Since opening last week, President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. has struggled with almost everything — middling crowd sizes, empty booths, rain delays, musicians dropping out, states boycotting, feuding event planners.

But Fox News insists the event is going swimmingly.

“It’s really something,” correspondent Peter Doocy said Sunday during an interview with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins overlooking the rain-soaked grounds, where only a handful of attendees could be seen across the vast event pavilion. “The weather, not the best today, but people are still coming out.”

The network has gone so far as to suggest viewers’ eyes are deceiving them when video of the event has showed mostly empty fields between booths on the National Mall.

“Sometimes the pictures really don’t tell the full story because if you look behind us, you see, OK, there are a couple hundred people back there,” reporter Kevin Corke said in one segment. “But the truth is, when you make your way over here … you’re in a wash of people.”

The network has been following the event closely. Programs are filmed on site from a towering broadcast booth above the fair, where correspondents frequently report from the scene throughout each day. Panelists have covered the fair’s daily entertainment, heaping praise on a rodeo event and chainsaw demonstrations, while questioning whether carnival food like hot dogs and mini pizzas fit with the president’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

Host Sandra Smith insisted during a Monday afternoon broadcast that there was a “lotta energy” on the fairgrounds, as a live shot again showed a mostly empty scene, including one in front of a replica of the president’s planned victory arch monument in Washington.

Later Monday, as the desolate scene appeared to continue, reporter Lucas Tomlinson suggested that the afternoon close of financial markets would mean some more attendees heading the fair’s way.

The Independent has requested comment from Fox News.

On social media, a similarly jarring side-by-side played out. A clip of the day’s festivities went viral, but not for positive reasons.

Onstage, as actor Dean Cain and Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, spoke of the “tons” of people in attendance, a TMZ camera swiveled to show a crowd of about 20 people watching the talk, as a smattering of fairgoers could be seen in the far distance near a Ferris wheel.

“Shoddy displays and tiny crowds,” Trump critic and former CNN anchor Jim Acosta wrote on X of his visit to the event. “But lots of Trump worship. Sad.”

The Independent has sought comment from the White House and Freedom 250, the White House-backed, public-private group organizing the fair in conjunction with other events celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The president and his allies have continued to insist the event is a smash hit while brushing off questions about crowd size.

In an early Monday post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that the fair was “packed with happy people,” echoing his similarly unsupported claims that his Wednesday kickoff speech drew a crowd of “at least 45,000 people.”

Cain, the actor, wrote in a Sunday post on X that “haters” reacting negatively to his picture showing a mostly empty view of the National Mall from the Ferris wheel were “anti-American” people who should “seek help.”

The seemingly low turnout could be due to a number of factors, ranging from Washington’s alternatively hot and humid summer weather to the president’s dismal approval rating.

During his first term, the president and his officials famously continued to insist they had a historically large inauguration crowd, despite photos clearly showing other presidents drew far larger audiences.

A food delivery driver fatally shot an Amazon worker in the parking lot of the online retailer’s distribution center outside of Chicago, according to police.

Officials in Matteson, Illinois, announced Monday that police officers found an Amazon employee who was shot multiple times in the torso near the front entrance of an Amazon distribution center in the village Sunday night.

The worker was identified as a 27-year-old man from nearby Glenwood, according to a Facebook post from the village of Matteson. Local outlets named the victim as Dylan Perkins, citing the local medical examiner’s office.

Investigators found that Perkins and the food delivery driver got into an argument that turned physical, Matteson officials said.

During the fight, the suspect shot Perkins “several times,” according to officials.

“I don’t think that anyone should have a few words with each other and then you end up dead,” the Amazon worker’s mother, Pamela Perkins, told CBS News Chicago.

The responding officers provided medical assistance to Perkins until paramedics arrived. The employee was then taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.

“This is an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public,” Matteson officials wrote in the Facebook post.

As of Monday, authorities were still working to identify and charge the suspect.

The Independent has requested comment from Matteson police, the medical examiner’s office and Amazon.

“I think people need to learn how to walk away,” Pamela Perkins said. “It doesn’t make sense just to go back and forth with somebody over little, trivial things.”

