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Harris contrasts her vision with Trump’s as she accepts Democrats’ nomination

Just a month after US President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection, Kamala Harris accepted the nomination to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. She contrasted her record and vision to that of her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
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Takeaways from the Democratic National Convention

CHICAGO — It was U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’s big night Thursday, but she wasn’t the only U.S. Democrat to knock it out of the park during a week of rousing speeches, celebrity cameos and lashings of hope and joy.

Here are some takeaways from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago:

Star-studded convention

Oprah Winfrey stole the show, exhorting voters to “choose joy” and Stevie Wonder took the convention to Higher Ground.

John Legend lit up the United Center with a tribute to Prince, while comic actress Mindy Kaling shared stories of cooking lessons from the vice president.

And there was comedy with a serious message from Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson, who brought a giant book on stage to represent the radical Trump-linked Project 2025 governing agenda.

There was feverish speculation over a potential appearance by global superstar Beyonce, but it didn’t pan out.

Family affair

On the biggest stage of their careers, political leaders often look to dewy-eyed family moments that, if seen as genuine, can humanize them and make them relatable to voters.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s 17-year-old son, Gus, touched a nation as he wiped away joyous tears, pointed to his father accepting the vice presidential nomination and sobbed: “That’s my dad!”

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff provided another indelible memory, referring to Harris as “my wiiiiife” as he recounted the goofy, endearing story of their romance.

And President Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley was a highlight of the opening night as she paid tribute to “the O.G. Girl Dad.”

Obamas sizzle

Barack and Michelle Obama — the undisputed power couple of Democratic politics — partied like it was 2008 as they gave the convention a shot of star power on Day Two.

The 44th president got the night’s biggest laugh as he goaded Donald Trump over the Republican’s “obsession with crowd sizes.”

But he was upstaged by the former first lady — by far the country’s most popular Democrat — who spoke of the “contagious power of hope” in the most cheered speech of the week.

The party made use of a deep bench of luminaries, including former president Bill Clinton, whose raspy speech was more than twice the allotted time but included some memorable applause lines.

Gaza fizzles

There were protests across Chicago against the administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, and particularly over the decision not to allow a Palestinian American to speak from the main stage.

The largest protest Thursday featured several thousand marchers but was still much smaller than the demonstrations of tens of thousands predicted by organizers, and it was not the fly in the ointment that the Democrats had feared.

Protests were largely peaceful, although several demonstrators were arrested when they broke through a security fence earlier in the week around the United Center where the main program was staged.

Although the activists were largely pro-Palestinian, they were joined by others marching against a variety of progressive causes, from reproductive rights to migrant welfare.

Bye-bye Biden

The president gave an emotional keynote speech to open a conference that he thought just weeks ago he would be headlining.

Biden took to the stage, dabbing his eyes, and spoke at length about his achievements while making a case for Harris that was criticized for lacking the pizzazz of the Obama endorsements.

Flanked by first lady Jill Biden and Harris, the veteran Democrat’s final bow marked at long last the passing of the torch for a politician who has been in the public eye for more than half a century.

“Democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered. And now democracy must be preserved,” he declared, to one of many standing ovations from the rapt audience. 
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Trump visits US-Mexico border to contrast with Democrats on immigration

SIERRA VISTA, Arizona — On a dirt road below the shrub-dotted hills of Arizona, Donald Trump used a stretch of wall and a pile of steel beams to draw a visual contrast between his approach to securing the border and that of his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Trump brought along grieving mothers, the sheriff of Cochise County and the head of the Border Patrol union to echo his tough-on-border-security message at Thursday’s visit, which was themed “Make America Safe Again.” 

“To my right is what we call Trump wall. This was wall that was built under President Trump,” said Paul Perez, president of the Border Patrol union. “To my left, we have what we call Kamala wall. It’s just sitting there doing nothing, lying down.” 

The Biden administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the wall construction. 

The visit was the fourth in a series of events held in battleground states this week to try to draw the focus away from Democrats’ celebration of Harris’ presidential nomination in Chicago. Speakers at the convention on Wednesday night accused Trump of using the border to stir up his base by demonizing immigrants. 

Joining Thursday’s border visit were the mothers of children who were killed during the Biden administration in cases where the suspects are immigrants in the country illegally. Trump frequently highlights attacks involving immigrants to fuel concerns about the Biden administration policies, though some studies have found that people living in the U.S. illegally are less likely than native-born Americans to have been arrested for violent, drug and property crimes. 

“I just really, really, really want everybody to please take into consideration how important border control is, because we’re losing very innocent people to heinous crimes,” said Alexis Nungaray, the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was strangled to death in Houston in June. 

At the Arizona event, snipers stood nearby at an elevated position, their eyes and weapons pointed toward Mexico, a day after Trump held his first outdoor rally since an assassination attempt last month. Security forces were also visible on the Mexican side of the border, including several men with rifles and tactical gear. Others wore uniforms identifying them as members of the Mexican state police. 

“What Biden and Kamala have done to the families here with me and so many others, thousands and thousands of others, not only killed, but also really badly hurt, badly hurt to a point where they’ll never lead a normal life again. It’s shameful, and it’s evil,” Trump said. 

In his tour of battleground states this week, Trump has traveled to Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina and will hold events in Las Vegas and the Phoenix suburb of Glendale on Friday. His running mate, Senator JD Vance, spoke at the same location near the border a few weeks ago. 

Elected Democratic officials argued Wednesday night at the convention that their party is the one offering real leadership on border issues. 

“When it comes to the border, hear me when I say, ‘You know nothing, Donald Trump,’ ” said U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar, who represents the border city of El Paso, Texas. “He and his Republican imitators see the border and immigration as a political opportunity to exploit instead of an issue to address.” 

U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy spoke after a video played showing Republican opposition to a bipartisan border deal earlier this year. Murphy was the top Democrat negotiating the proposal with conservative senators and said the bill would have had unanimous support if it weren’t for Trump. 

Trump was asked about the deal, and he called it “weak” and “ineffective.”

 
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Arizona man wanted for threatening Trump on social media

WASHINGTON — An Arizona man is wanted after threatening over social media to kill former President Donald Trump, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday. 

Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, is in Cochise County as he visits the U.S. border with Mexico as part of his campaign. 

The man, Ronald Lee Syvrud, 66, has multiple outstanding warrants from Wisconsin, the sheriff’s office said.  

This is the latest in a series of threats against candidates ahead of the November 5 general election.  

In early August, a Virginia man was charged with threatening Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival, and a New Hampshire man was arrested in December for threatening to kill Republican presidential candidates. 

In July, Trump was wounded in his ear in an attempted assassination that left two others injured and one man dead.  

The U.S. Secret Service came under widespread scrutiny following the shooting. It resulted in the resignation of the agency’s director.
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Tim Walz’s nickname shines light on ‘period poverty’ in America

Washington — A schoolyard taunt against U.S. vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has vaulted a serious issue into the spotlight: that even in the world’s wealthiest nation, the struggle to afford menstrual supplies — known as “period poverty” — is a driving concern for the large portion of the population that menstruates.  

In 2023, the Minnesota governor signed a state law mandating free menstrual products in schools. His support drew the ire of conservatives who questioned the bill’s language requiring pads and tampons in all school bathrooms — not just those designated for girls. And it earned him a moniker that opponents have strung around his neck as he seeks the vice presidency: “Tampon Tim.” 

Much of the online chatter using the nickname devolves into crude, sexual claims about Walz.  

“He’s sick,” said Jesse Watters, a host on the conservative Fox news network, shortly after Walz was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate. “Walz forced schools to stock tampons in boys’ bathrooms. Tampons in fourth grade boys’ bathrooms. What a freak. What do boys need tampons for?” 

Presidential candidate Donald Trump said at a recent rally in North Carolina: “He wants tampons in boys’ bathrooms. I don’t think so. Tampons!” 

What the law actually says – and doesn’t 

But the Minnesota state law’s language, advocates argue, does not say that. It makes no mention of sex or gender, saying only that supplies must be provided “to all menstruating students” in “restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 to 12.” 

