Politically liberal California rejects affirmative action

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A campaign to reinstate affirmative action in overwhelmingly Democratic California has failed resoundingly despite having money and momentum. The rejection of Proposition 16 means California will keep a ban on granting preferential treatment based on race and gender in public hiring, contracting and college admissions. With more than 11 million votes tallied, Proposition 16 had just 44% approval Wednesday. Supporters sought to reinstate affirmative action during a nati