Fox News skipped some big moments at Democratic convention

When Gen. John Allen, the retired four-star Marine general and former commander of American forces in Afghanistan, stepped on stage at the Democratic National Convention to deliver an impassioned argument against Donald Trump, Fox News didn’t broadcast it.

Never mind that it was a primetime address on the final night of the convention, and that the speech marked a rare moment in American politics when a normally non-political four-star general felt compelled to make a public appeal to the nation.

Instead, Fox News aired a pre-taped interview with Gen. Allen, followed by a rebuttal from Gen. Michael Flynn, the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. “I honestly don’t know how John Allen can look at himself in the mirror and say why he supports Hillary Clinton,” Gen. Flynn told Fox’s Megyn Kelly.

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Clinton leads Trump by 6 points after Democratic confab: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton held a 6- percentage-point lead over Republican rival Donald Trump, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll with new wording that was released on Friday, the day after she formally accepted her party’s nomination for the Nov. 8 election.

Nearly 41 percent of likely voters favor Clinton, 35 percent favor Trump, and 25 percent picked “Other,” according to the new July 25-29 online poll of 1,043 likely voters, which overlapped with the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia

The poll has a credibility interval of 4 percentage points.

The presidential tracking poll reflects a slight change of wording from previous surveys, replacing the “Neither/Other” option given to respondents with just “Other.” An internal review had found the word “Neither” has, at times, siphoned support away from one or the other candidate. [nL4N1AB4I6]

Former Secretary of State Clinton delivered an upbeat keynote address at the Democratic convention on Thursday night, as she became the first woman to accept the presidential nomination from a major party. [nL1N1AD041] For the full article click here 

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Local Democratic delegates find unity at convention

After a tumultuous primary campaign, local Democratic delegates found inspiration and optimism at their party’s national convention in Philadelphia this week.

“I’m ecstatic, elated,” said Sheila Comar, a delegate from Granville and chairwoman of the Washington County Democratic Committee, on Friday. “I’m just so happy that this actually happened.”

Hillary Clinton had officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president the night before, capping off the four-day convention with a speech that made her case for the presidency, the last of a marquee lineup that included President Barack Obama.

A longtime supporter, Comar was a pledged delegate to Clinton, one of two from Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties. Three other delegates from those counties were pledged to Bernie Sanders, who endorsed Clinton after losing the primary and moved to nominate her at the convention. For the full article click here 

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Lessons from Democrats’ rowdy presidential convention in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA By the time tens of thousands of red, white and blue balloons cascaded down on Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine at the end of the Democratic National Convention, history had been made, political shots had been fired and the general election had begun.

Democrats held a far more conventional convention this week in Philadelphia thanRepublicans did last week in Cleveland — an expected contrast reflecting the differences between Clinton, the establishment Democratic presidential nominee, and Donald Trump, her insurgent Republican counterpart.

Philadelphia, however, still managed to deliver an astonishing amount of news for such a scripted event. Taken together, it’s difficult to remember another pair of recent conventionsquite as tumultuous. If conventions are supposed to present a sort of dialogue between the nation’s top two political parties, then what Cleveland and Philadelphia offered was more of a shouting match — in which each side yelled completely past the other.

Welcome to the ‘anti’ election. Both candidates know many voters don’t want to be for Clinton or for Trump. No matter. Perhaps they’ll be persuaded to be against one or the other. For the full article click here 

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FBI, Justice Department investigating cyberattacks on Democratic Party

With just 100 days until Election Day, there are concerns over hacking and the presidential election. The FBI is investigating another cyberattack.

According to the Clinton campaign, a computer service it used was hacked as part of a larger breach of the Democratic National Committee.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee claimed it had an intrusion as well.

CBS News correspondent Marlie Hall reports the FBI and Justice Department were investigating the hacking that has shaken up the Democratic Party.

Many cybersecurity experts and the president said they have little doubt that Russia’s government was the top suspect, and now more information from the Democratic Party could be compromised. For the full article click here 

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Democratic donors rip Trump for failure to share tax returns

The wealthy Democratic donors, many of whom run complex businesses, know firsthand how revealing tax returns can be. Perhaps that’s why they can’t stop talking about Republican nominee Donald Trump‘s refusal to release his.

From their suites at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, the finance hub at this week’s Democratic convention, and at the event’s auxiliary swanky parties, supporters of Hillary Clinton are sounding the alarm about Trump’s break with decades of presidential campaign tradition.

Clinton put out eight years of recent tax filings last summer, and her backers lament that voters don’t seem to understand why Trump’s refusal to do the same matters. For the full article click here

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This election isn’t just Democrat vs. Republican. It’s normal vs. abnormal.

What we just witnessed in Cleveland and Philadelphia defies our normal political vocabulary. We are used to speaking of American politics as split between the two major parties. It’s Democrats versus Republicans, liberals versus conservatives, left versus right.

But not this election. The conventions showed that this is something different. This campaign is not merely a choice between the Democratic and Republican parties, but between a normal political party and an abnormal one.

The Democratic Party’s convention was a normal political party’s convention. The party nominated Hillary Clinton, a longtime party member with deep experience in government. Clinton was endorsed by Bernie Sanders, the runner-up in the primary. Barack Obama, the sitting president, spoke in favor of Clinton. Various Democratic luminaries gave speeches endorsing Clinton by name. The assembled speakers criticized the other party’s nominee, arguing that he would be a bad president and should be defeated at the polls. For the full article click here

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Hillary Clinton’s convention speech: what she said and what she meant

Hillary Clinton: You [Bernie Sanders] have put economic and social justice issues front and center, where they belong. And to all of your supporters here and around the country: I want you to know, I’ve heard you. Your cause is our cause. Our country needs your ideas, energy and passion. That’s the only way we can turn our progressive platform into real change for America. We wrote it together – now let’s go out there and make it happen together.

Sanders, the runner-up for the nomination, appeared on the convention floor earlier this week to move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the Democratic nominee, playing the role she did for Barack Obama eight years ago. It was therefore imperative that Clinton return the compliment and draw a line under a bruising primary campaign that threatened to divide the convention. Her tent needs to be big enough to include Sanders diehards and ensure they do not vote Green, defect to Trump or merely stay at home. After a rocky start, the party emerged from its convention looking more or less united.

Hillary Clinton: America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders, there are no guarantees. It truly is up to us. We have to decide whether we all will work together so we all can rise together. For the full article click here

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‘Feminist Christmas': World reacts to Clinton’s Democratic convention

(CNN)Hillary Clinton made history on Thursday when she became the first woman to accept the Democratic nomination for U.S. President, saying the “world is watching” the upcoming election.

In contrast to her rival Donald Trump who promised “Americanism, not globalism,” she pledged to stand by NATO allies “against any threat they face, including from Russia.”

“You want a leader who understands we are stronger together when we work with our allies around the world,” she told an enthusiastic crowd.

‘Feminist Christmas’

On social media, many women reacted positively to Clinton’s acceptance — what some users dubbed“feminist Christmas.”

Former talk show host Oprah Winfrey was among the scores of international celebrities who jubilantly tweeted their endorsement of Clinton’s speech, saying she always believed she’d live to see a female nominee. For the full article click here

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The Democratic convention’s most surprising argument: Christianity is a liberal religion

A lot of what seems inexplicable about Hillary Clinton often makes more sense when you realize her formative years in the public eye were largely spent in front of a religious right that spent a large portion of 1992 making television character Murphy Brown’s decision to be a single mother a national controversy.

Needless to say, there wasn’t much love for Hillary Clinton.

Everything from the title of her book to her supposedly wild and liberal political stances was dragged out for mockery. In some circles, she was trusted so little that essentially any goofy conspiracy theory that could be dreamed up attached itself to her with very little effort.