The editorial board of the state’s largest newspaper agreed, calling the $2 million initiative “good and necessary policy.” The paper also quoted a top Minnesota school administrator who said that the law’s language gives flexibility to schools to stock products in unisex bathrooms, girls’ bathrooms, with the school nurse or in the front office — and that, more than eight months into the program’s rollout, she had heard no concerns from schools about implementation.  

Opponents of similar initiatives have not given clear reasons for their opposition. In June, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed the Menstrual Hygiene Products Grant Program, a $6.4 million plan to provide free pads and tampons for kindergarten through 12th grade students in his state. The conservative governor did not say specifically afterwards why he vetoed this measure — which was among about $900 million he cut from the state budget through the veto pen.  

“Some of the stuff I don’t think was appropriate for state tax dollars,” he said. “Some of the stuff are things that I support but that we have state programs for.”  

And this month, the Florida governor called out Walz directly, saying: “This is a guy that used Minnesota tax dollars to put tampons in the boys’ bathrooms throughout the schools in Minnesota. Are you kidding me?” 

‘We cannot learn when we are leaking’ 

But all the talk about bathrooms and other issues, menstrual health advocates say, obscures the original point of the Minnesota bill. Its sponsor, Rep. Sandra Feist, said high school students lobbied her to present the legislation to combat the dire effects of period poverty. 

“One out of 10 menstruating youth miss school because of their menstrual cycle or during the menstrual cycle because of a lack of access to menstrual products and resources,” she said in presenting the bill. “This absenteeism impacts educational attainment directly and indirectly, through its correlation with increased depression and anxiety.” 

In the United States, it costs an average of just under $9 per month to cover period supplies, according to a study of average costs worldwide. But that cost can come down dramatically when school districts purchase the products in bulk. 

Elsewhere, costs are lowest in India — estimated at just under $3 — and highest in Algeria, where a month’s worth of supplies costs upwards of $34. 

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, when challenged recently by Trump adviser Stephen Miller to explain Walz’s support of the law, countered by highlighting Pennsylvania’s similar law, on social-media platform X: “No girl should have to worry about anything but her work at school each day.” 

And as then high-school student Elif Ozturk said in appealing to Minnesota legislators: “I have friends who decided to just skip school during that time, because we cannot learn when we are leaking.” 

VOA asked both presidential campaigns to outline how they would address period poverty, if elected. Neither responded.  

Not just a US problem 

These are familiar refrains in the developing world, where period poverty and menstrual shame are often documented. There, NGOs have intervened in some communities with programs that provide reusable supplies and work to destigmatize menstruation.  

The American Bar Association says in the developed world, Canada, Scotland and Spain recently enacted laws that aim to support people who menstruate. Taiwan, Japan, Zambia, are on a growing list of places that have menstrual leave protections, and Australia, China, Chile and Zimbabwe are considering steps as well.  

Campaigners say that the U.S. government could make several moves. Those include making supplies freely available through Medicare, federal educational programs and shelters; eliminating sales taxes on hygiene products; and by adding them to the list of items available through assistance programs. And they point to a pending bill that would, in addition to some of those things, require that all employers of more than 100 people provide free supplies. 

About 25 states — including Arizona, Michigan, New Mexico, New Jersey and Ohio — have passed laws providing free products in schools. 

Estimates of how much this costs vary widely — ranging between $2 and $29 per student per year. Overall spending by U.S. public schools averages $16,280 per pupil each year, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. 

Studies find that nearly one in four American students has trouble affording menstrual supplies, which are often taxed, unlike other essential medical supplies, and have seen steep inflation in recent years.  

‘Why is a girl with a period such a big, scary thing?’ 

Michela Bedard, executive director at PERIOD, an advocacy group, argues that this is not a personal problem, but a social one.  

“When people who require menstrual products — which is over half of our population — can’t fully engage in school, can’t fully engage in work or a commute to work, or athletics, or all the scholastic activities they want, it brings us all down, doesn’t it?” she told VOA. “We don’t talk about hunger that way. We often don’t talk about other basic needs that way. And so period products need to be considered part of the list of essential supplies that society needs to rely on to live their full selves.” 

And, she said, younger Americans are more accepting — and are the force behind many of the new state laws.  

This new attitude may be best reflected in a stalwart of the American teen literary scene, Seventeen magazine. As recently as the turn of the century, this glossy, bubbly American teen rag printed a page in every issue of short, reader-submitted anonymous tales. And that page, every month, reliably featured at least one paragraph-long horror story of the same exact narrative, which was posited as the worst nightmare of every high-school menstruator: Oh no my period happened in front of my crush! I was SO EMBARRASSED I wanted to just die!!!!  

That attitude is long gone, as reflected in a 2016 piece in that same magazine, outlining the exact same scenario of a crush learning a biological truth about his 16-year-old admirer and then shaming her for it.  

Instead, she rejects the shame, saying: “Why is a girl with a period such a big, scary thing? And I decided: It’s not. A period is not something embarrassing. It’s a sign that you’re healthy and that your body is doing what it’s supposed to.” 

Bedard told VOA that Walz should take a cue from today’s teens and wear his nickname with pride.  

“He is Tampon Tim to me,” she said. “He’s my kind of governor. I think that we need to lean into names like that, because it normalizes all the work that we at PERIOD have been doing for years. This is not a controversial issue.” 
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Democrats make strong appeals to Native voters, but have they missed the mark?

WASHINGTON — The Native American Caucus, meeting at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, opened its first meeting earlier this week with a prayer.

Amelia Flores, who chairs the Colorado River Indian Tribes in Arizona, introduced herself in the Mojave language and called on “Father, Creator” to bless Democrat leaders.

“We ask that you grant them wisdom and that our spirits will remain in a positive attitude throughout the next four days here. … We are gung-ho for our vice president and newly elect, with your favor, the first woman president of the United States,” she said.

More than 150 Native American delegates representing tribes across the U.S. participated in the convention this week. They brought a unique set of concerns that include safeguarding tribal sovereignty, clarifying their relationship with the federal government and overcoming voting barriers.

Native vote power

Speaking with VOA in July, Association on American Indian Affairs Director Shannon O’Loughlin, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma, emphasized that Native Americans have become an increasingly important voting bloc.

“If we do show up, and we do vote locally and nationally, we have the power to change the direction of the candidates and who’s chosen,” O’Loughlin said to VOA in July. “We saw that in the last election.”

That said, she notes some states’ efforts to discourage Native voters. In 2020, for example, the Native vote in Arizona helped swing the election in Biden’s favor. Two years later, Republican lawmakers passed a law requiring Arizonans to prove U.S. citizenship, a hardship for many Native voters.

Lower courts rejected the law, and the Republican National Committee has called on the U.S. Supreme Court to decide in time for the state to begin printing ballots.

A look at the numbers

According to the Native American Rights Fund, out of nearly 6.8 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives, 4.7 million are older than 18 and registered to vote.

It is commonly assumed that Native American voters favor the Democratic Party. But some studies show otherwise:

Oklahoma State University researchers in 2016 conducted an internet poll in which 46% of Native American respondents identified as Democrats, 26% as Republicans and 25% as independents.

A 2022 Midterm Voter Election Poll by the African American Research Collaborative showed similar numbers but also revealed that Native American voters are less likely to believe either political party is truly committed to advancing their issues and priorities.

“We obviously want to look at the numbers, which are very interesting and important, but I think what’s more telling at the end of the day is the fact that Native Americans are not really attached and don’t have a solidified relationship with either party,” said Gabriel Sanchez, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institute.

“Native American voters overwhelmingly tell us they’re not really partisan in how they approach voting decisions. It’s more a campaign season to campaign season evaluation of which party they perceive to be better for their communities,” he noted.

Sanchez told VOA that Native Americans are usually represented, at least symbolically, in political conventions. He observed, however, little Native presence at the Republican convention in mid-July.

In contrast, Native Americans showed up in force at the Democratic convention this week to support Kamala Harris’ bid for the White House, and they heard from prominent Democrats, including Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), the vice presidential nominee.

“We have 11 sovereign nations, Anishinaabe and Dakota, and our history in Minnesota, just like the rest across this country, is dark,” he said. “But in Minnesota, we’ve acknowledged it’s not just enough to admire a problem.

