President Lyndon B. Johnson moves to shake hands with Martin Luther King Jr. while others look on after Johnson signed the federal Voting Rights Act into law at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 6, 1965. Yoichi Okamoto/Lyndon B. Johnson Library

US: 60 Years Later, Voting Rights Act Protections for Minority Voters Face New Threats! (7.8.2025)

Contrary to decades of precedent, Republican state officials in at least 15 states contend that private individuals and groups do not have the right to sue to enforce Section 2 because they are not explicitly named in the landmark law’s text. Only the head of the Justice Department, they argue, can bring this kind of lawsuit.

The issue is at the heart of a North Dakota legislative redistricting case that was brought by two tribal nations. A federal appeals court ruled against the Native American voters, and the case may be up for a full review soon at the Supreme Court. The justices may also be preparing to take up a broader question about the constitutionality of Section 2 protections, based on an order last week for legal briefs in a Louisiana congressional redistricting case originally filed by Black voters.

Pick Up Thy Bed and Walk!

UK: Homeless Carpenter Moves “Mysteriously” Around South London! (2.8.2025)

A new study by homelessness charity Crisis found that among older low-income earners, one in five feared homelessness in their retirement, and many say they cannot afford to stop working.

“A generation once thought to be safe from our housing crisis is now increasingly being swept up in it and at real risk of homelessness,” it concludes.

Francesca Albanese, executive director of policy and social change at Crisis, told Sky News: “Most people are thinking they will go into later life with savings and security, and actually the cost of housing alongside lower wages is meaning that for lots more people that just isn’t an option.”

‘You don’t change the person you are’

Daniel has a bag system. A carrier for dirty laundry, a rucksack for clean, and a small essentials bag on top.

We pass Croydon College, where he obtained his City & Guilds carpentry qualifications, and go to the public library where Daniel charges his phone and uses computers to apply for work.

Stairway to Heaven!

Northants: Kirby Hall – [1570] Elizabethan Home of Nobility! (1.8.2025)

This building reminded us in structure of Hampton Court (not far from where we live in London) – and Berry Pomeroy in Totnes, South Devon (not far from where my parents live). This is not surprising, as I believe from reading the available “English Heritage” literature that the same architects and engineers were used by the Court of Queen Elizabeth I and the nobility that served her. The front of the Hall faces North – with the back of house facing South (built on a North-South orientation). Local serfs (landless or homeless peasants) and peasants (land-occupying peasants) were employed by the nobility when large-scale building projects were initiated. Indeed, with the development of Guilds (primitive unions) – certain groups of peasants became highly skilled in specific construction and maintenance skills. Whether any such labour was employed from nearly Kirby Village, (situated to the South-West of what became the ornate rear garden of the complex), is open to debate.

The Tyranny Has Arrived in Sutton!

Sutton: The Dreaded 20mph Local Government Scam Has Hit Our Street! (17.7.2025)

Indeed, a number of local groups have challenged this ridiculous policy in Court and won – so perhaps Sutton Council (and the cabal that controls it) is “waiting” for an official legal confrontation. The problem is that in this affluent area (we are not affluent – and are here by accident) the locals will put up with their freedom being taken away – providing it is done through a gentle “chipping” away process. A little freedom disappears here, no resistance, a little freedom is taken away there, no resistance. The over-all effect is that large swathes of hard-earned freedoms just “disappear” overnight! Enough is enough – Sutton should secede from the UK!

Sylvia Siddique told ITV News she worries about her son's future

UK: ‘It’s a Life-or-Death Situation’ – New Allegations of Disability Neglect at Lifeways Care Company! (9.4.2025)

“In August 2022, our then newly appointed CEO Andrea Kinkade launched a Transformation Plan. Backed up by over £10 million worth of investment, since then, the satisfaction of those we care for, and our staff, has improved.”Rebecca Bauers, Care Quality Commission Director for People with a Learning Disability and Autistic People, said: “The issues reported to ITV are clearly very distressing – no one should be put at risk due to poor care and where we need to, we will and have taken immediate action to protect people.

“We are monitoring Lifeways Community Care Limited closely, including carrying out inspections and are in regular contact with the Department for Health and Social Care regarding our findings.

“We are working hard to improve our regulatory oversight, including increasing the number of inspections we do to give the public confidence in quality of care.”

Labour Killing Disabled!

UK: £416.19 Victory for Disabled People – High Court Ruling Declared DWP’s Benefit Reforms Unfair & Illegal! (4.4.2025)

The DWP claimed the changes were designed to “support” disabled people into work. However, there was no evidence that the reforms would actually improve employment outcomes. In fact, internal assessments suggested the opposite: more disabled people facing tougher conditions, sanctions, and loss of income.

This contradiction was a central part of the court’s ruling. Public Law Project lawyer Aoife O’Reilly called the decision a “vindication,” noting that public consultations must reflect reality—not political spin.

Backlash and Response

Disability rights organizations, legal experts, and even civil service unions welcomed the court’s judgment. Groups such as Inclusion London and the UK DDPO CRPD Monitoring Coalition are now urging the government to drop the reforms and restart the process—with disabled people at the table.

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