I have always taken this to be why the Clinton I first knew — the one who burst onto the scene in 1992 — has been replaced by a more halting and timid figure, who cloaks her progressive stances in what she believes is possible, and who seems intent on proving to everyone that she’ll be the toughest there is on questions of national security. For the full article click here

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How Hillary Clinton Made History

Claims to making history collided in 2008, when Hillary Clinton lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Barack Obama. The potential first woman came up short against the first African American—who ultimately became our first black president. There was an enervating tension in Denver eight years ago, a hangover from a long and often bitter campaign, until the Democratic women’s advocacy group Emily’s List brought Clinton and Michelle Obama together for a celebration.

There, the two women celebrated each other. “Over her career she has offered me, my daughters, and all of our daughters a different vision for what they could become, and for that we are forever grateful for her work,” Obama said of Clinton, though she had at times been furious with the campaign’s racially tinged maneuvers. Clinton confided: “I know a little bit about the way the White House works. If the president is not exactly on our side, call the first lady. And with Michelle Obama, we’re going to have someone to answer that phone.” Eight years later, Democrats needed healing again, and Michelle Obama brought it, giving unhappy Bernie Sanders supporters gracious advice about how to carry on in defeat. “When she didn’t win the nomination eight years ago, she didn’t get angry, or disillusioned. Hillary did not pack up and go home. Because as a true public servant, Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires or disappointments.” Amazingly, she echoed Clinton’s own concession speech to her husband, which Clinton delivered to bitter, grieving supporters eight years ago, praising her as someone “who has the guts and the grace to keep coming back and putting those cracks in that highest and hardest glass ceiling. For the full article click here 

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President Obama Delivers Powerful Endorsement of Hillary Clinton at DNC

The first black President of the U.S. took the stage to support first woman presidential nominee of a major political party at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night. Delegates chanted, “Yes We Can,” Barack Obama’s campaign slogan from 2008, as Obama spoke to the crowd in support of Hillary Clinton.

Obama, who walked out as “The City of Blinding Lights” by U2 rocked the arena in Philadelphia, offered a ringing endorsement of Clinton, his onetime primary competitor who became his Secretary of State, saying she would “blast through the glass ceiling.”

“Even in the midst of crisis, she listens to people. And she keeps her cool,” Obama said. “And no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits. That is the Hillary I know.” For the full article click here 

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Mayor de Blasio, in Low-Key Role, Sticks to Script at Democratic Convention

For Mayor Bill de Blasio, it could have been a much bigger moment: a high-profile chance to champion his own accomplishments in New York City and the liberal agenda he favors, while positioning himself as a national leader of the left.

Instead, the mayor spoke for just seven minutes at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday, well before prime time, in front of a half-empty hall, sticking to a script praising Hillary Clinton and bashing Donald J. Trump, with no mention of his own achievements in New York

Mr. de Blasio dithered for months before endorsing Mrs. Clinton over her primary rival, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, testing the patience of Mrs. Clinton and her aides. He tried to organize a candidate forum in Iowa that was conceived as a chance to question the candidates on liberal issues and raise Mr. de Blasio’s profile outside New York. The forum fell throughamid criticism of the mayor for appearing more interested in playing national politics than in running the city. For the full article click here 

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Tim Kaine who? Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential nominee introduction speech to the world, annotated

Below is the complete text of vice presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine’s speech, delivered shortly after accepting the nomination at the Democratic convention Wednesday night. We annotated it. Play along by getting aGenius account and highlighting the text you want to comment on.

SPEAKER: SEN. TIM KAINE,
DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

[*]
KAINE: Thank you everybody. Hello, Philadelphia!

(APPLAUSE) Hello Democratic families.

I want to start off by thanking my beautiful wife and my three wonderful children, Nat, Woody, and Annella. They are sitting right up there.

(APPLAUSE)

You Know my son, Nat, deployed with his Marine battalion just two days ago.

(APPLAUSE)

KAINE: He deployed overseas to protect and defend the very NATO allies thatDonald Trump says he now wants to abandon.

Semper fi, Nat! Semper fi!

(APPLAUSE)

My parents and my in-laws are here. Our siblings and their spouses. Our nieces and nephews, and hundreds of friends from Virginia and beyond.

(APPLAUSE)

I love seeing you front and center. Including my friend of 37 years, senior Senator Mark Warner. My great Governor Terry McAuliffe. For the full article click here 

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Fact check on Night 3 of the Democratic convention: Obama’s false claims, Kaine’s serial offense

PHILADELPHIA — The president headlined the night’s speeches, and a few of his boasts of his record headline our fact-checking report:

• President Obama claimed that under his administration, “we finally began to wean ourselves off foreign oil,” but dependency on imported oil had begun to drop years before he took office.

• The president repeated a frequent boast that the U.S. “doubled our production of clean energy” during his tenure. Monthly renewable energy production has gone up 40%.

• Obama said deficits have “come down” under his administration. That’s true, but they are expected to rise again soon under his proposed budget.

• Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine falsely referred to economist Mark Zandi as “John McCain’s chief economic adviser during the ’08 race,” in touting an estimate of job loss under Donald Trump’s proposals. In fact, Zandi is a Democrat. For the full article click here 

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HILLARY CLINTON Listen Up, Little Girls … YOU CAN BE NEXT FEMALE PREZ

Hillary Clinton made her own dramatic entrance — via satellite — at the DNC Tuesday night as she officially became the first woman nominated to run for President of the United States.

Hillary popped up in the jumbotron following a montage of all the previous Presidents — and the crowd went wild during an awkwardly long 45 seconds of staring at Mrs. Clinton’s face in the screen.

“1984”-ish moment aside … she had a few poignant remarks about the historic moment, and attempted to inspire young women around the country.

Also memorable … Meryl Streep‘s intro to a video package earlier in the evening. Somewhere Howard Dean is texting, “LMAO.” For the full article click here 

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Hillary Clinton And Donald Trump Are Now Equally Unpopular

PHILADELPHIA — If you were standing in the convention hall here or watching the Democratic National Convention on television Monday night,it quickly became clear from the tumult on the floor that the Republican Party doesn’t have a copyright on disunity. And there’s not much doubt about the reason for that.

Although most people who identify as Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party have a favorable opinion of Hillary Clinton, that view isn’t nearly universal. A look at the recent polling shows that Clinton and Donald Trump are now about equally popular, both with their respective bases and with the American public at large.

Even after becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee, Clinton has seen little improvement in her standing among Democrats and Democratic leaners. According to Gallup, Clinton’s favorable rating among those groups was 68 percent on the day of the California primary (June 7). Today, it stands at 70 percent. In other words, nearly a third of Democrats don’t hold a favorable view of her. At this point in the 2008 campaign, only 14 percent of Democrats didn’t hold a favorable view of Barack Obama, according to Gallup — 84 percent did. Even if most Democrats prefer Clinton to Trump, a sizable portion of them do so at this point without liking her. For the full article click here 

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Hillary Clinton, a Reluctant Star of Her Own Prime-Time Show

PHILADELPHIA — Follow along for our coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

Donald J. Trump could not resist making a splashy appearance every night of his convention — emerging onstage as a fog-enshrouded silhouette one night, upstaging a political foe from the stands two nights later.

But as Democrats piled on the accolades for Hillary Clinton here, she was not just offstage, or holed up in a nearby hotel suite. She was at home in Chappaqua, N.Y.

