The Weekly Wrap: Safety of Great Lakes Water Supply Is At Risk

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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TODAY is the last day to submit an application for Next City’s annual Vanguard conference (taking place this October in Philly). Apply by 11:59 p.m. Eastern!

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Safety of Great Lakes Water Supply Is At Risk

Millions of people rely on the water supply of the Great Lakes. But scientists who’ve worked for years to protect it are “concerned that they have lost the ability to protect the public from toxic algal blooms, which can kill animals and sicken people,” ProPublica reports. That’s because the federal administration has imposed deep cuts and new restrictions on restoration efforts. These changes mean fewer staff at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and less funding for equipment for the remaining scientists to do their work.

Millions of New Yorkers Are Getting The State’s ‘First-Ever Inflation Refund Checks’

More than 8 million New Yorkers will receive inflation refund checks, Governor Kathy Hochul announced. The move is part of the 2026 fiscal budget and will put $2 billion into the pockets of residents, according to The Guardian. Exact timing has not been announced, but the amount of cash has — depending on income, they’ll receive checks between $150 and $400.

The budget also includes plans to give the state’s 2.7 million students more free meals and cut state taxes for more than 75% of all tax filers.

Israeli Minister Says Gaza Will Be Entirely Destroyed

After more than 570 days of Israel’s siege on Gaza, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vows that the territory will be entirely destroyed, according to The Guardian. The declaration came one day after Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan for Operation Gideon’s Chariots, according to the outlet, and as Palestinians continue to be starved.

These threats to seize entire control of Gaza have led to global outrage and alarm in the region. Hamas also responded to the vow, urging the international community to halt Israel’s hunger war against Gaza, The Guardian reports, and saying that “it was no longer interested in truce talks with Israel.”

In related news, TruthOut reports that Israel is demolishing homes in the West Bank, in an attempt to force Palestinians out.

Is An Affordable Housing Rule Preventing Affordable Housing From Being Built?

Construction workers should be building housing on a major thoroughfare in Cambridge, Massachusetts, right now. Instead, the project is on hold because the complex, which would have 20% of its units below market rate, would not be profitable enough to attract investors. The percentage is a requirement for new builds and an effort to create more affordable units in the city.

Some developers say the requirement may be backfiring, according to The Boston Globe. “The simple reality is that the math of the inclusionary policy is preventing development,” Daniel Sibor, managing partner of North Cambridge Partners, told the outlet. ”The project we’re doing is one where the numbers should work, and they just don’t.” That’s thanks to soaring building costs and high interest rates.

More Lawsuits Against the Trump Administration’s Actions

Another week means more lawsuits during this second Trump administration.

First up, a group of Native students and tribal leaders, represented by the Native American Rights Fund, are suing to stop the Trump administration’s sweeping federal cuts to Indigenous education, The Nation reports. This comes after “sudden staff layoffs, frozen scholarships, or the looming loss of tuition waivers” at tribal colleges and universities across the country — there are 35 of them, which serve more than 22,000 students, primarily in rural and low-income areas, according to the outlet.

Second, more than 15 states are suing to stop a freeze on billions of dollars in funding for electric-vehicle charging, which was approved by Congress via the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. And attorneys general from 17 states have filed a lawsuit to challenge an executive order that would halt funding for wind energy development.

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MORE NEWS

• Salt Lake City and Boise adopt official pride flags to skirt Republican bans The Guardian

• Sweep of Homeless Camp in Oregon Said to Be ‘Largest in Recent History’ New York Times

• Goldman Sachs Removes Mentions of ‘Black’ From Flagship Diversity Pledge Wall Street Journal

• Is U.S. transportation policy ready for the ‘silver tsunami’? StreetsBlog

• 5 reasons why LA residents blocked the Dodger Stadium gondola (for now) LA Public Press

• In battle against transgender rights, Trump targets HUD’s housing policies AP

• NYC faces child care voucher crisis as state funding stalls Chalkbeat New York

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

• The CDFI Advocacy Map is a free tool that helps CDFIs and their partners to tell stories about their impact. Access it here.

• First Nations Development Institute is accepting applications for the Native Food Sovereignty Grant. Apply by May 14.

• The Tow Foundation’s Innovation Fund is open to proposals from organizations advancing youth mental health in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York or Pennsylvania. Apply by May 23.

• The Knight Emerging City Champions program by 8 80 Cities is accepting applications from civic innovators aged 18-35 from Akron, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Detroit; Macon, Georgia; Miami; Philadelphia; San Jose, California; and St. Paul, Minnesota. Apply by May 28.

• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Evidence for Action has a call for proposals for two types of research to advance racial and Indigenous health equity: rapid response research and new research support. Apply by May 28 and July 16, respectively. (Disclosure: RWJF currently funds Next City.)

• The Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation’s local grant program is accepting applications from nonprofits supporting mental health initiatives in their own community. Apply by July 1.

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

EVENTS

• Check out events from Next City and our partners here!