OnPolitics: It's primary day in California, New Jersey, Iowa and more

Voters head to the polls Tuesday in seven states, including California and New Jersey, to vote in consequential primary elections. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

On Politics   Tuesday, June 7 OnPolitics: It's primary day in California, New Jersey, Iowa and more Voters head to the polls Tuesday in seven states, including California and New Jersey, to vote in consequential primary elections. Greetings, OnPolitics readers! President Joe Biden says he wants something done about gun violence in America. The president views any legislation Congress might pass to address gun violence as better than no legislation, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. Sen. Chris Murphy, the Democrat leading negotiations with Senate Republicans on gun measures, has said incremental steps are more likely than a sweeping bill. While Biden is "always going to call for more," Jean-Pierre said, "we want to see action." Jean-Pierre was joined by a special guest at today's White House briefing: actor Matthew McConaughey. McConaughey used the megaphone of the White House and his own star power to urge leaders in Washington to address gun violence in honor of the young victims of the mass shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas. It's Amy and Chelsey with today's top stories out of Washington. It's another Primary Day! Races in California, Iowa, New Jersey and more happening tonight Voters head to the polls Tuesday in seven states to vote in consequential primary elections. California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota are holding primaries for federal and local offices that will help determine whether Republicans can win back control of Congress and who will occupy key executive and legislative seats in their states. The roster of those running includes a California congressman who voted to impeach then-president Donald Trump, a well-known party switcher in New Jersey who angered Trump by supporting an infrastructure bill, the last Democrat in Iowa's congressional delegation, and an ethically scarred former Interior secretary trying to win back a House seat in Montana. These issues are taking a backseat: Immigration and troubles at the border – often hot-button campaign issues – are overshadowed by other anxieties on the minds of voters, including historic inflation, brutal acts of gun violence, expected overhauls to reproductive rights and the pandemic. "Absolutely, right now, the top-of-mind issues for everyone, including Latinos, are the pandemic, jobs, economy and rising cost of living," said Clarissa Martinez, deputy vice president at Unidos, a nonpartisan Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. Polls show Democratic positions on immigration are in line with what the majority of Americans want, "but Democrats are not talking enough about those issues," Martinez said. Follow the results: USA TODAY will live-blog primary results tonight. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter here.  Real quick: stories you'll want to read • British PM survives 'no confidence' vote: Boris Johnson's in-party critics failed to oust him in a simple majority vote despite allegations of drunken government parties during COVID-19 lockdowns. • New charges against 'Proud Boys': Four members of the extremist white supremacist group were charged with seditious conspiracy Tuesday. • POTUS orders more solar panels: Biden is using the Defense Production Act to encourage production of solar panels and other clean energy technologies while decreasing reliance on imports. • Uvalde survivor addresses House panel: Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old fourth grader who survived the mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school, will be a star witness at a House hearing on guns. New poll: Half of Republicans support stricter gun laws After a rash of mass shootings throughout the country including at a grocery store, elementary school and hospital, a new poll finds a double-digit increase in the number of Republicans who support stricter gun laws. New GOP support for gun regulations rose from 35% last year to 50% now, according to an exclusive USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll. Republicans are also more likely to blame "loose gun laws" for mass shootings in the U.S. compared to a year ago. The shift in public opinion could translate into more traction on gun control legislation in Congress.  A year ago, the partisan divide on stricter gun laws between Democrats and Republicans was 55 percentage points. Now it is 38 points. The parties remain split on who is culpable for the recent mass shootings, with a majority of Democrats blaming gun manufacturers, the National Rifle Association and Trump while over half of Republicans blame Congressional Democrats. Biden was also a target: 42% of Americans say the president bears at least some blame for mass shootings, compared to 27% last year. All hail the Purple One: It's music legend Prince's birthday today. Here's a look at his enduring legacy. --Amy and Chelsey Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.   Problem viewing email? View in browser Unsubscribe • Manage Newsletters • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights • Privacy Notice • Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy • Feedback © 2022 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22102