“What are you going to do to make a difference? What are you going to do to partner? What are you going to do to acknowledge the first Americans? And what are you going to do to understand that our state of Minnesota is stronger because of our 11 sovereign nations?”

Senator Corey Booker (D-NJ) expressed solidarity with Native voters, noting that Black and Native Americans face similar challenges “with a justice system that treats you better if you’re rich and guilty than if you’re poor and innocent, with a health care system where literally the lowest life expectancy in the nation is Native American and African American men.”

But will these messages resonate with Native voters, particularly those registered as Independents?

“An issue that’s nowhere near on the radar of either party’s platform is missing and murdered Indigenous women,” Sanchez told VOA, citing a First Nations Development Institute survey of Native Americans showing this to be a top concern.

“And I think if either the Democrat or Republican Party can embrace that particular issue, it will go a long way.”
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepts Democratic Party VP nomination

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepted his party’s nomination as vice president during the third day of the Democratic National Convention. VOA Midwest Correspondent Kane Farabaugh has more from Chicago.
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Democratic convention ends Thursday with party’s new standard bearer, Kamala Harris

Harris will cap whirlwind month that began when President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid
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Pro-Palestinian protesters rally, march on Democratic convention’s 3rd night

CHICAGO — More than 2,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched Wednesday past a park where pro-Israel demonstrators had gathered earlier and toward the arena hosting the third night of the Democratic National Convention.

The demonstration, which stayed largely peaceful, came a day after violent clashes between police and protesters led to 56 arrests at a much smaller unsanctioned protest outside the Israeli Consulate.

Organizers of Wednesday’s demonstration drew on the Chicago area’s Palestinian community, one of the largest in the country, by bringing buses from suburban mosques.

Raed Shuk, 48, came with his children from the suburbs, including his 2-year-old son, who sat on Shuk’s shoulders ahead of the march. Shuk, whose parents are Palestinian, said they have come to so many rallies that his son knows the chants by heart.

“Everybody’s humanity needs to be equally addressed here and there,” he said of Gaza. “I want to help my children learn from this experience that you always like to stand up for your rights and always peacefully protest.”

The march, one of the largest anticipated demonstrations of the week, took on a festive tone at times as a drum line led marchers and a sea of Palestinian flags waved above the crowds. Some kids ate popsicles as they walked, and others were pushed in strollers or rode in wagons.

The crowd stopped outside a park that is roughly a block from the United Center and used megaphones and air horns to call out elected leaders, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, for being “complicit” in the war in Gaza. The two-term Democrat, who was under consideration as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, criticized a cease-fire resolution Chicago approved in January.

The crowds of pro-Palestinian protesters included many families and people of different faiths. Small groups of Muslims gathered in prayer at a park just ahead of the march’s kickoff, using keffiyeh as prayer rugs. Rabbis were among the leaders of the march, and a small group marched through in the crowd holding a sign that said, “Christians for Ceasefire.”

Rabbi Brant Rosen, a founder of the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council, condemned Democrats for not speaking out about the war in Gaza at the convention.

“The word Palestine is not allowed inside the Democratic National Convention. The word cease-fire has barely been uttered,” he said. “This is a Hollywood-style coronation of a candidate. They assume they are entitled to our votes, but they are not entitled to our votes.”

Earlier in the day, police escorted pro-Israel demonstrators out of a park near the United Center as the area was blocked off ahead of the march of activists heading there.

The rally near the United Center was organized by the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, a Palestinian and Arab community-based organization. It was in stark contrast to the protest Tuesday night outside the Israeli Consulate. Protesters not affiliated with a coalition of more than 200 groups that have the city’s permission for demonstrations ended up in an intense standoff with Chicago police.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said those arrested Tuesday night outside the Israeli Consulate, about 3.2 kilometers from the United Center, “showed up with the intention of committing acts of violence, vandalism.” Snelling called the police response “proportionate.”

Thirty of the people detained by police were issued citations for disorderly conduct, according to Chicago police. One person was arrested on a felony charge of resisting police, while nine were charged with misdemeanors including disorderly conduct, resisting officers, battery, assault and criminal damage to property, police said.

Snelling said that two people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, one for knee pain and one with a finger injury. Two officers were injured, but they refused medical attention because they did not want to leave fellow officers, Snelling said. He said three journalists were among those arrested, but he did not have details on charges.

Hatem Abudayyeh, co-founder of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, put the onus on police to keep the peace when asked about the clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters and police. The police “only have one responsibility here,” he said. “They have the responsibility of not infringing on our First Amendment rights.”

The Israeli Consulate has been the site of numerous demonstrations since the war in Gaza began in October, and protests during the DNC have largely focused on opposing the Israel-Hamas war.

The largest protest so far, which attracted about 3,500 people on Monday, was largely peaceful and resulted in 13 arrests, most related to a breach of security fencing. Two were arrested Sunday night during another mostly peaceful march. 
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Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, introduces himself to the nation

CHICAGO — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted his party’s nomination for vice president Wednesday night, using his Democratic National Convention address to thank the packed arena for “bringing the joy” to an election transformed by the elevation of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

“We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple, reason: We love this country,” Walz said as thousands of delegates hoisted vertical placards reading “Coach Walz” in red, white and blue.

Walz described his upbringing in Nebraska and teaching and coaching football in Minnesota and told the crowd, “Thank you for bringing the joy to this fight.”

“While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” he said. In a dig at his Republican counterpart, JD Vance, he added, “I had 24 kids in my high school class, and none of them went to Yale.”

When Walz talked about the difficulty conceiving his daughter, Hope, she made a heart with her hands and held it over her chest. His son, Gus, wept watching his dad speak and at least once shouted, “That’s my dad!”

“I haven’t given a lot of speeches like this, but I’ve given a lot of pep talks,” Walz said.

Democrats gathered at Chicago’s United Center are hoping to build on the momentum Harris has brought since taking over the top of the party’s presidential ticket last month. They want to harness the Democratic exuberance that followed President Joe Biden stepping aside while also making clear to their supporters that they face a fierce battle with former President Donald Trump.

Many Americans had never heard of Walz until Harris made him her running mate. In his first weeks of campaigning, he’s charmed supporters with his background and helped to balance Harris’ coastal background as a cultural representative of Midwestern states whose voters she needs this fall.

But Walz also has faced scrutiny, including questions about embellishing his background. His wife this week clarified that she did not undergo in vitro fertilization, as Walz has repeatedly claimed, but used other fertility treatments. Republicans also have criticized Walz for a 2018 comment he made about carrying weapons in war. Though he served in the National Guard for 24 years, he did not deploy to a war zone.

Benjamin C. Ingman, one of Walz’s old high school students, introduced the man many speakers — and Harris at times — have referred to as “Coach Walz.” At Ingman’s prompting, many of Walz’s former players decked out in their red and white jerseys took the stage to help introduce him.

The Bill and Oprah show

Walz’s speech followed former President Bill Clinton who returned to a place he knows well, the Democratic National Convention stage, to denounce Donald Trump as selfish and praise Kamala Harris as focused on the needs of Americans — firing up his party with his trademark off-the-cuff flourishes.

Clinton was meant to add heft to a third DNC night headlined by vice presidential nominee Tim Walz ‘s introduction to a national audience.

“We’ve got a pretty clear choice it seems to me. Kamala Harris, for the people. And the other guy who has proved, even more than the first go-around, that he’s about me, myself and I,” Clinton said.

The nation’s 42nd president and a veteran of his party’s political convention going back decades, Clinton was once declared the “secretary of explaining stuff” by Barack Obama, whose reelection bid in 2012 was bolstered by a Clinton stemwinder at that year’s DNC.

Now 78 — the same age as Trump — Clinton’s delivery was sometimes halting, his movements slower and he mispronounced Harris’ first name twice. His left hand often shook when he wasn’t using it to grip the lectern.

Still, he delivered several memorable, homespun pronouncements including asking. “What does her opponent do with his voice? He mostly talks about himself. So the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I’s.”

Oprah Winfrey, who long hosted her signature TV talk show from Chicago, picked up on one of Democrats’ favorite themes of late, scoffing at Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance having once derided “childless cat ladies” as he argued that Americans should be having more children.

