memeorandum: In L.A., Obama addresses Washington's dysfunction: ‘I did not say I would fix it’ (David Nakamura/Washington Post)

12:05 PM ET, June 19, 2015

Top Items:

Ed Payne / CNN:

Story highlights — (CNN)[Breaking news update at 7:27 a.m. ET] — Dylann Roof has confessed to authorities to shooting and killing nine people this week at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, two law enforcement officials said Friday.

Post and Courier:

Despite mourning, statehouse Confederate battle flag remains at full staff — The Confederate flag flying at the Statehouse in Columbia became part of the Charleston church shooting story Thursday after the U.S. and South Carolina flags were lowered in mourning but the rebel banner was left flying at its full height.

Discussion: Salon, PoliticusUSA, Political Insider blog, NBC News and Reuters

ABC News:

Dylann Roof's Uncle Would ‘Push Button’ Himself If Nephew Receives Death Penalty … The uncle of a 21-year-old man accused of opening fire inside a Charleston church — killing nine people — says he will “push the button myself” if his nephew receives the death penalty, which is legal in South Carolina.

Discussion: KXAN-TV, Daily Mail, WRIC-TV, Slantpoint, Mashable and The Huffington Post

Daniel Arkin / NBC News:

Shooter Almost Backed Out of ‘Mission’ to Kill: Sources — The man who shot and killed nine parishioners at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, told police that he “almost didn't go through with it because everyone was so nice to him,” sources told NBC News.

Discussion: myfox8.com, Mashable, Guardian, NPR and Daily Mail

Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic:

Take Down the Confederate Flag—Now — Last night, Dylann Roof walked into a Charleston church, sat for an hour, and then killed nine people. Roof's crime cannot be divorced from the ideology of white supremacy which long animated his state nor from its potent symbol—the Confederate flag.

Brian Ries / Mashable:

Charleston shooting victim posted Snapchat from Bible study moments before attack — The youngest victim to die in the tragic shooting at the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. shared a Snapchat video from the doomed bible study group in the moments before Dylann Storm Roof allegedly killed …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Raw Story and Guardian

Washington Post:

For accused killer Dylann Roof, a life that had quietly drifted off track — GASTON, S.C. — Dylann Roof grew up in this rural town on the distant fringe of South Carolina's state capital, a quiet, shy boy who mostly kept to himself. He didn't get into trouble. He didn't especially stand out.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Shakesville and CBS Atlanta

New York Times:

Dylann Roof, Suspect in Charleston Shooting, Flew the Flags of White Power — LEXINGTON, S.C. — The Facebook profile picture chosen by Dylann Storm Roof in May is thick with symbolism. It shows Mr. Roof, a scowling young white man, wearing a black jacket adorned with two flags …

Discussion: New Yorker, Talking Points Memo, The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, Washington Post and Slate

Wall Street Journal:
The Charleston Shooting — An echo of 52 years ago, but also a crucial difference.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos and Balloon Juice

ABC News:
Shooting Suspect ‘Big Into Segregation,’ Roommate Says

Tim Murphy / Mother Jones:
Dylann Roof Had Confederate Plates. Here's Why the Rebel Flag Still Flies in South Carolina.

Discussion: NBC News, Slate, News, Indy Week, Washington Post, USA Today, The Week, Portside, Big Think, Telegraph, ABC News, The Daily Caller, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Beast and New York Times

Henry Louis Gates Jr / New York Times:
Henry Louis Gates: If Clementa Pinckney Had Lived

Discussion: Democratic Strategist, The Nation, Slantpoint and National Review

Matt Wilstein / Mediaite:
Lindsey Graham: Charleston Shooter May Have Been ‘Looking for Christians to Kill’

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, CANNONFIRE, Booman Tribune, AMERICAblog News, ABC News, The Huffington Post and Hullabaloo

Gabe Whisnant / The Shelby Star:
BREAKING: Tip from Kings Mountain florists led to Charleston shooting suspect's arrest

Discussion: Fox News Insider and The Week

Avianne Tan / ABC News:
Confederate Flag Flying on South Carolina Capitol Grounds Provokes Anger After Charleston Shooting

Discussion: 6abc.com, Political Wire, msnbc.com and Bloomberg Business

David Weigel / Bloomberg Business:
Rand Paul on Charleston Shooting: 'There's A Sickness in Our Country'

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, Mediaite, Yahoo Politics, US News, Hit & Run, The Daily Caller, Associated Press, Bloomberg View and Talking Points Memo

Emily Flitter / Reuters:
South Carolina church shooting suspect got gun for birthday, uncle says

Discussion: Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, The Huffington Post, NPR, PoliticusUSA, Mediaite, Slantpoint, The Daily Caller and WIS-TV

Wall Street Journal:
‘Loner’ Held in Charleston Church Killings

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Crime and Consequences Blog and National Review

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Voodoo, Jeb! Style — On Monday Jeb Bush — or I guess that's Jeb!, since he seems to have decided to replace his family name with a punctuation mark — finally made his campaign for the White House official, and gave us a first view of his policy goals. First, he says that if elected …

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

Operation Replace Jeb Bush — John Kasich is on a last-ditch mission to prove he can be the Republican establishment's dream candidate in 2016. — Getty — Sensing the window of opportunity is closing, John Kasich is on a last-minute dash across the country to convince party donors …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

David Nakamura / Washington Post:

In L.A., Obama addresses Washington's dysfunction: ‘I did not say I would fix it’ — BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — President Obama wrapped up a day he began with an angry and frustrated reaction to the mass killings in Charleston, S.C., by acknowledging that he has been unable to change the culture …

Discussion: Hot Air, Political Insider blog, The Daily Caller and Moe Lane

Zahira Torres / Los Angeles Times:

Nationally recognized teacher removed from class after allegations of misconduct — Attorneys for a nationally recognized Los Angeles Unified teacher, who was removed from his classroom after allegations of misconduct, are issuing an ultimatum to district administrators: publicly apologize and let him return to work, or get sued.

Discussion: Hit & Run

The Hill:

House approves fast-track 218-208, sending bill to Senate — The House on Thursday took the first step toward resuscitating the White House's trade agenda by passing legislation granting President Obama fast-track authority. — The bill now goes to the Senate, where the White House …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, RedState, The Gateway Pundit, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hit & Run, Common Dreams and Washington Post

Siobhan Hughes / Wall Street Journal:
House Passes Fast-Track Trade Bill, but Senate Outcome Uncertain

Discussion: NPR and Hot Air

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:
Senate Passes, Then Blocks, Military Bill

Discussion: Politico

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:

Rand Paul's First Two Books Are Full Of Fake Founding Fathers Quotes — “We currently have no evidence to confirm that Thomas Jefferson ever said or wrote” this. — Many of the quotes attributed to the Founding Fathers in two of Rand Paul's books are either fake, misquoted, or taken entirely out of context, BuzzFeed News has found.

Discussion: The Week, Raw Story and Roger Ailes

The Hill:

A winning long-term strategy on the medical device tax — The special tax on medical devices, which was created under the Affordable Care Act or ObamaCare, is public policy at its worst, but the solution is not the counterproductive immediate full repeal presently advancing through Congress.

Discussion: Hot Air and Daily Kos

Bloomberg Business:
Republican Plan to Continue Health Subsidies Would Gut Obamacare

Discussion: Daily Kos

Jeffrey Collins / BuzzFeed:

These Are The Victims Of The Charleston Church Shooting — Nine people were killed Wednesday night when a shooter opened fire at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina during a prayer meeting. — Facebook Post. — Facebook: permalink.php — A 45-year-old mother of three …