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The Short List

Mon Jun 1 2026

Phaedra Trethan | National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hi and welcome to June! I'm Phaedra Trethan, wishing Serena Williams all the best as she attempts a comeback at age 44. 🎾 🍀

In Monday's news:

•	Iran suspended talks with the U.S. amid Israel's ongoing attacks in Lebanon.
•	Multiple artists have pulled out of the Freedom 250 Great American State Fair, leaving President Trump fuming and a cloud of confusion over the event.
•	June is Pride Month, and one advocacy group gave USA TODAY an exclusive list of the most LGBTQ+ friendly places in the country ‒ and the least. 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

But first: Summer jobs are a teen rite of passage. But this year, it might be harder for them to find a part-time gig than in years past. Here are some industries that might be looking for summer help. 📥

Peace talks halted

An Iranian news agency said that country has halted peace talks with the U.S. aimed at ending the three-month-long war, over Israel's escalating attacks in Lebanon. Israel is widening its ground invasion of Lebanon as it fights Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The reported breakdown comes after President Donald Trump and top administration officials had expressed optimism about ending the conflict, which has killed thousands across the Middle East region and rocked global energy markets.

•	Watch: Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth says the U.S. military is prepared to reengage in the war with Iran.
•	What Trump said about peace talks with Iran.
•	Israel captured a historic castle in Lebanon.
•	Watch: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks about the operation in Lebanon.

A man holds an Iranian flag near an anti-U.S. billboard depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, in Tehran, Iran, May 30, 2026.

Majid-Asgaripour, via REUTERS

Freedom 250 shows in limbo 🤔

Martina McBride. The Commodores. Morris Day and The Time. Bret Michaels. Young MC.

The performers span musical genres, from hip hop and soul to country and rock. What they all have in common, though, is what they aren't doing : Appearing at the Great American State Fair, a 16-day festival in Washington, DC, presented by the Trump-backed Freedom 250. Some of the artists said they were led to believe the event was nonpartisan, but one, McBride, said in a statement that "that turned out to be misleading."

Over the weekend, Trump responded in a social media post blasting the artists and vowing that he would instead headline the event and make it into an "AMERICA IS BACK rally."

But he's also threatening to cancel the event.

•	Watch: What artists said about backing out of the event. 📺
•	Comedian John Oliver took aim at Trump's plans for America's 250th. 🎙️
•	Sooooo... Is this event still happening? What we know.
•	The Excerpt: After 250 years, we're still asking the same question. 🎧

Morris Day, from left, Young MC and Freedom Williams, who were slated to perform at President Donald Trump's upcoming Great American State Fair, have reportedly pulled out of the event.

Getty Images, Wireimage

Real quick

•	The nation's top hurricane forecaster offered five key tips to ensure you're prepared for severe storms. 📋
•	A fugitive suspected of killing a sheriff's deputy in Virginia has been captured in North Carolina.
•	The death toll from a chemical tank rupture in Washington has risen to 11, and all the victims have been identified.
•	The race for California governor is too close to call just ahead of tomorrow's primary. 🗳️

Where LGBTQ+ people feel welcome ‒ and where they don't 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

A leading LGBTQ+ advocacy group shared its index of the states most (and least) accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people with USA TODAY, amid what it suggests is a steep decline of civil rights advances for that community.

As Pride Month gets underway, Out Leadership's CEO Todd Sears told USA TODAY exclusively that Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey topped its list, while Idaho, Tennessee and Arkansas ranked at the bottom of LGBTQ+ friendly states.

“Something Americans had come to take for granted, that LGBTQ+ people exist and deserve civil rights, has been thrown back into question,” Sears said.

The Mighty Mississippi ⛴️

Flowing about 2,350 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf in Louisiana, the Mississippi River borders 10 states and drains an area stretching from western New York to most of Wyoming.

But it's more than a vital artery connecting the western and eastern halves of the U.S.: The Mississippi River is a part of our culture and collective consciousness , a place Native Americans called the "Misi-ziibi," ("Big River" or "Father of Waters"), where adventurers explored the new land, where Samuel Clemens "marked the twain" and found inspiration that spawned his unforgettable stories.

•	Explore our entire American Journeys series.
•	America's 250th is almost here! We have it covered from coast to coast, past to present. 🥳

The paddlewheeler New Orleans travels along the Mississippi River outside the city of New Orleans.

Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

A break from the news

•	Sing it with me: "Blue moon / You saw me standing alone / Without a dream in my heart / Without a love of my own..." 🎵 🌕 🎶
•	Myles Garrett is on the move. Where the all-time single-season sack leader is headed. 🧳 🏈
•	Today is Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday. Take a look back at the ultimate Hollywood blond bombshell's life, onscreen and off. 🤩 🎬

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. She'd love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and who you'd like to see perform to mark America's 250th. Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.