Senator Sanders

Latino Leaders Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday addressed a conference of Latino elected officials in Las Vegas, KLAS-TV and KVVU-TV in Las Vegas and KTVN-TV in Reno reported. He said it's time for the country to stop playing the native born against immigrants, NBC News reported online. He called for expansion of President Obama's actions to limit deportations, The Associated Press reported. LINK, LINK, VIDEO, VIDEO, VIDEO

Charleston Church Shootings The issue of gun violence has been overshadowed by a focus on the nation's racial tensions and underscored by what appear to be the racist motivations in Wednesday’s killings. Sen. Sanders canceled a campaign stop planned for Sunday in Charleston and issued a statement saying, ''The Charleston church killings are a tragic reminder of the ugly stain of racism that still taints our nation,'' The New York Times reported. LINK

Guns Sen. Sanders “took a cautious approach on gun control Friday when questioned by reporters in Las Vegas,” CNN reported. "Rural America needs to understand what urban America feels. Urban America needs to understand the culture of rural America. Together we have got to go forward to make certain that people who should not be having these weapons do not have them." The senator’s views more closely reflect a general pro-gun attitude in his home state, said Ed Cutler, president of the Gun Owners of Vermont. “Even the liberals have guns up here,” Cutler told The Boston Globe. The National Rifle Association, the Globe noted, gave Sanders a D- grade in 2012. LINK, LINK  

Protecting Pensions Sen. Sanders is leading a fight in the Senate to repeal a law that puts pensions in jeopardy. A bill he introduced on Thursday has broad support from unions and seniors advocates, The Wall Street Journal reported.  LINK

World

China Tensions between the U.S. and China are growing over its island-building in the South China Sea and over suspicions that Beijing was behind a massive hack into a federal government server that resulted in the theft of personnel and security clearance records of 14 million employees and contractors, AP reported. LINK

National

Amazing Grace Felecia Sanders survived the attack on her Bible study group by pretending to be dead, but lost her son Tywanza. On Friday, she came face to face with the alleged shooter. "We welcomed you Wednesday night in our Bible study with open arms," Sanders told Dylann Roof at a bond hearing. "You have killed some of the most beautifulest people that I know. Every fiber in my body hurts ... and I'll never be the same." And then Sanders did something remarkable: She forgave the young man who has been charged with nine counts of murder for the bloody attack at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, AP reported. LINK

Vermont

Vermont Yankee The decommissioned nuclear plant’s owners are allowed to take money from the plant's decommissioning fund to pay for handling of spent fuel from the plant. Usually the Nuclear Regulatory Commission bans the use of funds for that purpose, but recently it has been granting exemptions. Now, Entergy can take up to $225 million dollars from that fund to help pay off the nearly $370 million needed to handle the spent radioactive fuel, WCAX-TV reported. LINK