memeorandum: EIGHT IS ENOUGH ACTOR DICK VAN PATTEN HAS DIED (Gillian Telling/EW.com)

1:20 PM ET, June 23, 2015

Top Items:

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:

Rand Paul: Confederate Flag “Inescapably A Symbol Of Human Bondage And Slavery” — “... I think to every African-American in the country it's a symbolism of slavery to them and now it's a symbol of murder for this young man and so I think it's times to put it in a museum.” — Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Beast, Hit & Run, New York Times and Hot Air

MJ Lee / CNN:

First on CNN: Walmart to stop selling Confederate flag merchandise — (CNN)Walmart, the country's largest retailer, will remove all Confederate flag merchandise from its stores, the company told CNN Monday. — The announcement is the latest indication that the flag, a symbol of the slave-holding South …

David Edwards / Raw Story:

Mike Huckabee calls for less dialog on race and more ‘conversions’ for Jesus: God already ‘solved’ racism — DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY! — Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee declared on Tuesday that racism had been solved. — The day after South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley …

Discussion: Mediaite, Joe. My. God. and Mock Paper Scissors

Dave Boucher / Tennessean.com:
TN leaders: Remove Nathan Bedford Forrest bust from Capitol

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Daily Mail, Daily Kos, NBC News and Occidental Dissent

Clay Chandler / The Clarion Ledger:
Gunn: Confederate part of state flag ‘needs to be removed’

Washington Post:
While GOP candidates stammer, Clinton directly confronts race

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos, Hinterland Gazette, Mock Paper Scissors, Raw Story, Politico, NBC News, Slate, NPR, ABC News, US News, CNN, Guardian and Outside the Beltway

Politico:
Inside the Republican reversal on the Confederate flag

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, BuzzFeed, The Federalist, Outside the Beltway, New York Times, Associated Press and Washington Post

Glenn Smith / Post and Courier:
Survey finds divide, silence on Confederate flag issue in Legislature

Discussion: ThinkProgress, AIM, ABC News, msnbc.com and Daily Kos

David A. Graham / The Atlantic:
The Fight Against Confederate Symbols Spreads

Discussion: Baltimore Sun, Talking Points Memo, Politico, FOX News Radio, The Texas Tribune, NBC News, BizPac Review and Boing Boing

Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic:
What This Cruel War Was Over — The Confederate Monument …

Discussion: Washington Post, Jackson Free Press, Religion News Service, Slantpoint, Instapundit and US News

New York Times:
Take Down the Confederate Flag, Symbol of Hatred

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Poynter., Fusion, Daily Kos, PoliticusUSA and AMERICAblog News

Michael Falcone / ABC News:
The Note: Confederate Flag Decision Shines a Spotlight on Nikki Haley

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Associated Press, The Intercept, Washington Post and Patterico's Pontifications

Caroline Bologna / The Huffington Post:

Charleston Dad's Viral Photo Captures Love In The Aftermath Of Tragedy — On Sunday June 21, local parishioners from churches across the Charleston area took part in “Charleston United,” an emotional prayer and worship gathering to honor the victims of the Emanuel A.M.E. Church shooting.

Discussion: New York's PIX11, FOX31 Denver, WTVR-TV, Slantpoint and Common Dreams

John Nettles Jr / Facebook: #charlestonstrong #prayforcharleston — This picture was hard …

New York Times:

The Roberts Court's Surprising Move Leftward — This term so far shows potential for a greater percentage of liberal decisions than any since 1969. — Decisions … The Supreme Court under Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has been a conservative court.

Discussion: Liberaland

Damon Root / Hit & Run:
The Kelo Debacle Turns 10

Discussion: Cafe Hayek and Washington Post

Orange County Register: Ten years later, still learning the lessons of Kelo

Danielle Burger / Bloomberg Business:

Uninsured Rate Falls to Lowest Since Obamacare Implementation — The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has helped many Americans get health insurance, including about 10 million through new markets with government subsidies, and millions more through an expansion of Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor.

