Updating . .   

State water system stretched to limit, officials say -- State and federal water regulators said Wednesday they're struggling to hold California's fragile water system together amid dwindling supplies and increasing anger from farmers, lawmakers, environmentalists and others. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/24/15

Young leukemia survivor who supports vaccines delivers petition to Gov. Jerry Brown -- Carl Krawitt has a message for opponents of a deeply divisive bill that would mandate vaccinations for all school children, regardless of their parents' personal or religious beliefs. "Get a real problem," said Krawitt, the father of a 7-year-old Leukemia survivor from Corte Madera who couldn't be fully vaccinated until he completed chemotherapy and beat cancer. Jessica Calefati in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/24/15

Berkeley balcony survivor hopeful, but says she may never walk -- One of the seven Irish students hurt in a Berkeley balcony collapse last week that also killed six people said Wednesday that she may never walk again due to a broken spinal cord, but expressed hope and spoke of possibly taking up wheelchair basketball. Hamed Aleaziz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/24/15

Three L.A. County deputies convicted in jail beating case -- Three Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were convicted Wednesday of beating a man bloody and lying to cover up their actions. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

California coal divestment bill clears committee vote -- A bill to require California's state pension funds Calpers and CalSTRS to sell their investments in companies that generate at least half their revenue from coal mining passed an Assembly committee by a vote of 5-1 on Wednesday. Rory Carroll Reuters -- 6/24/15

Gov. Jerry Brown signs new $167.6-billion state budget -- Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed a new $167.6-billion budget that expands child care, boosts funding on public schools and opens the state's public healthcare program to immigrant children who are in the country illegally. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ Judy Lin Associated Press David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/24/15

California crude oil spill cleanup costs hit $92 million -- The cost of cleaning up the largest coastal oil spill in California in 25 years has climbed to $92 million. The figure was disclosed Wednesday by Patrick Hodgins of pipeline operator Plains All American Pipeline. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 6/24/15

Support grows in Bay Area for toilet to tap water -- Bay Area residents consider California's historic drought so dire that a majority say they would be willing to drink purified toilet water. That's not the only finding in a Bay Area Council poll released Wednesday that used to be considered hard to swallow. Julia Prodis Sulek and Sophie Mattson in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/24/15

Decker: Garcetti, Villaraigosa and Newsom, eyeing 2018, lay out visions for California -- On a recent day filled with earnest discussions about mayoral policy matters, three politicians sketched out appeals that could become very familiar in future California elections. Cathleen Decker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

Fox: Court Support of AG on Initiative is Understandable -- No one should overreact in defense of the initiative process to the court decision allowing the Attorney General to throw out an initiative that is reprehensible and clearly unconstitutional, but we must be sure that the decision is not a step in expanding the power of any official to determine if an initiative is or is not constitutional. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/24/15

Thompson renews call for background-check bill -- Echoing calls from President Barack Obama, Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton and many others in the wake of last week’s racist-terrorism massacre in Charleston, S.C., Rep. Mike Thompson today urged House GOP leaders to bring his bipartisan background-check bill to a vote. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 6/24/15

Man in viral 'How Does a Homeless Man Spend $100?' video dies of alcoholism -- A homeless man who was filmed in a YouTube video using a $100 gift to buy food for others has died of chronic alcoholism, coroner's officials said Tuesday. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

California climate plan has inland condemning coastal elitism -- In a state of 39 million dominated by Democrats, politics falls along regional lines rather than partisan ones. Just as California's north and south fight over water amid a record drought, the climate legislation has widened long-standing rifts between more affluent, Democratic-leaning cities along the coast and poorer, more conservative towns in the interior. Esme E. Deprez and James Nash Bloomberg -- 6/24/15

Heat and Drought Rekindle Last Year’s Massive Happy Camp Complex Wildfire -- Forest Service fire officials usually rely on rain and snowpack to prevent any small flareups, or “hot spots,” but the drought along with hot weather in the area, enabled buried embers to spark back to life. Ted Goldberg KQED -- 6/24/15

3D-printed supercar a new entry in 'green' auto manufacturing race -- When it comes to so-called green cars, the debate usually revolves around powertrains. But to Kevin Czinger, whether a car is powered with an internal combustion engine or an electric motor, a diesel engine or a hydrogen fuel cell, the method of propulsion matters less than the manufacturing process. Susan Carpenter in the Orange County Register -- 6/24/15

