The tree making a stink in Mass.

Also: Emerson bans further protests in downtown alley; unrest on the commuter rail [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 26, 2024 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 56. Good Morning Boston, Welcome to Day 1 of [the Drake Maye era](. Before you [review the tape with Bill Belichick]( let's throw it to the news: - The stink over this stinky tree: Massachusetts agricultural officials will consider a ban today on a type of tree found in many suburban neighborhoods. As WBUR's Dan Guzman reports, the Callery pear tree (or Bradford pear tree) is well known for its gorgeous white blossoms — as well as [a smell]( that's been described as foul, fishy, pungent and distasteful. But that's not why officials are holding a grudge. The reason for the potential ban is that the tree is an invasive species that crowds out other plants. - Jennifer Forman Orth, a state environmental biologist, says the trees — which are originally from Asia — became popular in suburban developments in the 1950s. But within decades, problems arose when trees spread quickly in the wild. Older trees are a hazard, too, since they easily snap and fall due to wind or snow. [Read more about their rise and fall here](. - What does the ban mean? Orth says they're not asking people to remove the trees from their yards, "although it might be better for the environment if they did so." Rather, the ban would phase the tree out of the nursery industry so it can no longer be planted. If approved, the ban is expected to take effect this summer. - Zoom out: [Three other states]( — Ohio, South Carolina and Pennsylvania — have already implemented similar bans. - Speaking of bans... Emerson College is [banning further demonstrations]( in the Bolyston Place alleyway where a pro-Palestinian encampment was cleared overnight Thursday. After police clashed with protesters, the college says the move is intended "ensure campus safety." - Go deeper: Police arrested 108 protesters who were reportedly blocking pedestrian access and violating noise ordinances. [Read more here]( about city officials' mixed reactions to the arrests and a new encampment at Northeastern University. - Zoom out: [More than 500 people]( have been arrested across the country as pro-Palestinian protests roll on at colleges. - Bonk: Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden has agreed to pay a $5,000 fine for an ethics violation from his 2022 election. It stems from a press release Hayden's office sent during [the nasty Democratic primary]( which amounted to using his public office for political advantage. (Hayden was interim DA at the time.) - Zoom in: [As WBUR's Deborah Becker explains here]( the press release aimed to discredit Hayden's opponent in the race, then-Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, who was defending himself against resurfaced sexual assault allegations during his time in high school (Arroyo was never charged). - Zoom out: Hayden is now the second official dinged for ethics violations during the 2022 Suffolk DA's race. His predecessor, Rachael Rollins, [resigned last year as the state's U.S. attorney]( after a report found she used her office to try to help Arroyo. - Unrest on the rails: The MBTA is trying to head off a potential looming disruption — and not because of track work. The T's board approved [a one-year extension of its contract with commuter rail operator Keolis yesterday]( as unionized coach workers, mechanics and car inspectors for the French company threaten to strike over wages. The T is hoping the extra money included in the contract extension could help Keolis meet some of the union's demands. "We do believe this will assist," MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said. - The big picture: [According to the union]( Keolis pays its workers 12% less than what Amtrak workers paid, 16% less than Metro North workers and 11% less than New Jersey Transit workers. - What's next: The federal Railway Labor Act requires Keolis and the union to go through mediation to work on an agreement. According to Keolis, that means any potential strike would be "likely years away." - But also... there's track work: The [partial Blue Line closure]( that has shuttle buses replacing service between Airport and Wonderland stations will continue [through next Tuesday]( two days longer than expected. Eng said crews need a little extra time to finish work — and hopefully lift 16 speed restrictions — across the five miles of track. Normal service is set to resume Wednesday morning. - Reminder: The southern end of the Orange Line — between Forest Hills and Ruggles — will also be [replaced by shuttles this weekend](. P.S.— Gov. Maura Healey and Mayor Michelle Wu are heading to an international climate conference next month. Where will it be? [Take our Boston News Quiz]( and test your knowledge of this week's stories. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  Support the news  The Rundown [What to know about a possible Israeli military offensive in Rafah]( In Gaza's southernmost city, where more than a million Palestinians have sought shelter and where aid groups have centralized operations, worries have grown over a possible Israeli military operation. [Read more.]