Politics

The Associated Press reports: Voters will get to decide in November whether they want to protect the right to an abortion in the constitution of Montana, which on Tuesday became the eighth state to put the issue before the electorate this fall. The Montana Secretary of State’s Office certified that the general election ballot will include the initiative on abortion …

The Huffington Post reports: Stephen Colbert found out where Melania Trump was hiding on Tuesday with the help of Laura Benanti’s impression of the former first lady. In character as Melania Trump, Benanti, standing in front of a Democratic National Convention background, greeted viewers, “Hello, Chicago!” “Why are you there?” Colbert asked. “Oh, Stephen,” Benanti replied. “I am trying to …

“Let’s be serious. Donald Trump and his minions call Kamala a communist. I know communism. I fled communism from Nicaragua when I was 8 years old. I don’t take it lightly. “And let me tell you what communist dictators do. And it’s never just for one day. They attack the free press. They call them the enemy of the people …

USA Today reports: Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff took to the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night with a deeply personal story about his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris. Instead of talking about her campaign platform, political background, or prosecutorial chops, he shared the details of how they first met. Emhoff, who worked as an entertainment litigator in …

The New York Times reports: Michelle Obama, the former first lady and one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, delivered one of the Democratic National Convention’s most emphatic takedowns of former President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday night and turned one of his most controversial campaign lines against him: “Who’s going to tell him that the job …

Politico reports: Before a packed arena where a number of delegates remained on their feet throughout his 35-minute speech, former President Barack Obama eviscerated the Republican nominee as “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 …

NPR reports: The Democratic National Convention returns for a second day Tuesday with a tribute to Vice President Kamala Harris from her husband, first gentleman Doug Emhoff, and speeches from former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. Other speakers on Tuesday include Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. Day …

The Independent reports: The first night of the ongoing Democratic National Convention in Chicago had signficantly better ratings than the opening of the Republican National Convention last month, according to overnight data. The DNC had 11.4 percent of sampled households watching in 44 major metro areas across seven networks on Monday, compared with the RNC’s 9.4 percent rating, a difference …

CNN reports: One of Donald Trump’s attorneys was targeted in a hacking attempt, three sources familiar with the matter tell CNN, marking a potentially serious new development as American intelligence agencies confirmed Monday that they have concluded Iran is behind a recent hack into the former president’s 2024 campaign. One source told CNN that Lindsey Halligan was targeted as part …

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports: Early Tuesday morning, once delegates and dignitaries had left for the night, crews went to work outside the arena to reinforce the DNC security perimeter. A group of protesters breached the security fencing, even before the gavel fell on the first day proceedings. Whole sections of snap-together iron fencing were taken down, and, in some cases, …

CNN reports: Democratic National Convention organizers have adjusted the start time of Tuesday’s convention programming following Monday’s late night, which ran significantly behind schedule. President Joe Biden’s remarks, originally scheduled for primetime, bled past midnight ET. “We made some real-time adjustments,” convention executive director Alex Hornbrook said at a Tuesday morning briefing. He continued: “We’re working with our speakers and …

ABC News reports: Georgia Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock’s speech echoed ones he made at the pulpit while attacking the Republican nominee and Republican efforts to disenfranchise voters in battleground states, including Georgia. “Behind the ‘Big Lie’ was an even bigger lie, it is the lie that this increasingly diverse American electorate does not get to determine the future of the …

“We have to help [Vice President Kamala Harris] win because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends. “And I, for one, am tired … of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a …

NPR reports: Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention is underway in Chicago. President Biden is slated to headline the night, serving as the opening act to what not too long ago would have been his convention. Biden is expected to discuss his administration’s economic and policy priorities and how Harris would keep up that work if elected. Also speaking …

The Associated Press reports: 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. “We have to play our part in the belly of the beast to stop the genocide, to …

Axios reports: Monday, “For the People”: Biden and Dr. Jill Biden speak, along with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a welcome from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Tuesday, “A Bold Vision for America’s Future”: Former President Obama plus second gentleman Doug Emhoff, with a welcome from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.. Wednesday, “A Fight for Our Freedoms”: Vice presidential nominee …

The Washington Post reports: The FBI arrested D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. on Sunday, according to the council’s chairman and two other people familiar with the matter, in a sudden move against the unorthodox two-term Southeast Washington leader that appeared to take other city officials by surprise. The circumstances of the arrest and the nature of the allegations against …

CNN reports: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker confirmed Sunday that “about 250” members of the state’s National Guard will be on standby at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week. “They are really on standby,” Pritzker said at a news conference. “They are at the perimeter.” “Nobody expects that we’ll have to use them for anything very serious, but we …

Essence Magazine reports: ESSENCE has exclusively confirmed that former First Lady Michelle Obama will speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, according to the Democratic National Convention Committee(DNCC) AND Mrs. Obama’s office. This highly anticipated speech will place Mrs. Obama among a lineup of prominent Democratic leaders who are rallying in support of Vice President Harris and …

Politico reports: The main organization corralling more than 200 groups to protest at the convention met the day Harris announced her candidacy. The meeting was to consider whether to move forward with the same confrontational approach they had aimed at President Joe Biden, who they dubbed “Genocide Joe” for his policies on Israel. “We all came to a consensus that …