Winfrey said that if a burning house belonged to a “childless cat lady,” neighbors would still help and “try to get that cat out, too.”

“We are beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery,” she said of Trump, before referencing a recent comment he made to supporters about only having to vote once more — for him — and never again.

“You’re looking at a registered independent who’s proud to vote again and again and again, because that’s what Americans do,” she said. “Voting is the best of America.”

A focus on ‘freedoms’

The night’s theme was “a fight for our freedoms,” with the programming focusing on abortion access and other rights that Democrats want to center in their campaign against Trump. Speaker after speaker argued that their party wants to defend freedoms while Republicans want to take them away.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis used a prop that has become a convention staple, an oversized book meant to represent the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a sweeping set of goals to shrink government and push it to the right, if Trump wins. Polis even ripped a page from the ceremonial volume and said he was going to keep it and show it to undecided voters.

The former president has distanced himself from Project 2025, but its key authors include his former top advisers. His running mate, JD Vance, wrote the foreword for the Heritage Foundation CEO’s new book.

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told the story of a woman in her state, which enacted new abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, who was forced to carry to term a child with a fatal illness, only to watch the newborn die just hours after birth.

Dana Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general and an openly gay woman, declared, “I got a message for the Republicans and the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: You can pry this wedding band from my cold, dead, gay hand.”

Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi spoke about the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He chaired a congressional committee that investigated the mob overrunning the Capitol, saying, “They wanted to stop the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history.”

“Thank God they failed,” Thompson said.

Trump bashed the convention as a “charade” and noted the fact that he has been a frequent topic of conversation. He also singled out his predecessor, Obama, for a highly critical convention speech Tuesday night, saying Obama had been “nasty.”

A recognition of the Oct. 7 hostages

Democrats recognized the hostages still being held by Hamas after its October 7 attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed. Jon and Rachel Goldberg-Polin brought some in the arena to tears as they paid tribute to their son Hersh, who was abducted in the attack.

Freeing hostages “is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” Jon Goldberg-Polin said, adding that “in a competition of pain there are no winners.”

The Israel-Hamas war has split the Democratic base, with pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrating outside the United Center and several speakers this week acknowledging civilian deaths in the Israeli offensive in Gaza. More than 40,000 people have died in Gaza, according to local health authorities. 
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Trump holds first outdoor rally since last month’s assassination attempt

ASHEBORO, North Carolina — In his first outdoor rally since last month’s assassination attempt, Donald Trump appeared on stage in North Carolina to talk about national security as part of his weeklong trip across the country to draw attention away from Democrats and their national convention.

“Seventy-six days from now, we’re going to win this state and we’re going to win the White House,” Trump said at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame from behind a podium surrounded by panes of bulletproof glass that formed a protective wall across the stage.

Storage containers were stacked around the perimeter to create additional walls and block sight lines. Snipers were positioned on roofs at the venue, where old aircraft were sitting behind the podium and a large American flag was suspended from cranes.

The event, billed as being focused on national security issues, is part of Trump’s weeklong series of counterprogramming to the Democratic National Convention, which is underway in Chicago. Allies have been urging him to focus on policy instead of personal attacks as he struggles to adjust to running against Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

Trump was joined Wednesday by his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, who cast Harris as a candidate selected by power brokers instead of voters and lambasted her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, before Trump took the stage.

That included continuing to hammer Walz for mischaracterizing his service record as an Army National Guard member, as well as Walz’s retirement from service before his unit’s deployment to Iraq.

Trump has spent the week visiting battleground states in his busiest week of campaigning since the Republican primaries.

Reflecting the importance of North Carolina in this year’s election, the trip is Trump’s second to the state in the past week. Last Wednesday, he appeared in Asheville, North Carolina, for a speech on the economy.

Trump won North Carolina by a comfortable margin in 2016. The state delivered the former president his closest statewide margin of victory four years ago and is once again considered a key battleground in 2024.

Before Trump arrived, his plane did a flyover of the rally site. The crowd erupted into cheers.

Edna Ryan, a 68-year-old retired flight attendant and private pilot, said she was bullish on the Republican’s chances, but said: “We need to be strong because otherwise we’re going to be very sorry.”

Lisa Watts, a retired business owner from Hickory, North Carolina, who was attending her fifth Trump rally, said she’s feeling “very positive” about the race against Harris.

Watts said she doesn’t think Trump’s chances of winning are much different now from when Biden was the Democratic nominee.

“I think the Democrats are going to try to do everything they can to keep her up on that pedestal,” she said, predicting the hype around Harris will fade.
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Fannie Lou Hamer rattled Democratic convention 60 years ago with ‘Is this America?’ speech

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Tim Walz, Bill Clinton to speak at Democratic convention’s third day

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Former president Obama rallies Democrats for Harris in Chicago

Former President Barack Obama addressed Democrats in his home city of Chicago Tuesday, saying Vice President Kamala Harris is the right choice to take on Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election this November. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from the second night of the Democratic National Convention.
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Obamas close DNC’s second night with rousing Harris endorsement

CHICAGO — Warning of a difficult fight ahead, former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on Tuesday called on the nation to embrace Kamala Harris in urgent messages to the Democratic National Convention that were at times both hopeful and foreboding.

“America, hope is making a comeback,” the former first lady declared. She then tore into Republican Donald Trump, a sharp shift from the 2016 convention speech in which she told her party, “When they go low, we go high.”

“His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black,” Obama said of Trump.

Her husband, the nation’s first Black president pushing for America to elect its second, called Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”

“It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala,” he charged.

The fiery messages from two of the Democratic Party’s biggest stars underscored the urgency of the moment as Harris works to stitch together a broad coalition in her bid to defeat Trump this fall. She is drawing on stars like the Obamas and other celebrities, officials from the far left to the middle, and even some Republicans to boost her campaign.

And while the theme of the night was “a bold vision for America’s future,” the disparate factions of Harris’ evolving coalition demonstrated, above all, that they are connected by a deep desire to prevent a second Trump presidency.

Just ahead of the Obamas’ remarks, Harris addressed an estimated 15,000 people in battleground Wisconsin in the arena where Republicans held their convention last month. She declared that she was running “a people-powered campaign.”

“Together we will chart a new way forward,” the vice president said in remarks that were partially broadcast to the DNC. “A future for freedom, opportunity, of optimism and faith.”

Back in Chicago, Senators Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, and Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent beloved by progressives, both praised Harris. And in an appearance perhaps intended to needle Trump, his former press secretary Stephanie Grisham — now a harsh critic of her former boss — also took the convention stage.

Trump “has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth,” Grisham said. “I love my country more than my party. Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people. And she has my vote.”

Still, it was not all serious on the second night of the four-day convention.

A symbolic roll call in which delegates from each state pledged their support for the Democratic nominee turned into a party atmosphere. A DJ played a mix of state-specific songs — and Atlanta native Lil Jon ran out during Georgia’s turn to his hit song with DJ Snake, “Turn Down for What,” to the delight of the thousands inside the cavernous United Center.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who will become the nation’s first gentleman if his wife wins the presidency, shared personal details about his relationship with Harris — their cooking habits, their first date and her laugh, which is often mocked by Republican critics.

“You know that laugh. I love that laugh!” Emhoff said as the crowd cheered. Later, he added, “Her empathy is her strength.”

Trump, meanwhile, was out on the campaign trail as part of his weeklong swing-state tour during the Democratic convention. He went to Howell, Michigan, on Tuesday and stood aside sheriff’s deputies as he labeled Harris the “ringleader” of a “Marxist attack on law enforcement” across the country.

“Kamala Harris will deliver crime, chaos, destruction and death,” Trump said in one of many generalizations about an America under Harris.

Harris, meanwhile, cast the election in dire, almost existential terms. She implored Americans not to get complacent in light of the Supreme Court decision carving out broad presidential immunity, a power she said Trump would abuse.

She has also seized on Trump’s opposition to a nationally guaranteed right to abortion.

“They seemingly don’t trust women,” she said of Trump and his Republican allies. “Well, we trust women.”