Naturally guarded, unusually private and hard-wired to avoid the boastfulness and hagiography that are so typical of political conventions, Mrs. Clinton has seemed, halfway through this four-day celebration of her life and life’s work, a reluctant star of her prime-time production. For the full article click here 

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Democratic Convention Night 2: What You Missed

PHILADELPHIA — After a turbulent beginning to their convention, Democrats nominated Hillary Clinton for president on Tuesday, making her the first woman to lead a major party’s ticket in the United States. They then turned to hear from a lineup of speakers that included Lena Dunham, Madeleine Albright and former President Bill Clinton, the night’s main attraction.

• Mr. Clinton delivered a long, personal recounting of Mrs. Clinton’s life, offering himself up as a witness to her journey from young law student to presidential nominee.

“In the spring of 1971,” Mr. Clinton began, “I met a girl.”

His tale stretched from their courtship to the birth of their daughter, Chelsea, and on to her time as secretary of state. He presented Mrs. Clinton as a “change maker” and contrasted his account with the way Mrs. Clinton was portrayed at last week’s Republican convention. “One is real,” he said. “The other is made up.” For the full article click here 

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Was The Democratic Primary A Close Call Or A Landslide?

Hillary Clinton will officially become the Democratic nominee for president this week, at which point we’ll finally close the chapter on the 2016 primaries. But when we look back on the 2016 race, how should we think of it, as a close call or as a blowout? Could a few small changes have made Sanders the nominee — and could a higher-profile candidate such as Elizabeth Warren have beaten Clinton, when Sanders didn’t?

My view is that the race wasn’t really all that close and that Sanders never really had that much of a chance at winning. From a purely horse-race standpoint, in fact, the media probably exaggerated the competitiveness of the race. But that’s not to diminish Sanders’s accomplishments in terms of what they mean for the Democratic Party after 2016. It’s significant that Sanders in particular — and not Warren or Joe Biden or Martin O’Malley — finished in second place. For the full article click here 

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#ClintonNation: This is why Americans are voting for Hillary Clinton

Clinton Nation is more than a demographic or an attitude. To get beyond the clichés, USA TODAY NETWORK interviewed scores of Hillary Clinton’s supporters. USA TODAY, Collin Brennan

Clinton Nation is more than a demographic or an attitude. To get beyond the clichés, USA TODAY NETWORK interviewed scores of Hillary Clinton’s supporters.

Many supporters of the candidate who’ll be America’s first female presidential nominee don’t care that she’s a woman any more than they care that her opponent’s a man.

They’re with her because they find Hillary Clinton so qualified and Donald Trump so … terrifying.

“I’m excited — I want Hillary to get elected. But kind of scared, too,’’ says Jennifer Gibbens, 36, aSpringfield, Mo., social worker. She’s afraid Trump would “take us back to the Dark Ages.”

The election can go either way, worries Kynesha Brown, a 35-year-old Montgomery, Ala., administrative assistant. “We can have a candidate who will continue President Obama’s legacy. And we have someone who could tear everything we’ve built in the last eight years down.” For the full article click here 

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Hillary Clinton’s Convention: Day 1

PHILADELPHIA — O.K., Michelle Obama stole the show.

It would be hard to beat an African-American first lady saying that she woke up every morning:

“in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn. And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.”

But she went further than that – further, really, in lambasting the opposition than is traditional for someone in the Official Wife position. And it worked very, very well. “Don’t let anyone ever tell you this country isn’t great. That we need to make it great again. Because this … is the greatest country on earth,” she said, wrapping up the speech that seemed to totally shut up the Bernie Sanders holdouts.

The first lady talked a lot about her daughters and realizing “our time in the White House would form the foundation for who they would become.” Malia and Sasha Obama seem to be coming out fine — more than fine. So, for that matter, does Chelsea Clinton. All the recent presidential children appear to have grown up well. Also, all girls. Just saying. For the full article click here 

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Clinton vs. Bernie Debate: As Turmoil Rocks Democratic Party, How Can Progressives Move Forward?

With the Democratic National Convention about to begin in Philadelphia, we look at the state of the Democratic Party. Many party leaders were hoping to use the convention to display party unity after the long primary fight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. But on Friday,

Hillary Clinton named Virginia Senator Tim Kaine to be her running mate, angering many Bernie Sanders supporters who had hoped she would have picked a more progressive vice president. On that same day,

WikiLeaks released 20,000 internal Democratic National Committee emails showing that some party operatives worked behind the scenes to discredit and defeat Bernie Sanders, and by Sunday Florida Congressmember Debbie Wasserman Schultz had resigned her post as DNC chair just hours before the convention. We are joined by Jess McIntosh, director of communications outreach for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and Norman Solomon, coordinator of the Bernie Delegates Network and a delegate from California. For the full article click here 

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Democratic Party email leak points to Russia: cyber experts, U.S. officials

Cyber security experts and U.S. officials said on Monday there was evidence that Russia engineered the release of sensitive Democratic Party emails in order to influence the U.S. presidential election.

The FBI said it was investigating a cyber intrusion at the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which has led to discord as the party’s convention in Philadelphia opens on Monday to nominate former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton as its candidate.

Although the hacking of the DNC was known to officials and cyber security experts a month ago, the timing of the release of the contents of communications within the party is what is causing concern for U.S. authorities.

A U.S. official involved in the investigation said that the classified information collected on the hack so far “indicated beyond a reasonable doubt that it originated in Russia.” For the full article click here 

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Bernie Sanders’ Calls for Unity at Democratic Convention Draws Boos

Bernie Sanders urged his fans Monday to vote for Hillary Clinton, but his supporters responded with a chorus of boos that highlighted the depths of Democratic disunity.

“We have got to defeat Donald Trump. And we have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine,” Sanders told supporters just hours before the Democratic National Convention kicks off here. The faithful, who crowded into a Philadelphia auditorium to hear the Vermont Senator tout the campaign’s successes, responded with jeers.

Among the achievements Sanders celebrated was the resignation Sunday of Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who announced she would step down at the conclusion of the convention in the wake of an email hack that suggested she and her staff had improperly sought to influence the outcome of a long and bitter primary For the full article click here 

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Hillary Clinton Launches Mobile Volunteering App

Hoping to grow her campaign’s online presence

Hillary Clinton’s campaign is releasing a mobile app designed to encourage supporters’ involvement, drawing on the campaign’s large staff of digital programmers as the general election against Donald Trump gets underway.

Available in the iTunes store, the app encourages users to “check in” to rallies and televised speeches, share campaign Facebook content and take Clinton policy “quizzes.” Users can compete with each other over the app and win merchandise for completing “challenges.”

The Clinton campaign’s aim is to connect with voters without requiring them to step foot in a campaign office. For the full article click here 

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Discord, Email Scandal Taint Eve of Democrats’ National Convention

The head of the U.S. Democratic Party resigned Sunday on the eve of the party’s national convention set to affirm former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as its 2016 presidential nominee.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz quit the post amid a furor over leaked emails that show party leaders mocked and criticized the upstart campaign of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, while he was waging an unexpectedly tough challenge to Clinton for the nomination. Wasserman Schultz, a U.S. representative from Florida, was expected to officially step down at the end of this week’s convention in Philadelphia.

Sanders had demanded that Wasserman Schultz resign after WikiLeaks disclosed nearly 20,000 emailsfrom Democratic Party leaders over the last year and a-half. For the full article click here 

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Hillary Clinton to Take Command of a Changed Democratic Party

When Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic nomination on Thursday, she will take command of a party that has little in common with the one she and her husband rode to the White House a quarter-century ago.

The party she will inherit is less white and more liberal. It is better educated and not as willing to compromise with Republicans. Many Democrats today aren’t convinced capitalism is the best economic model or that socialism is taboo.

Nor is the party entirely sold on its new leader. A Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll this month showed 45% of registered Democrats and those who lean in that direction would have preferred a nominee not named Hillary Clinton.

