The Weekly Wrap: The Uncommitted Movement Applies Pressure at DNC

Welcome back to The Weekly Wrap, our Friday roundup of stories that explain the problems oppressing people in cities and elevate the solutions that bring us closer to economic, environmental and social justice.

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First Panel on Palestinian Human Rights Held at DNC

This year’s Democratic National Convention featured the first-ever panel on Palestinian human rights, a demand of the uncommitted movement, which racked up 700,000 votes in the Democratic primary and sent 30 delegates to the convention.

Among the speakers was pediatric intensive care doctor Tanya Haj-Hassan who spoke of numerous massacres of Palestinians in the past 10 months, the record number of pediatric amputations, and more than 17,000 children who have lost one or both parents. “I have held the hand of children taking their last gasps because their entire family was killed in the same attack and couldn’t be there holding their hand and comforting them,” Dr. Haj-Hassan said.

At the DNC’s main stage, numerous Democrats, including President Biden and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said the word “ceasefire.” Still, none mentioned an arms embargo for Israel, a key ask of the uncommitted movement. The Democratic party’s official 2024 platform pledges “ironclad” support for Israel, condemns the United Nations for “singling out” Israel and opposes the Boycott Divest Sanction movement. It also continues two key Trump-era Israel policies, the Abraham Accords and the recognition of Jerusalem, which had always been at the center of a promised Palestinian state, as the capital of Israel.

New Jersey Governor To Eliminate $100 Million in Medical Debt

Governor Phil Murphy will wipe out $100 million of medical debt for close to 50,000 New Jersey residents, Gothamist reports. The state will use American Rescue Plan funds to pay off the debt. The governor’s office says it is the largest single medical debt forgiveness action by any state. Residents began receiving letters in the mail this week telling them some or all of their debt has been forgiven. The state is canceling the debt by partnering with Undue Medical Debt, formerly RIP Medical Debt, which buys medical debt from third parties for pennies on the dollar. The total cost to the state will be just $550,000.

In another part of the country, the city of New Orleans announced the elimination of $59 million in medical debt for residents. It also worked with Undue Medical Debt.

New York Senator Proposes $1,000 Baby Bonus To Reverse Population Loss

A Republican senator in Albany has proposed a $1,000 “baby bonus” for new parents to keep more people from leaving the state. It would go to parents with a newborn who are eligible for the existing federal child tax credit. Only people with social security numbers can apply for a child tax credit, so many undocumented people, who pay billions in payroll, sales and other taxes would be ineligible. The $1,000 would be “refundable,” meaning a family would receive the payment even if their tax liability does not exceed $1,000.

New York State has experienced population loss in the last two years after years of stagnant growth. According to a report by the Fiscal Policy Institute, out-migration was highest among families with young children and people who can’t afford housing.

Guerilla Road Calming in Oakland Leads to Crash and Conflict With City

A group of “tactical urbanists” applying ersatz road-calming measures to an intersection in Oakland’s San Antonio neighborhood have come into conflict with the city after a speeding driver was injured by one of the group’s unauthorized road structures. According to Oaklandside, the driver is in serious condition after colliding with a tire the group placed on the road. Oakland’s Department of Transportation ripped up the makeshift road calming measure to prevent any future accidents. A neighborhood association that supported the guerilla effort was criticized for praising the car crash on Instagram and saying it was a sign that the road structure was working. The structure was meant to deter “sideshows,” a gathering (typically held in vacant lots and public intersections) where drivers perform car stunts.

Some cities have been trying to adjust to residents’ input when it comes to traffic calming but departments of transportation can be stretched thin and slow to adapt. (And while some DIY traffic calming is a result of forethought and expertise, it can also be a reactionary attempt to keep people out of certain neighborhoods under the guise of safety.)

Bitcoin Company Sues to Keep Natural Gas Flowing

A Bitcoin company in upstate New York is suing to keep a natural gas plant fueling its operation open, Gothamist reports. The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation refused to renew the plant’s air permit because its greenhouse gas emissions exceeded the limits of the state’s new climate law. The crypto company is claiming that the state exceeded its authority. The plant emitted 800,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 alone, and much of it went to power computers mining crypto.

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Curated by Deonna Anderson

MORE NEWS

• How a St. Rose, Louisiana resident is leading the fight against a proposed ammonia plant to be built near her community. Floodlight

• In November, Oregonians will vote on a measure that, if passed, would give residents an annual $1,600 rebate. KGW

• Mayor Eric Adams has directed every city agency to investigate whether they have land that can be developed for housing. New York Times

• A new report shows that public health officials are not doing enough to keep pregnant people and their fetuses safe from wildfire risks. The Guardian

• Montgomery County, Maryland began requiring landlords to provide AC in 2020 amid climate concerns and renter complaints. Here’s how that’s going. Smart Cities Dive

OPPORTUNITIES

• The Narrative Initiative is accepting applications for its Changemaker Authors Cohort, a yearlong intensive coaching program supporting full-time movement organizers and social justice practitioners to complete books that create deep, durable narrative change to restructure the way people feel, think, and respond to the world. Apps are accepted until September 3, 2024. Learn more about the program here.

• New Profit invites young leaders to participate in The Well as “Emerging Leaders.” This program is aimed at young people between the ages of 21-25 with demonstrated leadership potential in advocacy, organizing, intergenerational movement-building and storytelling – and with a concentrated interest in New Profit’s primary issue areas: education, economic mobility, and/or democracy. Learn more and access the application here.

• Forecast Public Art has launched Midwest Memory, an initiative to fund new monuments that celebrate and preserve diverse stories and prioritize the inclusion of voices and experiences of BIPOC communities in the rural Midwest. It will select eight communities with monument or memorial projects needing support, providing them with funding and a collaborative cohort experience. And it’s accepting applications for the $100,000 grants until October 1, 2024. Learn more here.

EVENTS

• August 28 at 2 p.m. Eastern: The Urban Institute is hosting a discussion on the challenges and opportunities for developers of color and the most effective ways to expand their contributions. Register here.

• September 17 at 1 p.m. Eastern: Civil Eats is hosting a conversation where speakers will examine the responsibility of elected officials for food prices, the costs that don’t show up on grocery receipts, and the impacts of high food costs on vulnerable communities. Register here.

• The Next City team is planning events throughout the rest of 2024. Be on the lookout for them on our event page here!