USA TODAY is reporting that June will be a busy month for elections, with primaries in more than a dozen states set to determine nominees for Senate, House, and gubernatorial races ahead of the November general elections. It said President Donald Trump hopes these elections will help Republicans maintain control of Congress to advance his second-term agenda. John McGlennon, a professor of government at the College of William & Mary, told USA TODAY that June will largely settle the slates for November, with over a quarter of House seats potentially up for grabs. Primaries are scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota.
The newspaper also reported that Delaney Hall, a privately run immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, will resume regular visitations. This decision follows more than a week of clashes between law enforcement officers and protesters outside the facility, as well as a hunger strike among some detainees inside. The Department of Homeland Security has denied that a hunger strike is taking place at Delaney Hall.
Separately, USA TODAY is reporting that prominent artists are withdrawing from a series of planned concerts on the National Mall celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary. It said this has prompted President Donald Trump to nix the musical performances, with Trump himself now planning to give a speech instead, according to a White House official. Country star Martina McBride and R&B group The Commodores were among the latest cancellations, stating they were initially under the impression the event would be entirely nonpartisan.
In other political news, USA TODAY reported that Senator Jon Ossoff used an Atlanta rally to frame his reelection campaign around fighting corruption in Washington. Former Vice President Mike Pence argued that the Republican Party's drift toward the populist right risks traditional conservative values. The newspaper also noted that President Donald Trump stated he has 'no interest' in the Kennedy Center after a judge ordered his name removed from the venue.