Kamala Harris accepts historic Democratic nomination at DNC

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Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22.

Vice President?Kamala Harris?capped one of the most extraordinary months in modern political history?Thursday night?with a speech that rallied Democrats and cast Donald Trump as the enemy of classic American principles.

Harris went directly at her Republican rival, offering a clean break from the uncertainty and upheaval during his years in the White House. She laid out the former president’s legal troubles. She blamed him for the horrors some women have faced amid the implementation of strict state-level abortion laws.

Here are the takeaways from the fourth night of the DNC:

Fight for “freedom” and a question of government interference: Harris has talked at great length about “freedom,” seeking to reframe issues such as reproductive rights as a question of government interference.

Harris gets personal: The vice president didn’t explicitly compare her upbringing with the former president’s, but other speakers this week have made a more direct contrast between her childhood and Trump’s life as the son of a real estate mogul.

Allies back up Harris’ resume: Each night, speakers have highlighted her work fighting transnational gangs, sexual abusers and corporate bad actors.

Meet the Harris clan: Trump and many other Republicans for years have made a show out of mispronouncing Harris’ first name. On Thursday night, Harris’ two young grandnieces appeared onstage with actress Kerry Washington to send a message: It’s so easy that children can do it. Harris’ niece, Meena Harris, appeared with Harris’ stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff and her goddaughter, Helena Hudlin. Later, Maya Harris, the vice president’s sister, talked about their mother, who died in 2009.

Gun violence testimonies: The convention highlighted the personal stories of people affected by gun violence. Speakers shared their experiences of loss, including Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath whose son was murdered in 2012; mothers who lost their children in the mass shootings at the Sandy Hook and Uvalde school shootings; Melody McFadden, who lost her mother to domestic violence; and Edgar Vilchez, who lost a classmate. Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, who survived a shooting at a campaign event in 2011, closed out the segment.

‘Central Park Five’ member: Trump has a long history of weaponizing racial resentments for political gain, but the first instance of Trump utilizing that brand of politics was when the “Central Park Five” — five Black and Latino teenage boys — were wrongfully arrested in 1989 and eventually convicted of raping and assaulting a woman jogging in New York City.?Trump, then a New York real estate developer, took out and signed full-page newspaper ads calling for the boys to be executed. Those boys were later exonerated. On Thursday night, four of the five appeared on stage at the DNC.

Gaza war opponents denied speaking spot: The DNC denied speaking time to “Uncommitted” delegates elected by primary protest votes against the Biden administration’s Israel policy. Harris?pledged to support and defend Israel and condemned the atrocities of Hamas’ October 7 attacks. She then said “what has happened in Gaza over the last 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost. Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again.”

Celebrities make their mark: The DNC has seen several stars this week, from Lil Jon’s surprise appearance during the star-studded roll call to Oprah Winfrey’s speech Wednesday. Mindy Kaling, Tony Goldwyn, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Sheila E. Pink, Mickey Guyton, Maren Morris and Jason Isbell also got stage time.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks to a reporter in the CNN Spin Room ahead of a CNN Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden on June 27.

After publicly bashing him at a recent rally in Georgia, former President Donald Trump appears to be extending an olive branch to Gov. Brian Kemp.?

The post comes after allies expressed frustration with Trump for his ongoing public criticism of the popular Georgia governor.

Georgia is widely considered one of the most critical battleground states and one in which the Trump campaign has grown increasingly concerned since Kamala Harris took over at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Vice President Kamala Harris made history Thursday night as?she formally accepted the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

Harris announced her candidacy last month after President Joe Biden?withdrew his reelection bid?and endorsed her to succeed him. The party has moved quickly to coalesce behind Harris following Biden’s?unprecedented exit.

Harris’ speech closed out the fourth and final day of the convention, which was held at the United Center in Chicago.

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention on August 22.

Balloons fall from the ceiling of Chicago's United Center at the end of the convention on Thursday.

Actor Kerry Washington, center, alongside Vice President Kamala Harris’s grandnieces Leila, left, and Amara, right, lead the audience in a call-and-response chant.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, second from right, speaks to media inside the United Center on Thursday. Shapiro was on the short list to be Harris' running mate.

Convention attendees cast shadows on the upper level of the United Center on Thursday.

Attendee Mevlüt Hilmi Cinar prays inside the arena on Thursday.

Photographers work during Harris' speech on Thursday.?

People inside the United Center watch US Sen. Elizabeth Warren speak on Thursday.?

Harris kisses her husband, Doug Emhoff, after her speech. Thursday was also their 10th wedding anniversary.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are joined by their spouses, Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz, after Harris' speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.

See more pictures from the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Democratic National Convention on August 22.

In her keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, Vice President?Kamala Harris?said that, if elected, she would maintain the US alliance with Israel and support the Jewish state’s ability to defend itself. She also acknowledged the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza as Israel’s war destroys the enclave.

Why this stands out: Harris’ remarks are largely in line with the Biden administration’s position, though this was the most she has publicly said on the issue and her most fulsome comments in support of Palestinian self-determination since ascending to the top of the Democratic ticket. Both?President Joe Biden?and Harris have expressed support for a two-state solution.

A banner calling for an arms embargo against Israel is laid outside the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22.

What the Uncommitted National Movement was doing: The group had?led a sit-in outside the convention?after the Harris campaign denied their request to address the gathering. On Thursday, the uncommitted delegates entered the venue for Harris’ speech, effectively ending the sit-in. The delegates issued another demand to the Harris campaign, though: Come to Michigan and other swing states and talk to Palestinian American families by September 15.

The group’s leaders criticized the DNC and the Harris campaign for rejecting what they perceived as a modest or symbolic request in denying a speaking slot for a Palestinian American at the convention. Still,?Elabed said the delegates had no plans to disrupt the proceedings ahead of or during Harris’s acceptance speech.

Eight undecided voters from Allentown, Pennsylvania speak with CNN following the end of the Democratic National Convention.

Eight residents of Allentown, Pennsylvania, all previously undecided voters, told CNN’s Gary Tuchman how they felt Kamala Harris performed at the Democratic National Convention.

Six of the eight said they were now ready to vote for Harris. One resident will vote for Donald Trump, and one is not planning to vote.

Harris’ speech, during which she accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, received three As, three B+’s, one B and one C, from the group.

Multiple group members said they wanted Harris to go more “in depth” during her speech.

Scott, who gave her a B+, said she looked “very confident” and liked her message of unity. He didn’t give her an A because “she needed to go into a little more detail” about her plans.

Brian, who gave her the C, said “she wasn’t clear enough on the policies” and said that while he liked that she shared more of her background, “I still don’t feel like she’s ready.”

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, August 22, 2024.?

Kamala Harris?promised Americans a future that neither?Donald Trump?nor?Joe Biden?could deliver, showing how profoundly she has changed the 2024 election.

The first Black woman to claim a major party nomination on Thursday styled her “unlikely journey” to the Democratic nod as the springboard to lift the country to a new place after years of being torn apart by its bitter divides.

The vice president offered voters a clear choice in a steady and patriotic?Democratic National Convention address.

Americans can take the road of “chaos and calamity” in a new term under Trump, whom she called “an unserious man” who nevertheless poses a “serious threat” to democracy and basic American freedoms.

Or, Harris said, the country can recommit to values she evoked in detailing her upbringing as a daughter of immigrants nurtured by a loving California community of unofficial aunts, epitomized by “Freedom. Opportunity. Compassion. Dignity. Fairness. And endless possibilities.”

Instead of Trump’s American carnage and threats of retribution, Harris is presenting herself as the catalyst for America’s quintessential capacity to renew itself. She leveraged her past as a prosecutor,?pledging to always be “for the people” while accusing the Republican nominee of serving “the only client he has ever had: Himself.”

Read the full analysis.

Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday that if Donald Trump were to become president again, he and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion; enact a nationwide abortion ban; force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions “with or without Congress”; and create a national anti-abortion coordinator.

Facts First: Harris is making a prediction that we cannot definitively fact check, but Trump himself has not, during this campaign, endorsed these policies she said he would implement as president. Many of the policies are?proposed in Project 2025, a conservative think tank’s set of policy preferences for a Republican administration.?

Over the past couple of decades, Trump’s position has shifted?several times on abortion restrictions.?

Trump?regularly boasts?about how he appointed the justices to the US Supreme Court that overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed pregnant people the right to an abortion in the United States. ?

Even in this latest campaign, Trump has?repeatedly ducked?direct questions about his support for a federal ban, and polls show that the majority of Americans are not in favor of a federal abortion ban.

Polls also show Republicans and Democrats largely believe that access to birth control should be widely available. Possibly reflecting those sentiments, in April, Trump said directly that he would not sign?a national abortion ban if reelected to the White House. Trump also said?the decision to ban abortion should be left up to the states. In July, the Republican National Committee softened language on abortion that better reflected those views.?

Trump’s current position on abortion reversed what he said in 2016 when he was first running for the presidency and was the opposite of statements he made throughout his time in office.?

Some scholars are concerned that conservative advisers to Trump have encouraged him to ban abortions by enforcing the 1873 Comstock Act. By enforcing this Victorian-era anti-vice law that is still on the books, but is not currently enforced, he could create a national ban and bypass the need for legislation. ?

The Comstock law specifically bans the mailing of “obscene” materials used to produce an abortion.?Some scholars?believe Trump could use?the Justice Department to enforce a ban that would not just restrict people from sending the medication currently used in the majority of abortions through the mail, but would ban any materials used to produce any kind of abortion. The Comstock law has also been used to ban birth control. ?

Trump has not officially endorsed the enforcement of the Comstock Act, but it is?a strategy some of his advisers have outlined, including former advisers who created Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s plan for the next Republican administration. Trump has not endorsed Project 2025. ?

In an interview with CBS on Monday, when asked if he would enforce the Comstock Act, Trump said that “specifics” remained to be determined, but that he “generally” wouldn’t enforce the act’s prohibition against pills used for an abortion. Trump has not elaborated on what “generally” means, but he did add that “the federal government should have nothing to do with this issue.”?

Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff celebrate together after Harris's speech at the Democratic National Convention on August 22.

Vice President Kamala Harris thanked supporters and donors gathered at Queenie’s Supper Club following her speech in the United Center at the Democratic National Convention.

Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff expressed gratitude and optimism for their campaign.

Emhoff acknowledged their 10th wedding anniversary and said her speech this evening “exceeded expectations.”?

“We have been talking all week about you setting this moment up, and you, honey, exceeded the highest expectation. And for these past four weeks, we have seen you become the leader we all know you to be,” he said.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Democratic National Convention on August 22.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday said former President Donald Trump fights for the wealthy, not the middle class.?

Facts First:?Harris is referring to?Trump’s vow?to extend the provisions of his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that expire next year. Her claim is mostly true, though extending the provisions would also help Americans who are not wealthy.?

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, one of Trump’s key achievements in office, reduced taxes for most people, though the rich benefited far more than others. If the expiring provisions are made permanent, the?highest-income households?would receive more than 45% of the benefits, according to a July?analysis?by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.?

If the law’s provisions are made permanent, households making at least $450,000 – roughly the top 5% – would be the biggest winners, the analysis found. They would see their after-tax income increase by 3.2%. For those in the top 1%, who make at least $1 million, that boost equates to a tax cut of about $70,000, on average, in 2027.?

Middle-income households earning between roughly $65,000 and $116,000, on the other hand, would receive a tax cut of about $1,000, or 1.3% of their income, the analysis found.?

Overall, extending the 2017 tax law provisions would reduce taxes for about three-quarters of households but hike them by about 10%, according to the analysis.?

As for the impact on the national debt, extending the individual income and estate tax cuts, extending or maintaining some of the law’s corporate tax changes, and taking interest into account would increase the deficit by more than $4.6 trillion over a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.??

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Democratic National Convention on August 22.

On the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination for president in a much-anticipated speech.

She presented herself as the underdog in the race and attacked former President Donald Trump while outlining her key policy proposals and telling voters about her background.

While accepting the nomination, she promised to “be a president for all Americans.”

Here are some of her key quotes:

Star-studded appearances: The Chicks performed the National Anthem and pop star Pink performed her hit “What About Us” with her daughter, Willow.?Kerry Washington hosted part of the night and brought out her “Scandal” co-star Tony Goldwyn.

The past four days have been a jubilant celebration for Democrats in Chicago, culminating in Kamala Harris’ acceptance tonight of her party’s nomination for president.

But even as confetti and balloons showered down inside the United Center, the vice president remains “clear-eyed” about what could come next, a top Democrat who spoke with Harris in recent days told CNN.?

This person said they’ve not heard the vice president or senior Harris campaign officials use the word “honeymoon” to describe the period between President Joe Biden dropping out of the race and now.?

But, they said, the vice president herself and others on down have made clear that they anticipate the momentum and enthusiasm of the past few weeks could wane — for reasons that may or may not be under Harris’ control.?

Photographers work at the Democratic National Convention, while Vice President Kamala Harris gives her keynote address, on August 22.

In her speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris said former President Donald Trump has an “explicit intent to jail journalists, political opponents and anyone he sees as the enemy.”?

Facts First: Harris’ claim is correct. Trump has previously expressed support for imprisoning journalists and political opponents. ?

Trump has promised to use the Department of Justice to attack critics and former allies. ?

In several videos and speeches, the former president has also laid out plans to appoint a special prosecutor to go after President Joe Biden and his family. ?

Trump has also reportedly called for reporters to be jailed. In 2017, the New York Times reported that Trump urged then-FBI Director James Comey to consider jailing journalists who publish classified information before asking him to end an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. In 2023, months after Politico published a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade, Trump said the journalists behind the story should be jailed if they did not reveal their source.?

Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz are heading to meet with top Democratic donors and supporters here at the convention hall, aides said, thanking some of the party’s biggest benefactors.

A friends and family party will get underway downtown a bit later tonight, as Harris and Doug Emhoff celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.

John Legend is scheduled to perform at the private event for Harris and Emhoff, aides said.

Harris wished her husband a happy anniversary at the top of her remarks at the Democratic National Convention earlier this evening.

Donald Trump said Kamala Harris is “not having success, I’m having success” in an interview Thursday night following Harris’ speech at the Democratic convention.

Fox News host Martha McCallum said: “There’s been a huge appeal?and momentum for women voters.?She’s trying to pull that, the?youth vote, the Hispanic vote,?the Black vote back in her?direction.?Polls show that she’s having some?success in that at this point, so?what are you going to do??What’s your strategy to rebuild?the momentum that you had with?those voters?”

Trump later added, “No, it’s only in your eyes that they have that, Martha.”

An Arizona man who is accused of making threats against former President Donald Trump was booked on two counts of threatening and a felony warrant, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said in?an updated Facebook post?Thursday.?