“I’m in the hold-your-nose-and-vote-for-Hillary-Clinton camp,” said Jason Frerichs, a Democratic Party county chairman in southwestern Iowa. For the full article click here 

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Ego Clashes Exposed in Leaked Emails From Democratic National Committee

There were pleas for favors, as when a Democratic Party official emailed Chuck Todd, the “Meet the Press” host, for tickets to an exclusive NBC soiree. (“I can’t even get every producer on my cable show into the party,” Mr. Todd replied.)

There were gripes about coverage, with party aides dismissing the MSNBC host Steve Kornacki as a “hipster pit bull.”

And there was disdain for the frequent flattery by television journalists. When Fox News sought permission to sponsor a Democratic primary debate — “Please know that you are always welcome at Fox,” an executive wrote — the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, seemed unimpressed.

“Boy,” Ms. Wasserman Schultz wrote to an aide hours later. “They are laying it on thick.”

The collection of committee emails released last week by the guerrilla journalism group WikiLeaks seemed intended to hurt Democratic unity on the eve of the party’s convention, revealing concerted efforts to undermine Senator Bernie Sanders’s campaign. (On Sunday, Ms. Wasserman Schultz said she would resign.) For the full article click here 

 

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5 Things To Watch In Philadelphia This Week

Hillary Clinton will break the penultimate glass ceiling this week — becoming the first female nominee of a major American political party.

It’s a historic milestone that’s been obscured by Donald Trump’s chaotic convention and, now, on the eve of the Democratic convention, the resignation of the DNC chairman following the leak of 20,000 emails showing that the DNC had its thumb on the scale for Clinton. The Clinton campaign blames the leak on Russia, which they say is trying to put its thumb on the scales for Trump.

Whew!

Here are five things to watch in Philadelphia this week:

How unified will the Democrats be? 

The Wikileaks email dump threatened to upend the careful truce worked out between the Bernie Sanders camp and the Clinton campaign. But it has led to a huge victory for Sanders. He got Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s head on a platter. Sanders has had a terrible relationship with Schultz. He even endorsed her primary opponent. Did Schultz’s resignation satisfy the Sanders forces? Or will they have a demonstration or a walkout on the floor of the convention, presenting an image of a party almost as divided as the GOP? The answer may come Monday night when Sanders addresses the convention. Will he wholeheartedly and enthusiastically back Clinton? If he does, that will go a long way to unifying the party. For the full article click here 

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Kaine wins Democratic veepstakes as Clinton’s pick

Hillary Clinton has chosen Sen. Timothy Kaine (Virginia) as her vice-presidential running mate, completing a Democratic ticket that prizes experience and traditional notions of public service in a political year dominated by Republican rival Donald Trump’s unorthodox, highly personal brand of leadership.

Kaine, 58, a former Virginia governor, Richmond mayor and Democratic National Committee chairman, was chosen after a search that included riskier and more unconventional candidates who offered greater appeal to the party’s liberal base.

He was a longtime favorite to become Clinton’s running mate, however, in part because of the political and personal attributes she considers well-suited to the governing partnership she seeks – and in part because of the calculation that the experience of a Clinton-Kaine ticket would outgun Trump’s outsider bombast. For the full article click here 

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Why We Should All Be Voting FOR Hillary

Given his outrageous rhetoric and hate speech, his uncontrollable ego, his pathological lying, his virtually apocalyptic policy agenda and his textbook racism, it’s no surprise that some commentators have declared the 2016 presidential contest to be simply a referendum on Donald Trump. And to some extent it is. Americans will be given the choice to accept or reject Trump’s bigotry, demagoguery and recklessness. Donald Trump over the last year has given enough reason for every right thinking American to go to the polls to make sure that he never gets anywhere near the White House.

But focusing on Trump alone obscures the other, equally important aspect of the choice we’re making in November: that Hillary Clinton is an extraordinary candidate that all of us, particularly those of us in the progressive movement, should be proud to support. On the issues that matter most, she’s laid out a powerful agenda to move our country forward.

Most importantly, consider the issue on which the next president might have the greatest impact: the Supreme Court. As Bernie Sanders said in his endorsement speech last week, the results of the 2016 election will reshape the Court for a generation. It could allow us to overturn disastrous decisions in cases like Citizens United; defend the rights of women, immigrants, workers and LGBT people; protect the environment and repair the damage being done to civil rights law. For the full article click here 

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Why Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump, was the unifying figure at the RNC

For an event dedicated to the naming of Donald Trump as presidential nominee, theRepublican National Convention‘s big name wasn’t always Trump — it was his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

The speakers and delegates fixated on disparaging Clinton at the convention, at times more so than praising Trump, drowning the stadium in boos and “lock her up” chants at the sound of her name.

Speaker after speaker called out Clinton for everything from the email scandals to jeopardizing national security to being the direct cause of ISIS’s growth in the Middle East.

On the second night of the convention, the few Republican Party speakers who dared to show, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, mentioned Clinton almost four times more than they mentioned Trump in their speeches. For the full article click here 

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Democratic Party opens Danville office

The Democratic Party of Virginia — hoping to elect presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and 5th District congressional candidate Jane Dittmar — opened its Danville office in a celebration Thursday evening.

Local Democrats joined supporters during the event at the office at 441 Piney Forest Road to discuss November’s general election choice between Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Catrea Johnson — a Danville Community College graduate who is working on her bachelor’s degree — just started volunteering this week. She said she was volunteering after talking about her passion for politics and engagement with her mother. For the full article click here 

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Stage unveiled for Democratic National Convention

The stage is set.

Organizers of the Democratic National Convention offered a sneak peak of a transformed Wells Fargo arena and stage on Friday, three days before the convention starts.

“Welcome to Philadelphia!” Rev. Leah Daughtry, CEO of the convention committee, said Friday from the huge built-out, silver-blue stage flanked by LED screens. “There is no better city, no better backdrop to showcase our party’s values then the birthplace of American Democracy.” For the full article click here 

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Kaine leads as Democrat Clinton nears a running mate choice

Democrat Hillary Clinton was close on Friday to announcing a vice presidential running mate, with U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia leading a small group of contenders under consideration to help her do battle with Republican rival Donald Trump.

Another senator, Cory Booker of New Jersey, along with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack were also among the final contenders, with Kaine having an edge, a Democratic source with knowledge of the discussions said.

Clinton’s campaign declined to comment.

Clinton is expected to announce her running mate for the Nov. 8 election through a text message or Twitter, possibly as early as Friday when she has two afternoon events scheduled in Florida. For the full article click here 

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Obama to Ban Trucks After Nice Attack

ORIGIN:A 14 July 2016 Bastille Day attack in Nice claimed more than 80 lives when a man plowed through a large crowd of celebrants with a truck. Almost immediately, gun rights advocates began pointing out that the attacker had killed dozens of people without the use of a gun, prompting inevitable comparisons of calls for more stringent regulation of firearms with the folly of blaming vehicles and drivers for massacres such as the Nice tragedy

Some pundits arguing these points linked to an article published on the web site Political Writing Gameas a real-life example of what they were asserting, that now the U.S. would foolishly be implementing “truck control” as a means of heading off future attacks like the one in Nice For the full article click here 

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Judge Napolitano: What if the fix was in for Hillary at the Obama Justice Department?

What if the folks who run the Department of Political Justice recently were told that the republic would suffer if Hillary Clinton were indicted for espionage because Donald Trump might succeed Barack Obama in the presidency? What if espionage is the failure to safeguard state secrets and the evidence that Clinton failed to safeguard them is unambiguous and overwhelming?

