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University

Tufts Federalist Society hosts debate between Tufts professor, Project 2025 contributor

By Anika Parr | November 5

The Tufts Federalist Society held a debate on Oct. 24 focusing on whether Project 2025 —the Heritage Foundation’s 900-page blueprint for the next Republican president — is a threat to democracy. Jonathan Wolfson, a contributor to Project 2025 and the Chief Legal Officer and Policy Director at the Cicero Institute, and Samuel Gebru, Tufts professor of the practice in the department of political science, argued for and against Project 2025, respectively. The conversation was moderated by senior and Federalist Society co-President Trent Bunker.

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News

Local government workers experience lasting strain from pandemic

By Aaron Gruen | November 5

Four years after 2020, the country is still reckoning with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the presidential election. Among those who experienced upheaval are government workers — despite the attention national candidates attract, state and town employees often go unnoticed.

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University

Ben Adida, co-founder of VotingWorks, discusses importance of transparency in elections

By Anika Parr | November 5

The Jonathan M.Tisch College of Civic Life hosted a discussion titled “Voting Machines Everyone Can Trust,” led by Dr. Ben Adida, co-founder and executive director of VotingWorks on Wednesday. Adida spoke about the history of voting machines, current voting practices and his approach to building the next generation of voting machines.

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News

Headlines from off the Hill

By Matthew Sage and Nate Hall | November 5

Final election results may not be known tonight amid razor-thin polls Despite states implementing new rules to streamline voting systems, it’s likely that results from key states will not be known by the night’s end. While news networks will attempt to call races throughout the night, it can take ...

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News

States to watch: 2024 presidential election

By Michael Onysko, Varya Karpinskaya, Shayna Levy, Eli Brigham, Julian Glickman, Hannah Rajalingam and Josh Solomon | November 5

Pennsylvania’s history of switching between political parties makes it a critical state this year. President Joe Biden won the state in 2020 by less than 1.2%. Polling indicates that this state is even, leaning neither red nor blue. An average of Pennsylvania polling data showed a 0.2% lead in favor of former President Donald Trump, with statistics showing47.9% for Trump and 47.7% for Vice President Kamala Harris as of yesterday.

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News

Battle for the Senate: Nine key races

By Estelle Anderson, Maxwell Shoustal, Zach Halverstam, Nate Hall, Julieta Grané and Nicholas Prather | November 5

Thirty-four Senate seats are up for grabs today. Democrats currently hold a slim majority in the Senate, where they sit in seven of the nine most competitive seats. Democrats must win seven of these seats and the presidency in order to achieve a majority.

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Video

Video: Tufts students share thoughts on controversial Massachusetts ballot Question 2

By Ryan Han, Tyler Frojmovich and Sarah Firth | November 5

On Oct. 18, members of the Daily asked Tufts students what they think about Massachusetts ballot Question 2, which could end a state mandate that requires students to pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam to graduate. If this measure passes, it would eliminate the MCAS as a graduation requirement for high schoolers across the state.

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Local

Tufts community shaken after gunshots fired near Pizza Days early Friday morning

By Estelle Anderson | November 4

The Medford Police Department is searching for the individual who fired eight gunshots near 364 Boston Avenue around 1 a.m. on Friday morning. The incident occurred next to Pizza Days, a popular, late-night pizza shop frequented by Tufts students on weekend nights.

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University

Tufts will operate a pub Thursday nights in Hotung Café

By Spenser Walsh | November 4

After years of student advocacy, Tufts Dining will operate a “pop-up pub” on Thursday nights in Hotung Café, with the first pub night scheduled for Nov. 7 from 5–9:30pm. The pub, tentatively titled “Pop Up Pub: The Tufts Campus Pub & Social Spot,” will be open to Tufts community members of all ages, according to Patti Klos, senior director of dining services.

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Local

Somerville Ballot Question 6 will determine future of CPA

By Nicholas Prather | November 4

In addition to answering “Yes” or “No” on five statewide ballot questions, Somerville residents are voting on one local ballot question. Question 6 asks if the city of Somerville should “amend its acceptance of the Community Preservation Act.” 