The sheriff’s office said they were made aware of a threatening message posted on social media directed at Trump on Tuesday, which they later learned was posted by Ronald Syvrud, who has “multiple outstanding warrants.” With this information, the sheriff’s office released a wanted person flyer to locate Syvrud in order to allow charging of the warrants and to investigate the threats, the post said.

A second social media post with threats against Trump was found Wednesday, they said. The sheriff’s office said “locating this subject was a priority” due to Trump’s visit in the area, and they deployed multiple units to a possible location.?

At 2:16 p.m. local time, authorities observed Syvrud “traveling outside of the identified location” and he was taken into custody “without further incident at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time, the post said.?

He was booked on two counts of threatening related to the social media posts and a felony warrant from a neighboring county for failure to register as a sex offender, the sheriff’s office said.?

“The successful conclusion of this incident without injury to our communities or public safety personnel is a testament to the strong working relationship and coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies,” their post said.?

Syvrud is in custody “pending further court adjudication,” the post said. CNN could not immediately identify an attorney for Syvrud.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gives a speech in Nashville, Tennessee on July 26.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday said it was possible he would be meeting with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday — the same day Kennedy is expected to suspend his presidential bid.?

Trump is going to be joined by a “special guest” at his rally in Arizona on Thursday, according to his campaign. Kennedy is expected to end his presidential bid earlier in the day at an event in Phoenix.?CNN previously reported there were talks between Trump’s team and?Kennedy’s orbit for the independent candidate to endorse the former president and appear at Trump’s Phoenix area rally that same night.

Vice President Kamala Harris claimed in her speech at the Democratic National Convention that former President Donald Trump’s proposed policies would raise prices for American families.

Facts First:?The claim is reasonable enough, but it’s worth explaining that Harris is referring to Trump’s proposal to implement new tariffs if he returns to the White House.??

Trump has called for adding a tariff?of 10% to 20% on all imports from all countries, as well as another tariff upward of 60% on all Chinese imports.?

Together, a 20% across-the-board tariff with a 60% tariff on Chinese-made goods would amount to about a $3,900 annual tax increase for a middle-income family, according to the?Center for American Progress Action Fund, a liberal think tank.?

If the 20% tariff was just 10%, as Trump sometimes suggests, the total impact for middle-class families could be $2,500 a year, according to CAP.?

Separate studies estimate that the impact of Trump’s proposed tariffs would also raise prices for families, but by a lower amount. The Peterson Institute for International Economics estimated the new duties would?cost the average middle-class household about $1,700 annually. And the Tax Policy Center said the impact could be?$1,350 a year?for middle-income households.??

Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportion Secretary Pete Buttigieg, said he “cannot wait” to see Kamala Harris win the election and thought about “the fact?that the first president that?our daughter is going to come?to know is a woman who looks?like her.”

Buttigieg pointed to Harris making a case for families dealing with medical bills and worrying about their children going to school amid fears of mass shootings.

“As a teacher,?as a dad, I’m so proud of her,” he said.

Pete Buttigieg said he believed if Trump loses it’ll be the “beginning of the end of Trumpism and the beginning of having a normal Republican Party in the future.” He added that a lot of Republicans are “quietly looking forward to” seeing Donald Trump lose the election.

Former President Donald Trump reacted to Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech Thursday at the Democratic National Convention in real-time on Truth Social.?

“IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ME?”?Trump posted.?

The former president posted in rapid succession, criticizing Harris’ speech, saying “A lot of talk about childhood,” and “Too many ‘Thank yous,’ too rapidly said.”

Trump repeatedly questioned why Harris hadn’t already accomplished the policy proposals she’s put forward as part of her reelection campaign while serving as vice president.

“She said, ‘Chart a new way forward,’ but she’s had three and a half years, and has done nothing but HARM!” Trump wrote.?

He also pushed back on Harris’ characterization of Project 2025, which he has repeatedly tried to distance himself from.

“LYING AGAIN ABOUT PROJECT 2025, WHICH SHE KNOWS, AND SO DO ALL DEMOCRATS, THAT I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH!”?Trump posted.

Ballons fall at the end of the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

100,000 red, white, and blue balloons are falling from the ceiling of the United Center in celebration of Vice President Kamala Harris’ nomination – the culmination of a massive planning feat by an army of staff and volunteers.?

Inflation was a key issue at the Democratic National Convention – balloon inflation.

The process to get them from their packages and into the rafters happened here on site with 75 volunteers, 30 staff members, and “a dozen or so Local 2 Stagehands” working with a specialized system developed in 1988, according to a convention official. There is a “range of expertise” involved – from creative decisions on shape and size, volunteer management, and “coordination with union stagehands and riggers (to ensure) every balloon is positioned perfectly for maximum impact,” according to the official.

The balloons began to inflate last Wednesday, the official said, but planning began months ago.

For the past four days, the balloons – 9- and 24-inch sized – have been suspended in anticipation of this moment.

Vice President Kamala Harris argued that the country is not as divided as her opponent says it is, pitching for its unity in her Democratic National Convention speech on Thursday.

She said Americans “have so much more in common than what separates us” and that “none of us has to?fail for all of us to succeed.”

She said former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance are “denigrating America” and “talking about how terrible everything is” on the campaign trail.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22.

Kamala Harris made a pledge at the Democratic National Convention that if elected, she would “bring back?the bipartisan border security?bill” tanked by Donald Trump and “sign it into law.”

Remember: Earlier this year, Trump lobbied Republicans, both in private conversations and in public statements on social media, to oppose the border compromise being delicately hashed out in the Senate, according to GOP sources familiar with the conversations – in part because he wanted to campaign on the issue this November?and didn’t want President Joe Biden to score a victory in an area where he is politically vulnerable.

Harris, in her DNC speech, underscored that the Democrats and Republicans wrote the bill together and Border Patrol endorsed it, but Trump tanked the bill.

She offered herself in contrast.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago, during the DNC.

Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself — but added the bloodshed in Gaza is “devastating” and “heartbreaking.”

“With?respect to the war in Gaza,?President Biden and I are?working around the clock,?because now is the time to get?a hostage deal and a ceasefire?deal done. And let me be clear: I will?always stand up for Israel’s?right to defend itself, and I?will always ensure Israel has?the ability to defend itself,?because the people of Israel?must never again face the?horror that a terrorist?organization called Hamas?caused on October 7, including unspeakable sexual?violence, and the massacre of?young people at a music?festival.”

She continued: “At the same time,?what has happened in Gaza over?the past 10 months is?devastating. So many innocent?lives lost. Desperate, hungry?people fleeing for safety over?and over again. The scale of?suffering is heartbreaking.?President Biden and I are?working to end this war, such?that Israel is secure, the?hostages are released, the?suffering in Gaza ends, and the?Palestinian people can realize?their right to dignity,?security, freedom, and?self-determination.”

“And know?this. I will never hesitate to?take whatever action is?necessary to defend our forces?and our interests against Iran?and Iran-backed terrorists,” she added.

Kamala Harris looked to pin Donald Trump to unpopular reproductive rights issues in her speech to the Democratic National Convention Thursday night.

Nearly two dozen states?have enacted abortion limits since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe. The aftermath has led to a wave of political activity that has boosted Democrats, who had a better-than-expected showing in the midterm elections. This year, Democrats hope that enduring anger over bans, as well as?abortion rights ballot initiatives?in a handful of key battleground states, will help 2024 candidates.

“This is what is happening in?our country, because of Donald?Trump. And understand, he is?not done.?As a part of his agenda, he and?his allies would limit access?to birth control, than?medication abortion and enact a?nationwide abortion ban with?or without Congress,” she said.

Trump in April said he would not sign a national abortion ban if elected to the White House again, reversing a promise the former president made as a candidate in 2016 and stood by during his first term in office.

CNN’s Arit John contributed to this report.

Vice President Kamala Harris walks on stage during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

?The United Center, home of both the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, has a?capacity?of over 20,000 people.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Vice President Kamala Harris outlined her plans for a “new way forward” if she’s elected to be the 47th president of the United States.

Harris said her plans to protect the middle class are personal because “the middle class is where I come from.”

She called for creating an “opportunity economy where everyone has a chance to compete and a chance to succeed.”

Harris also promised to end the country’s housing shortage and protect social security and Medicare.

Her plans, she said, differ from Donald Trump and she accused the former president of fighting “for himself and his billionaire friends.”

Beyoncé?will not be performing at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, according to her representative.?

Asked if she would be performing at the DNC on Thursday evening, Beyoncé’s representative Yvette Noel-Schure told CNN in a statement, “She was never scheduled to be in Chicago.”?

Throughout the day on Thursday, speculation that Beyoncé would make a surprise appearance at the final night of the convention reached a fever pitch.?

Multiple sources close to convention planners told CNN earlier in the evening they believed Beyoncé?would in fact come. However, later in the evening, Beyoncé’s?representative went on the record for the first time with The Hollywood Reporter to deny she was ever scheduled to attend.

Vice President Kamala Harris has incorporated Beyoncé’s 2016 song “Freedom” in her campaign rallies and in her ads. CNN previously?reported?that Harris and her team got approval from Beyoncé to use the song throughout her presidential campaign, according to a source close to the vice president.

On Thursday, when Harris walked out for her speech onstage, she walked out to “Freedom.”

Beyoncé has appeared at numerous Democratic events in the past. In 2008, the Grammy-winner sang Etta James’ “At Last” at former President Barack Obama’s presidential Inaugural Ball, and sang the National Anthem at Obama’s second presidential Inauguration in 2013.

In 2016, Beyoncé and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, headlined a pre-election concert in Ohio for Hillary Clinton, using the stage to?voice their support?for the then-presidential candidate. And in 2020, Beyoncé endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket when she encouraged her followers to vote in a post?on her Instagram page.

In her speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned the Supreme Court’s July decision on presidential immunity while warning about the “consequences” of giving former President Donald Trump another term.?

“Consider the power he will have – especially after the United States Supreme Court just ruled that he would be immune from criminal prosecution,” Harris said. “Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.” ?

The court ruled that a former president has “absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority” and is “entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts” – but also ruled that “there is no immunity for unofficial acts.” ?

It’s fair for Harris to frame the ruling as an expansion of presidential power. But the ruling did not kill the ongoing criminal prosecutions against Trump, let alone prohibit any future criminal prosecutions against him. ?

A federal prosecution over Trump’s attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 election is back in the hands of a district court judge, who must decide which of the alleged Trump acts at issue are official and which are unofficial. And a state-level election subversion prosecution against Trump is also alive in Georgia, though it is on hold amid a battle over whether the district attorney leading the case should be disqualified. ?

In May, before the Supreme Court ruling, Trump was found guilty of felony falsification of business records in a state-level prosecution in New York. The presiding judge is now considering how the ruling applies to that case, in which Trump is awaiting sentencing.?

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Vice President Kamala Harris warned that former President Donald Trump would take the country back down a road of dangerous policies if he is elected to the White House for another term, pointing to a ruling from the US Supreme Court earlier this year that said Trump can claim limited immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken in office.

“Just?imagine Donald Trump with no?guard rails,” Harris said at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.

She worked to tie all Trump policies to Project 2025 — the 920-page document that serves as a blueprint for a second Trump term. She said the document shows what a second Trump term would look like.

Project 2025, which Harris’ campaign has frequently attacked, was organized by The Heritage Foundation think tank and developed in significant part by people who served in Trump’s administration. Trump has tried to publicly distance himself from the initiative.

The goal of Project 2025 and Trump, Harris said, is to “pull our country back to?the past.”

“But America, we are?not going back,” she said.

Vice President Kamala Harris laid out the consequences of electing former President Donald Trump to a second term.

She spoke about the “chaos and calamity” of his years in the Oval Office and also pointed to him questioning election results in 2020 when he lost his reelection bid.

“Donald Trump?tried to throw away your votes.?When he failed, he sent an armed?mob to the United States Capitol?where they assaulted law?enforcement officers. When?politicians in his own party?begged him to call off the mob?and send help, he did the?opposite.?He fanned the flames,” she said.

Harris also highlighted that Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in a hush money case and that a federal jury in his civil defamation trial found that the former president had sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll.

“He was found guilty?of fraud by a jury of everyday?Americans, and separately found?liable for committing sexual?abuse,” she said.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Kamala Harris laid bare what she described as the stark stakes of the presidential election this year after accepting her nomination at the Democratic National Convention.

After discussing her previous political experience and the tough elections that put her in her current position, Harris said: “We never gave up because the?future is always worth fighting?for.”

“And that is the fight we?are in right now,” the vice president said, “a fight for?America’s future.”

Kamala Harris’ path from prosecutor to politician has been defined by many firsts: She was the nation’s first Indian American senator and?California’s?first female and?South Asian attorney general. ?

Harris is the first woman to become vice president, as well as the first Black or Asian American person to hold the office.?

And tonight, as she takes the stage, Harris will explain why each of these experiences helped shape her into the woman, politician, and presidential candidate that she is today. ?

Read more about Kamala Harris’ background and follow our instant analysis here. ?

Kamala Harris issued a direct appeal to Republicans questioning whether to vote for her, vowing to be a president for all Americans.

“I know?there are people of various?political views watching?tonight,” she said after accepting the nomination.

“And I want you to know: I promise to be a president?for all Americans. You can?always trust me to put country above party and self.”

Harris continued:

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

In her speech to the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris recounted how a childhood friend being sexually abused led her to become a prosecutor.

After graduating from law school at the University of California Hastings, Harris spent three decades as a prosecutor, serving as a deputy district attorney for Oakland’s Alameda County before she was elected in 2004 to be district attorney of San Francisco.

In 2011, Harris became the first Black American, first woman, and first Asian American elected to be the attorney general of California.

CNN’s Chelsea Bailey contributed to this report.

Vice President Kamala Harris waves on stage during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Kamala Harris accepted her party’s historic nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major-party ticket.

Vice President Kamala Harris shared what it was like being raised by her mother, Shyamala, who she described during her remarks at the Democratic National Convention as “a brilliant 5-foot tall brown woman with an accent.”

In describing her “unexpected” ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday that she is “no stranger to unlikely journeys.”

Harris shared that her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, immigrated to the US from India alone at the age of 19 with “an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer.”

The vice president added that her mother was set to return home to have an arranged marriage but met her father, Donald Harris, a student from Jamaica, and fell in love.

But following the couple’s divorce when Harris was in elementary school, she was raised by a single mother in the “flatlands” of the Bay, Harris recalled, and highlighted the community spirit that helped shape her.

Vice President Kamala Harris wished her husband, Doug Emhoff, a happy anniversary at the top of her remarks at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.

Today, the final day of the convention and when Harris will accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, is also the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Vice President Kamala Harris received a lengthy standing ovation from a crowd cheering “Kamala!” and “USA!” as she took the stage tonight at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago’s United Center.

She calmed them down, saying “Let’s get to business!”

Then she thanked her husband Doug Emhoff, and wished him a happy anniversary: “I love you so very much.” Today is the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary.

