The Weekly Wrap: DoorDash To Pay Deliverers Nearly $17 Million in Settlement

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. If you enjoy this newsletter, share it with a friend or colleague and tell them to subscribe.

Also, we’re hiring an Equitable Cities Reporting Fellow in the Lexington, Kentucky area. Apply or share with someone you know who might be a good fit!

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DoorDash to Pay Deliverers in New York Nearly $17 Million After Settlement

DoorDash has agreed to pay deliverers $16.75 million to settle claims that it kept tips from them, Gothamist reports.

The settlement affects about 63,000 workers who delivered for the company between 2017 and 2019 when DoorDash used a now-retired payment model. (The New York Times described the model in detail.) They will receive payouts ranging from $10 to $14,000. “That will go a long way toward addressing the suffering that they’ve dealt with, and their families,” New York Attorney General Letitia said in a Monday afternoon press conference, according to the outlet.

Right To Repair Legislation Introduced in All 50 States

This month, Wisconsin became the 50th state to introduce Right to Repair legislation, 404 Media reports. Many versions of these (proposed) laws require companies to make it easier for people to repair their electronics and other equipment by selling repair parts to the public, making manuals available and other such measures.

At this point, Massachusetts, New York, Minnesota, Colorado, California, and Oregon all have Right to Repair laws in place. 404 Media reports that another 20 states are considering similar bills during the current legislative session.

Trump’s HUD Is Scrapping Fair Housing Rule

The Trump administration announced this week that the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) proposed rule, Politico reports. The rule, which was proposed in 2023 as a reworked version of an Obama-era rule that was scrapped by Trump in 2020, would have required “localities to track and address patterns of segregation in their communities in order to receive federal funds.” The Hill mentioned that the rule was meant to “overcome historic patterns of segregation.”

The Biden administration didn’t finalize the rule while he was in office. This move by HUD comes at a time when the Trump administration is removing federal programs that are meant to address harms done to communities of color in this nation.

AI and Data Centers Threaten Black Communities With More Pollution

South Carolina is working to power its digital future and along the way, Black communities are barring the brunt of the pollution from the technology, Capital B reports. In 2024, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and Google, pledged $4 billion to build data centers in the state, according to the outlet.

South Carolina isn’t alone. There are similar projects being proposed in Texas and Illinois. “Most Black households, especially rural ones in the South, are not using AI or as much computing power, but they are having to pay for that demand in both money and dirty air,” Shelby Green, a researcher at the Energy and Policy Institute, told Capital B.

Two Texas Border Counties Are Joining Operation Lone Star

Through Operation Long Star, local agencies can receive up to $5 million “to cover the costs of additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, travel, and training in support of the border security mission.” Now, according to Texas Tribune, counties that had not previously opted into the program are about to participate after migration slows.

Gov. Greg Abbott launched the program in 2021 in response to a high number of migrant crossings. Starr and Hidalgo counties are applying for funds to pay for some criminal justice work before the program ends in 2026.

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MORE NEWS

• 23 AGs line up behind Baltimore in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau case. Banking Dive

• California state lawmaker introduces bill to protect street vendors’ personal data from ICE. CBS News

• Millions face toxic water as Trump reverses key environmental reforms. Capital B

• NYC congestion pricing tolls rake in $48M in first month, less than initial projections Gothamist

• Op-Ed: Public Banking in a Time of Crisis: How to Rebuild Los Angeles Common Dreams

  • Op-ed: A NYC public bank to guard our funds New York Daily News

• Here’s where clean manufacturing dollars are getting spent post-IRA. Latitude Media

• Black Chicagoans describe what reparations look like for them in a new study. The Triibe

• Recipient isn’t giving in as Trump’s EPA tries to revoke climate grants Politico

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

• The Urban Land Institute and RCLCO have released the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing’s 2025 Home Attainability Index, “a data-rich tool measuring affordability, connectivity, racial disparity, and growth across the United States at the MSA, county, and census tract levels.” Learn how to access the tool here.

• Our friends at Island Press are having an ebook sale through Sunday, March 2nd, with all of their ebooks priced at $4.99. Ebooks are available for purchase from the Island Press website and other ebook retailers.

• AARP is accepting applications for this year’s Community Challenge Grant Program for projects that help make communities more livable for people of all ages. Apply by March 5.

• The Latin American Dictionary of Urban Mobility is open to contributions on urban mobility challenges in the region. Submissions are due Mar. 10.

• The Mellon Foundation is offering general operating support for community-based archives in the U.S. and its territories. Apply by March 12.

• Check out Next City’s jobs board for new opportunities.

EVENTS

• March 25: Next City is hosting a conversation between Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, former NEA Chair, and Jason Schupbach, Dean of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design at Drexel University. They’ll discuss how the arts can and should shape urban policy and planning.