Alexander Thompson
Alexander Thompson is a staff writer at the Tufts Daily. He is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major and can be reached at ThompsonTuftsDaily@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlMThompson.
New ordinance curtails use of plastic straws, stirrers in Somerville businesses
A city ordinance prohibiting the sale of plastic straws and stirrers at Somerville businesses went into effect on Feb. 9. The ordinance, passed by the Somerville City Council last May, aims to reduce waste and pollution caused by single-use plastics. Under the ordinance, businesses in the city can no longer distribute or sell single-use plastic […]
In deep-blue Somerville, it’s a race between Sanders, Warren
Some 20 people were crammed into Colin Peterson’s modest second-story apartment in the Spring Hill neighborhood of Somerville around 9:30 a.m. last Saturday morning. The crowd turned out on a bright but chilly weekend morning to carpool up to New Hampshire to canvas for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign three days before voters began […]
Body cameras complicate Somerville’s contract negotiations with police
Collective bargaining negotiations between Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone’s administration and one of Somerville’s police unions remain deadlocked on the issue of body cameras, which the mayor supports and the union opposes. Curtatone says that body-worn cameras for police are his “top priority” in the talks with the Somerville Police Employees Association (SPEA), which represents rank-and-file […]
Somerville bridge closures extended due to GLX construction
The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) has extended closures of three Somerville bridges impacted by the construction of the Green Line Extension (GLX) including the Broadway Bridge in Ball Square, an area popular with Tufts students. The Broadway Bridge will now reopen in mid-July of this year, more than three months later than previously scheduled, […]
Somerville holds community meeting addressing police deployment to Straight Pride Parade
The City of Somerville hosted a public meeting on Wednesday night to address community concerns involving the deployment of Somerville police officers to the Boston Straight Pride Parade on Aug. 31, 2019. An internal investigation published on Nov. 14, 2019, found no violations of department protocol by the 13 Somerville police officers during their deployment […]
Citing surging housing costs, Somerville, state politicians advocate for rent control
As politicians try to grapple with the ongoing housing crisis in the Boston area, some, including many from Somerville, are calling for the repeal of Massachusetts’ decades-old prohibition on rent control through a new bill, H.3924. The bill’s two sponsors are Reps. Mike Connolly, who represents East Somerville and Union Square, and Nika C. Elugardo, […]
Stern presents Sackler report to Board of Trustees
Former U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Donald Stern presented the findings of his investigation into the relationship between Tufts, the opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma and its billionaire owners, the Sackler family, to the Tufts University Board of Trustees at a meeting on the weekend of Nov. 2. The investigation lasted seven months, starting in March and […]
Trustees create advisory committee to give students, faculty input on endowment
In a major shift, the Board of Trustees approved the creation of an investment advisory committee that will allow any member of the Tufts community to call for a review of the university’s investment decisions at their meeting on Nov. 2. The Responsible Investment Advisory Group will perform ad hoc reviews of the university’s investment […]
Curtatone cruises to 9th term as Somerville mayor
Incumbents did well in yesterday’s municipal elections in Somerville, with voters returning Joe Curtatone to the mayor’s office for the ninth time since 2004 over his challenger, Marianne Walles, a social worker and union organizer backed by Our Revolution Somerville. Voters also reelected all four incumbent at-large city councilors by healthy margins in a hotly contested […]
In final days of campaign, both Somerville mayoral candidates talk tough on Tufts
As Somerville residents head to the polls today to decide whether incumbent Joe Curtatone or challenger Marianne Walles will be their mayor for the next two years, both candidates are still making their pitches to voters, which have included a fair number of jabs at Tufts. Both candidates are attacking the university over issues like […]