To “Coach Tim Walz,” she said, “you are?going to be an incredible vice?president.”

Her speech represents her most exacting test yet in?a dizzying month?that rocketed her to the threshold of what would be a historic presidency that could reshape American politics.

Her party is calling on Harris to ascend to the next level of the political stratosphere after concerns about advanced age ended Biden’s reelection bid last month.

No modern presidential nominee of any major party has faced such a tough assignment in so short a time.

Her highest profile moment is historic. Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major-party ticket.

This post has been updated with remarks from Harris.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks on stage during the DNC in Chicago, on Thursday, August 22.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper recounted working with Kamala Harris during their time as attorneys general of their respective states.

He said Harris is “ready to fight for you.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew from the Arizona ballot Thursday, a spokesperson for the state’s secretary of state told CNN.

The move comes ahead of a scheduled event in the state on Friday where Kennedy is expected to announce he’s suspending his campaign.

CNN has reported that there are current talks between Kennedy’s orbit and Donald Trump’s team for the independent candidate to endorse the former president and appear at Trump’s Phoenix-area rally Friday.

A strong focus of Vice President Kamala Harris, and her campaign’s approach to the path to 270 electoral votes in November, was on clear display on the final night of the Democratic National Convention.

The primetime lineup was filled with key speakers from Arizona: Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is running for the Senate.

All of the Arizonans were scheduled within minutes of one another, showing how the party is prioritizing the state after taking it in 2020. President Joe Biden won by only 10,457 votes in the last election.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ family has just entered the Democratic National Convention floor and is seated right in front of the stage.

This includes Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, and his children.?

Maya Harris waves on stage during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on Thursday, August 22.

On the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Maya Harris, the sister of Vice President Kamala Harris, began her speech recounting the story of their mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who she described as a “civil rights activist, a scientist, a devoted?mother to her little girls” and a “trailblazer who defied the odds?and defined herself.”

Maya Harris said her sister has devoted her life to fighting for people.

Harris said that with her campaign, the vice president “has created so much?electricity, so much optimism,?so much joy throughout the?nation and it is why we need?her leadership in this historic?moment.”

She urged voters to elect “a leader who?sees the potential in each of?us, a leader who cares for all of?us,?a leader who fights for?everyone of us — our Democratic?nominee, my big sister, the next?president of the United States,?Kamala Harris!”

This post has been updated with remarks from Maya Harris.

Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger arrives on stage during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

In his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger told his fellow Republicans that Democrats “are as patriotic?as us.”

The former congressman from Illinois, who opted to not seek reelection in 2022, was one of two Republicans who served on the House select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, insurrection.

He also was one of 10 House Republicans to vote for former President Donald Trump’s impeachment for “incitement of an insurrection” over Trump’s role during the riot at the US Capitol.

Kinzinger, a CNN contributor, has endorsed Kamala Harris, whose campaign has put forward several Republicans at the DNC to support her presidential run.

And on Thursday, he again endorsed the Democratic candidate:

This post has been updated with remarks from Kinzinger.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during the DNC in Chicago, on Thursday, August 22.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on Wednesday that Kamala Harris “gets us” while making the case to America’s women to elect her as president.

Whitmer, who presides over a swing state, is one of several rising Democratic stars who having speaking slots at the convention.

Eva Longoria?speaks on stage during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Actress Eva Longoria led the audience in a chant in honor of Kamala Harris, asking attendees at the Democratic National Convention to say “she se puede!”

Longoria said the Latino community often rallies around the phrase “sí, se puede” or “yes, we can!” But this election season, the actress encouraged the audience to adapt the phrase for Harris to “yes, she can!”

This post has been updated with quotes from Eva Longoria’s speech.

Vice President Kamala Harris has arrived at the United Center in Chicago, according to a pool report.

Arizona Rep. and former Marine Ruben Gallego emphasized the “duty to care for our patriots who serve our nation” during his remarks at the Democratic National Convention.

Gallego detailed his history of service and highlighted other elected veterans who were featured onstage.

Gallego said Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz “are fighting” for veteran rights, and slammed former President Donald Trump for his policies and comments on the issue.?

This post has been updated with more comments from Gallego.

Sen. Mark Kelly speaks on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago during the DNC.

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona slammed Donald Trump’s previous comments on foreign policy, including backing away from the United States’ commitment to The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

He told the audience that Harris knows that “standing with our allies means?standing up for Americans.”

“The world laughs at Trump,?literally,” Kelly said. “But folks, it is not funny.?When he was president, that?meant the world was laughing at?us.?The threats we face are too?serious.”

He argued that America’s standing in the world and the global alliances that took decades to build are at stake. Kelly, who represents the key battleground state of Arizona, said “the choice isn’t even close” between Harris and Trump — but acknowledged that in states like his, the race could be tight.

President Joe Biden won Arizona by only 10,457 votes in 2020.

But, Kelly, evoking his experience as an astronaut, told the crowd: “We’ll win in the same way we?launched rockets into space and?land fighter jets on an?aircraft carrier as one team on?one mission.”

More context: His remarks came after a speech from his wife former Rep. Gabby Giffords who spoke about gun violence. Giffords was shot in the head in 2011 during an appearance in front of an Arizona supermarket. Kelly has been a longtime advocate for gun control. Recently, he was on the shortlist to become Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

This post was updated with remarks from Mark Kelly.

Leon Panetta speaks during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Leon Panetta, former CIA director and secretary of defense during the Obama administration, drew contrast between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on foreign policy during the last night of the Democratic National Convention.

“I’ve looked into the eyes of our warriors and deployed them into battle,” Panetta said, touting the killing of Osama bin Laden. “Nobody attacks our country and gets away with it — nobody,”

He added: “Our warriors need a tough, cool-headed commander-in-chief to defend our democracy from tyrants and terrorists. We need Kamala Harris behind the Resolute Desk.”

Panetta highlighted that Harris has worked with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to defend the country against Russia, adding, “She knows that protecting their democracy protects our democracy as well.”

The former president, on the other hand, “does not understand the world and he does not understand the service and sacrifice of our military. Our fallen veterans are not suckers, they are not losers. They are our heroes,” Panetta said, referring to a 2020 reporting that Trump used those terms to refer to US service members, which the?former president has denied.

”

Pink performs on stage during the final night of the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Pop star Pink performed her hit “What about us” at the Democratic National Convention on stage her daughter, Willow.?

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords speaks on stage with her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, recalling being shot and wounded in a mass shooting in 2011, threw her support tonight behind Vice President Kamala Harris as she spoke during a portion of the Democratic National Convention focused on gun violence.

Following the shooting in an Arizona supermarket, Giffords went on to start the gun violence prevention non-profit, Giffords.

Giffords was joined on stage by her husband Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, who was on a shortlist of possible running mates for Kamala Harris.

Before she took the stage, Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia — who lost her son in a shooting — spoke alongside others during an emotional segment about the gun violence that scarred Sandy Hook,?Uvalde,?Charleston, South Carolina, and?Chicago.

Abbey Clements, who was a teacher at Sandy Hook, talked about the moments when gunshots rang out. She sat with her second grade students, reading and singing with them, “trying to drown out the sounds of terror, crying, running — I carry that horrific day with me,” she said.

Kim Rubio was at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde to watch her daughter receive an award for receiving all A’s. When her daughter, along with 18 other children and two teachers were killed by a gunman, “we were taken to a private room where police tell us she isn’t coming home. Uvalde is national news. Parents everywhere reach for their children. I reach out for the daughter I will never hold again.”

This post has been updated with remarks from Giffords, Abbey Clements and Kim Rubio.

Sheriff Chris Swanson of Genesee County, Michigan, speaks on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago, during the DNC.

Sheriff Chris Swanson of Genesee County, Michigan, told the Democratic National Convention that Kamala Harris represents the ethos he believes in as a law enforcement office — protect, serve and unify.

Swanson, whose county includes the city of Flint, described how his officers and members of the community walked together in 2020 following the police murder of George Floyd.

“We laid down our riot gear, we embraced our community, and instead of hate, we chose hope,” Swanson said.

He’s one of several law enforcement officials who have spoken at the party’s convention.

Comedian DL Hughley speaks during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Comedian DL Hughley took to the stage Thursday night apologizing to Vice President Kamala Harris for his previous criticism of her record as California’s attorney general.

Hughley said he previously made assumptions about Harris’ record and spoke about them on his platforms. In response, Hughley said Harris invited the comedian to her house.

“She put her hand on my shoulder and she asked me to do some research. Something I had never done. Something a lot of people I know had never done before,” Hughley said. “Imagine attacking someone’s character without a single Google search.”

Hughley said he learned Harris had “done for us exactly for us what she promised to do.” He then said believes his apology should be as loud his an accusation.

Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris, stepdaughter Ella Emhoff and goddaughter Helena Hudlin on stage during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris, stepdaughter Ella Emhoff and goddaughter Helena Hudlin delivered joint remarks during the last night of the Democratic National Convention, sharing personal stories to make the case that the vice president would be fit for office.

Emhoff shared how Harris came into her life when she was 14 years old and recalled that, “No matter what, Kamala was there for me.”

Hudlin shared that to her, Harris’ advice “means everything.”

The titles of “Momala” — as Ella and Cole Emhoff refer to their stepmother —?and “Auntie” are important to Harris, and she highlights them in the bio of both her personal and official X accounts. ?

And the remarks from the three women come as the vice president has recently been subject to sexist criticisms about her lack of biological children. ?

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff’s ex-wife, Kerstin Emhoff, has defended Harris amid such attacks, telling CNN last month that “Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I.”

President Joe Biden is planning to watch Vice President Kamala Harris’ Democratic National Convention speech tonight, a source familiar with the plans said, as his chosen successor faces her most high-profile moment yet to make the case for her candidacy.

Thursday’s events at the DNC in Chicago are far different from what Biden and his family envisioned just a few weeks ago when they anticipated he would be addressing the convention as the party’s nominee this evening.

Aides have said the president appreciates the momentum around Harris’ campaign and how quickly the party coalesced around her after he issued his own speedy endorsement of his White House partner.

The president wrote on social media that he and first lady Jill Biden had spoken to Harris Thursday and said they couldn’t wait to watch her accept the party’s nomination.

After speaking at the convention’s opening night on Monday, Biden decamped to Santa Ynez, California, where he’s stayed out of the public eye as the Chicago festivities have played out.

This post has been updated with more from Joe Biden.

Kerry Washington speaks during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Actress Kerry Washington echoed Michelle Obama’s message to Americans in her speech at the final night of the Democratic National Convention.?

“Just like Michelle Obama?told us — let’s do something,” she said, asking people to pull out their phones and make a video to post it on social media or text it to friends.

Actor Tony Goldwyn brought out her phone and together they took a video, saying, “when we fight” and the crowd chanting back, “we win!”

Then she brought out Kamala Harris’ nieces who taught everyone how to say Harris’ name — first say “comma” then say “la.” They moved the crowd to chant “Kamala!”

Washington identified herself as a mother, daughter, union member, the granddaughter?of immigrants and a Black woman.

This post has been updated with remarks from Washington.

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey highlighted Vice President Kamala Harris’ recently announced plan to put in place anti-price gouging laws in an effort to lower the cost of food, saying Thursday at the Democratic National Convention, “Prices are up because these corporations are scheming to drive them up.”?

Facts First:?Casey’s remark lacks key context and overstates the role corporations have played in driving inflation, according to two papers published by regional Federal Reserve banks.??

The papers published by the two banks suggest corporations contributed to the inflation Americans have experienced in recent years; however, their pricing actions weren’t the primary driver of inflation when it peaked at a four-decade high in 2022.?

Research?published by the Kansas City Fed last year found that corporate profits, which grew significantly in the first half of 2021 as firms raised prices at a faster pace than their costs were increasing, could have accounted for more than half the inflation Americans experienced that year. But by 2022, the rate at which corporations raised prices compared with their costs declined.??

The researchers concluded that corporations likely raised prices in 2020 and the early part of 2021 in anticipation of rising future costs. But price hikes corporations put forth then were not the main source of inflation in 2022.?

Research published by the?San Francisco Fed?earlier this year reached a similar conclusion: that alleged corporate price gouging was not a primary catalyst for the inflation surge that occurred in 2021 and 2022.?

Ultimately, the inflation Americans have had to contend with over the past few years is the product of a confluence of events, including the war in Ukraine, government spending and pandemic-related disruptions across the economy. The unprecedented stress on supply chains in the thick of the pandemic, for example, contributed significantly to inflation’s rise in early 2021.?

However, research from progressive think tanks, such as?Groundwork Collaborative, suggests there’s a more direct link between corporations raising prices and higher inflation.

The Chicks perform the National Anthem during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22.

The Chicks performed the National Anthem during the final night of the Democratic National Convention. ?

Ahead of their performance, Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas called The Chicks “our favorite country music rabble rousers,” a nod to the band’s history of speaking out about politics. ?

In 2003, at the height of their fame, The Chicks singer Natalie Maines criticized then-President George W. Bush and spoke out about the invasion of Iraq. The remark sparked a backlash but the band continued to use their music and platform to make political statements. ?

Read more about country music’s tangled history with politics here.

Several people impacted by policies from President Joe Biden’s administration joined the brother of the late Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick to speak at the Democratic National Convention.

Craig Sicknick was accompanied by a patient advocate heralding Biden’s efforts to cap insulin costs at $35, a small business owner and a father with his sons who have previously met and dined with Biden.

Trump “incited the crowd while my brother and his fellow officers were putting their lives at risk,” Sicknick said.

“We need a new leader, not an autocrat who’s stuck in the past,” he said. “Brian, we miss you every day.”

Brian Sicknick suffered strokes and died of natural causes the day after the insurrection.

This post was updated with remarks from Craig Sicknick.

Golden State Warriors and US men's basketball star Stephen Curry endorses Harris via video on Thursday, August 22, during the DNC in Chicago.

Golden State Warriors and US men’s basketball star Steph Curry said in a video played at the Democratic National Convention Thursday that Kamala Harris “as president can bring that unity back and continue to move our country forward.”

Curry helped lead the US men’s basketball team to a?gold medal at the Olympics?earlier this month in a memorable performance against France, scoring four clutch 3-pointers over a stretch of 2 minutes and 13 seconds late in the fourth quarter.

Harris is also an avid fan of the Warriors, which were previously located in her hometown of Oakland before moving to San Francisco.?President Joe Biden welcomed the Golden State Warriors to the White House to celebrate their 2022 NBA championship, marking their return to the building for the first time since a high-profile clash with former President Donald Trump.

The Warriors’ invitation to visit the White House to celebrate their 2017 championship was rescinded by Trump after Curry criticized him over his attacks on Black athletes protesting during the national anthem. Instead of visiting the White House,?the Warriors toured the National Museum of African-American History and Culture?with local Washington students.

This post has been updated with remarks from Curry.