What if President Obama never really liked his former rival whom he appointed as his secretary of state? What if he had no real interest in seeing her succeed him because he and his wife simply could never trust her?

What if, when Clinton suggested to the president that the U.S. wage a secret undeclared war against Libya, the president went along with it as a no-lose proposition? What if he assumed that if her secret war succeeded he’d get the credit and if her secret war failed she would get the blame? For the full article click here 

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Whom Will She Choose? Hillary Clinton’s VP Shortlist

Hillary Clinton is expected to announce her running mate later this week during a two-day swing through Florida, NBC News has learned. The presumptive Democratic nominee has campaigned or met with most of the candidates in recent weeks and is set to appear with her final choice before the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Philadelphia next week.

The news could come as soon as Friday at Clinton’s afternoon rally at the Tampa fairgrounds. On Saturday, she heads to Miami for a mid-day event at the Florida International University campus.

Overall, the former secretary of state has said she is looking for someone who can seamlessly step into the job of commander-in-chief if needed. “I know what it’s like being president. I’ve seen it up close, I’ve worked for one, I’ve had that experience. So for me there is nothing more important than my rock-solid conviction that the person I choose could literally get up one day and be the president of the United States,” Clinton told CBS News on Monday For the full article click here 

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State Sen. Kevin de León’s daughter gets job at firm with Democratic party ties

An Encino-based political consulting firm that works with the state Senate and is on the payroll of the California Democratic Party has hired the daughter of California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León.

Shallman Communications announced Wednesday it had hired Lluvia de Milagros Carrasco as an account coordinator. The Saint Mary’s College graduate is in her early 20s.

Her hiring highlights the intersection of politics and family relationships in Sacramento. It also comes after de León faced criticism for helping Carrasco secure an internship at a social justice non-profit while also introducing a bill that aided the non-profit, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Firm founder John Shallman praised Carrasco’s skills and said she’d earned the job in her own right during a brief interview. For the full article click here 

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Kansas Democratic delegates get ready for convention

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) -As the Republican National Convention nears its end, Democratic delegates spent Wednesday preparing for their own convention next week.

One delegate is a college student and part-time librarian. Another has been involved in politics since Richard Nixon was in office. They are both representing the Sunflower State in Philadelphia

Nathan Bales, a delegate from Cowley County, is voting for Senator Bernie Sanders. He was determined to represent Kansas in Philadelphia.

“I went to Topeka for the for the state Democratic convention, where I was elected by committee people,” said Bales. “I’m an at large delegate, versus a Congressional District delegate.” For the full article click here 

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Welcome to Philadelphia, DNC

(CNN)After spending a week in Cleveland, photographer Alex Webb visited the next city that will be the focus of national politics this month — Philadelphia.

He spent two days in the historic city, snapping almost 4,000 photographs of its rich culture and diversity.

Philadelphia is the fifth-most populated city in the United States — at an estimated population of 1.5 million — and diverse, with 44% of the population identifying as black or African-American. The Northeastern city is also home to several universities, and it is considered the economic center of Pennsylvania.

Webb said he spent most of his time downtown, the area surrounding downtown, and North Philadelphia.

The city was prepping for the Democratic National Convention, with donkey statues, DNC signs and other related items around the downtown area, Webb said For the full article click here 

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Philadelphia Social Worker Invited To Speak At Democratic National Convention

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Dozens of big names will take the stage next week for the Democratic National Convention, but it’s some of those newcomers to the stage who may make the biggest impact.

“I was asked if I would be willing to speak at the Democratic National Convention,” Thaddeus Desmond told Eyewitness News. Desmond, 28, a Philadelphia native, is one week away from the chance of a lifetime. He’ll speak in front of tens of thousands when he takes the stage Tuesday night. His name came to the attention of Democratic National Committee through his work.

“A little nervous is probably an understatement, but I think even more than nervous I’m honored and truly humbled to be able to represent myself, my family,” Desmond said.

Desmond is a child advocate social worker in Philadelphia and his job isn’t just a job, it’s personal. He was once a foster child, and 25 years ago, his social worker Kathy Desmond fell in love with him. For the full article click here 

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At the GOP convention, democratic values go missing

CLEVELAND — First came the roll-call vote at Tuesday’s session of the Republican National Convention, in which Donald Trump formally won the Republican nomination for president. Near the end of the night was an address from Donald Trump Jr. that was surprisingly ideological, covering conservative priorities such as school vouchers, gun rights and energy drilling with a tone of conviction that suggested he has been the real Republican in the family all along. And in between was an remarkable show of disregard for the two most senior elected Republicans in the country: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).

After Republicans retook the Senate in the 2014 midterm elections, McConnell explained how he would set the stage for Republican ascendance in 2016 — by making Congress work again, proving that the GOP is an adult party that can govern the country. Bills would come to the floor. Amendments would be sorted through. An orderly process would lead to visible policy achievements that showed Republicans’ seriousness. For the full article click here 

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Valley couple headed to Democratic convention

A valley couple is getting ready to leave Wednesday morning for the Democratic National Convention.

She is a delegate for Hillary Clinton. And he is a volunteer.

This will be the second national convention for Doug and Estella Kessler. Doug is the regional chairman for the Democratic party. They’ve been working hard for months, campaigning for Hillary Clinton. And they are eager to see her get her party’s nomination.

“I’ve been Hillary Clinton since 2008,” Estella Kessler said.

Estella is excited to see her candidate at the top of the Democratic party’s presidential ticket. She helped plan Hillary Clinton’s campaign stop in Fresno. Estella is a pledged delegate for Clinton.

“Having Hillary Clinton is something else. Congresswoman Maxine Waters probably said it best: take your pencils, take your cameras, take your phones, take pictures, write this down for your grandchildren because we are going to make history,” Estella said.

Estella and her husband, Doug, attended the last Democratic National Convention in 2012 when President Obama was up for re-election. For the full article click here 

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The Democrats Are Spoiling for One Last Fight

The final battle of the 2016 Democratic primary process is on. This will come as news to practically everybody: Didn’t Hillary Clinton fend off Bernie Sanders at long last, then woo his support successfully with platform concessions that moved the party further left? Yes, and yes. But there is one more big grassroots-versus-establishment clash remaining to be settled before next week’s Democratic National Convention—or, possibly, during next week’s convention.

Last Thursday, a coalition featuring supporters of both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders notified the Democratic National Committee that they will formally introduce a plan to the Rules and Bylaws Committee to eliminate superdelegates, the 712 party leaders and elected officials who hold a vote in the presidential nominating race. The coalition wants the nomination to only be decided by primary voters, not party poohbahs free to vote for whomever they want.

Fourteen progressive groups are behind the proposal, which can be found at EndSuperdelegates.com. “The superdelegate system is unrepresentative, contradicts the purported values of the party, and reduces the party’s moral authority,” they wrotethe DNC. Organizers expect between 100,000 and 200,000 to use activist tools at the website and take action this week—including direct appeals to Rules Committee members on social media. For the full article click here 

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Republican Convention Delegates Boo Mitch McConnell

(Newsmax) – Delegates on the floor of the GOP convention booed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as his name was being called by Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.

Priebus put McConnell’s name forward as temporary convention chairman until House Speaker Paul Ryan takes over, according to The Hill.

The loud boos happened after many in the crowd signified their approval by saying “aye.” Priebus signified McConnell’s election by saying, “In the chair’s opinion, the ayes have it.”

As the boos continued, Priebus said with a laugh, “It’s pretty clear, guys. I’m sorry.” For the full article click here 

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Tom DeLay: Obama Has ‘Cops’ Blood on His Hands

(Newsmax) – Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay told Newsmax TV Monday that President Barack Obama “has blood on his hands” in the wake of the shootings of police officers.