The vice president’s speech evoked some of the same themes that underlaid Biden’s case for reelection before he dropped out, casting Trump as a threat to democracy. Harris argued that Trump threatens the values and freedoms that Americans hold dear.

Someone with that record “should never again have the opportunity to stand behind the seal of the president of the United States,” Harris said. “Never again.”
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DNC’s Day 2: Double dose of Obama firepower, a doting spouse and a dance party

CHICAGO — The Democratic National Convention’s second night showcased a double dose of Obama firepower to validate Vice President Kamala Harris and deliver an unsparing indictment of Republican Donald Trump. The convention also served up a raucous roll call of states that was essentially one big dance party.

Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, ducked out of Chicago to hold a rally just up the interstate in Milwaukee, wooing voters in battleground Wisconsin. It was a recognition that, regardless of whatever good vibes may exist at the convention, Democrats expect this presidential election to be razor-close.

Here are some takeaways from the convention’s second night.

The ex-presidents club

If the Republican convention was all about Trump, the Democrats on Tuesday wanted to put Harris in a pantheon with past presidents.

The biggest validators of the night were former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. The latter linked Harris with her husband by telling the rapt crowd, “America, hope is making a comeback.”

Barack Obama, for his part, reached back to his own 2004 convention speech to tie Harris to his legacy. “I am feeling hopeful — because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where everything is possible,” he said.

It wasn’t just the Obamas making the case for the vice president. The grandsons of Jimmy Carter and John F. Kennedy also portrayed her as the natural heir of past Democratic leaders.

As groundbreaking as Harris’ candidacy is as the first woman of color to be her party’s nominee, these speeches by an ex-president and presidential progeny were all about linking her to a broader historical arc and evoking the excitement of Obama’s 2008 run that Harris hopes to replicate.

Diverting from the high road

The Obamas did not hold back in lacing into Trump. Michelle Obama’s well-worn adage from years past that “when they go low, we go high” no longer seemed operative.

Barack Obama called Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”

Michelle Obama also took a personal swipe, saying: “For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black.”

Playing off her famous line about Republicans going low, Michelle Obama suggested that Trump was going “small” and that “it’s unhealthy, and quite frankly, it’s unpresidential.”

DNC dance party

Political conventions technically happen so that delegates can nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates.

This year, the Democrats took care of that job in advance. But that didn’t stop them from holding a ceremonial do-over and turning it into a raucous dance party.

DJ Cassidy strode on stage in a bright blue double-breasted suit and spun tunes for every state as they nominated Harris and Walz. Minnesota got “1999” by native son Prince, Kansas got “Carry on Wayward Son” by, well, Kansas. “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen played as New Jersey weighed in.

Usually it was governors or state party chairs calling out the votes, but some states passed the mic to make serious points. Kate Cox, who unsuccessfully sued her home state of Texas while seeking an abortion for a non-viable fetus, announced Texas’ votes. A survivor of the 2017 Las Vegas strip gun massacre announced Nevada’s votes.

The roll call highlight was when Atlanta rapper Lil Jon strode through the United Center to the beats of “Turn Down for What,” his song with DJ Snake, and rapped his support for Harris and Walz.

Democrats are eager to highlight how Harris’ ascension has energized the party. The roll call fit that vibe.

America’s blind date with Doug Emhoff

Doug Emhoff wants America to love his wife as much as he does.

His convention speech Tuesday night focused on their love story and offered a personal glimpse meant to pull in voters, too. He dished on the deets of their first phone call, after he left her a rambling voicemail that she still makes him listen to every year on their anniversary.

“I love that laugh,” he said adoringly, a rebuttal to Trump’s criticism of Harris’ laughter.

As Harris flew back to Chicago from Milwaukee after her rally there, Air Force Two spent an extra 10 minutes in the air so she could watch her husband speak, according to an aide.

Emhoff said he “just fell in love fast” with Harris, adding that she finds “joy in pursuing justice” and “stands up to bullies.” It’s not how most husbands describe their partners, but, then, Emhoff is trying to convince voters that the woman he’s been married to for 10 years this Thursday knows how to take on Trump.

A message for Republicans: It’s OK to quit Trump

The Democrats are making a play for disaffected Trump voters — and they used one of his former White House staffers to make their case.

Stephanie Grisham worked in various roles in the Trump White House, including communications director and press secretary, allowing Democrats to argue that those who know Trump best have seen him at his worst.

“He has no empathy, no morals, and no fidelity to the truth,” Grisham said. “I couldn’t be part of the insanity any longer.”

Kyle Sweetser, a Trump voter from Alabama, told the convention the former president’s tariffs made life harder for construction workers like him. Republican Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Arizona, also spoke about why he’s backing Harris. Giles sees Trump’s policies as hurting cities like his.
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Trump campaigns in Michigan with ‘Make America Safe Again’ speech

HOWELL, Michigan — Former President Donald Trump pledged Tuesday to “Make America Safe Again” while campaigning in Michigan as Democrats gathered in Chicago to nominate Kamala Harris. 

As part of a battleground campaign swing designed to counter the Democratic National Convention, Trump stood alongside sheriff’s deputies in the city of Howell and tarred Harris, a former San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general, as the “ringleader” of a “Marxist attack on law enforcement” across the country. 

“Kamala Harris will deliver crime, chaos, destruction and death,” Trump said in one of many generalizations about an America under Harris. “You’ll see levels of crime that you’ve never seen before. … I will deliver law, order, safety and peace.” 

Trump has sought in recent weeks to blunt the enthusiasm that Harris has attracted since President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign and endorsed her. That has involved both dark predictions about what electing Harris would mean for the country and efforts by Trump’s advisers to set up events where he can try to draw specific policy contrasts. On Tuesday in Michigan, the subject was crime and public safety. 

In excerpts released before his speech, Trump’s campaign also said he would call for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers; he did not mention that during his remarks. 

The event was the latest billed as focused on a specific issue. But on these occasions, Trump has spent considerable time attacking Harris personally and taking shots at Biden, and the same was true after their appearances Monday at the Democratic convention. 

“I watched last night in amazement as they tried to pretend everything was great,” Trump said, singling out inflation and the U.S.-Mexico border as topics Democrats glossed over. “We have a fool as president,” he said of Biden. 

Trump presented a bleak portrait of life in the U.S. and the threat of a Harris presidency, though he was short on specifics and heavy on hyperbole. 

“It’s just insane,” Trump said. “You can’t walk across the street to get a loaf of bread. You get shot, you get mugged, you get raped, you get whatever it may be. And you’ve seen it, and I’ve seen it, and it’s time for a change.” 

Trump making such claims, surrounded by supportive law enforcement officers, stood in stark contrast to the Democrats’ convention. Speaker after speaker found ways Monday night in Chicago to remind Americans that Trump is the first former president ever convicted of felony crimes, has been found civilly liable for sexual assault, and still faces multiple indictments, including for his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat to Biden. 

Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas skewered Trump on Monday night as “a career criminal, with 34 felonies, two impeachments and one porn star,” a reference to his payments to an adult film actress at issue in his New York conviction for business fraud. 

The derision reached its peak as Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated in 2016, stood back from the podium and smiled as delegates chanted: “Lock him up! Lock him up!” — a turnabout from Trump supporters’ chants about Clinton eight years ago despite the former secretary of state never having been charged with any crime. 
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13 protesters arrested during first day of Democratic National Convention in Chicago 

CHICAGO — Thirteen people were arrested during protests on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, most of them related to a “brief breach” of security fencing “within sight and sound of the United Center,” the city’s police superintendent said Tuesday.

More protests were planned throughout the week, including one Tuesday night outside the Israeli Consulate. However, attendance at the main rally on Monday was far below estimates of organizers who had predicted more than 20,000 would show up.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Tuesday that the crowd was around 3,500 strong and that the vast majority of the protesters were peaceful.

However, some clashed with police, used pepper spray against them and threw water bottles at officers during the clash in the park where there was a breach in security fencing, Snelling said. He said officers did not use any chemical sprays.

“Our officers showed great restraint,” he said at a news conference. “We’re not going to tolerate vandalism and violence in our city. … We’re going to continue to protect the city.”

Snelling said with more protests planned, his department is prepared to de-escalate situations whenever possible.