John Russell speaks during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

John Russell, a content creator, advocated for working-class Americans during his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.

Russell, who is a self-described “dirtbag journalist” in West Virginia, makes content across several social media platforms, much of it about American workers and class politics. In his speech, he talked about growing up in Appalachia and how people are “fighting for control over their government, their workplaces and their planet.”

He said there is a history of a different kind of populism rooted in the Democratic Party — workers fighting for a living wage and their rights. That is the same thing workers are fighting for today, Russell said.

“It is our choice to build on this progress,” he said.

Some context: More than 200 content creators have been credentialed for the Chicago convention, with their own reserved platform space on the convention floor.?

Their presence represents a recognition from the Harris campaign that reaching voters in the countdown to Election Day will require Democrats to go beyond a traditional media strategy and into new spaces — and target young voters.

This post has been updated with remarks from John Russell.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaks on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago, during the DNC.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who made history when she became the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary, spoke at the final night of the Democratic National Convention about the need to address climate crisis.

Harris and Tim Walz will “fight for our future where we all have clean air, clean water and healthy communities,” she added.

This post has been updated with remarks from Haaland.

Kamala Harris has been a champion of?climate and environmental justice?for decades.

As California’s attorney general, she sued big oil companies such as BP and ConocoPhillips, and?investigated Exxon Mobil?for its role in climate change disinformation. While in the Senate, she sponsored the Green New Deal resolution.

During her 2020 campaign, she enthusiastically supported a ban on fracking — but a Harris campaign official said in July that she no longer supports such a ban.

Some background: Fracking is the process of using liquid to free natural gas from rock formations – and the primary mode for extracting gas for energy in battleground Pennsylvania.

During a September 2019 climate crisis town hall hosted by CNN, Harris said she would start “with what we can do on Day 1 around public lands.” She walked that back later when she became Biden’s running mate.

Biden has been the most pro-climate president in history, and climate advocates find Harris to be an exciting candidate in her own right. Democrats and climate activists plan to campaign on the stark contrasts between Harris and?Trump, who vowed to push America decisively back to fossil fuels, promising to unwind Biden’s climate and clean energy legacy and pull America out of its global climate commitments.

If elected, one of the biggest climate goals Harris would have to craft early in her administration is how much the US would reduce its climate pollution by 2035 – a requirement of the?Paris climate agreement.

Here’s what Harris has said about other key issues.

Rep. Maxwell Frost speaks on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago during the DNC.

Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost emphasized the importance of focusing on climate change?at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

He went on to say that “climate change can sometimes feel like an unstoppable force,” but “with our movement and with organizing and an administration that cares, we are making progress.”

“Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have proven that tackling this crisis creates jobs, that investing in clean energy protects our health and that investing in mass public transit builds strong communities,” Frost said.?

This post has been updated with more of Frost’s comments.

As we prepare for Vice President Kamala Harris’ keynote address tonight at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, her campaign released excerpts of her speech.

Harris plans to discuss her upbringing and her immigrant mother.

She also plans to explain why she became prosecutor.

Harris will say she’ll be a president for all Americans.

And will warn what Donald Trump’s second term would look like.

Harris will also explain the importance of a middle class.

Courtney Baldwin, a youth organizer and human trafficking survivor, recalled over a decade ago how Kamala Harris, who was the California attorney general at the time, helped shut down the site that “let me and thousands of others be bought and sold.”

CNN reported in 2016 that while Harris was California’s attorney general, authorities from her state and Texas said they found that adults and children had been forced into prostitution through escort ads on Backpage. Carl Ferrer was arrested in 2016 on a warrant from California, which charged him with pimping children and other counts.

Baldwin said Harris “still gives me hope. She’s protected people like me her whole life and I know she’ll fight for us all as president.”

This post has been updated with remarks from Baldwin.

Amy Resner, a former prosecutor and friend of Kamala Harris, called the vice president “a remarkable prosecutor” and said “she will be a remarkable president.”

Resner said that during Harris’ time as California’s attorney general, she protected vulnerable communities and gave “victims a voice.”

In joint remarks alongside Resner, Karrie Delaney, director of federal affairs at the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, drew a contrast between Harris as a prosecutor and former President Donald Trump, who a civil jury found had sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll and then defamed her when he denied the allegations and disparaged her. Juries in two civil defamation trials have said that Trump should pay Carroll a total of nearly $90 million in damages.

“As a legislator and lifetime advocate against sexual violence, I urge all of us to stand together, to support survivors, believe them and hold perpetrators accountable,” Delaney said.

Lisa Madigan, the former attorney general of Illinois, said Harris “stood her ground and together, we prevailed” during her time as a prosecutor.?

“For as long as I have known her, Kamala Harris has always taken principled positions and never wavered,” Madigan said.?

Marc Morial, former mayor of New Orleans and civil rights leader, then applauded Harris’ housing policy, saying that she “is creating a?future where every family — yes,?every family — has a place to?call home.”

Nathan Hornes also praised Harris’ previous work, saying that she “stepped in” and “stuck up for students” when he attended Corinthian Colleges — a place he called “a predatory, for-profit chain.”

“She prosecuted Corinthian, and?as vice president she stuck?with us,” Hornes said. “As we fought and we organized for?debt relief, the Biden-Harris?administration came in,?canceled all Corinthian student?debt and gave us back our?futures”

Tristan Snell, a prosecutor for Trump University, then contrasted Hornes’ testimony by detailing the negative impact that the scandal had on student’s lives. In 2018, a judge finalized a $25 million dollar settlement in a class action lawsuit where former students claim they were defrauded.

This post has been updated with more of comments from the joint speakers.

CNN’s Katie Lobosco, Doug Criss, Jeremy Herb,?Lauren del Valle?and?Kara Scannell contributed reporting.?

The stands are packed during the final night of the DNC in Chicago, on Thursday, August 22.

The party is rocking on the floor of the convention hall, with guests dancing to music between cheering loudly for the speakers — but not everyone can get in.

The floor has now been closed because capacity has been reached. That happens at every convention, but tonight it’s a little earlier than usual.

A Democrat who drove here from Philadelphia just told me in the hallway that she was not allowed to go in.

Joy has been a major theme of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign and this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.?

But if the vice president has been buoyed by the burst of energy and enthusiasm that has been infused into the Democratic Party since President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race, there is another word that captures Harris’ mood this week, a senior adviser tells CNN: “serious.”

Asked to describe the vice president’s headspace and frame of mind heading into tonight’s critical speech, the adviser said there is both excitement and seriousness.

Harris, who has spent much of the past few days preparing for her keynote remarks tonight, is cognizant that few people understand the gravity of formally accepting a presidential nomination, the adviser said.

She is “very cognizant of the fact that we have a whole race to run and to win and people we know, people we care about, people we’ll never know — their future is dependent on it,” this adviser told CNN. “She understands the seriousness of the moment.”

Al Sharpton speaks on Thursday, August 22, during the DNC in Chicago.

Civil rights leader Al Sharpton spoke on behalf of his organization the National Action Network at the Democratic National Convention. While the organization doesn’t endorse candidates, Sharpton compared Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ records.

Sharpton also referenced recent remarks that Trump made at the National Association of Black Journalists conference, saying Trump refused “to apologize for claims that migrants were taking ‘Black jobs.’ Well, in November, we gone show him when Blacks do they job!”

Sharpton said Harris is continuing the legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for president.

This post has been updated with quotes from Al Sharpton’s speech.

Four of the “Central Park Five” were on stage during the final night of the Democratic National Convention. They include: Dr. Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, Raymond Santana and Kevin Richardson. The fifth person, Antron McCray, was not present.

Salaam, who is now a member of the New York City Council, criticized Donald Trump, saying the former president wanted the five to be “unalive, he wanted us dead.”

Criticizing Trump for maintaining that stance despite scientific evidence, Salaam said, Trump has “never changed and he never will.”

He added: When America votes Harris into the White House, “we will say what I have said?after seven long years of?wrongful incarceration — free at last.?Free at last.?Thank God almighty, we are free?at last!”

Who are the “Central Park Five”: The men came to be known as “Central Park Five” after they were arrested in 1989 — as teenagers — in connection with the rape and assault of a white female jogger, and eventually convicted.

There were no witnesses to the attack. The victim had no memory of it, and DNA evidence was in its infancy and was not presented at the trial. The five youths were convicted almost exclusively on their confessions, which they testified were coerced by detectives. Each spent between six and 13-plus years?in prison for charges including attempted murder, rape and assault.

They were exonerated, and in 2014, New York paid them a $41 million settlement, after another man, a convicted rapist and murderer, confessed to the assault in 2002, and his DNA did match semen that was found on the victim. No DNA evidence has been found to tie any of the Central Park 5 to the crime.

Trump features in the story: In one of the more ignominious chapters in his long public life, Donald Trump took out an expensive full-page advertisement in four New York City newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty for the teenagers. He stood by the ad then, and he has stood by it during his political career, including as president, long after the Central Park Five had been exonerated.

CNN’s Zachary?Wolf contributed reporting to this post.

This post has been updated with remarks from Dr. Yusef Salaam.

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Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan discussed national security during the last night of the Democratic National Convention, warning attendees that “Trump wants to take us backwards.”

She drew contrast between Trump —?whom she described as admiring dictators and treating adversaries as friends — and Democrats’ vision.

Slotkin is a vulnerable Democrat who is running for Senate to succeed Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow as the party looks to keep control of the chamber and win back the House majority.

Rep. Jason Crow discusses Project 2024 on stage during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado talked about his military service and slammed parts of?Project 2025 — widely viewed by conservatives as a blueprint for Donald Trump’s second term transition — for its stance on foreign policy.

“Real strength and security come from our people, from our allies,” he said, talking about his service as an Army Ranger.

He argued Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention that Project 2025 would “abandon our troops, abandon our veterans, our allies and our principles.”

He said the document says that Trump would no longer support Ukraine and back out of NATO commitments, for example. He also pointed to other parts of Project 2025 that outline how the Trump administration would replace current national security personnel with people more loyal to the former president. In contrast, Crow argued that Harris would be a leader who would support service members.

He also discussed when he joined the military. Taking that oath, he said, men and women know “it comes with sacrifice, but we also know that it comes with a promise that America will have our back. Trump will break that promise.”

Crow, who was an Army Ranger, helped comfort other lawmakers?during the US Capitol insurrection and served?as a Democratic manager?for Trump’s first impeachment trial.

Some background: Democrats have been attacking the 920-page document?that was organized by The Heritage Foundation think tank and developed in significant part by people who?served in Donald Trump’s administration. The former president has?publicly distanced himself from the initiative,?calling?unspecified Project 2025 ideas “seriously extreme.”??

But, last month, Russell Vought, one of the key authors of Project 2025, was?heard on video talking candidly?about his behind-the-scenes work to prepare policy for Trump, his expansive views on presidential power, his plans to restrict pornography and immigration,?and his complaints that the GOP was too focused on “religious liberty” instead of “Christian nation-ism.”

CNN’s Curt Devine,?Casey Tolan,?Audrey Ash?and?Kyung Lah contributed reporting to this post.

This post has been updated with remarks from Jason Crow.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks during the final night of the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a former 2020 primary rival of Kamala Harris, said the vice president will “take on right-wing extremists” during her speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.

“She will take on the giant corporations who are squeezing American families,” said Warren, who received extended applause upon taking the stage and riffed on a theme that is familiar from her own 2020 run for president. “In fact, it’s something she’s done before.”

“You know what I love about Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris can’t be bought, and she can’t be bossed around,” Warren said.

“Kamala was protecting families as California’s attorney general, and Donald was scamming students at Trump University and trying to make money off people losing their homes,” she said.

Meanwhile, Harris “stepped up, fought the giant banks, and delivered billions of dollars of help for families,” Warren said.

“And that is the difference between a criminal and a prosecutor.”

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Several attendees are wearing white during the DNC on Thursday, August 22, in Chicago.

When Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage?Thursday night?at the Democratic National Convention, she will be welcomed by a sea of white.

At Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center on Thursday, many delegates are seen wearing white, the color of the suffragette movement: white jackets, white dresses, white pantsuits, white jumpsuits and white skirts.?

The word spread organically across email and text groups, delegates in white told CNN Thursday.?

Hundreds of women streamed out of a women’s caucus meeting?Thursday morning, where a majority of attendees got the dress code memo.?While most of those decked in white are women, there were some men in white in solidarity.?

Female members of Congress have previously coordinated to wear white at State of the Union addresses.?One of those members, Rep. Sara Jacobs of California, told CNN, “I think it’s only fitting today, as the party nominates a woman — the first Black woman, a South Asian woman – that we again continue that solidarity with all those who came before us that made it possible for today to happen.”

A packed hall looks on as Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks on Thursday, August 22, during the DNC in Chicago.

The floor of the convention hall is packed with Democratic delegates, but the skyboxes here at the United Center are filled with an even more important feature of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign going forward: Democratic donors.

The Harris campaign has raised about $500 million since she was elevated to the top of the Democratic ticket, aides told CNN, and believes tonight will be the single largest fundraising effort of the campaign so far.

For donors, tonight’s convention is one of the hottest tickets in the party. A month ago, Democratic officials wondered whether they would fill the skyboxes inside the convention hall – now, there’s not room for all of the donors clamoring to get aboard the Harris campaign.

Several big donors and supporters are watching the convention from downtown Chicago. Harris will meet with some of them after the convention tonight.

The Harris campaign has a massive cash advantage over Trump for the last month. But with seven battleground states, the campaign is hoping to raise another half-billion dollars in the coming month to finance TV ads.

“The goal is to turn momentum into money, so the vice president can be on the campaign trail, not out raising money,” a senior adviser said.

Former President Donald Trump will be joined by a “special guest” at his rally in Arizona on Friday after independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to end his presidential campaign, according to a Trump campaign news release.

Kennedy is expected to make the announcement about his campaign earlier in the day at an event in Phoenix.?

CNN previously reported there were talks between Trump’s team and?Kennedy’s orbit for the independent candidate to endorse the former president and appear at the rally.

Kamala Harris has rolled out a?three-section plan?aimed at addressing the nation’s housing shortage. Parts of it build on proposals that Joe Biden has already unveiled.

The vice president’s plan promises to provide up to $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homebuyers. The down-payment support would apply to working families who have paid rent on time for two years, with more generous support for first-time homebuyers. The plan would also provide a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, something Biden proposed earlier this year.

The plan would allow for more than 1 million first-time buyers per year, including first-generation homebuyers, to access the funds, according to her campaign.

Harris is also calling for the building of 3 million new housing units. To spur construction, she would provide a first-ever tax incentive for builders who build starter homes sold to first-time buyers. She also would expand an existing tax incentive for building affordable rental housing.

The plan also highlights two main proposals that aim to lower rent costs in the US. The first would block landlords from using algorithm-driven price-setting tools to set rents. The second would discourage wealthy investors from buying up properties and marking up rents in bulk by removing tax benefits for investors who buy large numbers of single-family rental homes.