“These cops’ blood are on his hands” DeLay told Steve Malzberg. “So there’s no way that a president of the United States should support anybody that calls for the death of cops, that walks on the streets calling for the death of cops.

“He should be condemning Black Lives Matter for what they’re doing. He should be investigating people that are inciting riots, and inciting the killing of cops, rather than trying to excuse their behavior.” For the full article click here 

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Perry: Making America Great Again Starts With Our Veterans

(Breitbart) – Monday night at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, former Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) appeared to speak on behalf of an effort of presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump to “make America safe.”

“Tonight our commitment is this: Making America great again starts with our veterans.”

 

For the full article click here 

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Heroes for Trump! Victims of Illegal Aliens, Gold Star Familes, Sessions, Clarke, Cotton, More: ‘Make America Safe Again’

(Breitbart) – Welcome to Breitbart News’s live updates of the Republican National Convention’s evening session. Tonight’s theme is “Make America Safe Again.” After the “Never Trump” movement ended this afternoon when they lost on a procedural vote, Donald Trump will introduce his wife, Melania, tonight. Other headliners include Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Rudy Giuliani, Jamiel Shaw, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, and Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson.

12:10: Joni Ernst says on CNN that Trump spoke passionately about education, especially for inner city youth, during their private meeting. She says she was unsure about Trump’s candidacy before her meeting and became a supporter. Ernst wants Trump to talk more about his plans for inner city youth/education on the stump. For the full article click here 

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Melania Trump: From Small-Town Slovenia to Doorstep of White House

(NYTimes) – On days when Melanija Knavs could not play outside or grew tired of knitting her navy blue sweaters, she and her friends would exchange notes along the lines of yarn they strung between their apartment block balconies.

In clear handwriting, Melanija mused about the boys of her dreams.

She could not have seen what was coming. Melanija Knavs is now Melania Trump, and she is one election away from being the first foreign-born first lady since Louisa Adams. She addressed millions of Americans on Monday night in a televised speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

But interviews with her former classmates, friends of her family and others who knew them during her youth in Slovenia suggest that her transformation owes less to chance than to the Knavs family’s determination to seize openings and avoid getting stuck.  For the full article click here 

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What Hillary Clinton Is Looking for as VP Pick Nears

Now that Donald Trump has chosen his running mate, the Clinton campaign’s search for a vice president is kicking into high gear a week from their convention in Philadelphia.

Hillary Clinton will likely make her announcement a day or two after the Republican convention, which ends Thursday night, sources told ABC News.

After a month of vetting candidates, Clinton held a series of one-on-one meetings with some possible picks at her Washington, D.C., home last week. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper each met with the former secretary of state behind closed doors.

Gingrich Says Bushes Are Acting ‘Childishly’ by Not Going to RNC

D.C. lawyer James Hamilton, who led the Democratic vice presidential searches for Al Gore,John Kerry and President Obama. Cheryl Mills, Clinton’s longtime confidant and chief of staff at the State Department, along with the chairman of Clinton’s campaign, John Podesta, are assisting Clinton with the vetting process. For the full article click here 

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Democratic National Convention Visitors: Welcome to Philadelphia

To all visitors to Philadelphia for next week’s Democratic National Convention festivities: welcome to our state and our nation’s city of brotherly love.

Governor Tom Wolf welcomes Democratic National Convention visitors to Philadelphia:

Pennsylvania is historically a place of welcome. The commonwealth was founded by William Penn as a refuge for people of different faiths, different nationalities, and different opinions and in that spirit we welcome you all.

Philadelphia is home to many experiences and attractions. While you’re here, stop byIndependence Hall and the Liberty Bell or visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Grab lunch at the Reading Terminal Market, or my favorite hot dog stand on Sansom and Broad, or any of Philadelphia’s diverse and delicious dining options. Take a walk on the Schuylkill River Trailand see Boathouse Row, or visit Spruce Street Harbor Park to relax and enjoy the evening. For the full article click here 

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US: Basic Income Panel at Democratic National Convention

Jim Clark, founder of the World Technology Network, has organized a panel discussion on universal basic income at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), to be held next week in Philadelphia.

Participants will include two of the world’s most notable proponents of basic income: Scott Santens and BIEN cofounder Guy Standing. From the opposing side, Jason Pontin (Editor in Chief of the MIT Technology Review) will complete the panel. Clark will moderate the discussion.

The universal basic income session will take place on the morning of Monday, July 25, and is planned to be recorded and streamed live. (Details to be announced.)

In addition to the panel on universal basic income, Clark has organized sessions on technological unemployment, evidence-based solutions to combat poverty, and utopian and dystopian scenarios for 2026, according to hisFacebook announcement of the event. For the full article click here 

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Democratic National Convention aims to unite party, students weigh in on candidates

The Chronicle will be providing online coverage of the last two days of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, to be held July 25 to July 28 in Philadelphia. Local and national news editor Likhitha Butchireddygari will be recapping major events and reporting the actions of members of the North Carolina Democratic Party, superdelegates and Sanders’ supporters holding protests. Follow @dukechronicle for live-tweeting and photos throughout the event.

The 2016 Democratic National Convention will aim to unite the Democratic party, which remains rifted because Hillary Clinton has had trouble recruiting Sen. Bernie Sanders’ supporters, some of whom remain skeptical despite his recent endorsement of her. A recent CBS News/New York Timespoll has Clinton and Donald Trump tied, and in North Carolina, recent polls have Clinton leading Trump by only two points.

Zack Hawkins, first vice chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, noted that he believes the convention will be an important reflection of the state of the Democratic Party.

“I think that we are on the incline, and the Republican Party is on the decline,” he said.

Hawkins also explained that the location of the convention was a good choice because Pennsylvania leans to the left, but will still be an important battleground state in this election. Philadelphia will be the foreground of much tension among those in the Democratic Party, as the city has already accepted six protest permits from Sanders’ supporters and other organizations. For the full article click here 

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When is the Democratic National Convention? Schedule, speakers for nominee Hillary Clinton

Republicans are in Cleveland this week to officially name Donald Trump as their nominee for the presidency. Up next will be the Democrats, who will hold their convention to pass the mantle to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The Democratic National Convention will be held in Philadelphia Monday, July 25-Thursday, July 28.

Events will kick off Monday with First Lady Michelle Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders speaking on the theme “United Together.” The gavel is expected to drop at 3 p.m. EST.

Tuesday’s keynote speaker will be former President Bill Clinton with featured speakers from Mother’s of the Movement. The Mothers of the Movement participating include Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin; Maria Hamilton, mother of Dontré Hamilton; Lucia McBath, mother of Jordan Davis; Lezley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown; Cleopatra Pendleton-Cowley, mother of Hadiya Pendleton; Geneva Reed-Veal, mother of Sandra Bland. For the full article click here 

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Democratic Party: States Should Be “Laboratories of Democracy” for Pot

Democrats have adopted a platform that their members are trumpeting as the “most progressive platform in party history” — and when it comes to marijuana, Dems aren’t just blowing smoke. The Party of the Donkey has taken a position on marijuana that no major political party in the United States has taken before.

The preliminary draft of the platform, released on July 1 by theDemocratic National Convention Committee, asserts that states should be “laboratories of democracy on the issue of marijuana.”

It goes on to say states that wish to decriminalize marijuana should be allowed to do so.

“We support policies that will allow more research on marijuana, as well as reforming our laws to allow legal marijuana businesses to exist without uncertainty. And we recognize our current marijuana laws For the full article click here 

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Democrats and Republicans are as divided about gender discrimination as they are about everything else

In a year when the Democratic Party will nominate its first woman candidate for president, the Republican Party moved last week toward adopting a platform that includes conservative tenets that support barring women from combat, opposing transgender rights, and reiterating its commitment to the Hyde Amendment banning federal funding for abortion. On issues of gender, equity, and the place of women in their organizations, the two parties remain staunchly polarized.