Hiring outlook 'fantastic' for Orange County, as Chapman economists predict best job growth in 15 years -- The county’s momentum is “fantastic,” said Esmael Adibi, director of the University’s A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research. “Every sector will show positive job growth.” Margot Roosevelt in the Orange County Register -- 6/24/15

Pot shop gave patients illegal access -- A man operating six illegal pot shops across San Diego County pleaded guilty Wednesday to forging a doctor’s signature so that patients could have access to medical marijuana. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/24/15

GoPro camera captures motorcyclist crashing head-on with truck -- A dramatic video captured on a GoPro camera shows the terrifying moments when a motorcyclist crashes head on into a fire truck in the Angeles National Forest and survives. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

New park in Silicon Valley opens Saturday, rekindling debate over future of Coyote Valley -- For years, developers and environmentalists have battled over Coyote Valley, a bucolic stretch of orchards and farms along Highway 101 between San Jose and Morgan Hill that -- depending on one's viewpoint -- is either a prime spot for job-producing industries or a natural gem that should remain untouched in a region choked by sprawl. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/24/15

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

Ominous new cracks found on Bay Bridge rods -- Tiny cracks found on some of the rods on the new Bay Bridge tower potentially endanger the rest of the more than 400 remaining fasteners that secure the tower to the foundation in an earthquake, Caltrans officials said Tuesday. They also acknowledged that one of four high-strength tower anchor rods they have examined apparently snapped after it was exposed to water and became brittle. Michael Cabanatuan and Jaxon Van Derbeken in the San Francisco Chronicle Andrew McGall in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/24/15

Under new plan, Folsom Lake could be dangerously dry within months -- Folsom Lake water levels will likely drop to historic lows by summer’s end, possibly hovering just above the point where cities and water agencies can still draw water from the reservoir, according to interviews with federal and local officials. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/24/15

Stockton judge won’t hear local farmers’ case over water cuts -- Dozens of Central Valley farmers who were hoping a local judge would come to their aid and fend off sweeping state water restrictions imposed on some of California’s most senior water rights holders were dealt a blow Tuesday when the court declined to hear their case, citing a potential for “local prejudices.” Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/24/15

Despite drought, Sacramento golf course gorgeously green for U.S. Senior Open -- Bob Kunz, Del Paso’s general manager, said the club’s water comes from a private well that was built in 1930. “We’re not one of the newbies that because of the drought have gone and dug a well,” he said. Jose Olivar in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/24/15

The Cost of a Seat: California Legislators Raise More than $1,000 a Day -- Everyone knows it takes big bucks to run for office in California, but you might be surprised to learn that current members of the state Legislature competing for a seat in the 2014 election cycle had to raise on average more than $1,000 each day. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 6/24/15

Court says Kamala Harris can block gay murder initiative -- The so-called Sodomite Suppression Act has been condemned across the political spectrum. It has prompted both legislation seeking to raise the initiative filing fee and a debate about whether the attorney general can halt clearly unconstitutional ideas contained in citizen initiatives. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ Lisa Leff Associated Press Ben Adler Capital Public Radio -- 6/24/15

Debate over California’s renewable energy expansion goes through the roof -- A political fight over California’s renewable energy industry is playing out in the corridors of power, but it deals with something closer to home: your rooftop. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/24/15

Dispute over union fees could return to Supreme Court -- A group of California schoolteachers, backed by a conservative group, has asked the Supreme Court to rule that unions representing government workers can't collect fees from those who choose not to join. Sam Hananel Associated Press -- 6/24/15

Report calls for CPUC reforms -- The California Public Utilities Commission for years has based multibillion-dollar decisions not on public debate or evidentiary records but rather on secret meetings and influences by the companies it regulates, an independent report has found. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/24/15

Boy Leukemia Patient Weighs in as Big Vaccine Exemption Vote Nears -- Rhett Krawitt, the 6-year-old Marin leukemia patient who became a vaccination poster child during the state measles outbreak that began in Disneyland, is going to Sacramento Wednesday to speak out in favor of SB277. Jon Brooks KQED -- 6/24/15

Walters: Reforming CEQA still vital work -- The California Environmental Quality Act, signed into law more than 40 years ago, is a perfect example of how a political decree meant to do one thing can transmogrify [transmogrify: to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect -- Merriam-Webster Dictionary] into something else entirely. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/24/15

Lawmakers' calendars list meetings with undercover agents -- The appointment books of two disgraced state lawmakers appear to corroborate allegations that they met with undercover FBI agents at steakhouses and a lobbyist's office, according to documents released Tuesday by the California Legislature. Judy Lin Associated Press -- 6/24/15