Read about the promises Harris has made so far in her campaign.

Rep. Ted Lieu of California, the fourth-ranking House Democrat, recalled Vice President Kamala Harris’ accomplishments during her tenure as their state’s attorney general and previewed what a Harris presidency could mean for housing policy.

He said that he’s seen her “continue to fight for affordable housing as vice president,” adding that if elected president, Harris will “cut red tape so we can build more houses, help new homeowners afford a down payment and take on corporations that unfairly hike up rent.”

Lieu is a longtime supporter of the vice president. He shared in an endorsement of Harris this summer that he was the first member of Congress to endorse the then-senator’s 2020 presidential bid. ?

One of Vice President Kamala Harris’ line sisters from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. said she knew Harris had what it took to become president 38 years ago when they first met at Howard University in Washington, DC.

Kelch, who wore all white and sat alongside her line sisters in a section at the Democratic National Convention, said her sorority sisters are emotional and nostalgic about Harris’ historic nomination.

“We know that she is the right person for this role and we cannot wait to be there on inauguration day,” Kelch said.

Former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ record on housing during remarks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Fudge said the vice president “knows housing is a human right and a pathway to the middle class,” before moving to criticize former President Donald Trump’s approach to housing.?

“Donald Trump has no idea how housing works for everyday Americans,” she said. “He doesn’t care.”

She called on voters to “ensure we have an opportunity economy” by voting for Harris in November.

Some background: Fudge left Joe Biden’s administration earlier this year. She trumpeted several accomplishments during her tenure as a Cabinet secretary, including removing barriers for people with student loan debt trying to buy homes with federal government-backed mortgages, helping more than 2 million families avoid foreclosure and ensuring that a person’s rental history is given greater weight when trying to obtain a home loan.

CNN’s Nikki Carvajal?and?Michael Williams contributed reporting. This post was updated with more of Fudge’s comments.

Vice President Kamala Harris will present herself tonight as the underdog in the race, imploring Democrats to not become complacent in the 75-day fight to stop Donald Trump from returning to the White House.

“She believes it and wants all Democrats to believe it,” a senior adviser told CNN.

It’s been a recurring theme at the convention here and one that campaign advisers say Harris will amplify from the podium tonight. She will call upon Democrats to channel their enthusiasm for the battle ahead, echoing the message Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and so many other speakers have delivered.

Harris will not dwell on the historic nature of her candidacy, aside from presenting her biography and her American story.

Sen. Alex Padilla of California leaned on his personal experience serving with Kamala Harris to share his support for the vice president during his speech to the Democratic National Convention Thursday night.

“To show you how Kamala Harris will treat America’s kids as president, I’ll tell you how she treats mine,” the Democrat said, adding that when she sees his three children, “she greets them with kindness and respect. Literally meeting them on their level to speak to them and to listen.”

The former California secretary of state was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill Harris’ Senate seat after she was elected vice president in 2020. He became the first Latino in state history to serve in the US Senate.

“When Kamala became vice president, I was honored to fill her seat. But I knew that I had some big Chuck Taylors to fill,” he said, alluding to Harris’ sneakers of choice.

This post has been updated with remarks from Padilla.

Former President Donald Trump and his team are planning to watch Vice President Kamala Harris’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, a source close to Trump told CNN.?

Earlier Thursday, Trump said he would do a “live play by play” on his social media platform of the speech, and potentially the speeches leading up to hers.?

Trump has watched some of the coverage of the DNC live as well been shown portions of various speeches. Trump has expressed annoyance at some of the media attention, a source familiar with the matter said, as well as some of the attacks on him.?

Wednesday, during a speech in Asheboro, NC, Trump lashed out at the Obamas’ criticism of his during their speeches the night before.?

“Did you see Barack Hussein Obama last night taking little shots? He was taking shots at your president and so was Michelle,” Trump said. “You know, they always say, ‘Sir, please stick to policy, don’t get personal,’ but they’re getting personal all night, these people.

As the week has unfolded, both privately and publicly, Trump has routinely said how it is “unfair” that he now has to run against Harris, specifically saying that she did not receive any votes ahead of being placed at the top of the Democratic ticket.?

Rep. Veronica Escobar said the energy at the Democratic National Convention has “inspired the nation” while opening the last night of the party’s meeting in Chicago.

The fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention is now underway in Chicago.

Vice President Kamala Harris will give what is undeniably the most important speech of her political life tonight as she accepts the Democratic presidential nomination. In her speech, she will tell the story of a middle-class upbringing and how that background fueled her decision to become a prosecutor, according to a campaign official. She is also expected to contrast her vision with Donald Trump’s and work to root that vision in patriotism.

A video outlining Harris’ life and political career was played for the convention before the speakers took the stage.

Here’s who will speak tonight:

Performances to watch for: The Chicks will perform the National Anthem, multiple sources have told CNN. To close out the event, Pink will perform ahead of Harris taking the stage. There’s also been speculation about another surprise guest: Beyoncé. Delegates and even lawmakers have been joining in the guessing game on whether the superstar would make an appearance. Convention officials, many of whom don’t know themselves about the closely held guest list, declined to comment.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks along the southern border with Mexico, on Thursday, August 22, in Sierra Vista, Arizona.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday said he wanted to propose new punishments for human smuggling, child trafficking and sex trafficking as he vowed to?“impose tough new sentences on illegal alien criminals.”

Trump added that he would impose “death penalty with a quicker trial” for “anyone killing our police, sheriffs, border patrol, ICE or law enforcement officials.”

Trump continued to stoke fears about undocumented immigrants and attacked Vice President Kamala Harris over the Biden administration’s handling of illegal immigration as he delivered remarks next to a section of the border wall in Montezuma Pass. The former president spoke while standing alongside family members of victims of violent crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.

The trip to the Arizona border, in which Trump repeated many false claims about immigration and Harris, coincided with the final day of the Democratic convention. The vice president is scheduled to address the convention in Chicago Thursday night.

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald?Trump?visits the border with Mexico in Cochise County, Arizona, on Thursday, August 22.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to publicly acknowledge he lost the 2020 election and said he came up “just a little bit short,” despite regularly lying about the last presidential election he lost and falsely claiming it was rigged.?

“I got many millions more votes than I got the first time but didn’t quite make it — just a little bit short,” Trump said during a campaign event at the US-Mexico border in Arizona.

He still called the election “horrible” and said the US needed to “clean up” its elections. Trump regularly falsely claims there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election and spreads election conspiracy theories.?

Remember: The?2020 election was highly secure; Trump lost fair and square to Joe Biden by an Electoral College margin of 306 to 232; and there is no evidence of voter fraud even close to widespread enough to have changed the outcome in any state.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech on the final night of the Democratic National Convention will pay tribute to one man who will not be present at the United Center: President Joe Biden.

In remarks accepting her party’s nomination for the presidency, the vice president will honor the president, two sources familiar said. The sources declined to detail how Harris would speak about the president. Contents of Harris’ speech — which was “done” as of Thursday afternoon, according to a source – have been kept closely under wraps.?

But expressing gratitude to the president would be a fitting way for the vice president to launch the most important speech of her political career. Had Biden not ended his presidential campaign just over a month ago before quickly endorsing Harris, it is entirely unclear how this year’s convention in Chicago would have unfolded, amid the intense pressure on the president to drop out.

Biden, who spoke on the opening night of the convention, is vacationing in southern California. In their first joint event after Biden left the race, Harris described Biden as the “most extraordinary human being, and American, and leader.”

Harris’ remarks tonight will also honor her mother, sources said. The vice president often speaks about her mother’s profound influence on how she sees the world.

“She never asked anyone for permission to pursue her dreams, and that is why within one generation, I write to you as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president,” Harris said in the campaign’s first fundraising appeal after securing the nomination.

Harris tonight plans to “tell her story or being raised by a working mother in a middle class neighborhood,” a campaign official said.

One Democratic influencer said young people have been highly engaged with the upcoming presidential election online and that Vice President Kamala Harris’ digital presence is resonating with his age group.

Harry Sisson, an NYU student and content creator who has been at the Democratic National Convention this week, said he noticed that the energy of this young voting bloc “just entirely flipped” when President Joe Biden announced that he would not seek reelection. He said just a few months ago when the race was a rematch between Biden and Donald Trump, they didn’t really care.

In the spirit of that excitement, Sisson said there have been viral moments in the last few weeks carrying on the momentum for young Democrats. One was when Gov. Tim Walz’s son, Gus, emotionally reacted to parts of his father’s speech Wednesday night.

“The Republicans who are insulting it, I think they’re jealous, and that kind of ties into why young people are excited about (the campaign). People crave the authenticity that Gov. Tim Walz and his family is bringing to the ticket,” he said.

The final night of the Democratic National Convention will end on a celebratory note.

A DNC official said there are 100,000 balloons tied to the rafters in the United Center that will be released after Vice President Kamala Harris finishes speaking.

Teams of people inflated the red, white and blue balloons on the second level of the arena, then placed them in giant nets before they were hoisted up.

An Arizona man accused of making threats against former President Donald Trump is now in custody, Cochise County public information officer Carol Capas told CNN Thursday.?

Ronald Syvrud was taken into custody a little after 2:30 p.m. PT in Cochise County, but no other details are immediately?available, Capas said.

Remember: Syvrud threatened to kill Trump in multiple social media posts over the past couple weeks, according to Capas. Trump’s team was briefed about the search for the man by law enforcement?before the former president arrived to the US-Mexico border for an event, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.?

The 66-year-old is wanted on several outstanding warrants stemming from DUI charges, felony hit-and-run, and failing to register as a sex offender, a Thursday release from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office?Facebook page?states. Syvrud is a resident of Benson, Arizona, the release said, a city about 50 miles southeast of Tucson.

Trump said earlier Thursday that he was unaware that the Secret Service was investigating an Arizona man who allegedly threatened Trump. The former president said he was “not that surprised” but that “I also have a job to do.”

Rosario Dawson speaks with CNN's Kaitlin Collinsfrom the floor of the DNC on Thursday, August 22.

In an interview on the convention floor this afternoon, actress and poltiical activist Rosario Dawson told CNN’s Kaitlin Collins that she co-founded Voto Latino 20 years ago to encourage politicians to engage with Latino voters.

Now, she said she hopes the Harris-Walz campaign — and potential presidency — will leverage the “unprecedented power” of the Latino vote.

Dawson’s Voto Latino co-founder, Maria Teresa Kumar, spoke during the third night of the Democratic National Convention and coined the phrase: “When Latinos Vote, Democrats win.”

Kamala Harris has proposed using tax credits to provide relief to middle class and lower-income Americans.

Her plan revives or extends temporary measures that Joe Biden and congressional Democrats enacted in major packages when the party controlled Congress during the first two years of the president’s term.

Harris’ proposal would restore the American Rescue Plan’s popular?expansion of the child tax credit?to as much as $3,600, up from $2,000, and call for it to be made permanent. The enhancement was?only in effect?in 2021.

Her plan would restore the American Rescue Plan’s enhancement of the earned income tax credit, known as the EITC, which increased the maximum credit for workers without dependent children to roughly $1,500. That previous boost was only for 2021.

Plus, the proposal would also add a new child tax credit of up to $6,000 for middle-class and lower-income families with children in their first year of life.

And Harris has also promised to?end federal income taxes on tips, sparking Trump’s ire that she is copying?his campaign promise. Tips would remain subject to payroll taxes under Harris’ plan.

Read about the promises Harris has made so far in her campaign.

The third night of the Democratic National Convention drew?20.2?million television viewers, surpassing the audience of last month’s Republican National Convention for a third consecutive night, according to Nielsen.

The third night of the DNC featured speeches from former President Bill Clinton, former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi and vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, and was broadcast on 12 television networks.?It marked the third straight night the DNC had drawn more than 20 million viewers.

?The viewership edged out?the?17.97 million viewers?who tuned into the third night of the 2024 Republican National Convention, which included an address from GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, as well as speeches from Donald Trump Jr., Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. Wednesday night’s DNC broadcast also fell short of?the?22.8 million viewers?who watched the third night of the 2020 Democratic convention, according to Nielsen.

Among those who watched on television Wednesday night, MSNBC had the largest audience with 5.3 million viewers, followed by CNN with 3.3 million, ABC with 3.2 million, NBC with 2.6 million, CBS with 2.1 million, and Fox News with 1.9 million.

?“The 18-34 [age] demographic has seen steady growth over each night of the DNC, with Wednesday’s audience up 13.5% from Monday night,” Nielsen said.

Vice President Kamala Harris is onstage during day one of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on August 19.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech Thursday night will?have three overarching objectives, according to a campaign official:

Harris spent much of the last day focusing on final speech preparations at her hotel in downtown Chicago. Sources say prior to this week, the vice president also practiced her delivery at Howard University in Washington.

In what is undeniably the most important speech of her political speech on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Harris will tell the story of a middle-class upbringing and how that background fueled her decision to become a prosecutor “in order to protect others,” the campaign official, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive speech preparations, said.?

The vice president will also delve into “Project 2025,” the conservative blueprint for a Trump second term at the White House, which the former president has tried to distance himself from.

Harris will argue that “unlike Trump, who talks down our country,” she is “driven by a deep sense of patriotism and a desire to be a President for all Americans.”

Sylvia Villagran attends Latinas Acting Up Winter Soiree official launch party at the Sepulveda Home on February 3, in San Pedro, California.

Sylvia Villagran’s workspace inside the United Center is incredibly small – about the size of a decent-sized walk-in closet.

But her voice travels far – it’s heard by thousands inside the arena and by millions more around the world.

Villagran?is the public address announcer of the Democratic National Convention – sometimes referred to as the “Voice of God.”

All week, she has been reading off names of major celebrities and Democrats as they come on stage, from former first lady Michelle Obama to Oprah Winfrey.

From her seat inside a production center just off the main concourse, she watches the program from a monitor and listens for cues from the production team before opening up her microphone.

Even though she isn’t actually in the room, she said “at the live events, there is a palpable feeling that you get that?feeds?you.”

The official run of show is tightly guarded, and last-minute changes may be communicated with less than an hour’s notice, according to a source familiar with the process.

While she would not reveal if she would be the one announcing Harris’ big moment or if someone on stage would, CNN pressed her to imagine a hypothetical scenario where that was the case.

Villagran, a Democrat, says she relates to Harris as a Latina woman who rose to the top of a traditionally male-dominated industry.

She estimates she has announced roughly the same number of men as women this week, which she views as a milestone.

“I think it’s equal. And that’s, that’s historic. It’s equal. And it’s about time.”

CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed reporting.

The Israel-Hamas war is the most fraught foreign policy issue facing the country and has spurred a multitude of protests around the US since it began in October.

After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late July, Kamala Harris gave a?forceful and notable speech?about the situation in Gaza.