“Again, we’re up to the challenge,” Snelling said. “The city is up to the challenge.”

The park where the most arrests were made, located a block from the convention arena, served as a destination point for a march of thousands calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Several dozen activists broke off from the main group, breached the fencing, and were pushed back by police.

Authorities said the inner security perimeter surrounding the United Center was not breached and there was no threat to those attending the convention.

On Tuesday morning, an extra line of fencing was installed at the park and the tall metal barriers were reinforced to prevent protesters from lifting and removing the panels. No police officers or protesters were in the park early Tuesday.

The 13 people arrested during Monday’s protest were detained on charges ranging from criminal trespass and resisting and obstructing an arrest, to aggravated battery of police officers, Snelling said.

At least 10 of them were arrested in connection with the fence, he said.

Snelling said he did not connect those who tore down the fence with the entirety of the march. He said the vast majority of participants were peaceful, and he praised his officers’ conduct in the moment.

The Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild said two of the people arrested were hospitalized. Snelling said they were taken to the hospital to ensure they would receive medication they were taking.

Two people were also arrested on misdemeanor property damage and resisting arrest charges during a protest march Sunday night. As of Tuesday morning, 15 people had been arrested.

In downtown Chicago, security was tighter than usual — including law enforcement officers with weapons slung across their bodies — outside the office building that houses the Israeli Consulate and a major city transportation hub. Metal barricades were set up, and an officer said they were preparing for a 7 p.m. demonstration.

The consulate, located about 3.2 kilometers from the United Center, has been the site of numerous demonstrations since the war in Gaza began in October. It is in a building connected to the Ogilvie Transportation Center, a major commuter rail station.

Most of the largest demonstrations have been organized by the Coalition to March on the DNC, which has focused on calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. But smaller protests have popped up around the city, during the convention’s welcome party at Navy Pier.
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Obama and Emhoff are to headline the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday 

CHICAGO — Former President Barack Obama and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will speak Tuesday on the second day of the Democratic National Convention, turning the party’s attention toward Vice President Kamala Harris and her faceoff against Republican Donald Trump.

The pivot toward the presidential campaign’s final 76 days follows an opening night that was designed to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president, who was greeted with a hero’s welcome for stepping aside for Harris.

Speaking clearly and energetically, Biden appeared to relish the chance to defend his record, advocate for his vice president and assail Trump. His delivery was more reminiscent of the Biden who won in 2020 than the mumbling and sometimes incoherent one-time candidate whose debate performance against Trump in June sparked the downfall of his reelection campaign.

Biden, in his remarks, repeated his 2020 theme that “we’re in a battle for the very soul of America,” and pressed the case for why Harris and her running mate Tim Walz were best prepared to wage it.

“Because of you, we’ve had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period,” Biden declared. And then he interjected, “I say ‘we,’ I mean ‘me and Kamala,'” sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president to whom he handed over his political operation.

Harris made a brief, unannounced appearance at the convention on Monday to thank Biden for his leadership. She later joined him on stage, where the two spoke and hugged.

“Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you’ll continue to do,” she said. “We are forever grateful to you.”

The opening day ran more than an hour behind schedule and forced some planned speakers, including musician James Taylor, to be dropped from the program, which convention organizers attributed to sustained applause for speakers.

Harris will travel Tuesday to Milwaukee for a rally in the swing state of Wisconsin before returning to Chicago late in the evening.

The Harris campaign said Tuesday that it will spotlight “trusted messengers” from key battleground states over the convention’s three remaining days. They include Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Gary Peters and Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan; Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. From Arizona, Sen. Mark Kelly will speak along with John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina will be the last speaker before Harris accepts the Democratic nomination on Thursday.
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At Democratic National Convention, Biden endorses Harris, burnishes his legacy

A month after announcing that he will not seek reelection, President Joe Biden addressed the Democratic National Convention Monday evening. He sought to burnish his legacy and pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s new presidential nominee. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports from the DNC in Chicago, Illinois.
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DNC’s Day 1: Biden’s exit, talk of the glass ceiling, nod to Gaza protesters

CHICAGO — The Democratic National Convention ‘s first night showcased speeches from the last Democrat to lose to Donald Trump and the last one to beat him.

Hillary Clinton spoke hopefully of finally breaking the “glass ceiling” to elect a female president. Joe Biden laced into Trump and directly acknowledged the concerns of protesters against the war in Gaza who demonstrated a few blocks from the convention hall.

Here are some takeaways from the first night of the convention.

Biden begins long political exit

President Joe Biden wrapped up the convention’s opening night by beginning his long political farewell with an address that both framed his own legacy and signaled he was ready to start ceding control of the party to Vice President Kamala Harris.

He took the stage to a long, raucous ovation from delegates hoisting “We love Joe” placards and told them in turn, “I love you!” After the affectionate opening, Biden spent long stretches of his 50-minute speech lacing into Trump, returning to a key theme of the reelection campaign he’s no longer running.

Biden ticked through many of his administration’s achievements, including a major public works package and climate program, and shared the credit with Harris. But the convention ran so late that Biden took the stage after prime time had ended in much of the country. That didn’t stop Biden from declaring, “America’s winning.”

Biden called Harris a “close friend” and said picking her as his running mate was the best decision he ever made. He also vowed to help get the new Democratic ticket elected, promising to be the “best volunteer” that Harris and Walz have ever seen.

He ended by telling those still listening, “I gave my best to you for 50 years.”

He had no plan to linger at the convention, though. Biden was set to fly to California’s wine country for a vacation immediately after his speech.

A surprise Harris appearance to pay tribute to Biden

The vice president made an unscheduled appearance onstage to pay tribute to Biden ahead of his own address to the convention. She told the president, “Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you’ll continue to do.”

On a night meant to honor the president who stepped aside to make way for Harris, the vice president added, “We are forever grateful to you.” Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were in the stands to cheer her message.

Gaza gets little attention inside DNC hall — except from Biden

Thousands of marchers churned through Chicago’s streets protesting U.S. support for Israel during the war in Gaza. But inside the convention hall, the combustible issue went largely unmentioned until Biden got to the microphone.

Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez got cheers when she praised Harris for working “tirelessly to get a cease-fire in Gaza and get the hostages home.” Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia made a brief allusion to the conflict.

A handful of delegates who ran on an “uncommitted” ticket protesting Biden’s position on the war unfurled a banner during his speech that read “Stop Arming Israel.” But it was blocked by supporters waving Biden signs before it was wrestled away and the lights over that section of the audience were shut off.

Biden himself addressed the issue head-on, saying he’d keep working to “end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security to the Middle East.”

“Those protesters out in the streets have a point,” Biden said. “A lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.”

The crowd cheered, and for a moment the war didn’t seem like it was dividing the party at all.

Clinton revives talk of breaking that ‘glass ceiling’

Clinton was greeted with wild and sustained applause that lasted for more than two minutes before she quieted the crowd. She delivered a fiery speech hoping that Harris could do what she could not –- become the first woman president by beating Trump.

Clinton evoked her 2016 concession speech by referencing all the “cracks in the glass ceiling” that she and her voters had achieved. And she painted a vision of Harris “on the other side of that glass ceiling” taking the oath of office as president.

She closed her speech with a striking desire for someone who’s stood at the pinnacle of American politics and power: “I want my grandchildren and their grandchildren to know I was here at this moment. That we were here and that we were with Kamala Harris every step of the way.”

Clinton dipped into traditional political attacks in her speech, including mocking Trump’s criminal record. That led to chants of “lock him up” — mirroring the ones that Trump’s supporters directed at Clinton in 2016.

Tracing a line from Jesse Jackson to Kamala Harris

An early theme of the evening was celebrating the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a longtime civil rights leader in Chicago and former presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988. Many Democrats credit him with blazing a trail that helped Barack Obama win the White House in 2008 and Kamala Harris become the first woman of color nominated for the presidency.

Jackson was saluted from the stage by several speakers, including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and California Rep. Maxine Waters. There was a video montage of Jackson’s career and legacy that played before the 82-year-old Jackson himself came to the stage in a wheelchair, thrusting his arms skyward and grinning. Jackson has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

During the 1984 Democratic convention in San Francisco, Jackson gave a speech declaring that America is “like a quilt: Many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread.” The address became known as the “Rainbow Coalition” speech, and Jackson used momentum from it to seek the Democratic nomination again in 1988.

