Jimmy Vielkind reports at Capitol Confidential on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, Tues., June 25, that struck down part of the Civil Rights-era Voting Rights Act. The portion of the law stricken required the Department of Justice to pre-clear changes to voting policies and procedures in certain parts of the country, including Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx. In the 5-4 ruling, the justices left intact the part of the law that gives the Department of Justice its power to approve or strike down state voting statutes, but said the areas to which it is targeted are based on an outdated and no-longer justified set of criteria. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.