Harris echoed Biden’s repeated comments about the “ironclad support” and “unwavering commitment” to Israel. The country has a right to defend itself, she said, while noting, “how it does so, matters.”

The sympathy she expressed for Palestinians’ suffering was far more forceful than what Biden has said on the matter in recent months. Harris mentioned twice the “serious concern” she expressed to Netanyahu about civilian deaths in Gaza, the humanitarian situation and destruction she called “catastrophic” and “devastating.”

Harris emphasized the need to get the Israeli hostages back from Hamas captivity.

But when describing the potential ceasefire deal being negotiated, she didn’t highlight the hostage for prisoner exchange or aid to be let into Gaza. Instead, she singled out the fact that the deal stipulates the withdrawal by the Israeli military from populated areas in the first phase before withdrawing “entirely” from Gaza before “a permanent end to the hostilities.”

Harris didn’t preside over Netanyahu’s speech to Congress in late July, instead choosing to stick with a prescheduled trip to a sorority event in Indiana.

Read more about what Harris has said so far on other key issues.

Former President Donald Trump told CNN’s Kristen Holmes Thursday that no plans had been made for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. —?who is expected to end his campaign Friday — to appear at Trump’s campaign rally in Arizona later that day. ?

CNN reported Wednesday that there are current talks between Trump’s team and Kennedy’s orbit for the independent candidate to endorse the former president and appear at Trump’s Phoenix area rally that same night.??

Trump said today he hadn’t spoken to Kennedy recently.?

The former president added that he has “a lot of respect for RFK Jr.”

U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee?Kamala?Harris?attends a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 20.

Kamala Harris’ health care platform builds on the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce prescription drug costs.

She is calling to expand the current?$35 monthly cap on out-of-pocket costs for insulin?and the upcoming $2,000 annual limit on out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs generally to all Americans, not just Medicare enrollees.

These caps were put in place for those on Medicare in the?Inflation Reduction Act. The $2,000 limit on Medicare Part D drug costs takes effect in January.

The?three major insulin manufacturers?in the US offer price caps or savings programs that lower the cost of insulin to $35 for many patients – a move Joe Biden pushed for in his State of the Union address last year.

Harris’ plan would also accelerate the speed of Medicare’s drug price negotiations so that the costs of more medications come down faster.

The Biden administration just announced the results of the?first-ever round of negotiations, which is expected to result in $6 billion in savings for Medicare and a $1.5 billion reduction in out-of-pocket costs for seniors when the lower prices take effect in 2026.

Read about the promises Harris has made so far in her campaign.

Kamala Harris’ campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said that the vice president will use her speech Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention to highlight her biography and background, recognizing that the American people don’t know much about Harris.

Dillon said Harris has been able to tap into energy and excitement, but added, “We know that the American people don’t know that much about the vice president.”

Asked about the path to 270 electoral votes, Dillon insisted that their map is “much wider” than former President Donald Trump’s and said they have a real opportunity “with expansion targets,” mentioning North Carolina and Georgia.

She said that the Harris campaign is not going to negotiate any other debates until Trump shows up for the September debate but said the vice president is willing to participate in more.

Dillon assured that Harris would answer questions from the press by the end of the month.

House Democrats insist voters are focused on the character and values of the candidates and Vice President Kamala Harris does not need to focus heavily on laying out a policy agenda as election day nears.??

Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly said Americans don’t vote on policy prescriptions.

Connolly added that at this juncture Harris must persuade people she is “someone I trust and have confidence in.”

Similarly, Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams told CNN that voters aren’t looking for policy documents.

Williams painted a contrast between former President Donald Trump and Harris, saying that “Harris is for thinking, looking toward the future and moving us out of the hatred and division of Donald Trump’s politics.”

She added that GOP policy proposals, specifically Project 2025, is “not what the majority of Americans and Georgians are interested in.”

Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee echoed those sentiments, saying the election will not turn on policy but rather character and values, and added that the “driving distinction” between Trump and Harris is character.?

Social media influencers produce content during the final day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center on August 22, in Chicago.

Vice President?Kamala Harris?taped three interviews this week at the?Democratic National Convention, but none were with any of the 15,000 credentialed journalists here in Chicago. Instead, they were with social media influencers.

The Harris campaign has recognized that reaching voters in the countdown to Election Day will require Democrats to go beyond a traditional media strategy and into new spaces.

One piece of this strategy is?creating its own content, including on the popular @KamalaHQ account across platforms. The other – and arguably more significant – piece is to harness the power of influencers.

There is a plan in place, officials say, to reach Americans – and particularly young voters. And that is increasingly on social media platforms.

There are multiple “creator lounges” across the United Center, spaces with mirrors and ring lights and charging stations where the creators, many of whom are longtime followers of one another but have never met in person, are networking and collaborating.?These creators represent a vast swath of the internet – and, thus, a vast swath of followers.

Read more here.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech that she will deliver tonight at the Democratic National Convention is “done,” a source familiar tells CNN.?

Of course, final tweaks and edits are possible until final moments before delivery.?

Authorities are seeking an Arizona man accused of making threats against former President Donald Trump, a Cochise County spokesperson told CNN.

Ronald Syvrud threatened to kill Trump in multiple social media posts over the past couple weeks, according to public information officer Carol Capas. She declined to name which platform the threats were made on.

Trump’s team was briefed about the search for the man by law enforcement?before the former president arrived to the US-Mexico border for an event in the state, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.?

The 66-year-old is wanted on several outstanding warrants stemming from DUI charges, felony hit-and-run, and failing to register as a sex offender, a Thursday release from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office?Facebook page?states. Syvrud is a resident of Benson, Arizona, the release said, a city about 50 miles southeast of Tucson.

It is unclear if Syvrud is still in Cochise County, and the sheriff’s office is asking for the public’s help in locating him.

Trump is in Cochise County delivering remarks at the border.

CNN has reached out to local law enforcement for further details.

US Secret Service spokesperson Alexandria Worley said the agency “investigates all threats against our protectees.”

“As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further at this time,” Worley added.

The post was updated with more details about the investigation.

Beyoncé performs onstage at SoFi Stadium on September 1, 2023 in Inglewood, California.

The speculation about a surprise guest on the closing night of the Democratic National Convention reached a fever pitch, with lawmakers joining into guessing game of whether Beyoncé would join the ranks of celebrities descending on Chicago to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris.?

At a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee briefing for donors and lobbyists on Thursday, a central question was whether Beyoncé would perform right before Harris delivers her acceptance speech.

Beyoncé’s sensation “Freedom” has become a soaring anthem for Harris — in music and message — in the opening month of her presidential candidacy as she has drawn audiences of tens of thousands of supporters.

Pink is set to sing “What About Us,” two officials familiar with convention planning tell CNN, while The Chicks are scheduled to perform the national anthem.

But even with the anticipation running high for those musical stars, speculation about Beyoncé didn’t diminish in the hours before delegates made their way to the convention floor.?

Convention officials, many of whom don’t know themselves about the closely held guest list, declined to comment.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance speaks at a rally at the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office on August 22, in Valdosta, Georgia.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Thursday spoke “very briefly” with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who the Ohio senator said is “100 percent” behind the Trump-Vance ticket, despite any prior disagreements with former President Donald Trump surrounding the fallout of the 2020 election.

Vance said he’s “glad to have the governor’s supporter,” adding, “We want anybody who believes in common sense to join the ‘Trump train.’”

Kemp told CNN in June he didn’t vote for Trump in the Republican primary, though he would support the Republican presidential ticket.

Meanwhile, former Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan?spoke at?the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night urging Republicans and independent voters to “Dump Trump.”

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance took cracks at Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, during a campaign event Thursday ahead of the final night of the Democratic National Convention.

Vance poked fun at the late start time of Walz’s speech Wednesday — which did not begin until 11:22 p.m. ET — and criticized Harris’ record on key issues.

“If you weren’t asleep at the beginning of the speech, you were sure as hell asleep by the end of the speech,” Vance said.

CNN previously reported that after running significantly behind schedule Monday night, DNC organizers moved up the program start time on Tuesday.

Vance claimed Walz was unable to speak to Harris’ accomplishments on cost-of-living issues or making the US more “peaceful and secure” because of her role in the current administration.

“He couldn’t say that, because Kamala Harris has caused the very policies that have made Americans’ lives worse over the last few years,” Vance told reporters.

“Her argument, and the argument of her surrogates, is, ‘We’re going to do things better when I get power.’ She’s had power for three and a half years, and she’s made everything worse.”

Tonight, when Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage, she will be the first Black and Asian woman in history to address the Democratic National Convention as her party’s nominee for president.

Despite the pressure, Black women see tremendous opportunity in this moment as Harris’ rise has become a remarkable source of encouragement for women in politics, they say.

Tamia Booker, a Democratic strategist, said, “I know I’m going to be filled with emotion.”

Meanwhile, LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, said she hopes to hear an “acknowledgement of how we got here.”

Harris’ identity is resonating with others who are mixed-race with Hillary Holley, executive director of Care in Action, saying she loves “the diversity she represents as herself.”

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), looks on on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, on August 19.

Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO, says two sentiments come to mind ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech at Democratic National Convention: “forward looking” and “inclusive.”

Johnson has been in Chicago for the DNC all week as various speakers have built toward Harris’ speech Thursday night. “What I have witnessed is the leadership of those who care about democracy in this country standing up in ways to say in this moment, she’s the right person. That’s inspiring,” he said.

He said he will be sitting in the audience “listening to what her vision will be for this country.”?

Post-convention, Johnson said the NAACP’s focus will primarily be on turnout, regardless of political affiliation.?“We’re an organization that exists in 47 of the 50 states. We want voters all across the country to be able to engage and participate,” he added.

The Supreme Court on Thursday?declined to revive parts of a Republican-backed Arizona law?that could have barred thousands of voters from casting a ballot in the November presidential contest or voting by mail.

The court left in place a hold against part of the law that required voters to document their US citizenship to vote in this year’s presidential election, but allowed the state to enforce other proof-of-citizenship requirements that will make it harder for voters to register for state and local elections. Proof of citizenship will be required for new voters using a state voter registration form.

The Supreme Court handed down the decision in a short order without explanation, which is common for emergency appeals.

Three conservatives — Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch — said they would have allowed more of the state’s proof-of-citizenship requirements to take effect. Four others — liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson and conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett — would?have kept the all the?contested provisions of the law on hold.

Keep reading.

Former President Donald?Trump?speaks during a campaign rally in Asheboro, North Carolina, on August 21.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would meet with family members of people who were attacked or murdered by undocumented immigrants during his visit to the US-Mexico border in Arizona.?

Trump again stoked fears about undocumented immigrants coming into the US and said, under a Harris presidency, America “WILL BE THE MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.”

Trump’s pledges on immigration: The former president has promised an immigration crackdown if elected, adding that he would aim to?deport 15 million to 20 million people, perhaps by using the National Guard.

Trump also vowed to use the “Alien Enemies Act to remove known or suspected gang members, drug dealers, or cartel members from the United States.”

For context: The flow of migrants, along with a series of high-profile criminal cases involving them, have?contributed to concerns about crime?— though?criminologists are skeptical?about the connection.

Trump has repeated false claims that many migrants are former prisoners or have been institutionalized in their home countries.?CNN has reported?there is no data to support the idea that a rise in immigrants drives a rise in crime. Most?measures of violent crime in the US?have actually been falling.

Trump?promised mass deportations?in 2016, too. And his immigration plans would likely face serious legal challenges.

Read more of Trump’s campaign promises on immigration.

High prices are a top concern for many Americans who are struggling to afford the cost of living after a spell of steep inflation. Many voters give President Joe Biden?poor marks?for his handling of the economy, and Vice President Kamala Harris may also face their wrath.

As part of her economic agenda, Harris wants to counter the increase in food costs, which she argues stems in part from some big grocery chains that are keeping prices high even though their production costs have leveled off.

To do so, she is calling for the first-ever federal?ban on price gouging?on food and groceries. She would also secure new authority for the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to investigate and penalize companies that unfairly exploit consumers in the quest for excessive profits on food and groceries.

Harris has echoed many of the same economic themes as Biden in campaign speeches, saying she wants to give Americans more opportunities to get ahead.

She promised in a July rally to continue the Biden administration’s drive to eliminate?so-called junk fees?and to fully disclose all charges, such as for events, lodging and car rentals.

“On day one, I will take on price gouging and bring down costs. We will ban more of those hidden fees and surprise late charges that banks and other companies use to pad their profits,” she said.

Read about the promises Harris has made so far in her campaign.

Former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club will host an “awards gala” next month to recognize the men who contributed to the “Justice for All” song and who were incarcerated for their role riot on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. ?

Trump has been invited to the September 5 event, which will be hosted by a pro-Trump PAC NEW GEN 47 and?Vote Your Vision, as a guest speaker.

As of now, it is unclear whether Trump would attend the event, a source familiar with the matter told CNN, adding Trump had not accepted the invitation to speak.??

Some background: Trump most recently said he would pardon January 6 rioters who were convicted in an interview last month at the National Association of Black Journalists conference.

Trump has regularly referred to those jailed for their role in the riot on the Capitol on January 6 as “hostages.”

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Donald Buckindail

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Updated 12:12 PM EDT, Fri August 23, 2024

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At 95 years old, Angie Gialoretto is the oldest delegate at the Democratic National Convention, while Isaac Winkler, 17, is the youngest.

For a 2024 election that has been defined in many ways by the issue of age, both Winkler and Gialoretto believe their party is working for their respective generations — and both are excited by the prospect of electing the first woman president.?

Gialoretto, who is from Pennsylvania, says she is “inspired” by Winkler and his generation.

“I just love politics,” she said. Gialoretto added that this election year is an exciting time for her. “I struggled with my generation, but today you have such young intelligent people,” she said.

She said that she had wanted to attend a convention at Winkler’s age, but it “never” seemed possible. She first attended a DNC in 1976 for Jimmy Carter, when she was 47 years old.?

Winkler, who is from Minnesota, said Harris “stands for everything that is good in this country, and it’s inspirational to be here at the convention supporting her.”

It’s also inspirational, he added, to be in the presence of someone like Gialoretto.

“Thanks to you, the youth can come to the convention and have a voice. I want to say thank you so much to all the work you’ve done,” he told Gialoretto.??

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest at Union Park as the Democratic National Convention takes place on August 21, in Chicago.

One?day after violent clashes between Chicago police officers and some pro-Palestinian protesters ended in dozens of arrests, the city’s top cop said there were no arrests or injuries during Democratic National Convention protests Wednesday.

The superintendent said Wednesday’s protests were very different from?an altercation outside the Israeli consulate?Tuesday, when more than 50 people were arrested.

“The individuals who showed up on Tuesday came here strictly to commit crimes, to fight with the police and cause destruction to the city,” Snelling said. “That was not the focus of the group yesterday. They just wanted to be heard. And we allowed that to happen.”?