Harris has called Jackson “one of America’s greatest patriots.”

Remember COVID? Democrats don’t want voters — or Trump — to forget

Democrats opted to shine the convention spotlight on the harrowing subject of the coronavirus pandemic.

It was a reflection of Democratic frustration at how Trump has portrayed his tenure in office as a golden age for the country, even though hundreds of thousands of Americans died of COVID-19 during the last year of his term.

There are plenty of risks for Democrats in hammering the pandemic. Even more people died of the virus during Biden’s presidency than during Trump’s, voters have shown an eagerness to move on and some preventative measures championed by Democrats — like school closures and masking — are not popular in retrospect.

Still, the lineup of early speakers focused on Trump’s performance during the pandemic. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan recalled how her brother was the second person in Tennessee to die of the disease and how she couldn’t visit him or hold a memorial service. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, a nurse, said of Trump: “He took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe. We can never ever let him be our president again.”

Rep. Robert Garcia, whose mother and stepfather died of the disease in 2020, recalled Trump’s missteps and concluded with one of the slogans of Harris’ young campaign: “We are not going back.”

Democrats one-up Republicans on labor

Trump’s convention last month featured a rare appearance from a union leader at such a GOP event: Teamsters President Sean O’Brien. That’s reflective of how Trump’s populism has cut into Democrats’ advantage with union households.

In that speech, O’Brien did not endorse Trump. But he criticized both major political parties for not doing enough to help working people.

Democrats didn’t invite O’Brien to their convention, but they countered with a half-dozen other union leaders onstage Monday. And then Shawn Fain, head of the United Auto Workers, led a blistering chant of “Trump’s a scab!” while wearing a red T-shirt emblazoned with those words.

Fain noted that Biden visited a UAW picket line last year and, when autoworkers struck in 2019, Harris, not Trump, walked the picket lines. “Donald Trump is all talk and Kamala Harris walks the walk,” Fain said.
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Biden gets rousing ovation, gives Harris enthusiastic endorsement

Chicago — President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, as his decision to end his reelection bid released newfound energy within his party with Vice President Kamala Harris’ elevation to the top of the ticket.

After 52 years rising to the pinnacle of influence within his party, Biden, 81, received a hero’s welcome for the act of stepping aside for Harris, weeks after many in his party were pressuring him to drop his bid for reelection. One month after an unprecedented mid-campaign switch, the opening night of the convention in Chicago was designed to give a graceful exit to the incumbent president and slingshot Harris toward a faceoff with Republican Donald Trump, whose comeback bid for the White House is viewed by Democrats as an existential threat.

A visibly emotional Biden was greeted by a more than four-minute-long ovation and chants of “Thank you, Joe.”

“America, I love you,” he replied.

Speaking clearly and energetically, Biden appeared to relish the chance to defend his record, advocate for his vice president and go on the attack against Trump. His delivery was more reminiscent of the Biden who won in 2020 than the mumbling and sometimes incoherent one-time candidate whose debate performance against Trump in June sparked the downfall of his reelection campaign.

Biden, in his remarks, repeated his 2020 theme that “we’re in a battle for the very soul of America,” and pressed the case for why Harris and her running mate Tim Walz were best prepared to wage it.

“Because of you, we’ve had the most extraordinary four years of progress ever, period,” Biden declared. And then he interjected, “I say ‘we,’ I mean me and Kamala,'” sharing the credit for his most popular successes with the vice president to whom he handed over his political operation.

Harris made an unannounced appearance onstage as the convention’s prime-time program began Monday evening to thank Biden for his leadership and watched his remarks from the stands.

“Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you’ll continue to do,” she said. “We are forever grateful to you.”

Biden’s speech, billed as the marquee event of the evening, was pushed into late night as the convention program lagged more than an hour behind schedule.

The president recalled the 2017 “unite the right” rally, when torch-carrying white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, an episode he cites as cementing his decision to run for president in 2020 despite his ongoing grief over the death of his son Beau Biden.

“I could not stay on the sidelines,” Biden said. “So I ran. I had no intention of running again. I’d just lost part of my soul. But I ran with a deep conviction.”

Biden celebrated the successes from his administration, including a massive boost in infrastructure spending and a cap on the price of insulin. The spending resulted in more money going to Republican-leaning states than Democratic states, he said, because “the job of the president is to deliver for all of America.”

During one of the crowd’s many chants of “thank you, Joe,” he added, “Thank you, Kamala, too.”

Not even a month ago, Democrats were riven over foreign policy, political strategy and Biden himself, who was holding on after a disastrous debate by claiming he had a better chance than any other Democrat — including Harris — of beating Trump.

On Monday, Biden insisted he did not harbor any ill will to the many voices in the arena before him who had pushed him to the exits and called on the party to unite around Harris. Accusing Trump of “bowing down” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden said, “I never have and I promise you Kamala Harris will never do it.”

“She’ll be a president we can all be proud of,” he said.

First lady Jill Biden alluded to her husband’s wrenching decision to leave the race in her remarks minutes before Biden took the stage. She said she fell in love with him all over again “just weeks ago, when I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.”

Still, there was little question that the Democratic Party would almost certainly have been in a far worse state if Biden had continued to cling to his campaign, despite growing concerns about his mental and physical acuity after struggling to complete sentences during his debate against Trump.

Democrats took turns praising Biden’s leadership and his choice in Harris to succeed him. “I’ve never known a more compassionate man than Joe Biden,” said his longtime confidant Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, who led the crowd in a “we love Joe” chant.

They tried to connect both Biden and Harris to what the party sees as the governing pair’s most popular accomplishments: leading the country out of the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing for massive investments in the country’s infrastructure, working to lower health care costs and promoting clean energy.

“Thanks to Joe and Kamala, we reduced the price of prescription drugs, repaired roads and bridges and replaced lead pipes,” said South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn, whose 2020 endorsement was critical to Biden winning that primary. He added that one of Biden’s best decisions was “selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him.”

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was greeted with prolonged applause, saluted Harris while noting her potential to break the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” to become America’s first female president. Clinton was the Democratic nominee in 2016, but she lost that election to Trump.

“Together, we’ve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Clinton said, invoking a metaphor she referenced in her concession speech eight years ago. “On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. When a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us.”

Clinton also saluted Biden for stepping aside, saying, “Now we are writing a new chapter in America’s story.”

Highlighting the party’s generational reach, Clinton, 76, followed New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 34, who endorsed Harris while delivering the first mention of the war in Gaza from the convention stage, addressing an issue that has split the party’s base ever since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s resulting offensive.

Outside the arena, thousands of protesters descended on Chicago to decry the Biden-Harris administration’s support for the Israeli war effort.

Harris “is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home,” Ocasio-Cortez said, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Biden acknowledged the protests outside the convention and inside the arena as he spoke, saying, “Those protesters out in the street have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.” He reiterated his push to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire deal that would also see the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 in the attack that sparked the 10-month war.

Meanwhile, Democrats also looked to keep the focus on Trump, whose criminal convictions they mocked and who they asserted was only fighting for himself, rather than “for the people” — the night’s official theme.

Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow hoisted an oversized copy of “Project 2025” — a blueprint for a second Trump term that was put together by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank — onto the lectern and quoted from portions of it.

“So we read it,” McMorrow said. “Whatever you think it might be. It is so much worse.”

Trump, the former president, has publicly disavowed any interests in the policies outlined in Project 2025, but he has close ties to its authors and campaign aides had praised its work in the past.

Democrats kept abortion access front and center for voters, betting that the issue will propel them to success as it has in other key races since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. Speakers Monday included three women whose health care suffered as a result of that decision. And the convention program included a video of Trump praising his own role in getting Roe struck down.
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US intelligence officials blame Iran for hacks targeting Trump, Biden-Harris campaigns

washington — U.S. intelligence officials said Monday that they were confident that Iran was responsible for the hack of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, casting the cyber intrusion as part of a brazen and broader effort by Tehran to interfere in American politics and undermine faith in democratic institutions.

