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.
Toronto Mayor Is Pushing for a Ban on Surveillance Pricing
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is pushing the city to explore banning “surveillance pricing” — the AI-driven practice of using a shopper’s personal data to determine how much they might be willing to pay.
Chow called the practice “price gouging” and argued the city has authority to act under a consumer protection clause in Ontario provincial law, The Toronto Star reports. Her motion calls for, “at minimum,” plain-language disclosure to consumers when their personal data is being used to set their grocery bill, and would direct city staff to report back on broader ban options early next year.
Whether Toronto actually has the legal power to restrict a largely digital practice by major international retailers remains an open question — and the move could set up a jurisdictional battle with the province. In Manitoba, the province enacted a similar ban last month, with fines of up to $1 million for retailers found in violation.
Meanwhile in the U.S., Politico reports that New York state legislators are hoping to enact the first statewide ban on surveillance pricing across almost every industry, and both New Jersey and Connecticut recently approved more limited legislation restricting surveillance pricing.
Student Loan Defaults Spike As SAVE Plan Ends
The Associated Press reports that 9.5 million student loan borrowers across the United States — 20% of all federal borrowers — are in default. This means their payments are more than 9 months late and can be garnished from their wages or social security. It’s the highest number since at least 2016 and an increase of more than 4 million since June 2025, 9 months after a Biden-era student loan pause ended.
According to the AP, “Out of $1.7 trillion in federally backed student loans nationwide, $233.3 billion is in default.” After a series of lawsuits, the Biden-era SAVE plan ended this year and has been replaced with the GOP-authored, income-driven Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), which leaves borrowers with a higher monthly payment. Nearly all of the 15 states with the worst student loan default rates were won by Trump in the 2024 election, per the AP.
More Than 200 Mayors Protest SNAP Cuts
A letter sent to the Senate by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and signed by 210 American mayors raises the alarm about SNAP cuts enacted in 2025. “Rising costs of living, stagnant wages, and reduced federal support are converging to create conditions that municipal governments are increasingly challenged to address on their own,” the mayors wrote. “SNAP remains the nation’s most effective and efficient anti-hunger program.”
The 2025 Republican reconciliation law imposed work requirements for food stamps and shifted financial responsibility to states. As a result the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that 4.5 million people, or 11% of all participants, were kicked off SNAP from July 2025 to April 2026. The letter asks the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Agriciculture, Food Assistance and Forestry to delay the shifting of costs to states, reverse the cuts, and to include Puerto Rico in the SNAP program.
Mamdani Appoints Lina Khan To Lead Economic Development Agency
Following months of concern from economic development advocates across New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan as chairwoman of New York City’s Economic Development Corporation.
As head of the FTC, Khan garnered headlines and raised the ire of billionaire CEOs for ramping up the agency’s long-dormant antitrust enforcement. Khan’s appointment is an unusual one for the EDC, which typically works to produce public-private partnerships that boost the city’s tax base, sometimes through controversial corporate tax abatements. The EDC chair is a non-paying position, but the agency’s board – with the chair at its head — is tasked with approving all of the agency’s projects.
Mamdani also appointed Tony Shorris, a veteran of the Bill de Blasio administration as EDC president. “EDC has enormous capacity to make life materially better for New Yorkers, and to ensure that public resources are being used to build state capacity,” Khan said at a press conference.
Survey: People Don’t Really Like Data Centers
A survey conducted by Politico found more people in opposition to nearby data centers than supporting them; 41% of respondents said they would oppose new data centers within three miles of where they live, while only 24% would support them. Another Politico analysis found more than 200 data centers going up in House districts with competitive elections this November, making them a potential rallying issue in the midterms.
Opinion has changed dramatically since another Politico poll in January, particularly for Democrats. Among people who voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, support for and opposition to data centers were fairly split in January. By July’s poll, 53% of Harris voters were opposed and 22% in support.
MORE NEWS
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When a rate freeze is a rate hike in disguise. Heatmap News
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How a Utah Republican’s battle for hunting access undercut LandBack hopes. High Country News
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New Jersey restricts rent-setting algorithms amid rising housing costs. Gothamist
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Bike lanes and speed cameras disappear from the DOT’s list of proven safety measures. NPR
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States are leveraging financing institutions to strengthen infrastructure. Pew
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Should Oakland squeeze money out of its downtown foreclosures? Voters will decide. Mercury News
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Louisiana communities are left in the dark on toxic air — and industry helped keep it that way. Floodlight News
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Indigenous survivors of violence see fewer services after federal cuts. The 19th
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California takes 5 cities to court over failure to meet housing planning deadlines. Smart Cities Dive
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Mayor Wu, feds unveil plan to tackle sea level rise in Boston. Commonwealth Beacon
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It cost billions to divert a river in Brazil’s outback. So where has all the water gone? The Guardian
OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES
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DEADLINE TODAY: Goldman Sachs’ Community Development Grants Program is accepting applications from organizations improving economic mobility and strengthening low- and moderate-income communities across eligible U.S. regions. Apply by July 24.
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Borealis Philanthropy’s new Just Futures Initiative is accepting funding applications on a rolling basis from organizations advancing community safety, reform, justice, and belonging. Fill out an eligibility quiz to receive access to the Letter of Interest form.
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The University of Pennsylvania’s Lipman Family Prize is accepting applications from nonprofits around the world that are showing leadership and innovation in the social sector. Awards range from $150,000 to $300,000. Apply by July 31.
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The Pratt Center for Community Development’s new Community Planning & Research Accelerator will support four community-based organizations working on housing, climate, economic justice, planning, and land use with project funding in technical assistance. Attend an info session July 16 or July 22 and apply by Aug. 31.
This article is part of The Weekly Wrap, a newsletter rounding up stories that explain the problems oppressing people in cities and elevate the solutions bringing us closer to economic, environmental and social justice. Click here to subscribe to The Weekly Wrap newsletter.
Roshan Abraham is a contributing editor for housing and homelessness at Next City. Based in Queens, New York, he has written extensively about city policy, including prisons and policing, housing and homelessness for The Guardian, The New York Times, Slate, The Baffler, Village Voice, The Verge, Pacific Standard, The Appeal, Vice and other outlets. At Vice, he was formerly a staff writer covering the housing beat. He is a former Open City Fellow and Witness Fellow at the Asian American Writers Workshop and a former Equitable Cities Fellow at Next City.
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