In addition to the differences apparent between the emerging party platforms, the contrast between the two nominees at the top of each ticket could not be more stark. Whereas Hillary Clinton achieved her nomination, in part, by winning over women in the Democratic Party and competing with Sen. Bernie Sanders to claim the “best for women” mantle, Donald Trump frequently disparaged women, feminism, women’s leadership, and female bodies while making his unlikely run for the Republican nomination. For the full article click here 

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Hillary Clinton Maintains 5-Point Lead Over Donald Trump

Hillary Clinton maintains a 5-percentage-point lead over Donald Trump in the presidential race despite the FBI report on her email practices and mounting clamor for change by a restless electorate, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has found.

Mrs. Clinton held a 46%-41% margin over her Republican rival heading into the parties’ national conventions, unchanged from a Journal/NBC News survey taken last month. That previous poll was before the Federal Bureau of Investigation report that called the Democrat “extremely careless” for using a private email server while she was secretary of state.

That report has fueled doubts about Mrs. Clinton’s judgment, the poll found, but they don’t seem to translate into increased support for Mr. Trump. For the full article click here 

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Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump: Latest Democratic Ad Attacks The Republican As A Bad Role Model For Children [WATCH]

The Democrat’s Hillary Clinton has released a new video in her presidential campaign that directly attacks her opponent, Republican candidate Donald Trump. Released last Thursday, July 14, the ad, entitled “Role Model,” depicted Trump as an unfit role model for children, thus he shouldn’t be voted in the highest post in America. It served as a reminder for parents that Trump’s statements are being watched and absorbed by children.

Per CNN, the “Role Model” ad was set to run on television in states like Colorado, Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio. It featured snippets of soundbites and videos of Donald Trump’s most controversial moments in his campaign so far, while little children watched him on TV.

At the end of the minute-long ad, the question “What example will we set of our children?” was flashed. The ad closed with one of Hillary Clinton’s campaign speeches that emphasized that grownups should make choices — alluding to votes — that are in line with principles that would make their kids proud. Watch the video below.

According to the New York Times, Hillary Clinton’s latest ad implied that Donald Trump is “unpresidential and unfit.” It tugs on the consciousness of parents who should be thinking about the future of their family. For the full article click here 

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6 Democratic Party Platforms That Will Interest Christians

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton acknowledges supporters during a campaign rally, where she received the endorsement of U.S. President Barack Obama (R), in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.,

Leaders on the Democratic Platform Committee met in Orlando last week to approve the final draft of the 2016 Democratic Party Platform, finalizing a platform process that the party itself calls the “the most representative and inclusive in history.”

For some, including Brooking Institution’s William Galston, the 2016 final draft signifies a “sharp left turn” for the party platform and indicates that Hillary Clinton’s Democratic Party “is not Bill Clinton’s Democratic Party.”

The platform supports a number of proposals supported by both Clinton, the presumptive presidential nominee, and her main competitor in the primaries, the self-proclaimed “Democratic socialist” Bernie Sanders For the full article click here 

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Salamanca has Democratic, Republican primaries for mayor

LITTLE VALLEY — A three-way Democratic primary race for Salamanca mayor and a two-way Republican primary will be held Sept.13.

There are also Democratic primaries for councilman in Wards 1 and 4, and a Republican primary for councilman in Ward 2.

Salamanca Mayor Ronald Ball, a Democrat who won on the Republican ticket two years ago, will face Michael R. “Smitty” Smith, and also Joel E. Talbot, the endorsed Democratic candidate, in a Democratic primary.

Ball will also face Smith in the Republican primary.

City Republicans previously endorsed Robert Early, a former Cattaraugus County deputy treasurer. However, the city Republican Committee met abruptly about two weeks ago to rescind that endorsement and instead allowed both Smith and Ball to enter into a Republican primary. Early did not submit nominating petitions. For the full article click here 

 

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In Audition With Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine Nails Most of His Lines

ANNANDALE, Va. — Senator Tim Kaine had already mastered the requisite body language of a vice-presidential hopeful.

He nodded vigorously. He pumped both fists. He proved a loud and demonstrative clapper.

“Are we ready for Hillary?” he asked a crowd of more than 1,000 at a community college gymnasium here on Thursday.

The people roared.

Less clear: Is Hillary Clinton ready for Mr. Kaine?

With Mr. Kaine, a first-term senator from Virginia, moving to establish himself as a leading Democratic vice-presidential contender, the event doubled as his most conspicuous audition yet for the role. During a 15-minute introduction of Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Kaine seemed inclined to capitalize.

Test-driving catchphrases, talking with his hands, slipping effortlessly into Spanish, Mr. Kaine praised the presidential candidate beside him as she grinned and nodded, clasping her hands at her midsection. For the full article click here 

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Meet 5 Democratic Delegates

Clinton the dog can’t vote, but his owner, Donna West, will do that and more as a Philadelphia-bound Democratic Party delegate hoping to make history at this month’s political convention.

While super delegates are made up of influential members of the party, including government officials, there are thousands of less-famous names who make up the rest of the delegate pool.

Here are five are those who are headed to Philadelphia for the four-day convention starting July 25

Politics can be a dog-eat-dog world for some, but Nevadan Donna West has always connected the two in a positive way.

West, 59, is an active Twitter user who tweeted from the handle “DogLovers4Hillary” throughout this election cycle. But she first came up with the idea during the last presidential election. Right after then-Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was criticized for transporting his family’s pet dog in a crate on their car roof, she created the Twitter account “DogLovers4Obama.”

That later morphed into “DogLovers4Dems” after Obama was elected to the White House and then to Clinton when it became clear she would run, West told ABC. For the full article click here 

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Global Warming Is Frying Democratic Committment to Free Speech: New at Reason

Democrats keep thinking of new ways to kill the free speech rights of climate dissenters. About 20 Democratic attorney

generals have already launched a campaign to
John Englart Takver go after Exxon Mobil and other “corporate polluters” for allegedly disseminating “false” information about global warming. And now the Democratic Party wants to humiliate and silence any global denying “outfit” including Reason Foundation. Barbara Boxer singled it out for condemnation on the senate floor this week. And her party has pledged to use the “Department of Justice to investigate alleged corporate fraud on the part of fossil fuel companies who have reportedly misled shareholders and the public on the scientific reality of climate change.”

What all this shows is that the main global warming casualty so far is the Democratic Party’s sanity, or what was left of it. Indeed, had it not been for the awful presidential bid of a civil rights-busting vulgarian like Donald Trump, this election would have been about left’s Gestapo-lite tactics to suppress its ideological opponents, notes Reason Foundation Senior Analyst Shikha Dalmia. For the full article click here 

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Sanders Movement Pushes Democratic Party Platform Toward A Big Fight Over Charter Schools

Earlier this week my colleague Richard Eskow reported on the impact the populist progressive movement led by Bernie Sanders and others is having on the Democratic Party Platform to be voted on at the party’s national convention in Philadelphia later this month.

Eskow reports that during the Democratic Party Platform Committee meeting in Orlando, where the document underwent the final round of amendments, Sanders supporters “scored some impressive wins” on law enforcement and criminal sentencing reform, climate change and green energy, a living wage, and Social Security expansion.

What about education?