“We’re saddened by this senseless act of violence and are focused on supporting our employees and the victim’s family during this difficult time,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement shared by ABC7 Chicago.

“We’re working with the Matteson Police Department in their active investigation,” the person said.

Amazon noted that the employee was a third-party vendor. All shifts were canceled, and everyone who was working was sent home with full pay after the shooting, the company told CBS News Chicago.

This is not the first time a shooting has taken place at the Amazon distribution center in Matteson.

In 2024, a 33-year-old woman’s head was grazed by a bullet in a shooting that occurred likely in retaliation for an earlier fight that had happened in the parking lot between employees, according to local reports.

Another shooting took place at the distribution center during a parking lot argument in 2022, but no one was injured, reports said.

“I think we need to do a better job with securing parking lots of these big businesses,” Perkins’ sister, Kimberly Perkins, told CBS News Chicago. “I just wish that it doesn’t happen to anybody else.”

Officials ask anyone with information related to the shooting to call the Matteson police’s non-emergency line at 708-503-3130 or submit an anonymous tip through the village’s website.

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​Homemore Ltd has applied to turn The Redcliffe Hotel and The Lodge in Scarborough into mixed-use sites as hotels and emergency accommodation.

​The company delivers emergency temporary accommodation for adults in partnership with local authorities and statutory services before they move on to more permanent housing.

​The three-storey Lodge and its rear annex provide 36 bedrooms. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms at the property, which sits on the north side of Valley Road, opposite the junction with Royal Avenue.

​A similar application has also been submitted for The Redcliffe Hotel at 18, Prince of Wales Terrace.

​Neighbours have already lodged objections against the second application, which follows several years of complaints about antisocial behaviour from residents of the temporary accommodation.

​In March, MP Alison Hume held a meeting with Homemore at the Wharncliffe Hotel to “try and make life easier for everyone on Blenheim Terrace”.

​She said: “Homemore has put measures in place to try and limit any disturbance caused to their neighbours. They work closely with the police too, who regularly patrol the vicinity and constantly review their Problem-Solving Plan for the surrounding area.”

​The MP for Scarborough and Whitby also encouraged residents to “report all disturbances or concerns to police as, without these, their community team can’t build up a true picture of what is happening.

​The application for The Lodge seeks to regularise the use of the property, which is currently being used as emergency accommodation.

​The applicant said that the mixed use of hotel and emergency accommodation would provide flexibility as “both uses can operate using the existing accommodation in the property, which until relatively recently was in hotel use for more than 30 years”.

​A mixed use is sought so that the property could be occupied by guests requiring holiday accommodation or emergency accommodation,

​Submitted plans stated: “There is strong demand for the accommodation offered by Homemore in Scarborough, which reflects the situation across England where demand for emergency accommodation remains very high, with the number of households in temporary accommodation being at record levels”.

​Homemore describes itself as a “specialist housing provider delivering temporary accommodation for adults, young people and families”.

​“Homemore’s systems, staffing model, and property portfolio are designed to support those in urgent need of temporary accommodation without compromising safety, oversight, or quality of provision,” the plans state.

​Both applications are set to be discussed at an upcoming meeting of Scarborough Town Council’s planning committee on Thursday, July 2.

Under the clear blue skies, crowds gathered in Scarborough to show their respect and admiration for service personnel, their families, cadets, and veterans.

Scarborough Armed Forces Day 2026 draws huge crowds – Pictured, a marching band parades along Foreshore Road in Scarborough as part of the town’s Armed Forces Day celebrations. (Image: North Yorkshire Council)

The event on Saturday, June 27, saw aircraft soaring across the sky and bands marching along the seafront.

Hosted by North Yorkshire Council as part of its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, the event was sponsored by the Skipton Building Society for the second year, and is one of the largest of its kind nationally.

A RAF Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 flies over Scarborough Castle during the town’s Armed Forces Day celebrations. (Image: North Yorkshire Council)

Cllr David Chance, chair of North Yorkshire Council, and the authority’s Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Kevin Foster, both attended.

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Cllr Chance said: “It was an absolutely fantastic day for Scarborough with thousands of people coming together and showing their support for our service personnel, cadets and veterans and recognising the sacrifices of their families.

“The atmosphere was nothing short of inspiring.

