Trump capsule, contest and speech mark 250 years of the USA

The United States celebrates this Saturday (4) the 250th anniversary of its independence with a series of events spread across the country. In Washington, Donald Trump celebrates the date with a political rally on the National Mall, which is expected to conclude the celebrations and has been widely criticized as divisive.

Correspondent Mariana Janjácomo, present at the scene, described an atmosphere of great popular movement, despite the intense heat. "It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon here in Washington, the temperature is 40 degrees Celsius, it's very hot," reported the journalist, who observed rescuers treating several people who fell ill due to the high temperatures.

Great American State Fair and controversial replica
On the National Mall, where the lawn in front of the Capitol serves as a stage for the festivities, the so-called Great American State Fair was installed, a fair with stands representing each of the 50 North American states.

Among the attractions, a replica of the arch that Trump intends to build in Washington stands out - a work described by the correspondent as "a super controversial construction" -, as well as a ferris wheel. Food and drink stands complete the scene, with many visitors using umbrellas to protect themselves from the strong sun.

Celebrations in Philadelphia and New York
In Philadelphia, the city where the Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom was signed 250 years ago, on July 4, 1776, the celebrations included an unusual Benjamin Franklin look-alike contest. Thirty people dressed up as the historic character, considered one of the founding fathers of the United States, and hundreds of people showed up to judge the best costume.

The winner was Kaya Burgess, 25, who reused a Halloween costume inspired by the musical Hamilton to participate in the competition. The event was organized by a Johns Hopkins University student, who distributed flyers around the city to publicize it.

Also in Philadelphia, a time capsule containing items representing all 50 American states was buried on Independence Mall. The objective is that the content will only be opened when the country completes 500 years of existence. The capsule was designed to repel water and built to last two and a half centuries.

Among the items saved are a stainless steel New Jersey plaque and handwritten notes from 12 Delaware residents about what the first state meant to them. An art installation based on a Benjamin Franklin cartoon will be placed over the burial site. In New York, the US Navy carried out a flyover over the city's port, with fighter jets leaving trails of smoke in the red, white and blue colors of the American flag.

Putin congratulates Trump on his 250th birthday
Among the world leaders who congratulated the United States on this date, Vladimir Putin stood out. In a letter published by the Kremlin, Putin addressed Trump as "dear Donald" and said the signing of the American Declaration of Independence was "an important milestone in world history." The Russian leader also mentioned the partnership between the United States and Russia during the First and Second World Wars, concluding with the statement that he is "confident that a mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries is in the interests of the entire world."

The texts generated by artificial intelligence on CNN Brasil are made based on video cuts from the newspapers in its programming. All information is investigated and checked by journalists. The final text is also reviewed by the CNN journalism team. Click here to find out more.

Source: CNN