Calendar sheds light on indicted ex-Sen. Ronald Calderon's actions -- Former state Sen. Ronald Calderon of Montebello, before his indictment on federal bribery and corruption charges in 2014, set up meetings with top legislative leaders to discuss bills affecting the people who prosecutors alleged paid him off, Senate records released Tuesday show. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

Report Criticizes Social Services Anti-Fraud Efforts -- More than five years after an initial audit, the California Department of Social Services still needs to improve its anti-fraud efforts in the welfare and food stamp systems. That's according to a new report out today from the State Auditor. It shows just one of 15 recommendations made in 2009 has been fully implemented. Katie Orr Capital Public Radio -- 6/24/15

Brown’s latest nominee another young, judicially inexperienced Obama lawyer -- Like his last state Supreme Court appointee, one of Gov. Jerry Brown’s latest appellate court nominees is a young Obama administration lawyer with no judicial experience. The current pick, Lamar Baker, is stirring up a certain amount of controversy. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/24/15

Court sides with media outlet in California records fight -- A federal appeals court revived a lawsuit Tuesday brought by a media outlet over a failure by the court in a California county to make some civil complaints available on the same day they are filed. Courthouse News Service said it has waited up to 34 days to access some civil complaints in Ventura County Superior Court. Associated Press -- 6/24/15

Herdt: When they talk, women listen -- Last week, the state’s chief financial officer sat down for an intimate lunchtime conversation with some friends. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star$ -- 6/24/15

Vote on California assisted death bill delayed -- In a sign of political headwinds for a California bill allowing terminally ill patients to take their own lives, the measure’s author has delayed a hearing so she has more time to persuade wavering lawmakers. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/24/15

Quinn: Recalling Legislators: A Short History -- Recalls are an integral part of California politics, as former Gov. Gray Davis found out when voters recalled him in 2003. Now two sitting legislators may be subject to a recall election over their support for SB 277, the mandatory vaccinations bill. Tony Quinn Capitol Morning Report -- 6/24/15

California legislative budget to increase by 4.55 percent -- California’s legislative branch will be among the beneficiaries of the $115.4 billion general fund spending plan on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk, with both houses receiving funding increases nearly 10 times last year’s rate. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/24/15

Assembly panel approves resolution condemning anti-Semitism -- A state Assembly committee on Tuesday approved a resolution condemning anti-Semitism on California college campuses, a measure introduced after the defacement of a Jewish fraternity at UC Davis with Nazi swastikas in January and other acts targeting Jewish students. Kurt Chirbas in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

CSU system will digitize experiences of Japanese-American World War II internees -- Archivists at 15 California State University campuses are collaborating to digitize nearly 10,000 documents and more than 100 oral histories related to the confinement of Japanese-Americans during World War II, university officials announced Tuesday. Nereida Moreno in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 6/24/15

National Trust lists Old Mint as endangered historic site -- The National Trust for Historic Preservation has listed San Francisco’s Old Mint as one of the country’s 11 most endangered historic places, among a list of cultural sites in 2015 that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. Carl Nolte in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/24/15

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions    

Under cover of darkness, female janitors face rape and assault -- It was the isolation that made Erika Morales most wary of her job as a night shift janitor. The solitude had begun to feel like a trap. Bernice Yeung Center for Investigative Reporting -- 6/24/15

Pleasanton care homes to pay $176,000 in back wages and damages -- Owners of three residential care homes for seniors and the disabled in Pleasanton will pay more than $176,000 in back wages and damages to a dozen live-in workers who were denied minimum wages and overtime during a two-year period, the U.S. Labor Department announced Tuesday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/24/15

CalPERS to keep eye on health rolls -- Keep those marriage and tax records handy, state workers and state retirees. You’re going to need them. A bill headed to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk requires that state employers periodically verify the eligibility of the dependents on their health plans. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/24/15

San Diego, NFL meet on stadium -- A one-hour meeting Tuesday between top NFL officials and San Diego’s chief stadium negotiator went well and the sides expect to have a follow-up meeting in San Diego next month. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/24/15

Minimum-wage vote to be delayed by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors -- Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, the main proponent of raising the minimum wage in county unincorporated areas, said the vote scheduled for Tuesday will be postponed at the request of her colleagues. Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