( [What to know about a possible Israeli military offensive in Rafah]( In Gaza's southernmost city, where more than a million Palestinians have sought shelter and where aid groups have centralized operations, worries have grown over a possible Israeli military operation. [Read more.]( [House, Senate approve plan to cap family shelter stays at 9 months and up budget by $251 million]( The agreement would pull another $251 million from the so-called Transitional Escrow Account to help pay for current shelter system costs, with another $175 million available in the budget year that starts on July 1. [Read more.]( [House, Senate approve plan to cap family shelter stays at 9 months and up budget by $251 million]( The agreement would pull another $251 million from the so-called Transitional Escrow Account to help pay for current shelter system costs, with another $175 million available in the budget year that starts on July 1. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court appears skeptical of blanket immunity for a former president]( A majority of justices appeared skeptical of granting a president blanket immunity from prosecution for criminal acts, but it is unclear whether the court would act swiftly to resolve the case. [Read more.]( [Supreme Court appears skeptical of blanket immunity for a former president]( A majority of justices appeared skeptical of granting a president blanket immunity from prosecution for criminal acts, but it is unclear whether the court would act swiftly to resolve the case. [Read more.]( [Norfolk County Sheriff opens center to help people build stable lives after incarceration]( The HOPE Center, the name of which stands for "healing, opportunity, purpose and engagement," will provide support services including substance use treatment, mental health support groups, and food, housing and employment assistance to people transitioning out of incarceration and members of the general public who are struggling. [Read more.]( [Norfolk County Sheriff opens center to help people build stable lives after incarceration]( The HOPE Center, the name of which stands for "healing, opportunity, purpose and engagement," will provide support services including substance use treatment, mental health support groups, and food, housing and employment assistance to people transitioning out of incarceration and members of the general public who are struggling. [Read more.]( [One N.H. town is trying to decarbonize their buildings — and build a workforce in the process]( With federal money and local support, Peterborough, New Hampshire is hoping to electrify 200 heating systems in the next three years. They’re also trying to train more people to do that work. [Read more.]( [One N.H. town is trying to decarbonize their buildings — and build a workforce in the process]( With federal money and local support, Peterborough, New Hampshire is hoping to electrify 200 heating systems in the next three years. They’re also trying to train more people to do that work. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - WBUR's Simón Rios [writes in this Cognoscenti essay]( about how obsessively learning the songs of his late best friend's favorite band became a way of coping with the void. - After some internal sleuthing, the MFA is [returning an ancient Egyptian child’s coffin to a museum in Sweden](. - During the recent solar eclipse, researchers at zoos found animals were considerably less stressed than the ones they observed in the path of totality during the previous eclipse seven years ago. [It turns out the explanation]( may have nothing to do with the sun and moon. - 2024 was shaping up to be a banner year for the Boston jazz singer John Minnock: He had finished a new album, "A Different Riff," and its release party was set for a famed a jazz Club in Manhattan. But instead, [the record is coming out as a memorial]( after the singer died unexpectedly earlier this year. What We're Reading 📚 - Inside the Crisis at NPR ([The New York Times]( - Living next to a Dunkin’ can boost property values, but don’t glaze over the downside ([The Boston Globe]( - The endless quest to replace alcohol ([Vox](  Tell Me Something Good [A vision for the T: Two locals want to give trains googly eyes (Boston.com)]( Two Massachusetts residents want MBTA riders to be more empathetic toward the public transit system — and for it to be more caring toward its users. [Read more.]( [A vision for the T: Two locals want to give trains googly eyes (Boston.com)]( Two Massachusetts residents want MBTA riders to be more empathetic toward the public transit system — and for it to be more caring toward its users. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [makes sense of the growing pro-Palestinian student encampment protests around Boston](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Sorry, the Boston Reddit page has hit capacity!]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 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. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.