Politics

The Associated Press reports: The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the state’s rejection of signed petitions for an abortion rights ballot initiative on Thursday, keeping the proposal from going before voters in November. The ruling dashed the organizers’ hopes of getting the constitutional amendment measure onto the ballot in the predominantly Republican state, where many top leaders promote their opposition to …

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: The race between Sen. Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Collin Allred to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate remains close, according to a new poll. A University of Houston Hobby School and Texas Southern University Jordan-Leland School poll released Thursday found that 46.6% of likely Texas voters plan to vote for Cruz, while 44.5% said …

The Hill reports: An emotional Gus Walz was seen in the crowd at the DNC on Wednesday night. Walz, standing with his mother Gwen and sister Hope, had tears streaming down his face and appeared to be sobbing openly with pride as his mother and sister silently cried beside him. “Gus, Hope and Gwen, you are my entire world and …

The Associated Press reports: Nancy Pelosi opened her convention speech with a sense of gratitude for President Joe Biden, even after her doubts about his campaign fed into the pressures that led him to end his reelection effort. “Thank you, Joe,” Pelosi said after going through Biden’s legislative achievements. Then the former House speaker added, “I know that Vice President …

The Washington Post reports: “I’m calling on all you independents and all you undecideds,” Winfrey said. “You know I’m telling you the truth that values and character matter, most of all, in leadership and in life, and more than anything — you know, this is true — that decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024.” She continued: “When …

NPR reports: Before a cheering crowd, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg homed in on the theme of “joy” that the Harris campaign has been leaning into. He called for “better politics” and an end to Trump’s “politics of darkness.” “The makeup of my kitchen table, the existence of my family is just one example of something that was literally impossible as …

Politico reports: “Let’s cut to the chase: The stakes are too high and I’m too old to gild the lily,” Clinton said in his twelfth convention address, which he peppered with references to his advancing age. “I actually turned 78 two days ago. And I’m still not quite as old as Donald Trump.” Trump, Clinton said, is still divisive, still …

The New York Times reports: Tim Walz proved why Harris chose him. He kept it short, and, even as he introduced himself to millions of Americans for the first time, heeded the cardinal rule of vice-presidential protocol: never upstage the boss. His speech ran for a crisp 16 minutes, about half the length of Mr. Clinton’s expansive address. He knew …

CNN reports: Wednesday’s Democratic National Convention will lean into its “fight for our freedoms” theme in its third day, organizers said, as Democrats continue to introduce vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz to voters. In addition to Walz’s remarks. former President Bill Clinton is a major speaker Wednesday, and he will “underscore the importance of this moment and this election …

Chicago’s Nexstar affiliate reports: Chicago Police and the FBI is investigating whether maggots were intentionally slipped into a breakfast prepared for delegates attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, a law enforcement source tells WGN Investigates. It’s unclear if the contamination was discovered before any delegates consumed the food. “We can confirm that a group of individuals caused a disruption …

NBC News reports: A telecom company has agreed to pay a $1 million fine for its role in the deepfake robocall that impersonated President Joe Biden’s voice ahead of the New Hampshire Democratic primary. Lingo Telecom, a voice service provider that distributed the artificial intelligence-generated robocalls through “spoofed” phone numbers, will pay the seven-figure penalty and agreed to stricter oversight …

The Bergen Record reports: Rep. Bill Pascrell, the veteran Democrat who represented the Paterson area in Congress for nearly three decades, died Wednesday, his family confirmed. He was 87 years old. A Paterson resident and former Paterson mayor, Pascrell was first elected to Congress in 1996 and had served on the House Ways and Means Committee since 2007. Pascrell had …

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 …