L.A. nonprofits aiding hard-to-employ may get temporary wage hike exemption -- Nonprofits that help former gang members, the homeless and other hard-to-employ Angelenos get back into the workforce could get a temporary exemption from Los Angeles' minimum wage hike, a move intended to ensure they won't cut back on the number of disadvantaged clients they serve. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 6/24/15

L.A. City Council OKs crackdowns on homeless encampment -- The Los Angeles City Council gave final approval Tuesday to an aggressive crackdown on street encampments, setting the stage for the first major homeless sweeps in the city in decades. Gale Holland in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

ExxonMobil temporarily halts oil production off Santa Barbara after oil spill -- ExxonMobil has shut down oil production at its three platforms off the Santa Barbara County coast a month after a corroded pipeline owned by Texas company Plains All American Pipeline burst, effectively cutting off the flow of Exxon's crude. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

CA lines up plenty of power for summer -- Managers of the electrical grid announced Tuesday that plenty of power should be available this summer to meet demands in the San Diego area, despite some reductions in power supplies from drought conditions. Morgan Lee in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 6/24/15

Ride-hailing firm Uber faces big challenges in China -- From 7 p.m. until dawn, Zhou Xiuquan plies the streets of Beijing, picking up fares in his yellow-and-blue Hyundai taxi, shuttling people home from work, out to bars and to the airport for early-morning flights. But at 7 a.m., he parks his cab, hops into his personal Kia, fires up his Uber app and starts driving for what he calls "real money." Julie Makinen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

Drought   

Troubled Delta System Is California’s Water Battleground -- Fighting over water is a tradition in California, but nowhere are the lines of dispute more sharply drawn than here in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a 720,000-acre network of islands and canals that is the hub of the state’s water system. Erica Goode in the New York Times$ -- 6/24/15

Drought tops Bay Area residents’ list of concerns, poll finds -- California’s drought surged to the top of Bay Area residents’ concerns, ahead of housing prices and the general high cost of living here, clogged commutes and crime in a new poll released Wednesday. Victoria Colliver in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/24/15

Regulations Would Allow Removal Of Drought-Killed Trees -- Twelve and a half million trees are dead, most of them in southern California and the southern Sierra Nevada. That’s four times more than all of the tree die-off in 2014 and it doesn’t include many of the hardwood species that are also likely dying. Amy Quinton Capital Public Radio -- 6/24/15

Airport's new water source is the air -- Literally wringing a new water supply out of thin air, San Diego International Airport is demonstrating that drought-induced ingenuity can tap an unlikely place. Bradley J. Fikes in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ in the Washington Post$ -- 6/24/15

San Francisco Requires Water Recycling -- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance today requiring developers to install water recycling systems on large, new buildings in the city. Michelle Dutro KQED -- 6/24/15

Education 

Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines said he's leaving in six months -- The unexpected announcement was made just several weeks after the school board unanimously voted to extend Cortines' contract through the end of the upcoming school year. Thomas Himes in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 6/24/15

LAUSD board OKs $7.8-billion budget that includes hundreds of layoffs -- The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday approved a $7.8-billion budget for the nation's second-largest school system that includes the first pay raises in nearly a decade, including 10% for teachers and administrators, but also will result in the layoffs of hundreds of staff. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ Thomas Himes in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 6/24/15

2015-16 state education budget by the numbers -- The $115.4 billion state budget that takes effect July 1 is full of numbers – big ones when it comes to record high spending for K-12 schools and community colleges. Here are some of the key dollar amounts, including funding for new programs, for 2015-16. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 6/24/15

Rafe Esquith supporters urge reinstatement of noted L.A. teacher -- Supporters of suspended teacher Rafe Esquith urged the Los Angeles Board of Education at its Tuesday meeting to reinstate the popular and nationally respected instructor. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

Orange County college district foundation moves forward with downsized Saudi Arabia deal -- A controversial deal to have the Rancho Santiago Community College District serve as a consultant to two Saudi Arabia all-male technical colleges won tentative approval Tuesday. Fermin Leal in the Orange County Register -- 6/24/15

Immigration / Border 

Three years later, Deferred Action immigration program remains controversial -- A program that anti-illegal immigration activists see as a burden to American taxpayers has generated $422.4 million in application fees and allowed hundreds of thousands of people to work and study in the country legally. Alejandra Molina and Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register -- 6/24/15

Health 

Covered California health insurance exchange at a crossroads -- Covered California has generally been considered a star among state exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act, commonly called "Obamacare." But like a kid riding his first bike, Covered California will see its training wheels start to come off next month. Tracy Seipel in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 6/24/15