During the largest Wednesday protest, a march that began at Union Park, some protesters stopped at L train stations to wave a Palestinian flag, but Snelling said no one was detained. “We were able to bring that situation down, deescalate it, and those people were released and were moved back into the march,” he said. “The marchers were very instrumental in helping us do that.”

Remember: Israel’s war on Hamas following the group’s October 7 attacks has led to demonstrations across the US calling for an immediate ceasefire. Activists have been angered by the US’ continued military support for Israel as it bombards Gaza, where more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the enclave’s health ministry.

In anticipation of large protests, authorities set up?significant security operations?around the United Center in Chicago ahead of the DNC.

Delegates hold cutouts of Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota and Democratic vice-presidential nominee, during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, on August 21.

It was the ultimate display of the “Minnesota Goodbye.”

The state’s governor, Tim Walz, had long finished his vice presidential acceptance speech Wednesday night and the United Center was largely empty – with the exception of a raucous group of Minnesotans on the convention floor.

For almost a half hour after the third night of the Democratic National Convention had come to an end, a scrum of several dozen people remained gathered around the seating area designated for the Minnesota delegation. Chanting things like “We want Tim!” “Harris Walz!” and “Sleep when you’re dead,” the group — waving cutouts of the governor’s face — could not be deterred from their loud celebration.

As videos of the moment circulated on social media, some Minnesotans began to joke that it was the “Minnesota goodbye” on full display.

One Minnesotan source offered CNN this definition of the phenomenon: It is “when Minnesotans go to leave a party, they spend so much time going around and saying goodbye to each other, it’s essentially another party.”

Watch the moment:

Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff arrive at the White House for a state dinner on April 10, in Washington, DC.

Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff both marked their 10-year wedding anniversary with social media posts on Thursday, the same day Harris will accept her party’s historic presidential nomination.?

“Happy anniversary, Dougie. I wouldn’t want to be on this journey with anyone but you,” Harris?posted on social media with a photo of the couple.

Emhoff shared a?40-second-long video?with photos and videos of the two, concluding with a photo of them on their wedding day.?

In his speech Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, the second gentleman talked about their upcoming anniversary and how each year, the vice president plays the “rambling” voicemail he left her before their first date.??

“This Thursday will be our 10th wedding anniversary, which I know, I know it means I’m about to hear that embarrassing voicemail again. However, that’s not all I’ll be hearing. That same night, I’ll be hearing my wife, Kamala Harris, accept your nomination for president of the United States,” he said Tuesday.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro makes a speech during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, on August 21.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is firing back at former President Donald Trump for calling him a “highly overrated Jewish Governor” in a social media post.

Trump’s post also criticized Shapiro’s Democratic National Convention remarks, which he called a “bad and poorly delivered speech.” Shapiro countered that Trump’s comments show that he is “going to continue to be the hateful, divisive person that he’s always been.”??

Shapiro added: “I think given his track record, he’s setting himself up for another defeat.”

On one corner in Chicago, near the Democratic National Convention, anti-abortion protesters and a mobile Planned Parenthood clinic stand near a 20-foot inflatable IUD (intrauterine device).

The giant faux contraceptive and the debate playing out nearby come as Democrats have made reproductive health care access a central part of their pitch to voters.

CNN’s Sara Sidner breaks down the story behind it:

The Harris campaign says it is “absolutely not” taking the votes of Arab Americans for granted, despite not having the Uncommitted National Movement represented on the convention stage this week.?

“We’re absolutely not taking their votes for granted; I think as it relates to uncommitted delegates at this convention, and we’re proud, glad that they are here,” campaign communications director Michael Tyler told reporters.?

He pointed to engagement with Uncommitted movement representatives “throughout the convention,” including a panel conversation and a recent brief meeting in a photo line between Vice President Kamala Harris and two of the movement’s leaders.??

Harris is “committed to ending the violence, ending the conflict,” Tyler said, mentioning her advocacy for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid for Gaza.?

He added: “It does stand in stark contrast to our opponent, whose only North Star is what benefits him, does not care about national security, does not care about global security. He’s only interested in his own personal self-interest.”

Michigan Democrats are preparing to support one of their own when she takes the stage on Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s political group is passing out purple “I’m with Big Gretch” T-shirts, as well as pink foam models of Michigan boasting “Gretchen Whitmer fights like hell,” to delegates at breakfast this morning in preparation for their governor’s remarks.

Detroit rapper?Gmac Cash released a track called “Big Gretch” in 2020 to laud the governor’s Covid-19 response.

Whitmer, who has made pink attire and lipstick a signature part of her personal style as governor, is due to address the DNC in the program ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris’ formal acceptance of the party’s nomination.?

The Michigan governor spoke during the DNC’s mostly virtual convention in 2020, and was tapped to deliver the Democratic response to Donald Trump’s State of the Union address earlier that year, just before the former president was acquitted by the Senate in his first impeachment trial.

Three former members of the shortlist to be Harris’s running mate — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker — addressed the Michigan delegation on Thursday morning, each heaping praise on Whitmer for her leadership of the blue wall state.

Whitmer, who was vetted during President Joe Biden’s running mate selection process, repeatedly ruled herself out of contention to join the ticket with Harris, saying she intends to serve out her term as governor through 2026. She remains a co-chair of Harris’ campaign and has vowed to help deliver battleground states?for the Democratic ticket.

The Harris campaign is extending an olive branch to “disaffected” voters who were considering supporting the independent presidential bid of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is expected to end his campaign on Friday and is in talks to endorse former President Donald Trump.

Harris communications director Michael Tyler directed his message directly at “undecided voters, many of whom found a home with him in the early stages of this campaign,” saying:

Tyler said the campaign would “do all the work necessary to court those voters.”?

Vice President Kamala Harris is onstage during day one of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on August 19.

The Democratic National Convention is entering its fourth and final day with a “future” theme and a highly anticipated keynote address from its nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, convention executive director Alex Hornbrook said Thursday.?

In addition to Harris, Thursday evening’s lineup includes:

In her keynote remarks, Harris will share her personal biography, campaign communications director Michael Tyler told reporters. She will also go after her GOP opponent, former President Donald Trump.

“On that stage tonight, you’ll see a champion for working people all across the country, a defender of our fundamental freedoms and a prosecutor who will make the case against Donald Trump,” Tyler said.

Gwen Walz, wife of US Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, speaks next to her husband at a campaign field office in Rochester, Pennsylvania, on August 18.

Gwen Walz, the wife of Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, is a genuine and authentic person, a colleague told CNN on Thursday.

Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow hired Gwen Walz to work at the school in 2019, and he has known her for more than a decade.

“Their family is their foundation,” Pribbenow said, noting that they do meet on a regular basis for work and spend half of the time during those meetings talking about their respective families. “It is just who they are.”

Pribbenow also discussed Gwen Walz’s reluctance to take on the first lady moniker when her husband was elected governor of Minnesota.

“It wasn’t that she didn’t understand the ceremonial aspects that were to go along with the role, but they had truly been partners,” Pribbenow said.

Pribbenow also said that the Walzes are no stranger to the spotlight and are adept at handling rhetoric being thrown at them.

“They know what it’s like to have those kind of attacks, and they keep their head up and they keep going,” he said.

Kamala Harris?took on the lead role?of championing abortion rights for the administration after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022.

In January, she started a “reproductive freedoms tour” to multiple states, including a stop in Minnesota thought to be the first by a sitting US president or vice president at an?abortion clinic.

On abortion access, Harris embraced more progressive policies than Biden in the 2020 campaign, as a candidate?criticizing?his previous support for the?Hyde Amendment, a measure that blocks federal funds from being used for most abortions.

Policy experts suggested that although Harris’ current policies on abortion and reproductive rights may not differ significantly from Biden’s, as a result of her national tour and her own focus on?maternal health, she may be a stronger messenger.

Here’s what Harris has said about other key issues.

The Harris campaign has launched a new account on another social media platform, adding Twitch to its arsenal.

Twitch is a live video streaming platform that is popular with video gamers, and also popular among young political influencers and commentators.

The @KamalaHarris account is expected to stream Thursday night’s Democratic National Convention programming, a campaign official tells CNN, including Vice President Kamala Harris’ nomination address this evening.

The new account marks another data point for the campaign’s efforts to reach voters, particularly young voters, in new places as Americans turn to new ways to consume news.

As of 11 a.m. ET, the @KamalaHarris account had 355 followers.

Hasan Piker, who is among the creators attending the DNC this week, is one of the most influential American political streamers on Twitch broadcasting daily to his almost 3 million followers.

A progressive, Piker is anti-Trump but is still not fully committed to the Harris-Walz ticket.

Former President Donald Trump reiterated his opposition to a federal abortion ban after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in his remarks at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday that Republicans “will ban abortion across this country, with or without Congress.”??

In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Trump responded to the claim by Walz in his speech by insisting “there will not be a federal ban” while touting his role in appointing Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.??

More context: Throughout this most recent campaign, Trump has?repeatedly ducked direct questions about abortion access, but he said in April that he?would not sign?a national abortion ban if elected to the White House again. That statement reversed what he said in 2016 when he was first running for the presidency and stood by during his time in office.

Emily Strayer, Natalie Maines and Martie Maguire from The Chicks perform on The Pyramid Stage at Day 5 of Glastonbury Festival 2023 on June 25, 2023 in Glastonbury, England.

The Chicks will perform the National Anthem on Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention, multiple sources have told CNN.

The country music group – formerly known as the Dixie Chicks – are set to take the stage on the closing night of the DNC, to kick off the evening when Vice President Kamala Harris will make her speech.

The Chicks performing at the National Anthem is a notable booking for the convention – not just because of country music’s historically conservative-leaning fanbases – but because of the band’s past that has infamously intertwined with politics.

In 2003, before the invasion of Iraq, the band’s lead singer Natalie Maines said at a concert that the group, which got its start in Dallas, did not endorse the war and were “ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.”

Their remarks about then-President George W. Bush triggered boycotts and backlash from fans, resulting in country stations across the country pulling the group’s music from the radio. At the time, in March 2003, CNN reported that “station managers said their decisions were prompted by calls from irate listeners who thought criticism of the president was unpatriotic.”

This will not be the first convention appearance for The Chicks, who also performed at the virtual 2020 DNC during the pandemic.

Read more about The Chicks appearance here.

Gov. Tim Walz is appearing at the Minnesota delegation’s breakfast meeting in Chicago on Thursday, a Harris campaign official told CNN.?

Walz and his wife, Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz, are stopping by the delegation breakfast “to thank delegates for their support of the Harris-Walz ticket.”

The visit comes after Walz introduced himself to voters last night as he accepted the vice presidential nomination and made his case for why Americans should head to the polls to defeat former President Donald Trump.

Migrants wait to be processed by US Border Patrol agents after crossing into the US from Mexico on June 14, in Jacumba Hot Springs, California.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to stress an approach to immigration in her remarks Thursday that balances border security and addressing immigrants who already reside in the United States, while casting her Republican rival’s policies as extreme, according to a source familiar with the preparations.

Immigration has featured prominently in the 2024 presidential election. Democrats, grappling with years of border crises, have tried to flip the script on Republicans after the GOP blocked a bipartisan border measure this year and as the issue remains a cornerstone of former President Donald Trump’s campaign.?

On Thursday, Trump will return to the southern border to hammer the administration over border security and place the blame on Harris, falsely claiming that she was the border czar, only hours before Harris takes the stage in Chicago.?

A balanced approach to immigration, while not a novel argument, is an especially welcome one for advocates who have raised alarm over the Democratic Party’s enforcement-heavy border messaging in recent months.

The Democratic Party’s platform, released this week, revealed the shift that’s unfolded over the last year.?

In 2020, the party platform stressed the US “should be a beacon of hope for those who are suffering violence and injustice” and underscored protecting and expanding the existing asylum system, with no mention of asylum limits.?

Four years later, the platform calls for strengthening the asylum system, quickly removing those who don’t have a legal basis to remain in the US and embracing Biden’s asylum crackdown.?

Since Harris assumed the top of the ticket, allies and immigrant advocates have pushed her team to address not only border security but also the millions of undocumented immigrants in the US. The Harris campaign quickly went on the offensive on immigration in late July, citing her work prosecuting transnational gang members and the failed bipartisan border measure.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 20.

Vice President Kamala Harris announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president after President Joe Biden withdrew from the ticket and endorsed her on July 21.

Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the ticket of a major political party.

The daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, Harris, who is age 59, grew up in Oakland and spent much of her political career in California’s Bay Area. As a US senator, Harris was known for her prosecutorial questioning style during hearings with Trump administration officials and nominees, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions and future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Past experience: Harris is the current vice president and the highest-ranking female political official in US history. She previously served as a US senator, California attorney general and the San Francisco district attorney.

Key policy issues: Harris’ initial campaign speeches offer some insights into her priorities, including on the economy. Like Biden, she intends to contrast her vision for America with Trump’s. She said the path forward will focus on lifting up working and middle-class Americans, enabling them to join unions, retire with dignity, live without the fear of gun violence and obtain affordable health care.

Read more about Harris’ life and read up on the promises she’s made so far in her campaign.

Kamala Harris has quickly started trying to?counter Donald Trump’s attacks?on her immigration record.

Her campaign released a video in July citing support for increasing the number of Border Patrol agents and Trump’s successful push to?scuttle a bipartisan immigration deal?that included some of the toughest border security measures in recent memory.

In June, the White House announced?a crackdown?on asylum claims meant to continue reducing crossings at the US-Mexico border – a policy that Harris’ campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, indicated in July to CBS News would continue under a Harris administration.

Trump’s attacks stem from Biden having tasked Harris with?overseeing diplomatic efforts?in Central America in March 2021. While Harris focused on long-term fixes, the Department of Homeland Security remained responsible for overseeing border security.

She has only occasionally talked about?her efforts?as the situation along the US-Mexico border became a political vulnerability for Biden. But she put her own stamp on the administration’s efforts, engaging the private sector.

Harris pulled together the Partnership for Central America, which has acted as a liaison between companies and the US government. Her team and the partnership are closely coordinating on initiatives that have led to job creation in the region. Harris has also engaged directly with regional leaders.

Experts credit Harris’ ability to secure private-sector investments as her most visible action in the region to date but have cautioned about the long-term durability of those investments.

Read about the promises Harris has made so far in her campaign.

It’s the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention, where presidential nominee Kamala Harris is expected to speak.

Here’s what happened on the first three days:

President Joe Biden speaks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19, 2024.?

Day 1: Passing the torch

President Joe Biden told America: “I gave my best to you,” summing up his decadeslong career.?He also?slammed Donald Trump?as he made the case for the party’s new presidential nominee,?Kamala Harris.