Discussion: ACASignups.net and The Huffington Post

Peter Suderman / Politico:
Why the GOP Can't Win on Health Care

Discussion: EconLog and Hit & Run

Mark Blumenthal / The Huffington Post:
The Surprising Reason So Many People Still Don't Like Obamacare

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Slantpoint

Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
Obama's Legacy Is at Stake in Supreme Court's Health Care Ruling

Discussion: Washington Post, ACASignups.net and Business Insider

Gillian Telling / EW.com:

EIGHT IS ENOUGH ACTOR DICK VAN PATTEN HAS DIED — Dick Van Patten, the star of TV's Eight is Enough, has died. He was 86. — “I am sorry to report this sad news,” his rep said in a statement released to media Tuesday. “His family will not be doing any press at this time.”

Discussion: American Spectator, New York's PIX11, myfox8.com, KFOR-TV and KTLA

Patrick O'Connor / Wall Street Journal:

WSJ/NBC Poll Finds Hillary Clinton in a Strong Position — She has firm grip on Democratic nomination and leads three GOP rivals, new survey shows — Hillary Clinton has emerged from the rocky launch of her second presidential bid with a firm grip on Democratic voters and leads …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway and Taylor Marsh

Peter Schweizer / New York Post:
‘Clinton Cash’ author demolishes Hillary's self-defense

Discussion: Betsy's Page

Andres Jauregui / The Huffington Post:

KFC ‘Fried Rat’ Is In Fact Chicken, Lab Test Confirms — It doesn't look appetizing, but it's definitely chicken. — Last week, KFC was forced to confront a customer's accusations that he'd been served a fried rat in a three-piece meal at a Los Angeles store.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, New York's PIX11 and KFOR-TV

Foreign Policy:

Hostage Review Will Make It Easier for Families to Pay Ransoms — The White House is about to change how Washington tries to save captured Americans, but the moves won't go as far as many relatives of U.S. hostages want them to. — President Barack Obama's administration will reassure …

Discussion: New York Times, Politico, Guardian and Mashable

Public Religion Research Institute:

Survey | Most Americans Believe Protests Make the Country Better; Support Decreases Dramatically if Protesters are Identified as Black — June 2015 PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey — ▶ Read the topline questionnaire, including the survey methodology, here. ▶ Read the news release here.

Discussion: Washington Post and Real Clear Politics

Alastair Jamieson / NBC News:

Prison Worker Joyce Mitchell to Husband: ‘I Was Over My Head’ — New York prison worker Joyce Mitchell told her husband she was in over her head as part of a plot to free two killers who remain on the run, he told NBC News in an exclusive interview. — Speaking to TODAY's Matt Lauer …

Discussion: New York Times, New York Post, Gothamist, The Huffington Post, Daily Mail and Business Insider

Sylvia Patrycja / Hollywood Reporter:

Composer James Horner Dies in Plane Crash: Hollywood Reacts — For his work on the 1997 best picture winner Titanic, directed by James Cameron, Horner captured the Oscar for original dramatic score, and he nabbed another Academy Award for original song (shared with lyricist Will Jennings) …

Discussion: Variety, Hit & Run, Washington Post, Guardian, The Huffington Post, KXAN-TV and Towleroad

Scott Wong / The Hill:

Punished GOP lawmaker stirs new talk of Boehner rebellion — A band of House conservatives is discussing whether to retaliate against GOP leaders for punishing rank-and-file lawmakers who voted against a procedural vote on trade earlier this month. — Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) …

Discussion: Political Wire

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:

Senate Hands a Victory to Obama on Trade Pact — WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday narrowly voted to end debate on legislation granting President Obama enhanced negotiating powers to complete a major Pacific trade accord, virtually ensuring final passage on Wednesday of Mr. Obama's top legislative priority …

Discussion: NBC News, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Balloon Juice and RedState

Suffolk University:

NH GOP Poll Shows Bush the Early Leader, While Trump Advances — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (14 percent) leads businessman Donald Trump (11 percent) in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary contest, according to a poll from the Suffolk University Political Research Center.

Discussion: Politico, Washington Post, Washington Times and New York Times

Charles Fleming / Los Angeles Times:

California's black license plates are back in production — The black license plates used on California cars from 1963 to 1969 are back, thanks to a piece of legislation sponsored by Los Angeles Assemblyman Mike Gatto and 7,500 paying customers. — The California Department …