Jul 27, 2020 The July 28, 1917 Silent Protest Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City, was one of the first major mass demonstrations by African Americans. Conceived by James Weldon Johnson and organized by the NAACP with church and community leaders, the protest parade united an estimated 10,000 African Americans who marched down Fifth Avenue, gathering at 55th–59th Streets and proceeding to Madison Square, silently carrying banners condemning racist violence and racial discrimination. More info: https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/191…

1944 – The U.S. Army began desegregating its training camp facilities. Black platoons were then assigned to white companies in the first step toward battlefield integration.

However, the official order integrating the armed forces didn’t come until July 26, 1948, signed by President Harry Truman.

Executive Order 9981 is an executive order issued on July 26, 1948, by President Harry S. Truman. It abolished discrimination “on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin” in the United States Armed Forces. The executive order led to the end of segregation in the services during the Korean War (1950-1953).^[1]

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644) became law on July 11, 2026, after passing Congress on June 23. It is one of the largest federal housing‑supply packages in decades and includes more than 40 sections across 12 titles

The major new U.S. housing law in 2026 is the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, enacted July 11, 2026, which expands housing supply, limits large institutional home purchases, streamlines voucher inspections, and promotes affordable construction.

Overview of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (2026)

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644) became law on July 11, 2026, after passing Congress on June 23. It is one of the largest federal housing‑supply packages in decades and includes more than 40 sections across 12 titles.

Key Federal Provisions

• Increasing Housing Supply:
  Reduces regulatory barriers, encourages zoning reform, and incentivizes local governments to allow more housing construction. 
• Institutional Investor Restrictions:
  Limits purchases of new single‑family homes by large institutional investors owning 350+ homes, with exceptions for build‑to‑rent. 
• Voucher Inspection Streamlining:
  Allows units already inspected under LIHTC, HOME, or USDA programs to satisfy Housing Choice Voucher inspections, reducing delays. 
• Whole‑Home Repair Pilot:
  Grants and forgivable loans for repairs and modifications for homeowners and landlords. 
• Small‑Dollar Mortgage Expansion:
  FHA pilot for mortgages ≤100,000 USD and CFPB review of lending rules to improve access in lower‑cost markets. 
• Manufactured & Modular Housing Reforms:
  Removes permanent chassis requirement, updates financing limits, and expands modular housing financing. 
• CDBG Flexibility:
  Allows CDBG funds to support new affordable housing construction and ties some funding to local production performance. 

House Amendment Differences (May 2026)

The House amendment to the Act introduced several changes:

• Removed six sections (e.g., lifting RAD cap, permanent CDBG‑DR authorization).
• Restored 18 sections from the Housing for the 21st Century Act, including new PHA oversight rules.
• Modified institutional investor restrictions by removing the seven‑year forced divestiture requirement.
• Added a requirement for CDBG grantees to publish databases of undeveloped public land.
  

Related Legislation: Housing for the 21st Century Act (2026)

Passed by the House in February 2026, this act overlaps heavily with the ROAD Act and includes:

• Land‑use policy guidelines and best practices.
• Streamlined environmental review processes.
• Adjusted FHA multifamily loan limits.
• GAO study on workforce housing.
  

State‑Level Housing Reforms in 2026

States also advanced significant housing reforms:

Arizona (2026)

• SB1431: Prohibits cities from requiring HOAs or aesthetic standards for single‑family homes; prevents permit delays based on such requirements.
• SB1787: Codifies Sheetz v. El Dorado by requiring individualized determinations of exactions (vetoed April 7, 2026).
  

California (2026)

• AB1070: Studies shifting missing‑middle housing to residential building code.
• AB1294: Creates uniform permit applications and prevents incomplete‑permit classifications.
• SB1014 & SB1116: Streamline urban infill townhome production and infrastructure requirement disclosures.
  

Summary

The year 2026 saw sweeping federal and state housing reforms centered on expanding supply, reducing regulatory barriers, limiting institutional investor dominance, and improving affordability.

Sources: housingaffordabilityinstitute.org , CNBC , Congress.gov , bipartisanpolicy.org , narpm.org , copilot

Story by Adam Palasciano

 Contribution limits for 401(k)s and similar retirement accounts are increasing

The IRS raised employee contribution limits for 401(k)s, 403(b)s, governmental 457 plans, and the federal Thrift Savings Plan to $24,500 for 2026, up from $23,500 in 2025. Workers age 50 and older can make catch-up contributions of $8,000, up from $7,500 in 2025, bringing their total annual contribution limit to $32,500.

In addition, participants ages 60 through 63 may qualify for an even higher catch-up limit of $11,250 instead of $8,000, under SECURE 2.0 rules. These higher limits can help older workers accelerate savings in the final years before retirement.

Maximum contributions for IRAs will also increase

IRA contribution limits rise to $7,500 for 2026, compared with $7,000 in 2025. The catch-up contribution for individuals age 50 and older increases to $1,100, up from $1,000 in 2025.

This adjustment reflects inflation indexing introduced under SECURE 2.0 rules. While IRAs have lower limits than workplace plans, the increase still expands tax-advantaged saving opportunities for retirees and late-career workers.

New paper statement requirements

Starting in 2026, defined contribution (DC) retirement plans must provide participants with at least one paper statement per year unless electronic delivery is explicitly chosen. Meanwhile, defined benefit (DB) plans must issue paper statements at least once every three years.The rule aims to ensure participants receive clear, accessible information about their retirement balances. For retirees, paper statements may improve oversight and reduce the risk of missed account changes.

SS COLA will increase benefits

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits will rise by 2.8% in 2026 thanks to the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). This change means increased monthly payments for roughly 71 million Social Security recipients and 7.5 million SSI recipients next year. Increased benefits can modestly improve retirement income. However, they may also increase taxable income for some households, which can make retirement account withdrawals and tax planning very important.

The standard deduction is going up

For tax year 2026, the standard deduction increases to $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and surviving spouses, up from $31,500 in 2025. Single filers and those married filing separately will see the deduction rise to $16,100, up from $15,750 in 2025, while heads of household receive a $24,150 deduction, up from $23,625 in 2025.

A higher standard deduction could reduce taxable retirement income for filers who do not itemize. This change may also affect how retirees sequence withdrawals from taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts.

How these updates could influence withdrawal timing

IRS adjustments in 2026 may subtly affect when retirees choose to withdraw from different types of accounts, and changes to contribution limits may shift taxable income from year to year.

Reviewing withdrawal timing across taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts can help maintain flexibility. Even small adjustments may reduce tax drag over a long retirement horizon.

Bottom line

The IRS changes taking effect in 2026 touch nearly every stage of retirement — from final contribution years to benefit collection and tax reporting. Higher limits, updated deductions, and benefit adjustments can subtly shift how retirement income is taxed and managed.

Understanding how these rules work together can help retirees align withdrawals, savings, and timing decisions more effectively within a long-term retirement plan.

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On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the most sweeping affirmation of rights for the disabled in American history at the time, into law.

As disability rights attorney Arlene Mayerson would later write, the story of the ADA began “when people with disabilities began to challenge societal barriers that excluded them from their communities, and when parents of children with disabilities began to fight against the exclusion and segregation of their children.” Activists explicitly compared their struggle to the Civil Rights movement, arguing that without federal requirements in place, the disabled faced discrimination both as patrons of public spaces and businesses and in seeking employment. In 1986, the National Council on Disability, an independent government agency, issued a report that reached the same conclusion, highlighting the many gaps in federal law that made full participation in society and equal opportunities for employment impossible for many disabled Americans.

Source: history.com for the complete article