Although the Trump campaign and private-sector cybersecurity investigators had previously said Iran was behind the hacking attempts, it was the first time the U.S. government had assigned blame for the attack.

The joint statement from the FBI and other federal agencies also indicated that Iran was responsible for attempts to hack Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, saying hackers had “sought access to individuals with direct access to the presidential campaign of both political parties.”

The goal of the hacking and other activities, federal officials said, was not only to sow discord but also to shape the outcome of elections that Iran perceives to be “particularly consequential in terms of the impact they could have on its national security interests.”

“We have observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity during this election cycle, specifically involving influence operations targeting the American public and cyber operations targeting presidential campaigns,” said the statement, which in addition to the FBI was also released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

The statement largely confirms the findings of private companies like Microsoft, which earlier this month issued a report detailing foreign agents’ attempts to interfere in this year’s election, and Google, which separately said that an Iranian group linked to the country’s Revolutionary Guard has tried to infiltrate the personal email accounts of roughly a dozen people linked to President Joe Biden and Trump since May.
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Democrats approve platform that mentions Biden’s ‘second term’ despite his making way for Harris

CHICAGO — Delegates at the Democratic National Convention voted Monday night to approve their 2024 party platform, which lays out familiar priorities for the party but wasn’t updated to reflect that President Joe Biden is no longer running for reelection.

The largely ceremonial vote at Chicago’s convention signaled the party coalescing around a singular vision for the next four years — though a somewhat outdated one, as Vice President Kamala Harris has only outlined a few of her own specific policy positions since she took over the Democratic presidential ticket last month. The platform makes repeated reference to Biden’s “second term” despite the president’s decision a month ago to no longer seek one.

The Democratic National Committee said the more than 90-page document “makes a strong statement about the historic work that President Biden and Vice President Harris have accomplished hand-in-hand and offers a vision for a progressive agenda that we can build on as a nation and as a Party as we head into the next four years.”

Regina Romero, the mayor of Tucson, Arizona, and co-chair of the convention platform committee, told delegates that the platform was passed “prior to the president passing the torch in an act of love and patriotism.” She said that the platform nonetheless included input from all corners of the party and has a “forward-looking vision for our party that echoes the voice of all.”

“Vice President Harris is now carrying the torch,” Romero said.

The platform was approved on the floor by a voice vote.

The convention’s platform committee voted to approve the platform on July 16, days before Biden bowed out of the race and endorsed Harris on July 21. As a result, the document repeatedly refers to Biden’s second term and his administration’s accomplishments. It mentions Harris’ work as vice president but does not describe her candidacy or go into detail on her views on key issues.

“President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats are running to finish the job,” it states, a sentiment that is now out of date.

Republican former President Donald Trump’s campaign has sought to tie Harris to Biden, arguing that his policies on the economy and other key issues are deeply unpopular. In a statement released shortly before the convention vote, it said, “There is no daylight between Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. The proof? The DNC just released Kamala’s party platform, and it includes at least (asterisk)nineteen(asterisk) mentions of ‘Biden’s second term.'”

Harris has indeed talked generally about supporting the Biden administration’s key goals, which are more or less endorsed in the platform as written. It calls for restoring abortion rights nationwide, continuing to advance green energy initiatives that can create jobs and help slow climate change, capping low-income families’ child care costs and urging Congress to approve a pathway to U.S. citizenship for “long-term” people in the country illegally.

The platform also says Israel’s right to defend itself is “ironclad” while endorsing the Biden administration’s efforts to broker a lasting cease-fire deal that could suspend the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Harris laid out a string of new economic proposals last week but otherwise hasn’t released a detailed list of her policy positions since taking over the top of the Democratic ticket. Her campaign aides have suggested she no longer adheres to some of the more liberal positions she took during her first run for president in 2020, including endorsing a ban on hydraulic fracturing.

In any event, candidates are not bound to adhere to their party’s platform and often don’t. What the platforms spell out usually has little effect on the race and is unlikely to have much impact on Election Day this cycle.
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Protesters gather in Chicago for opening of Democratic National Convention   

chicago — Protesters rallied outside the Democratic National Convention on its opening day Monday, saying they were determined to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza and other issues. Chicago officials said they were committed to keeping the demonstrations peaceful. 

Protesters said their plans have not changed since President Joe Biden left the race and the party quickly rallied behind Vice President Kamala Harris, who will formally accept the Democratic nomination this week. Activists said they were ready to amplify their progressive message before the nation’s top Democratic leaders. 

“We have to play our part in the belly of the beast to stop the genocide, to end U.S. aid to Israel and stand with Palestine,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC, which includes hundreds of organizations. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson said authorities were well prepared. “The city of Chicago is really good at things like this,” he told a news conference. “We are ready.” 

The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation, and buses were bringing activists from all over the country. Organizers said they hoped the turnout for Monday’s march and rally would be at least 20,000 people. 

Taylor Cook, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, traveled from Atlanta for the march. Cook said the group was pushing all Democrats to call for an end to aid to Israel, with a particular focus on Harris. 

“We’re saying to Kamala, she has been complicit in this. People think it’s just Joe Biden, but she is vice president,” Cook said. “So, we’re saying, you need to stop if you want our vote.” 

Medea Benjamin, 71, who traveled to Chicago from Washington, D.C., with a women-led group of protesters calling for peace, said she was shocked that the Biden administration recently approved an additional $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel. 

“There’s an incredible discrepancy in what people are calling for in this country and what the administration is doing,” she said, speaking ahead of a rally in Union Park. “We’re so disgusted by this.” 

Activists say they learned lessons from last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. They expect bigger crowds and more robust demonstrations in Chicago. 

Both sides of Gaza fight

Pro-Palestinian supporters descended on the park, west of the Loop business district, for a rally. They planned to march a short distance to a site near the United Center, where the convention is taking place. 

Around 40 pro-Israel supporters walked around the park during the rally. The pro-Israel counterprotesters, who mainly remained silent while waving Israeli flags, were accompanied by about 20 police officers on bicycles. Although tensions flared at times, there were no physical altercations. 

Josh Weiner, co-founder of Chicago Jewish Alliance who walked with the pro-Israel group, said their intent was to “make our presence felt.” 

Weiner said the group applied for permits that were not approved by the city. 

“The pro-Palestine protesters have gotten multiple permits, including a march, which seems to be a little bit weighted on one side,” Weiner said. 

Police Superintendent Larry Snelling praised police and march organizers for a peaceful Sunday night protest calling for abortion and LGBTQ+ rights and an end to the war in Gaza. Chicago police said two people were arrested on misdemeanor charges of resisting police and damaging property. 

“Listen, it’s this simple. The Chicago Police Department is here to protect everyone in this city,” Snelling said. “What we will not tolerate is intimidation. We will not tolerate violence.” 

Protester issues include climate change, abortion rights and racial equality, to name a few, but many agree that pressing for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war is the top message of the demonstrations. They have likened it to the Vietnam War of their generation. 

Chicago, which has hosted more political conventions than any other U.S. city, has been unable to escape comparisons to the infamous 1968 convention where police and anti-Vietnam War protesters violently clashed on live television. 

Some businesses boarded up their windows as a precaution, and county courts said they would open more space in case of mass arrests. Chicago police say officers have undergone extensive training on constitutional policing and de-escalation tactics. 

Coalition activists and the city have been at odds over the location of the protests and other logistics. A judge sided with the city over an approximately 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) march route, which organizers argue isn’t big enough for the expected crowds. Abudayyeh said the coalition would continue to push for a much longer route. 

Not a single speaker or spectator showed up by early afternoon to a speakers’ stage offered by city officials near the United Center. Eight groups with progressive agendas had signed up for 45-minute speaking slots Monday. On other days, some conservative groups, including the Illinois Policy Institute, have plans to speak. 

Also Monday, the Philadelphia-based Poor People’s Army, which advocates for economic justice, planned to set up at Humboldt Park on the city’s northwest side to feature events with third-party presidential candidates Jill Stein and Cornel West, plus a 3-mile (5-kilometer) march. 
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At DNC, Biden will seek to elevate Harris, burnish his legacy

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