For the love of guinea pigs

Also: Inside the new BPD contract deal; what Biden said in Boston [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  December 6, 2023 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 35 and a slight chance of snow flurries. Good Morning Boston, We may not have [as much snow as Mount Washington]( but [some parts of coastal Massachusetts]( are seeing their first flakes of the year this morning. While you put on those hats and gloves, and make your way to [that almost fully reopened Green Line]( let's get to the news: - We have a deal: If you've listened to any of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's monthly interviews on Radio Boston, you know she's [been focused on the city's police union contract negotiations]( as a vehicle for police reform. This week, after months of negotiations, the city finally agreed to a new five-year contract with its largest police union. And [for the first time yesterday]( Wu and Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Larry Calderone shared the details of the deal. - What BPPA members got: The contract includes a 21% increase in base salary over the 2020-2025 period, including retroactive pay. Officers can also get higher pay for working on a new "high priority" category of construction details. - What the city got: Wu says the contract includes "significant" reforms, including to the disciplinary process and police detail work. The contract prohibits officers from using [arbitration]( to overturn disciplinary action for [a list of specific serious offenses](. It allows [unfilled detail shifts]( to be filled by retired officers, college police and even civilians. And it calls for an independent medical examiner to settle disagreements over whether an officer can return from medical leave. (About 10% of the entire BPD force had been [on medical leave for over a year]( when negotiations began.) You can read through [a full overview of the reforms here](. - The post-agreement vibe: Calderone says his membership is pleased with what he called a "fair and equitable" agreement. "We help policing evolve," he said. "I know the famous word out there is reform, but I like to look at it as police evolving." - What's next: Funding for the contract — a total of $82.3 million — must now be approved by the Boston City Council. (BPPA members already voted to ratify the deal on Monday night.) - Also on the agenda: Guinea pigs. The Boston City Council is slated to vote today on a proposed ordinance to ban the sale of guinea pigs at pet shops in the city. It's not because city councilors dislike the furry rodents. They're actually hoping to cut down on the growing number of abandoned and surrendered animals. - Supporters of the ban say people buy guinea pigs without realizing how much work they require. According to the MSPCA, 60% of the guinea pigs the group has rescued were originally acquired at pet stores, and they spend nearly twice the time in shelters as cats and dogs. "In 2023, we have taken in a total of 383 guinea pigs," Deb Bobek, the director of operations at Boston's MSPCA, said during a City Council hearing Monday. "We have also seen a large increase in the number of abandoned and stray guinea pigs, a sign that owners are becoming more desperate for help." - The deets: In 2016, Boston passed an ordinance banning pet shops from selling dogs, cats and rabbits from commercial breeders. The [new proposal]( — filed by Councilor Liz Breadon — would simply add guinea pigs to that list. (Cambridge and Attleboro already have similar bans.) If passed, it would mean guinea pigs could only be sold by shelters and rescue animal groups in Boston. The fine for violators would be $300 fine per animal. - It's official: The Worcester Red Sox will [soon have new owners](. New York-based Diamond Baseball Holdings announced its plan yesterday to buy a majority stake in the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate. The group already owns nearly 30 minor league baseball teams, including the Portland Sea Dogs and Salem Red Sox. - What stays the same: The WooSox will keep playing at Polar Park and former Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino will remain as chairman. - What could change: Diamond Baseball Holdings CEO Peter Freund [told the Boston Herald]( the group should be able to use its scale to bring more big events, like concerts, to the ballpark. - In other baseball news: The Sox traded outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees last night in exchange for three pitching prospects. ESPN has [more details on the trade](. P.S.— Today is the last day of WBUR’s year-end fundraiser and we still have $148,000 to go. Over 3,200 independent journalism fans have already made their gift. Please consider [joining them to help us reach our goal](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Speaking in Boston, Biden warns Trump will put democracy at risk]( But during a campaign fundraiser in Boston, President Biden warned of what is at stake if Donald Trump regains the presidency, noting that he has described himself as his supporters' “retribution” and that he has vowed to root out “vermin” in the country. [Read more.]