“From the spectacular air displays, flypasts, marching bands to the parades and performances along the seafront, the whole event was a powerful reminder of the pride and gratitude our communities feel.

“We are honoured to host Armed Forces Day as part of our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and I would like to thank everyone who took part, performed or supported the celebrations. It was a true showcase of community spirit and respect.”

Standards bearers stand to attention during Scarborough Armed Forces Day. (Image: North Yorkshire Council)

The event offered a variety of spectacles, including parades, musical performances, and family activities.

Five air displays took place, featuring a high-energy, high-speed performance from the RAF Typhoon and a flypast from the RAF Chinook.

A RAF Chinook flies over Scarborough’s lighthouse during the town’s Armed Forces Day celebrations. (Image: North Yorkshire Council)

On the ground, traditional military marches, band displays, presentations, and live music entertained the crowds throughout the afternoon.

Among the performers were the Scarborough Sea Cadets and veterans, with standards and cadets’ parades led by the Queen’s Own Yeomanry and the Yorkshire Volunteers Band.

This year, the event also saw the Chelsea Pensioners making their first appearance at Scarborough Armed Forces Day.

From left, North Yorkshire Council’s Armed Forces champion, Cllr Kevin Foster, the naval regional commander for Northern England, Commodore Thomas Knowles, who was the saluting officer at this year’s Armed Forces Day in Scarborough, the council’s (Image: North Yorkshire Council)

Naval Regional Commander for Northern England and the Isle of Man, Commodore Thomas Knowles, was the saluting officer at the event and highlighted the strong public support for the armed forces community.

He said: “It has been a privilege to join the celebrations in Scarborough today and to see such strong public support for our armed forces community.

Mirrun Campbell and Jacob Dunn are pictured with Grace Smithem who is trying on a pilot’s helmet on Scarborough’s harbourside during the town’s Armed Forces Day celebrations. (Image: North Yorkshire Council)

“North Yorkshire plays a vital role in the defence of the nation with thousands of service personnel, their families and cadets living, working and studying across the county.

“Saturday’s turnout reflects the deep respect and gratitude people feel for those who have served, are serving, and will be serving in the future.”

Willow Hall is pictured in a military Jeep that was on show at Scarborough Armed Forces Day. (Image: North Yorkshire Council)

North Yorkshire is home to more than 12,000 people who work for the Ministry of Defence, and 3,000 children from service families attend schools in the area.

Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire is one of the country’s largest military bases, along with other barracks at Dishforth, Ripon, and Topcliffe.

The county also hosts RAF stations at Leeming, Fylingdales, and Menwith Hill, as well as the Harrogate-based Army Foundation College.

North Yorkshire was one of the first places in the UK to have an Armed Forces Covenant, ensuring military personnel and veterans have access to services across the private and public sectors.

The new deal will mean resident doctor pay will be 35.2 per cent higher on average than it was four years ago

Strikes involving resident doctors in England are to come to an end after a fresh offer to improve pay and working conditions was accepted, it has been confirmed.

Resident doctors have voted to accept the Government offer and end a year of strike action, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said. It comes after a total of 21 days of strike action by the British Medical Association (BMA) Resident Doctor Committee (RDC) since July 2025.

The new package includes standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms for all locally employed medics and an average 6.6 per cent pay uplift to be fully implemented by April 2027. There will also be 4,500 extra specialty training places over three years.

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The deal will mean resident doctor pay will be 35.2 per cent higher on average than it was four years ago, the DHSC has said.

Health Secretary James Murray said: “This is very good news for resident doctors, patients and the NHS as a whole, allowing us to draw a line under the disruption of previous months and focus on getting on with the job of rebuilding our health service.

“Because of this deal, resident doctors will benefit from a new pay structure, better career progression opportunities and a range of other improved conditions to support them as they rotate and train. Patients will be relieved that the NHS is entering a period of greater stability.

“But this is the beginning, not the end of the journey. I know there is much more to do, and I am determined to keep working constructively with resident doctors, all NHS staff, and the unions who represent them to improve their working lives and together build a health service that is fit for the future.”

