Former president Barack Obama addresses the DNC 2024
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Tim Walz will formally accept the nomination to be the Democratic Party’s vice presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Wednesday, with 42nd president Bill Clinton among the other headline speakers.
The popular Minnesota Governor appeared alongside Kamala Harris at a campaign rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday, at which he once more championed their cause and ridiculed Republican rival Donald Trump.
Back at the United Center in the Windy City, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama both delivered barnstorming addresses, with the 44th president saying of Trump: “We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse.
“Here is a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. There’s the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes.”
The ex-first lady meanwhile hit Trump on his “Black jobs” claims and cautioned delegates against complacency despite positive polling in Harris’s favor.
Other speakers on Tuesday included Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, senators Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Trump’s own former press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
Key Points
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Explained: Could the US election end in a tie? How the electoral college works
The US presidential election system produces some strange results. In 2000, George W Bush won despite polling half a million fewer votes than Al Gore. In 2016, Donald Trump won with 63 million votes against Hillary Clinton with 66 million.
The system is a hangover from 18th-century delegate democracy and also, crucially, from the origin of the US as a federation of states that jealously guarded their rights. Because states’ rights are involved – particularly the right of smaller states to greater representation – the system is unlikely ever to be changed.
Oliver O’Connell21 August 2024 21:20
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New Harris-Walz ad targeting Asian Americans highlights Trump’s Covid ‘kung-flu’ slur
The ads will air both on television — including ethnicity-focused networks like The Filipino Channel, 3HmongTV, SBS Television Korea, and Zee TV — and on apps like YouTube, iHeartRadio, and Snap. They are part of a broader $90m media push to grab voters in battleground states.
Oliver O’Connell21 August 2024 20:58
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Harris campaign draws contrast with Trump in another split screen
Oliver O’Connell21 August 2024 20:36
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Report: RFK Jr to drop out of presidential race by end of week
The outlet reported on Wednesday that Kennedy is leaning towards possibly backing former President Donald Trump, but those familiar with the candidate’s thinking noted that the decision could still change.
Oliver O’Connell21 August 2024 20:17
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Trump claims he ‘happens to like and respect’ the Obamas — hours before they eviscerate him at DNC
The Republican nominee claimed he “respected” Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, despite the fact that he has spent years bashing his predecessor and proliferating false claims about him, including questioning whether Obama was a US citizen, alleging he ordered the wiretapping of Trump Tower, and even claiming he founded ISIS.
But hours before Obama headlined the second night of the DNC, Trump offered rare praise for him.
Oliver O’Connell21 August 2024 20:00
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Kamala Harris makes second surprise appearance at DNC virtually from Milwaukee rallyOliver O’Connell21 August 2024 19:40
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Pro-Palestinian protesters clash with police near Chicago’s Israeli consulate on second night of DNC
Multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested Tuesday after clashing with police during a protest that began outside the Israeli consulate and spilled out onto the surrounding streets on the second night of the Democratic National Convention.
The intense confrontations with officers began minutes into the demonstration, after some protesters – many dressed in black, their faces covered – charged at a line of police that had blocked the group from marching. They eventually moved past the officers, but were penned in several times throughout the night by police in riot gear who did not allow protesters to disperse.
The Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, which provided legal observers for Tuesday’s protests, said at least 72 people were arrested.
A large portion of the arrests happened at the end of the night, as police pinned the remaining demonstrators – some of whom said they were trying to get home – in a plaza and blocked them from leaving. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling denied that police had “kettled” protesters, a tactic that involves corralling demonstrators in a confined area, which is banned under a federal consent decree.
Snelling, who has been present at all major demonstrations during the convention, praised his officers’ handling of the protests, calling the response proportional.
“We have people who showed up here to commit acts of violence,” he told reporters late Tuesday. “They wanted chaos.”
When asked to detail the violent acts, he said the demonstrators walked right into police officers. He declined to give the number of arrests, saying he did not have a final total.
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Which states have abortion rights on the ballot this November?
Montana voters will have the chance to weigh in on whether abortion rights should be enshrined in the state’s constitution in November, making it the ninth state to put the issue of abortion directly in the hands of residents.
On Tuesday, the Montana Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that the general election ballot would include an abortion rights measure, which will ask residents if the state should enshrine a state Supreme Court ruling that protects the right to abortion up to the point of viability (24 weeks).
Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, a coalition of abortion rights advocates including the ACLU Montana, Planned Parenthood of Montana, Forward Montana and the Fairness Project had submitted 117,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office in support of the measure. That is nearly double the 60,039 required.
Here are the other states where abortion will be on the ballot.
Ariana Baio21 August 2024 19:00
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As she endorses Harris, Melania Trump’s ex-aide tells DNC she ‘couldn’t be part of insanity any longer’
Donald Trump’s former White House press secretary spoke on the second night of the Democratic National Convention to endorse Kamala Harris.
Stephanie Grisham, who held the role from July 2019 to April 2020, is one of several Republican figures invited to the convention in Chicago to denounce the “extremism” of the former president and his campaign.
Mike Bedigan watched her remarks.
Oliver O’Connell21 August 2024 18:40
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Another JD Vance joke goes wrong as quip about Tim Walz comes back to bite Trump
“Well, I found a good friend from back home who embellishes and lies a lot, I’m having him stand in for Tim Walz,” Vance responded.
You can see where this is going…
Katie Hawkinson has the story.
Oliver O’Connell21 August 2024 18:20