As I reported last week, the original platform document was tepid in its support for progressive education, lacking an overall vision for public education and falling short on providing specific proposals needed to ensure greater access to higher education, to support high-quality K-12 schools, and to address the threat posed by privatization and the charter industry. For the full article click here 

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What’s Wrong With the Democratic Platform

The committee drafting the 2016 Democratic platform voted to remove a reference to Donald Trump because, as Indiana member Carli Stevenson explained, “This is our aspirational document.” Stevenson got it exactly right. The candidates and strategists planning this year’s Democratic campaign—not just Hillary Clinton’s historic presidential run, but fights for control of Congress and statehouses across the country—must keep the word “aspirational” in mind as they gather in Philadelphia on July 25–28.

It will be tempting for top Democrats—in a year when the Republican Party, which long ago steered itself out of the political mainstream, isveering off a cliff with Donald Trump—to simply say “We’re not them” and expect to reap an electoral windfall. But if the volatile 2016 campaign has taught us anything, it’s that the cautious calculations so favored by political insiders do not work anymore. Americans want something bolder and better from their politics. And if Democrats don’t put better on the agenda, too many swing voters might go for Trump’s “billionaire populism” and the slightly more managed extremism of GOP contenders for the Senate and House.

When polls show that 67 percent of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction, it’s not enough to rip on the guy who’s shouting the loudest about changing course. Nor is it enough to promise continuity, even when the outgoing Democratic president is personally more popular than anyone seeking to replace him. For the full article click here 

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Youngest California delegate to the Democratic convention? A Sanders supporter from Whittier

WHITTIER >> As Zenaida Huerta began her senior year last August at La Serna High School, she was thinking of the future.

Not only to graduation, but to Nov. 6, 2016.

“I knew I had to do something, be part of the process, if I wanted to vote for Bernie Sanders,” explained Huerta, 17, who turns 18 in August. “I wasn’t going to be old enough for the June primary, so he had to be on the ballot in November.”

Huerta, who will be attending Claremont-McKenna College in the fall majoring in government, did more than campaign for Sanders, she started a Lancers for Sanders club and on May 1 was elected as a Sanders delegate. She is the youngest California delegate.

“I knew it was going to be tough because Bernie started so low in the polls,” she said, “but I believed in his message regarding college fees and loans, equal pay, the environment and immigration.” For the full article click here 

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St. Joseph County Democrats united after Sanders’ Hillary endorsement

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -

The Never Trump movement has former Bernie Sanders supporters saying, “I’m with her.”

“That’s what our country needs, to make sure Hillary Clinton is the president of the United States and not presumptive nominee Donald Trump,” said Tony Flora, Democratic Party Delegate.

St. Joseph County Democrats are looking for unity, after Sanders pledged his support for Democratic Presumptive Nominee Hillary Clinton.

And party leaders say you won’t see in-fighting come the national convention.

Tuesday, Sanders announced his full support for Clinton in New Hampshire.

“Hillary Clinton will make an outstanding president and I am proud to stand with her today,” said the Senator. For the full article click here 

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Democratic National Convention’s Star-Studded Guest List Includes Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Lenny Kravitz

Public figures spanning the political and celebrity spectrum — from well-known Democrats to Hollywood heavyweights and chart-topping musicians — will head to Philadelphia later this month for the seemingly star-studded Democratic National Convention.

According to a convention scheduling document obtained by ABC News, “Breaking Bad” actor Bryan Cranston, Lady Gaga and Lenny Kravitz are among those slated to appear at events in Philadelphia during the week of the DNC, which runs July 25-28.

Although the official program for the convention, which is being held at the Wells Fargo Center has yet to be released, the document — which lists roughly 170 events planned throughout the week — gives an indication in to who will be in and around the city for the event. For the full article click here 

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Democratic primary not over yet

It doesn’t matter how many times Hillary Clinton was mentioned or not mentioned compared to Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders on NPR morning news reports this spring, the fix was already in for Clinton to receive the nomination (or coronation) from the Democratic National Committee long before the primary election season even began. And in Montana, with similar party conniving, the majority of Democratic Party voters in the primary are now at this time being done a grave disservice by the Democratic Party establishment by flipping the Montana delegation to support Clinton at the national convention in two weeks, in spite of Sanders’ win in Montana.

Even though Bernie Sanders won the Montana primary on June 7 by a resounding majority, 51 percent to Clinton’s 44 percent, it looks like a majority of our state’s delegates will line up behind Hillary Clinton at the national convention later this month. And the result will be that traditional Democrats will not have their voices heard and will have no one to vote for in the general election. For the full article click here 

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The Democratic National Convention will have some serious star power

Donald Trump has promised that his entertaining and “totally overbooked” Republican National Convention will be packed with “great speakers.” “We have winners, we have people that aren’t only political people,” he said Tuesday on Fox News. “We have a lot of people that are just champions and winners.” But it seems the biggest non-political name on the RNC speaker list that emerged on Wednesday night is former football star Tim Tebow. Hillary Clinton’s Democratic convention, on the other hand, will include appearances by actor Bryan Cranston, Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Cyndi Lauper, George Takei, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, and the band the Drive-By Truckers, according to a schedule obtained by ABC News.

The stars of screen and song aren’t necessarily going to appear on the DNC main stage — ABC News only got a list of some 170 Democratic side events around Philadelphia during the convention. (Caitlyn Jenner, Kid Rock, and Lynyrd Skynyrd plan to attend the Republican convention.) But the expected list of political heavyweights endorsing Clinton — including President Obama and Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and former President Bill Clinton — also trumps the list of Republicans scheduled to sing Trump’s praises in Cleveland next week (no former GOP president or presidential nominee is attending, for instance). For the full article click here 

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Democrats Attack Wall Street Traders

Policy making Democrats that are drafting their party’s convention platform are proposing to tax stock trades on US exchanges as the party steps into the modern financial markets.

“We support a financial transactions tax on Wall Street to curb excessive speculation and high-frequency trading, which has threatened financial markets,” according to a draft released Friday of the proposed Democratic platform, a summary of goals the party wants to promote.

“We acknowledge that there is room within our party for a diversity of views on a broader financial transactions tax.”

The proposal is a nod to the agenda of Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (D-VT), and an effort to appeal to his supporters. For the full article click here 

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Obama leaves Clinton with a Democratic Party moving left

Hillary Clinton is entering uncharted political terrain as the presumptive Democratic nominee, with President Obama leaving behind a more liberal party than the one he inherited in 2009.

On hot-button social issues from gay marriage to gun control to immigration, the Democratic Party has been transformed during Obama’s eight years in office. The leftward shift is ongoing, with liberal activists pressing Obama and Clinton to move in their direction on trade and the expansion of entitlement programs such as Social Security.

The shift poses a challenge for Clinton, who is set to become the Democratic nominee after surviving an unexpectedly strong primary challenge from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a self-proclaimed democratic socialist.

“She is someone who is very progressive and a proud liberal,” said Democratic strategist Jim Manley, who backs Clinton. “But the issue is that many in the party have moved even more left in recent years … She can’t afford to antagonize these folks as we move closer and closer to the general election.”  For the full article click here 

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Bernie Sanders Backers Fail To Insert Criticism of Israel in Democratic Platform

In its last round of debates, the Democratic Party once again refused to insert language seen as pro-Palestinian into its platform.

The party’s platform committee, convened in Orlando for two days of voting on proposed amendments to the platform, maintained the language agreed upon in the earlier round of debate and defeated amendments aimed at criticizing the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, demanding “an end to illegal settlements” and supporting the re-building of the Gaza Strip.

“Democrats, you’ve been in denial too long,” said scholar and activist Cornel West in a passionate defense of the proposed amendments. He likened the Palestinian issue to “our generation’s Vietnam and South Africa.”

West, like others presenting amendments viewed as pro-Palestinian, is a supporter of Bernie Sanders, who named him to the platform committee. For the full article click here 

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