Morning Must Reads: June 29

After a momentous week of American politics, Republicans are struggling to adapt to a changing America, but the Supreme Court rulings offer the party an opportunity to leave some baggage behind before next year’s election. Already a fault-line is emerging within the party on whether to fight for or drop a federal Constitutional amendment to roll back the high court’s decision and allow states to define marriage. Republicans like Lindsey Graham and Jeb Bush bucking their base on the issue are part of an emerging trend this cycle of GOP candidates attempting to cast themselves as the inheritors of John McCain’s “Straight Talk.” Chris Christie, one of the leading practitioners of that style of politics, is set to announce he is running for president on Tuesday. He released a biographical preview video Sunday night spotlighting his mantra of “telling it like it is.”

Here are your must-reads:

Must Reads

The Straight Talk Express Gets a Few More Passengers
Republican candidates see an opportunity in bucking their base [TIME]

As Left Wins Culture Battles, G.O.P. Gains Opportunity to Pivot for 2016
A possible inflection point for the party [New York Times]

Why the Next Gay Rights Push Will Be Different
TIME’s Philip Elliott on what’s next for the movement after Friday’s Supreme Court ruling

Cruz Tries to Prove a Conservative Can Win
The Texan pitches himself as a true believer—with the money—TIME’s Alex Altman reports

Chris Christie’s Nothing-Left-to-Lose Campaign
The New Jersey governor is weakened, but not down for the count [Politico]

5 Days That Left a Confederate Flag Wavering, and Likely to Fall
Behind the scenes in South Carolina [New York Times]

Sound Off

“The debt is not payable…There is no other option. I would love to have an easier option. This is not politics, this is math.” — Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla to the New York Times on his commonwealth’s dire financial position

“I would probably comb my hair back. Why? Because this thing is too hard to comb … I wouldn’t have time, because if I were in the White House, I’d be working my ass off.” — Reality television star and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Iowa over the weekend

Bits and Bites

Chris Christie teases campaign launch [TIME]

Martin O’Malley taps Dave Hamrick, Obama veteran, as campaign manager [New York Times]

Jeb Bush dogged by decades of questions about business deals [Washington Post]

Education Department dials back plan to rate colleges [TIME]

Will he run? Biden speculation mounts [Wall Street Journal]

This map shows how gay marriage spread across the United States [TIME]

Supreme Court term to end with 3 rulings [Wall Street Journal]

Biden worships, speaks at S.C. church [Associated Press]