Notable speakers:?Hillary Clinton cast Harris in the lineage of female political firsts as she praised the vice president’s leadership. Other notables included union leader Shawn Fain and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Abortion rights: Democrats lambasted Trump for appointing conservative Supreme Court justices who helped undo Roe v. Wade’s protections for abortion rights. Three women told stories about the state of reproductive care in the country in support of abortion rights, which has been Democrats’ most potent issue at the ballot box.

Spotlight on Project 2025: Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow stepped onstage with a prop: a book containing “Project 2025” so big that it barely fit on the podium. Democrats are eager to tie Trump to what McMorrow called “a Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.” Though the former president has disavowed it, Democrats have framed the playbook for a second Trump term as his agenda.

Barack Obama speaks at the United Center during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on August 20.

Day 2: Emhoff and the Obamas make their case

Former President Barack Obama made a forceful case for Harris as president. He made many references to his own campaigns — including the “Yes we can” chants once omnipresent at Obama rallies, now returning as “Yes she can.” He followed former first lady Michelle Obama, who declared that “hope is making a comeback” and delivered perhaps her most frank and public comments about the racism her family faced during their time in the White House — often perpetuated by Trump. She also made a personal appeal for everyone to “do something” between now and Election Day.

Second gentleman: Doug Emhoff talked about his relationship with Harris as he praised her role as a stepmom to his children. Harris was not at the convention but symbolically accepted her historic presidential nomination in a video appearance from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she was campaigning. This came after a rollicking roll call in Chicago, in which DJ Cassidy played tracks for each state, and there was a surprise appearance from Lil Jon for Georgia as he performed “Turn Down for What” and “Get Low.”

GOP speakers show up: Former Republicans made the case for Independents and Trump critics to vote for Harris, including Mayor John Giles of Mesa and Arizona, former Trump aide Stephanie Grisham.

Tim Walz speask at the United Center during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on August 21.

Day 3: Walz in the spotlight

With plenty of football analogies, Walz highlighted his?upbringing?and?his work in his address. He also talked about his wife’s fertility struggles. Walz outlined what a Harris presidency would look like, including cutting taxes for the middle class and making housing more affordable, and worked to tie the Republican ticket to Project 2025.

Notable speakers: Former President Bill Clinton vouched for Harris and levied pointed attacks at Trump, saying “he?mostly talks about himself. Oprah Winfrey called on fellow Independent and undecided voters to “choose common sense over nonsense” and vote based on values and character. House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also spoke for Harris.

Downplaying Israel’s war in Gaza: The conflict remains one of the most fraught US foreign policy issues. There had been barely any mention of it, except when Biden spoke about Gaza, showing sympathy for those killed. But on day three, the parents of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin spoke about their “anguish and misery.” Hours after their speech, the Uncommitted National Movement was told that their request for a speaking spot had been denied. Members reacted by staging a sit-in outside the United Center.

Kamala Harris?has helped America see joy and now she needs to make America see a president.

Her speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night will represent her most exacting test yet in?a dizzying month?that rocketed her to the threshold of an historic presidency that could reshape American politics.

The vice president will offer the country a new beginning and a chance to move to a different place — beyond the prolonged funk brewed by years of?Donald Trump’s dark rhetoric and public exhaustion after a once-in-a-century pandemic and consequent and punishing high prices.

More broadly, she’s proposing to restore the elusive lightness and optimism to American life and to reclaim the concept of “freedom” from conservatives, encompassing everything from reproductive rights to new economic relief for the working and middle classes, to access to health care and safety from mass shootings.

Her party is calling on Harris to ascend to the next level of the political stratosphere after advanced age ended President Joe Biden’s reelection bid.

No modern presidential nominee of any major party has faced such a tough assignment in so short a time.

Read the full analysis.

Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan – an Air Force veteran – called Republican criticisms of vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s military record “abhorrent.”?

Houlahan told Kasie Hunt on?CNN This Morning that she believed the GOP was “running scared … they don’t know what to do with themselves.”?

“There is no there there,” she said.

The congresswoman, who represents suburbs of Philadelphia in Chester County, explained that despite the fact her district is split between 40% Democrats, 40% Republicans and 20% Independents, she’s a Democrat who has succeeded in winning her races.

Houlahan said her constituents embrace the “civility” and “joyfulness” she has tried to embody on the trail in the past and that has also been promoted at the Democratic National Convention.

“We cannot take anything for granted,” she urged.?

Taylor Swift performs on stage during the "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Wembley Stadium on August 15, in London, England.

Taylor Swift didn’t endorse former President Donald Trump last weekend. Ryan Reynolds wasn’t photographed wearing a pro-Kamala Harris shirt. And the Communist Party USA never backed President Joe Biden’s now-defunct campaign.?

But these false claims about the 2024 campaign, and dozens of other posts with similar fake endorsements, have exploded on social media in the run up to the election, according to researchers?at the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education group that?launched a new database?Thursday chronicling more than?550?unique instances?of election-related?misinformation.

The latest?and most visible?example these bogus claims?emerged Sunday, when Trump?shared a post on?his Truth Social platform?containing images?created with the use of artificial intelligence?that?suggested?a groundswell of support from?Swift?fans calling themselves?“Swifties for Trump.” In response to the implied?endorsement from the pop icon, Trump wrote, “I accept!”

Swift, who?previously assailed?Trump as “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism” during his presidency,?endorsed Joe Biden?in 2020 but has not yet?backed a presidential candidate in the 2024 race.

The News Literacy?Project?says it?has launched?its misinformation database?Thursday?to raise awareness of viral falsehoods that?it believes?pose?an?“existential threat to democracy” and?are?best examined?through bulk analysis of hundreds of examples, instead of individual fact-checks.?

Read more about how fake celebrity endorsements are becoming the?latest weapon in?misinformation?wars.

Tim Walz speaks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 21.

Tim Walz introduced his life and background to Americans on the third night of the Democratic National Convention after he accepted the party’s nomination for vice president.

He started with his life, growing up in Butte, Nebraska, “a town of 400 people.”

“I had 24 kids in my high school class, and none of them went to Yale,” he said in an apparent swipe at his Republican rival JD Vance, who is a Yale alumnus.

Walz said he grew up learning to take care of his neighbors in Butte and looking out for them, which instilled in him a “responsibility to contribute.”

“For me, it was?serving in the Army National?Guard. I joined up two days?after my 17th birthday, and I?proudly wore our nation’s?uniform for 24 years,” he said.

Walz shared that his dad, a Korean war veteran, died of lung cancer and left behind “a mountain of medical debt.”

“Thank?God for social security?survivor benefits. And thank?God for the G.I. Bill that?allowed my dad, and me, to go to college, and millions of other?Americans,” he said.

He then traced his life to teaching and coaching football — ultimately winning a state championship.

While she appeared briefly at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night and traveled to Milwaukee with running mate Tim Walz for a campaign event on the second night of the event, Kamala Harris’ team cleared her public schedule on Wednesday so she could focus on practicing and making final edits to her speech.

In the final hours, her focus has largely been on perfecting the delivery of her speech, sources said, by trying to anticipate how the audience will receive and feel every line.

This week also provided ample opportunity for Harris to spend time with her family – including members of her husband’s family – who have all descended on Chicago for this week’s political festivities.

Some of those family members have provided input on her speech.?

Even though?Harris has been vice president for three-and-a-half years, she still views her Thursday night speech as “her introduction to America in her own voice,” advisers told CNN.?

Something else she did Wednesday night: call Tim Walz before his speech to wish him good luck.

Kamala Harris has committed to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

She has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at least six times and announced $1.5 billion for energy assistance, humanitarian needs, and other aid for the war-torn country last month.

At the Munich Security Conference this year, Harris said:

“More broadly, NATO is central to our approach to global security. For President Biden and me, our sacred commitment to NATO remains ironclad. And I do believe, as I have said before, NATO is the greatest military alliance the world has ever known.”

Here’s what Harris has said about other key issues.

A view of the United Center in Chicago ahead of the third night of the Democratic National Convention on August 21.

Leaders of the?Uncommitted National Movement?began a sit-in outside the?Democratic convention?Wednesday night after being told by party officials that they would not get a speaking slot at the gathering.

Co-founder Abbas Alawieh, whose group?emerged during the Democratic presidential primary?to marshal protest votes against the Biden administration’s support for?Israel’s war on Hamas?in Gaza after the October 7 attacks,?told reporters he received a call from a convention official Wednesday night, saying, “Abbas, the answer is no.”

Alawieh, an uncommitted delegate from Michigan, then sat down on the concrete outside the United Center, with images of?Kamala Harris?shining out over him, and said he would not leave the spot until the vice president and convention organizers reversed their decision. He was quickly joined by other uncommitted delegates and, toward the end of the program, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar briefly joined the group. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?also expressed support?for the group on social media and urged the DNC to reverse its decision.

Besides a speaking slot, movement leaders also had other asks, including for a US government arms embargo against Israel, that were rejected out of hand by Democratic leaders.

Read the full story.

Hefty debt loads, which hurt people’s ability to buy homes, get car loans, or start small businesses, are also an area of interest to Kamala Harris.

In her economic plan, she pledged to work with states to cancel medical debt for millions of Americans and help them avoid falling behind on health care bills in the future.?States?and municipalities have used American Rescue Plan funds to cancel $7 billion of medical debt for up to 3 million Americans, according to the campaign.

Harris has been a leader in the?White House’s efforts?to ban medical debt from credit reports, noting that those with medical debt are no less likely to repay a loan than those who don’t have unpaid medical bills.

As vice president, she has promoted the Biden administration’s initiatives on student debt, which have so far forgiven?more than $168 billion for nearly 4.8 million borrowers. In July, Harris said that “nearly 950,000 public servants have benefitted” from student debt forgiveness, compared with only 7,000 when Biden was inaugurated.

A potential Harris administration could keep that momentum going – though some of Joe Biden’s efforts have gotten tangled up in litigation, such as a program aimed at?cutting monthly student loan payments?for roughly 3 million borrowers enrolled in a repayment plan the administration implemented last year.

Here’s what Harris has said about other key issues.

Tim Walz at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 21.

At the party’s convention?Wednesday night, Democrats displayed a “joy” strategy, portraying Vice President Kamala Harris as the candidate who can move the nation forward.

Here are six takeaways from the night:

Tim Walz, the happy warrior, introduces himself: Before his selection as Harris’ running mate, he’d never delivered a speech in front of a national audience or used a teleprompter. He introduced himself as a coach, a teacher, a hunter, and a neighbor as he made the case that Democrats are the party of freedom.

Oprah portrays Harris as “the best of America”: Talk show legend Oprah Winfrey said Harris is poised to make history and that soon, Americans will teach their children how the child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father grew up to be a US president. “That is the best of America,” she said.

“For the people” vs. “Me, myself and I”: Bill Clinton framed the election as a choice between Harris being “for the people” or Donald Trump being “about me, myself and I.” Clinton used his speech to cast Trump as self-obsessed and Harris as a clean break from the drama that encompasses the former president. Trump “mostly talks about himself,” Clinton said.

Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow: Several of the party’s aging figures, including Clinton, acknowledged the twilight of their influence and urged voters to usher in new leaders. Clinton, 78, told the crowd that he’s been to every Democratic National Convention since 1972 and has “no idea how many more of these I’ll be able to come to.”

Bill Clinton at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 21.

Hostage’s parents share ‘agony on all sides’ of Israel-Hamas war: The parents of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, shared their “anguish and misery” in one of?the?night’s most poignant moments. The two also acknowledged the deaths of civilians in Gaza, saying “there is a surplus of agony on all sides” of the war. Hours after their speech, leaders of the Uncommitted National Movement, which has criticized Biden’s mishandling of Israel’s war in Gaza, were told that their request for a speaking spot had been denied. Members reacted by staging a sit-in outside the venue.

Capitol police officer says Trump “betrayed us”: Defending democracy remains a key theme for the campaign, as highlighted by Aquilino Gonell, a former US Capitol Police sergeant, who said that Trump “summoned our attackers” who rioted at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Read more takeaways.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally on August 20 in Milwaukee.?

Vice President Kamala Harris?prepared for the highest-profile?moment of her political life from a hotel suite in downtown Chicago, readying herself for an opportunity to turn the swell of momentum on which she arrived at the Democratic National Convention this week into a?movement that propels her into the Oval Office.

The enormous stakes are not lost on Harris, who has been thinking about her speech for?several weeks. From nearly the moment President Joe Biden removed himself from the top of the Democratic ticket, she has been formulating the argument she hopes to make in her speech tonight.

Harris has never been regarded as one of the party’s master speechmakers. Yet her prosecutorial elocution and distillation of policy into understandable terms has helped her galvanize massive crowds since launching her candidacy.

Though Harris has been vice president for more than three years, advisers believe Americans are unaware of large parts of her biography. All week in Chicago, pieces of her background have been sprinkled into speeches, with her campaign hoping to help define her on its terms – as a prosecutor, a fighter, and a daughter of a single middle-class mother.

According to several Democratic aides and others involved in her speech preparation, Harris has refined the text extensively,?working in part?from the stump speech she delivers, almost verbatim, at her campaign rallies. At the Park Hyatt Chicago, where she is staying this week, she has practiced extensively and consulted with aides and family members in refining a speech meant to act as a high-profile introduction to American voters.

Read the full story.

P!NK performs onstage during P!NK The Summer Carnival 2024 - St. Louis at The Dome at America’s Center on August 10, in St Louis, Missouri.

Pink has been tapped for a closing night performance by the Democratic National Convention, a source familiar with the plans told CNN.

Pink?will perform ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris taking the stage for the most significant speech of her political career.

This will be the first major politically set performance for?Pink, who has been outspoken about causes she is passionate about throughout her career.

Pink?has been a longtime advocate of the LGBTQ community and women’s rights and has supported organizations that align with Democratic issues, including Planned Parenthood, the Human Rights Campaign and more.

In 2022, the pop superstar?released a music video?for her song “Irrelevant” that touched on racism and sexism in America. The video features images that reflect reproductive health care, civil rights and racial tensions. In the song,?Pink?sings: “Girls just wanna have rights. So, why do we have to fight?”

Pink?has made clear that she does believe artists should stay silent regarding their politics, even if it draws criticism. When Roe v. Wade was overturned, the best-selling artist spoke out on social media.

In 2023,?Pink?teamed up with PEN America, a free expression advocacy organization, to give away thousands of banned books at her concerts in Florida, where she said free speech and LGBTQ rights were under attack. “I read banned books!”?Pink?said on an?Instagram Live?with the non-profit in November 2023.

CNN has reached out to representatives for?Pink. A spokesperson for the DNC did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz introduced himself to America on the biggest political stage of his career Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention.

The speaker lineup also featured other well-known faces in the Democratic Party, including former President Bill Clinton, House Minority Leader?Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker?Nancy Pelosi.

The convention leaned into its “fight for our freedoms” theme, featuring speakers that highlighted the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol and reproductive rights.

Here are some of the key moments you might have missed: