NPR News: 07-04-2026 3AM EDT

Dale Willman· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. The heat wave that smothered much of the Eastern United States this week is easing, but only slightly. Many cities opened up cooling centers and offered water to people without access to air conditioning this week, and many outdoor events were rescheduled or delayed. In Kansas City, the temperature at the start of the World Cup match between Colombia and Ghana in Kansas City was eighty-eight degrees when the game kicked off. The heat index was ninety-six. In the nation's capital, meanwhile, Great- the Great American State Fair shut down early on Friday because it was simply too hot on the National Mall downtown. It reopened Friday night. On Saturday, President Trump will ring in the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the U.S. on the Mall. As NPR's Frank Langfitt reports, so far, the event is getting mixed reviews [upbeat music] Many at the fair are Trump supporters and like the event.

Frank Langfitt0:53

Joni Lieberman, flew in from California, enjoyed the exhibits from different states It's a privilege to live in this country, and then to be able to celebrate it in such a great way, I just, I wanted to be in the middle of it Others see the fair as an extension of Trump. There's a tent promoting Trump investment accounts and a Faith and Family Pavilion filled with conservative Christian groups. Robert Chase teaches history at Stony Brook University I think Donald Trump has tried to associate himself with this event and to associate dislike with him with dissent and unpatriotic acts.

Robert Chase· Soundbite1:27

That's kind of problematic Chase says