( [Speaking in Boston, Biden warns Trump will put democracy at risk]( But during a campaign fundraiser in Boston, President Biden warned of what is at stake if Donald Trump regains the presidency, noting that he has described himself as his supporters' “retribution” and that he has vowed to root out “vermin” in the country. [Read more.]( [House committee grills Harvard, MIT leaders on antisemitism response]( Over the course of hours, university presidents from Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania faced leading questions, calls for greater student discipline — and at least one call to resign. [Read more.]( [House committee grills Harvard, MIT leaders on antisemitism response]( Over the course of hours, university presidents from Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania faced leading questions, calls for greater student discipline — and at least one call to resign. [Read more.]( [A smaller stage, and higher stakes, for the fourth Republican debate]( For the fourth Republican primary debate, the field is smaller than ever, with just four candidates meeting the Republican National Committee criteria to participate. [Read more.]( [A smaller stage, and higher stakes, for the fourth Republican debate]( For the fourth Republican primary debate, the field is smaller than ever, with just four candidates meeting the Republican National Committee criteria to participate. [Read more.]( [Judge delays state treasurer's hearing of suspended Cannabis Control Commission chair]( A Superior Court judge allowed suspended Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O'Brien's to block Treasurer Deborah Goldberg from holding a Tuesday afternoon meeting that could lead to O'Brien's firing. O'Brien was suspended from her position in September. [Read more.]( [Judge delays state treasurer's hearing of suspended Cannabis Control Commission chair]( A Superior Court judge allowed suspended Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O'Brien's to block Treasurer Deborah Goldberg from holding a Tuesday afternoon meeting that could lead to O'Brien's firing. O'Brien was suspended from her position in September. [Read more.]( [Sen. Tuberville drops his monthslong hold on military promotions]( Tuberville told reporters in the Capitol on Tuesday that he will drop the hold on all promotions except those for four-star generals. Tuberville has been blocking promotions since February, creating a backlog that has grown to more than 450. [Read more.]( [Sen. Tuberville drops his monthslong hold on military promotions]( Tuberville told reporters in the Capitol on Tuesday that he will drop the hold on all promotions except those for four-star generals. Tuberville has been blocking promotions since February, creating a backlog that has grown to more than 450. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - You've likely heard of the cult classic musical “The Rocky Horror Picture Show." But this month, Ryan Landry and The Gold Dust Orphans have applied their unique brand of shtick to the narrative in “The Rocky Menorah Christmas Show” at Southie's Iron Wolf Theatre. Theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair writes [the satirical spectacle also brings a message of unity to the holiday season](. - Boston band Girl with a Hawk’s new single “Good Enough” might have a bouncy, upbeat feel — but it was birthed from a harrowing weekend. Listen to the exclusive song premiere [on our website](. - Ethan Marcotte [writes in this commentary]( that OpenAI may be a threat to labor, but its employees just staged one of the most successful displays of worker power in tech. - Shane McGowan, the frontman of the Celtic punk rock The Pogues, passed away last week at the age of 65. Jim Sullivan [writes that McGowan pioneered a genre that really didn’t exist before](. “Needless to say, there would be no Dropkick Murphys if it weren’t for Shane," Dropkick Murphys leader Ken Casey told Sullivan.  What We're Reading 📚 - Once rare, gunfire all too common in Vermont’s biggest city ([The Boston Globe]( - What’s Somerville Doing With a City-Owned Empty Lot Next to a New Light Rail Station? ([StreetsblogMASS]( - Ego, Fear and Money: How the A.I. Fuse Was Lit ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [$25 million Massachusetts Lottery winner returns to lucky store; "She won again" (WBZ)]( The winner of a $25 million scratch ticket prize in the Massachusetts Lottery isn’t done trying her luck. [Read more.]( [$25 million Massachusetts Lottery winner returns to lucky store; "She won again" (WBZ)]( The winner of a $25 million scratch ticket prize in the Massachusetts Lottery isn’t done trying her luck. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common takes [a deep dive into the context and history behind Boston's pro-Palestinian protests](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Little ball, forever.]( 😎 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.