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The online vote for resident doctors ran from June 18 to June 26. The BMA had also warned that if they choose to reject the deal, strikes would ‘have to escalate in intensity’. Thousands of resident doctors in England were set to stage a four-day walkout on June 15, which would have been the 16th round of strike action since 2023. But it was called off on June 13 after the offer was made.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of RDC, said: “Resident doctors have spoken. They have decided that the current offer is sufficient to continue on the road to pay restoration, and sufficient to address the absurd lack of jobs in the NHS. The strikes will now end.

“These strikes did not need to happen. We spent far too long at loggerheads with the Government when a solution in everyone’s interest was waiting for us: more jobs for doctors, better pay for doctors, and a better-staffed NHS secured for patients well into the future.

“This is what constructive negotiations can achieve. Next time we hope they can be done without a single picket line having to form – all it takes is a government willing to think ahead and think creatively.”

He went on to warn that this is ‘by no means the end of the road for pay restoration’ and says he hopes the Government will keep ‘this journey going’.

Dr Fletcher added: “I’d like to thank everyone who stood on a picket line, who organised, argued and raised their voice on the issues of pay and jobs. Your continued dedication and refusal to give in has moved us miles from where we started, and you should be proud. When we organise, we win.”

53 per cent of eligible members voted in favour of the offer, the BMA said. The turnout of the referendum was 57 per cent with 32,932 doctors voting in total.

Dean Royles, interim chief executive of NHS Employers, said: “After such a long running dispute that has caused so much upset and disruption to patient care, all parties will be pleased that a resolution now seems to have been found and there will be no further strike action.”

Stuart Andrew MP, the Conservative shadow health secretary, has criticised Labour for making concessions to the BMA. He said: “Many will be relieved that these strikes are finally coming to an end, but at what cost?

“This is the second consecutive year that Labour has had to make major concessions to end these strikes, and the BMA is already planning further industrial action.

“Only the Conservatives have the team, the plan and the leader with the backbone to ban doctors’ strikes once and for all.”

Chelsea have irked Sunderland with a low first bid for Granit Xhaka, while the Blues are stepping up their interest in Maxence Lacroix. Marco Palestra is set to finalise his move to Stamford Bridge as the first new arrival of the Xabi Alonso era, with Pep Chavarria now eyed as a Marc Cucurella replacement amid reports that Malo Gusto has agreed to join Manchester City. Manchester United have planned a medical for wonderkid Cristian Orozco as they continue to battle Spurs hard for the signing of Mateus Fernandes.

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The promotion is part of a limited-time ‘Hydration Break’ offer, giving customers a saving on the popular summer drink, usually priced from £8.95.

Fans can take advantage of the deal by ordering a main meal and quoting the phrase “I’d like an Aperol Hydration Break, please” to their server.

Jemma Townsend, marketing director at ASK Italian, said: “At its heart, Italian dining is a generous occasion, all about a fuller table for everyone to enjoy.

“Our tournament deal shows up loud, proud, and playful – exactly how we like it.

“Whether you’re stopping by for a £3 Aperol Hydration Break before the big game or getting the gang together for a late-night kick-off, we’ve got the ovens fired up, the drinks on ice, and a seat at the table waiting for the ultimate home team.”

The offer draws inspiration from the hydration breaks being used in this summer’s football tournament, turning a moment of controversy into a reason to celebrate.

It aims to give football fans a chance to enjoy Italy’s favourite aperitivo for almost two-thirds the usual price while dining out during the tournament.

The £3 Aperol Spritz Hydration Break will be available daily at all ASK Italian restaurants until the end of the tournament (Sunday, July 19).

ASK Italian offers new summer menu

Alongside the ‘Hydration Break’ deal, ASK Italian has launched some new summer menu items, which are available until Monday, August 31.

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New dishes include the likes of Pollo Picante Crocchettes as starters, a Prosciutto, Truffle and Stracciatella pizza and a Lemon Meringue Pie Sundae.

Jemma Townsend, Marketing Director at ASK Italian, said: “At its heart, Italian dining is a generous occasion, all about a fuller table for everyone to enjoy.

“Our new menu celebrates this ‘Italian way of dining’, inviting the joy of passing plates and discovering new flavours together.”

Have you made the most of any restaurant/shop deals during the World Cup? Let us know in the comments.