The Great American State Fair opens today on the National Mall, which the Trump administration has described as a showcase of contributions from all 56 states and territories. The 16-day event will feature food, games and other traditional fair elements, with military flyovers and patriotic pageantry rounding out the festivities.
Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.
Preparations are underway for America’s 250th birthday on July 4, prompting a fresh look at the nation’s past — and its future. A new Gallup poll released this week found that 77% of Americans think the country’s founders would be disappointed by the way the US has turned out. CNN also spoke with descendants of Jefferson, Franklin and other Founding Fathers, who have plenty to say about the state of the nation. Here’s how they see the US today.
Dozens are dead and hundreds more are injured after two back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern coast on Wednesday evening. Search-and-rescue teams are now racing to reach people trapped beneath collapsed buildings and rubble. The second quake, with a magnitude of 7.5, was the country’s strongest in more than a century, while the 7.2 foreshock ranks as its fourth-largest on record. Read more.
