By Brian Lyman | Editor
It's primary runoff day in Alabama, and polls will be open until 7 p.m. tonight. Some major party nominations are still up for grabs today, particularly on the Republican side. Runoffs usually have low turnout, so check out our story this morning about a Black Belt county where voter turnout is rarely low.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
By Drew Taylor
Greene County in western Alabama is the state's smallest by population. It also consistently reports some of the highest voter turnout rates in the state. In the May 19th primary, about 51% of the county's voters cast ballots, compared to 23% statewide. Local residents and officials cite several reasons for their engagement. A major one is the memory of Jim Crow voter disenfranchisement.
A weatherproof tarp covers the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on June 15, 2026. (Sam Gauntt/States Newsroom)
DC BUREAU
By Sam Gauntt
A large tarp and scaffold continued to block the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Monday, days after workers removed President Donald Trump's name from the building under court order. A spokesperson for the center said the tarp and scaffold would remain in place for maintenance work, but did not say how long that might take.
ELECTIONS 2026
By Andrea Tinker
Two Republicans are vying for their party's nomination to a State Board of Education seat in northern Alabama after finishing first and second in the May 19 primary. Emily Jones, founder of the Madison County chapter of Moms for Liberty, is facing William Matthews. Matthews has run a low-key campaign that has drawn criticism from incumbent Wayne Reynolds, who did not seek re-election.
ICYMI
Ceasefire reached with Iran, ending hostilities and opening Strait of Hormuz | Jennifer Shutt, DC Bureau
One US-made drug treats congenital syphilis, and the country is running short | Nada Hassanein, Stateline
Supreme Court agrees to weigh in on case over rights of some in 'prolonged' ICE detention | Tim Henderson, Stateline
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