The Tufts Daily THE
INDEPENDENT
STUDENT
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TUFTS
UNIVERSITY
E S T. 1 9 8 0 Medford/Somerville, Mass.
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
VOLUME LXXXVIII, ISSUE 10
UNIVERSITY
Tufts students to join 41 million Gen Z voters at the polls Amelia Sammons Contributing Writer
Among members of Gen Z, 41 million will be eligible to vote in the 2024 election. According to Alberto Medina, the communications team lead at Tufts’ Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, there is high
interest in voting from young people this year. “Our survey at the very beginning of the cycle found that 57% of youth said they were extremely likely to vote,” Medina said. “Other polls that we’ve looked at and tracked throughout the cycle are similar. … Young people are interested, and see YOUTH, page 2
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Tufts Federalist Society hosts debate between Tufts professor and contributor to Project 2025 Anika Parr Staff Writer
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
Aaron Gruen
Executive Investigative Editor
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. Samuel Gebru, a professor of the practice in the political science department at Tufts, noted that local civil employees are the ones responsible for solving day-to-day community issues. see LOCAL WORKERS, page 2
KAITLYN WELLS / THE TUFTS DAILY
João Ribeiro, each debater delivered opening remarks. In his opening statement, Gebru argued that Project 2025’s plans to centralize executive power, weaken the federal civil service and restrict access to voting all represent threats to democracy. see FEDERALIST, page 3
Headlines from off the Hill
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Local government workers experience lasting strain from pandemic
Legal Officer and Policy Director at the Cicero Institute, and Samuel Gebru, Tufts professor of the practice of political science, argued for and against Project 2025, respectively. The conversation was moderated by senior and Federalist Society co-President Trent Bunker. Following introductions by Federalist Society co-President
Nate Hall and Matthew Sage
Associate Editor and Managing Editor
Puerto Rico joke at Trump rally continues to spark backlash Former President Donald Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27, featuring a long list of speakers, including Elon Musk, Rudy Giuliani, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Tucker Carlson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, perhaps the most controversial speaker was Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up comedian who made a series of jokes ridiculing Palestinian, Jewish, Black and Latine voters. One of Hinchcliffe’s jokes, which identified Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” was met with swift backlash from both Democrats and Republicans, and the Trump campaign distanced itself from the comment, saying, “This joke does not represent the views of President Trump or the campaign.” In the wake of the rally, Vice President Kamala Harris has received endorsements from many notable Puerto Rican celebrities and new outlets. These endorsements could prove crucial in several key swing states, including Pennsylvania, which is home to nearly half a million Puerto Rican residents. Harris makes surprise appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live’ Harris made a guest appearance on last weekend’s episode of “Saturday Night Live.” Harris played herself in the show’s cold open alongside comedian Maya Rudolph, who has played the vice president on “SNL” for years. This season, the show’s opening sketches have focused on the presidential election, with guest stars Andy Samberg,
Dana Carvey and Jim Gaffigan playing Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, President Joe Biden and Governor Tim Walz, respectively, all of whom made appearances in this week’s cold open. In this week’s sketch, Rudolph’s Harris gave herself a pep talk in the mirror as she prepared for a rally in Philadelphia, and the real-life Harris appeared as her mirror image as they gave each other words of encouragement. “Kamala, take my palm-ala,” Rudolph said to the real Harris. “The American people want to stop the chaos.” Fires damage ballots and ballot boxes in the Pacific Northwest Law enforcement officials are investigating a series of incendiary attacks on ballot boxes in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington, both suspected to be set by a single suspect on Oct. 28. The Portland fire, extinguished by an internal fire suppression system, damaged three ballots, while the Vancouver fire destroyed hundreds of ballots, according to officials. Roughly 500 of the Vancouver voters whose ballots were destroyed have requested replacement ballots. Investigators responding to both fires found devices at the scene marked with the words “Free Gaza.” In a third incident earlier this month, another device similar to those found at the fires was found on a third ballot box in Vancouver, marked with the words “Free Palestine.” Investigators are working to determine whether the attacks were motivated by pro-Palestine sentiments or rather by the desire to cause political strife just days before the election. While the incidents have fueled fears of election fraud, government officials and election experts have repeatedly defended the security of election systems.
A polling site at Medford City Hall is pictured on Oct. 19.
4 FEATURES
6 OPINION
13 ARTS & POP CULTURE
16 SPORTS
Local voters comment on election
Breaking down ballot bias
Influencers go to the polls
Presidential pitches: From the oval to the diamond
7 ELECTION 2024 Senate analyses 8 ELECTION 2024 The Daily’s complete electoral map
News Features Opinion election 2024 Fun & Games Arts & Pop Culture Sports
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