear firefighters wear. Some members of the firefighting community are raising concerns about the health risks of PFAS, and taking their fight to firehouses, statehouses and courthouses. [Read more.]( [4 are killed in a Maine home and 3 others are wounded in a linked highway shooting]( Four people were fatally shot at a Maine house on Tuesday shortly before gunfire wounded three others on a highway, in crimes that are linked, authorities said. A man was charged with murder. [Read more.]( [4 are killed in a Maine home and 3 others are wounded in a linked highway shooting]( Four people were fatally shot at a Maine house on Tuesday shortly before gunfire wounded three others on a highway, in crimes that are linked, authorities said. A man was charged with murder. [Read more.]( [There are even more 2020 election defamation suits beyond the Fox-Dominion case]( In addition to the Dominion case against Fox News, more than a dozen similar cases related to lies spread about the 2020 election are slowly making their way through the legal system. [Read more.]( [There are even more 2020 election defamation suits beyond the Fox-Dominion case]( In addition to the Dominion case against Fox News, more than a dozen similar cases related to lies spread about the 2020 election are slowly making their way through the legal system. [Read more.]( [Kipchoge says leg injury foiled Boston Marathon attempt]( After leading a pack of runners through the first 20 miles, the two-time Olympic gold medalist quickly dropped behind in the series of climbs that have come to be known as Heartbreak Hill. A day after finishing sixth, he said he had a problem with his left leg. [Read more.]( [Kipchoge says leg injury foiled Boston Marathon attempt]( After leading a pack of runners through the first 20 miles, the two-time Olympic gold medalist quickly dropped behind in the series of climbs that have come to be known as Heartbreak Hill. A day after finishing sixth, he said he had a problem with his left leg. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Last year, Simone Leigh became the first Black woman to represent the U.S. at the prestigious Venice Biennale. Now, a survey of her work is on display at Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art. WBUR's Arielle Gray [writes that it explores the interwoven threads of race and gender](. - Cape Cod native Julia Argy's debut novel takes readers behind the scenes of a fictional reality TV dating show. Does book critic Michael Patrick Brady think he's found "The One"? Read [his review]( to find out. - Watch: Chef Joe Gatto came on Radio Boston yesterday to show us all how to cook, sauce and — most importantly — pronounce gnocchi. Check out the live demonstration[here](. - "When I read pieces by parents who are having trouble letting their kids be who they are, mostly I hear fear," Jena Schwartz [writes in this commentary](. Schwartz argues the focus should be on the beauty of believing trans and queer children when they express themselves.  What We're Reading 📚 - You Have a New Memory ([Slate]( - Why reports of period weirdness after COVID shots were ignored ([Washington Post]( - Twitter Is Broken. Thanks, Elon. ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [Newlyweds celebrate their 'runningmoon' at the 127th Boston Marathon (Boston.com)]( San Francisco newlyweds Marion Jeanne and Tom De Bruyn celebrated their marriage in a fun, creative way Monday — by running the Boston Marathon in wedding costumes. [Read more.]( [Newlyweds celebrate their 'runningmoon' at the 127th Boston Marathon (Boston.com)]( San Francisco newlyweds Marion Jeanne and Tom De Bruyn celebrated their marriage in a fun, creative way Monday — by running the Boston Marathon in wedding costumes. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common heads to Hyde Park to get an up-close view of [the fight to preserve Crane Ledge Woods](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: The sign is there [for a reason](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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