Critics of card-only transactions say they exclude ‘underbanked’ individuals and limit access to essential services.

Writing in Smart Cities Dive, Paige Gross explains a “newly enforced” Washington, D.C. law that prohibits businesses from eliminating cash transactions. “Under the newly enforced law, it’s illegal for direct-to-consumer businesses — including bars, restaurants, general retailers and food stores — to refuse cash, charge a higher price to cash-paying customers or hang signs that say cash isn’t accepted.”
The law exempts online transactions and some parking garages. Other businesses must accept cash or provide a device on site where customers can convert cash to a prepaid card. Cashless payments, which some business owners consider safer than handling and transporting cash, became more popular in the wake of the pandemic, when social distancing called for touchless transactions.
Supporters of the ban say cashless transactions discriminate against ‘unbanked’ residents, who make up 8 percent of the D.C. population. Cashless businesses “make it exceptionally hard for marginalized groups to carry on with their everyday lives, said Harry Hayman, a senior fellow for the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia’s Food Economy and Policy.”
FULL STORY: Washington, DC’s ban on cashless businesses, explained

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Greening Oakland’s School Grounds
With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.

Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship
In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.
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