Elected officials in Medford and Somerville, as well as state leaders across Massachusetts, are ramping up efforts to curb the effects of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s presence in the state.
The city of Medford restarted its rezoning project last month with a primary focus on rezoning Medford Square. It is the first proposal heard in the new City Council term, and the first since the city signed a contract extension with Innes Land Strategies Group — the consulting group that provides analysis and recommendations for the city’s rezoning.
Fiorenzo Omenetto, a professor in the biomedical engineering department, wrote to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after an associate of the financier put them in touch, according to the newest batch of files released by the Department of Justice on Friday.
At the Tufts Community Union Senate meeting on Sunday, members discussed the tuition transparency town hall, upcoming outreach initiatives and expanding relations with members of the Tufts administration.
The Department of Earth and Climate Sciences added two new classes to their department this year. Professor Noel Heim began teaching Geology of National Parks in the fall of 2025 and Professor and ECS Department Chair Jill VanTongeren began teaching Natural Disasters in Movies this semester.
Following over a year of deliberation, the Somerville School Construction Advisory Group delivered its final recommendation to the mayor for a new PK–8 school building, addressing the absence of the Winter Hill Community Innovation School. In June 2023, a piece of concrete collapsed from the ceiling of the Winter Hill School after prolonged maintenance issues, forcing it to close.
The Daily spoke with University President Sunil Kumar on Friday about his Beyond 175 plan, a blueprint for the university following its 175th anniversary in 2027. The plan was first announced in October of last year with a final working draft released in January.
Tufts Community Union Senate has implemented a survey form to allow students to rate meals and provide feedback in both the Fresh at Carmichael and Dewick-MacPhie Dining Centers. The program is running from Jan. 26 to Feb. 6 and aims to increase student input in dining experiences.
Organ transplant technology leader TransMedics, a medium-sized company that brings in hundreds of millions in revenue annually, recently announced it will be moving its headquarters to Somerville in 2028. Somerville anticipates the move will add 900 jobs and $75 million in tax revenue over the course of six years. The city of Somerville, along with the state of Massachusetts, provided TransMedics with tax breaks to encourage the move.
Steve Tisch (A’71), a Tufts alumnus and donor, is mentioned several times in a newly released batch of files related to the convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein. The Department of Justice released an additional three million pages earlier today as mandated in the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Recently, Tufts created a job posting for a labor relations specialist who would serve as an expert intermediary between the university and its employees regarding labor disputes and union-related issues, including attending contract negotiations and ensuring consistent labor relations leadership across the university.
Copper Mill Development submitted an application to the state of Massachusetts on Dec. 22 seeking approval to build a 25-story, primarily residential, tower in Davis Square. Many residents have raised concerns about the limited time allotted for public comment on the development. In response, the Davis Square Neighborhood Council voted on Monday to urge the city to ask Copper Mill to withdraw the proposal and resubmit only once a neighborhood plan has been made.
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation strengthening entry restrictions for foreign nationals from countries that are deemed a potential danger to national security on Dec 16. Seven nations were added to a full travel ban, while another 15 are now subject to partial restrictions, adding uncertainty to the process of applying for and renewing student visas.
Residents gathered at the Somerville and Medford branches of Citizens Bank on Saturday to protest the bank’s links to private prison companies that own and operate immigration detention centers under government contracts, including with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The protests were part of three dozen similar demonstrations taking place across the Northeast, organized by the de-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition. According to the coalition, Citizens Bank continues to be a major lender to private prison companies CoreCivic and The GEO Group. They added that other banks, including JPMorgan and Barclays, have distanced themselves from the prison companies.
Federal immigration enforcement activity has recently been reported in areas surrounding Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus, according to an email sent to the Tufts community from the Office of Public Safety. The office and the municipalities of Somerville and Medford are coordinating efforts to monitor the situation.
Resident assistants have not yet received reappointment forms as the university considers changing aspects of the role in order to reduce RA responsibilities. The yet-to-be-announced changes come as the United Labor of Tufts Resident Assistants prepares to bargain for a new contract, as the existing one expires this summer.
Last fall, Tufts entered the next stage of its ELEVATE strategic visioning initiative, aiming to promote “institutional inclusive excellence,” according to the project’s website. Following its official launch in Oct. 2024, the ELEVATOR Ambassador program was rolled out after a year of community sessions and feedback to create specific plans for Tufts’ improvement.
All university campuses will be closed from Sunday at 12 p.m. through Monday due to a winter storm expected to blanket much of North America this weekend, the university announced Saturday evening.
On Jan. 19, the Tufts Community Union Senate met for its first meeting of the spring semester, in which it held internal elections for Parliamentarian and Diversity Officer, presented data from the TCU Senate Student Experience Survey, and voted on proposed changes to the Treasury Procedures Manual.
The Tufts Community Union Senate did not pass any resolutions last semester, which marks a difference from previous semesters that can be attributed to changes in how the Senate approaches student feedback. Resolutions are formal lobbying tools often used by student groups and individuals to necessitate Senate action on an issue.