Tech problems may crimp launch of state's new prescription drug database -- One week before California unveils an enhanced prescription drug database, some health providers say the upgraded program will be incompatible with their computer systems, hobbling their access to the tool that is meant to combat drug abuse. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

Southern California leaders to fight climate change’s effects on health -- Climate change threatens to undermine the last 50 years in economic development and progress in global public health unless leaders from every sector work to change dependence on fossil fuels, a new report concluded. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 6/24/15

A diet that mimics fasting is good for you, even if followed only for a few days -- For years, people have tried going on extremely low-calorie diets, hoping to stave off illness and delay the effects of aging. Eryn Brown in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

Guns  

How people use guns to kill in California -- The recent shootings in Charleston once again have sparked a conversation about gun violence in the United States, with President Obama calling for tougher gun-control measures and some conservatives pushing back by saying that guns make America safer and save lives. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/24/15

Also . . . 

Berkeley balcony collapsed due to dry rot, city says -- The apartment balcony that collapsed last week, killing six college students, injuring seven others and shocking the the country of Ireland, failed due to severe dry rot, according to a city of Berkeley analysis released Tuesday. Matthias Gafni in the San Jose Mercury$ Jaxon Van Derbeken in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/24/15

Supervisors badly split over call for more San Francisco cops -- A sharply divided Board of Supervisors called Tuesday for an expanded police force to match the city’s growth, but only after a heated debate about racism in the department and whether more police officers actually prevent crime in the city. Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/24/15

Document: Tanaka to blame Baca for obstruction allegations -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department‘s former second-in-command plans to tell a jury that his boss ordered him to develop a way to thwart a federal probe into deputy misconduct at county jails, court papers obtained Tuesday show. Alexander Nguyen mynewsla.com -- 6/24/15

L.A. Councilman Tom LaBonge ends nearly 40 years of public service -- Mayor Eric Garcetti joined the City Council Tuesday in saluting Tom LaBonge's 39.6 years of public service during a public send-off for the termed-out councilman known to many as "Mr. Los Angeles." The item is in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 6/24/15

Three charged in killing of 19-year-old in South L.A. over his red shoes -- Murder charges have been filed against three men suspected of killing a 19-year-old in South L.A. over his red shoes, police said Tuesday. Nicole Santa Cruz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

LAPD says witnesses thought unarmed man had a gun; attorney rejects police account -- Witnesses to the police shooting of an unarmed man in Los Feliz have told investigators they also believed the man had a gun when he walked "aggressively" toward officers, LAPD officials said Tuesday. Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

WikiLeaks: NSA eavesdropped on the last 3 French presidents -- WikiLeaks published documents late Tuesday that it says show the U.S. National Security Agency eavesdropped on the last three French presidents. There was no instant confirmation of the accuracy of the documents released in collaboration with French daily newspaper Liberation and investigative website Mediapart. Angela Charlton and Raphael Satter Associated Press -- 6/24/15

KKK praises Charleston killing suspect Dylann Roof in Orange County recruitment effort -- At least 100 Ku Klux Klan recruitment fliers were found Sunday on lawns in two Fullerton neighborhoods, police said. Flyers, individually enclosed in Ziploc bags along with a small rock and a Tootsie Pop, were discovered in the 400 block of West Amerige and 200 block of North Yale avenues, said Fullerton police Sgt. Kathryn Hamel. Scott Schwebke in the Orange County Register Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

Times is honored for series on exploited Mexican farmworkers -- The Los Angeles Times won a Gerald Loeb award for its coverage of workers' living conditions in Mexico's agricultural industry. Tiffany Hsu in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

Chicago Cubs fan catches foul ball barehanded while feeding baby -- Talk about mad skills. A Chicago Cubs fan robbed Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez at Wrigley Field Tuesday night when he caught a foul ball barehanded while at the same time feeding a baby. Ryan Parker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/24/15

Beltway 

Clinton, near Ferguson, calls for confronting 'hard truths' about race -- For the third time since the Charleston massacre last week, Hillary Clinton addressed head on the “hard truths” about race the country needs to confront. Annie Karni Politico -- 6/24/15

GOP contenders play it safe on Confederate flag, but at what cost? -- After vowing to broaden their party's appeal following their 2012 loss, Republicans struggle to follow through. Eli Stokols, Katie Glueck Politico -- 6/24/15