An evacuation was ordered on Saturday evening at the National Mall as storms gathered around Washington just hours before US President Donald Trump was scheduled to deliver a speech commemorating America’s 250th anniversary of independence. Those on the Mall were encouraged to go to federal buildings nearby or Smithsonian museums. “Freedom 250 will share updates on programming and doors reopening,” Freedom 250 spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez said in a statement. Plans for fireworks were still...
A dangerous heatwave upended Fourth of July celebrations across swathes of the central and eastern United States on Friday, forcing officials in the nation’s capital and elsewhere to cancel or postpone dozens of parades, concerts and fireworks displays. Among the events disrupted by the sweltering heat was the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, a centrepiece of President Donald Trump’s efforts to mark the nation’s 250th birthday. The fair, designed to showcase all 50...