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Local

Somerville, Medford city councils advocate ‘yes’ votes on Mass. Question 2

By Marlee Stout | October 30

The city councils of Medford and Somerville both voted unanimously to pass resolutions in support of Massachusetts Question 2 in October. If passed, the question — one of five on the ballot — would eliminate the statewide requirement that public school students must receive a passing score on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System in order to graduate from high school.

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University

TUPIT panel discusses impact of excessive sentencing on re-entry

By Noah Frick | October 29

Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College hosted a panel discussion titled “Ending Excessive Sentencing & Mass Incarceration” on Wednesday. The panel featured activist and writer Kenneth Hartman, MyTERN graduate Swinks Laporte, civil rights lawyer Michael Meltsner and TUPIT bachelor’s student Kentel Weaver.

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Local

Medford divided on ballot Questions 7 and 8 asking $7.5 million override for schools and infrastructure

By Samantha Eng | October 28

Medford ballot Questions 7 and 8 will determine whether the city can collect an additional $7.5 million in personal property and real estate taxes to fund the public school system and infrastructure repairs. Questions 7 and 8 are two of three local ballot questions Medford residents will vote on this Election Day.

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University

Tufts Democrats, Republicans participate in annual Cooperation and Innovation in Citizenship debate

By Toby Winick | October 25

On Monday, Tufts Cooperation and Innovation in Citizenship hosted its annual debate between Tufts Democrats and Tufts Republicans, focusing on the issues of immigration, the economy and gun violence, with the upcoming general election coming in just a few weeks.

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Local

After Tufts pauses Master in Public Policy, future of Neighborhood Fellows Program remains unclear

By Eli Brigham | October 25

After Tufts’ Graduate School of Arts and Sciences paused its Master of Public Policy earlier this year, local community members have mobilized in support of the Neighborhood Fellows Program, which annually selects up to five urban leaders to participate in the masters program. The leaders come from underrepresented groups and have experience working in urban communities within the Boston area.

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Local

Medford ballot Question 6 proposes debt exclusion to fund new fire headquarters

By Josué Pérez | October 24

Medford residents will vote on three local ballot questions on Nov. 5, in addition to the five state-wide questions. The first of the three, Question 6, asks voters to approve a debt exclusion for a new fire headquarters that will replace the current one at 120 Main St. 

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University

Tufts EWB discusses goals, upcoming plans for recently opened greenhouse near student garden

By Hannah Rajalingam | October 24

Tufts Engineers Without Borders is continuing to develop its mobile greenhouse, which opened in May 2024. Members of the club hope to give hands-on engineering experience to children from local elementary schools, Medford and Somerville residents and Tufts engineers. The club is a chapter of the worldwide organization Engineers Without Borders, which works with professional and aspiring engineers to construct projects within communities in need.

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University

Nic Sheff, author of ‘Tweak,’ discusses addiction, recovery during Tisch College event

By Olivia Bye | October 24

Tisch College hosted a conversation with Nic Sheff, an author and advocate who writes about his experience with addiction and recovery. The Oct. 16 event was part of the Tisch College Solomont Speaker Series.

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University

Delta Upsilon holds third annual speaker series, featuring nonprofit leaders and Tufts women’s rowing coach

By Julian Glickman | October 23

The Delta Upsilon fraternity held its third annual speaker series on Thursday, centered on building leadership skills in nonprofit organizations. The event, which focused on sports, featured a three-person panel: Jay Calnan, a Tufts alumnus and co-founder of Team IMPACT, which matches disabled children with college sports teams; Lily Siddall, the head coach of Tufts women’s rowing; and Chris Nowinski, the co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, which fights neurological diseases common in combat sports.

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University

TCU Senate discusses on-campus pub, syllabus access, club funding

By Spenser Walsh | October 22

Sunday’s meeting of the Tufts Community Union Senate covered club funding requests, a new campus pub and their long-running effort to increase syllabus access.

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