The Weekly Wrap: Chicago Plans for City-Run Grocery

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.

Have news, resources or events that should be included in this newsletter? Let us know. We’re reachable at wrapped@nextcity.org.

Chicago Plans City-Run Grocery

The Chicago Tribune reports on a study commissioned by Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office on the feasibility of a city-run grocery store. The report found the idea “necessary, feasible, and implementable,” suggesting that the city partner with a for-profit or non-profit grocery store or co-op to create a city-owned store. The city’ plans to finalize a plan for at least one store and apply to the state for funding, according to the Tribune. Previous Chicago mayors have attempted to address food deserts on the South Side and West Side, where privately-run grocers have closed down. If the city-run grocery plan comes to fruition, it would be the first of its kind in a large city in the U.S.

Police Shootings in Rural Areas Exceed Urban Areas, Study Finds

A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine looked at police-involved shootings between 2015 to 2020 and found that the rate of police shootings in rural areas “approached or exceeded” that of police shootings in urban areas. It also found that between 2012 and 2016, police were responsible for 7% of all adult male homicides in urban areas and 10% of all adult male homicides in rural areas. Among the reasons noted for the higher shooting rates in rural areas were lack of mental health resources, greater number of uninsured people and higher poverty rates in rural areas. Victims of shootings were disproportionately Black and Latino in rural areas, just as in urban areas.

Human Rights Watch Report Findings and West Bank Attacks

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report detailing the kidnapping and torture of health workers in Gaza by Israeli forces. In addition to the siege of hospitals, the attack on health workers has contributed to the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system, HRW says. Eight doctors, nurses and paramedics described alleged torture, beatings, and sexual assault by Israeli soldiers to HRW. All said they were forced to confess to being Hamas members under threat of torture, sexual assault or killing of their families. The reports echo similar findings in multiple United Nations reports and in Israeli media. Multiple health workers have died in Israeli prisons since October 7. And the torture predates the current genocide: Between 2019 and 2022, over 1,800 complaints of abuse were filed against Israeli prison forces, with none resulting in arrest.

Also this week, Israel launched its largest military campaign in 20 years in the West Bank, which it has illegally occupied since 1967. The invasion was launched under the pretext of “counterterror,” but Palestinian militants can operate legally in the West Bank as self-defense forces under international law’s right of resistance to occupation.

Finally, while the Biden-Harris administration says it has found no evidence that Israel is using U.S. weapons to commit war crimes and that it is therefore not in violation of the Leahy law, Responsible Statecraft has published a forensic analysis of 20 times the Israeli military used U.S. weapons to commit war crimes in Gaza. Additionally, earlier this year, a U.S. State Department official said the use of U.S.-made guns by settlers was “almost a certainty.”

Nonprofit Wants To Expand Guaranteed Income for Artists in Minnesota

Hyperallergic reports on a guaranteed income pilot in Minnesota that has paid artists $500 a month since April 2021. Now Springboard for the Arts, the nonprofit behind the pilot is launching a “Basic Income Week” from September 16 to 22 to advocate for more guaranteed income programs. The guaranteed income funds went to 75 artists, each of whom received monthly payments on a debit card for 18 months at a time in cohorts. A study found that artists used the funds mostly on retail purchases, food and groceries, while spending about 10% on housing and utilities. Most artists who received funds were either people of color, part of the LGBTQ+ community, from rural areas or had disabilities.

Ontario To Close 10 Safe Consumption Sites After New Law Passes

Ontario will close 10 supervised drug consumption sites after the province passed a new law that bans the sites within 200 meters — around 650 feet — of schools or childcare centers, CBC reports. In an announcement, Ontario’s health minister laid blame on stabbings and shootings at the sites. Five safe consumption sites in Toronto and five more in other parts of the province will close by March 2025 as a result of the law. One harm reduction expert told the CBC it was a “deadly mistake” to close the centers. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s office also expressed concern about the closure, saying it could lead to increased overdose deaths and strain on public responder systems.

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Curated by Deonna Anderson

MORE NEWS

• Cities are trying to have fewer cars on their roads, but some states are standing in their way. Yale Climate Connections

• Freddie Mac Multifamily published an overview of its policy framework to implement tenant protections and require minimum lease standards at multifamily properties. Press Release

• Here’s why experts say Philly’s City Council should ignore the economic impact study on the 76ers’ arena proposal. Philadelphia Inquirer

• Oakland’s new school buses reduce pollution and their batteries benefit the grid. Grist

RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES

• The Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative published a policy brief about the critical role of Black-owned small businesses in fostering neighborhood well-being across Atlanta. Read the brief here.

• In a new report, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureu examines consumer risks related to fees on cash-back transactions at retail point of sale, finding that Kroger Co, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar, charge fees for small amounts while other sampled retailers do not. Access the report here.

• The Urban Institute release a report about diversifying multifamily housing development. Check out the report here. And listen to Next City’s related podcast episode here.

EVENTS

• September 12 at 11 a.m. Pacific: The Othering & Belonging Institute is continuing Reimagining Planning, its monthly series of public webinars that focuses on the edge of innovation in urban planning and policy. September’s conversation will focus on urban planning’s relationship to economics. Register here.

• September 17 at 1p.m. Eastern: Next City is hosting a conversation about the role and rights of immigrant workers in urban development. Join the conversation by registering today!