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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Iowa City’s Free Buses Cleared Up Traffic and the Air

In August 2023, Iowa City eliminated its bus fare. The two-year pilot noticeably lowered rates of driving, successfully increased bus ridership and lowered local emissions, the New York Times reports.

The program was so popular that city council voted this summer to renew the program for another year, funded by by raising the price of public parking rates from $1 to $2 and through a 1% increase in utility taxes.

People in Iowa City drove a reported more than 1.8 million fewer miles in the area thanks to the free bus program, and bus drivers have reported an easier time driving through the city streets. Small businesses have especially championed the pilot since it has connected parts of the city, including its downtown area.

Santa Fe Ties Minimum Wage to Rental Costs

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the Santa Fe City Council voted 5-2 this week to raise its minimum wage from $15 an hour to $17.50 in 2027, based on the Consumer Price Index and rental prices.

Santa Fe appears to be the first U.S. city to account for the cost of housing when calculating minimum wage, says University of New Mexico professor Reilly S. White, who consulted on the ordinance. This will also factor into future minimum wage increases.

“We investigated six different minimum wage scenarios,” White told the Albuquerque Journal. “The one proposed ended up being adopted and is based both on CPI, or Consumer Price Index, as well as the price of housing. That’s a novel approach because we typically see minimum wages across the country based on CPI alone.”

Food Banks Are Facing Rising Demand

Already strained from an increase of visitors, food banks are facing even higher demand for meals going into the end of year holiday season, NPR reports.

Some of the demand is coming from the recently-ended government shutdown, which temporarily cut off families from their SNAP benefits, as well as new work requirements around eligibility. Government workers who were not paid for weeks are catching up on bills and also need assistance. Other factors have also increased the number of people looking to food banks for support including rising costs on household goods, and mass layoffs from both the government and the private sector.

“More people will lose benefits and they will increasingly need to turn to the charitable food sector, and that will turn need up again and again and again as those changes go into effect,” says Linda Nageotte, the president of Feeding America, according to NPR.

The Trump Administration Wants to Screw Over Public Transit

The Trump administration wants Congress to eliminate billions of federal dollars slated for public transportation systems across the country, Streetsblog reports. If this comes to fruition, Republican-led states are most likely to be impacted.

According to a report from Politico, the White House has advanced two proposals that would remove $30 billion from transit agencies. Through the first proposal, Congress would seek to pass a federal transportation bill that will exclude mass transit from the Highway Trust Fund. This fund has reserved about 20% of gas tax dollars for transit agencies. The second proposal Congress would seek to remove states’ rights to use highway funding for public transit.

These proposals will only make commuting harder. If federal funding for public transit is severely depleted, car crashes and traffic congestion is likely to increase throughout the nation. Commuters will also have to rely on the country’s crumbling highway system.

ICE Set To Head to New Orleans Next

Immigration enforcement agents have a new target after several days of chaos and protest in North Carolina: They’re heading to New Orleans, NBC News reports.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security have been in contact with officials in Louisiana in preparation for immigration raids to come. According to NBC, a DHS official stated that the sweeps will likely not occur until after Thanksgiving, but the department is preparing ahead of time. This is likely part of an operation that will target both Louisiana and Mississippi.

According to a report from the Associated Press, DHS aims to arrest about 5,000 undocumented people in the coming weeks. They’re calling this the “Swamp Sweep.”

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MORE NEWS

• Communities throughout the U.S. are saying no to data centers. Wired

• Pedestrian deaths have surged amid neglect and lack of investment. The Washington Post

• Over 30,000 students were absent from school to protest ICE raids in North Carolina. WECT

• There was no place for his family to sit. Now the ‘Bench Mench’ has installed 22 benches in Indianapolis. Smart Cities Dive

• Black American families pay more for heating compared to the average family in the U.S. The Conversation

• New York is curbing e-bike fire risk with battery swapping stations. Gothamist

• After a yearlong battle, hundreds have been evicted from Florida’s Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park. Prism

• A federal judge says no to Texas Republican’s plans to redistrict the state. The Texas Tribune

• Virginia’s Episcopal bishop says diocese identified sources for $10M reparations fund. Religion News Service

• Starbucks workers are on strike in over 40 cities throughout the U.S. The Guardian

• Chicago Doordash users will likely get credits after a $18M settlement. NBC Chicago

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

• The Urban Justice Center is offering an accelerator for start-up or early stage organizations that focus on social justice. Apply by Dec. 1.

• The Climate Smart Communities Initiative has launched a grants competition for funding and assistance to support community-based climate resilience in vulnerable communities. Apply by March 12, 2026.

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

EVENTS

• Dec. 1 to Dec 14 from 12 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Eastern: Join Next City for the ‘Place & Power’ film series on housing and collective action. Learn more about the experiences behind our housing crisis and what housing justice can look like in the U.S.

• Dec 3 at 1 p.m. Eastern: Join a virtual Q&A with the voices, directors, and filmmakers behind the Place & Power film series. You’ll learn more about four of the films in the series.

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

This post was originally published on Next City.