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Today’s top stories
NPR Senior Political Editor/Correspondent Domenico Montanaro Join the newsletter today to analyze the final night of the DNC:
History was made Thursday night when Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for president. She’s the first Black and South Asian woman to do so, but it’s not something she’s dwelt on. Here are five takeaways from Harris’ speech and the Democratic convention week in Chicago:
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention.
Grace Widyatmadja/NPR
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Grace Widyatmadja/NPR
- Harris introduced herself to America: She made her story one woven into the fabric of America, that of a blue-collar child of immigrants.
- She and the Democrats have reversed many Republican messages and attacks against them: From what a blue collar worker is and who it is to patriotism and the definition of freedom, Democrats have reversed the trend.
- Harris showed discipline: And that’s a key element for someone who wants to become president. She didn’t ramble and mostly stuck to the script and the facts, which is in stark contrast to her opponent.
- She claimed the role of “change”: It was not an easy thing for a sitting vice president to do, but she showed that she is different not only from former President Trump but also from President Biden, which was underscored in the way she spoke about Gaza.
- Democrats are rightly pleased with the week they’ve had, but the race remains very close: This is why people like Michelle Obama have warned against irrational exuberance and reminded us of the work that still needs to be done.
Stay informed during the 2024 election season and beyond by subscribing to the NPR’s Political Newsletter and listening to the NPR Political Podcast.
In Arizona, former President Trump backtracked on one of his key campaign promises — build a wall along the southern border of the United States. Speaking in Cochise County, Arizona, Trump’s appearance was part of a plan to distract from Harris and the DNC by highlighting an area where Democrats are seen as vulnerable. Trump said that under Harris’ leadership as vice president, the southern border is wide open. At the event, he was joined by officials from the U.S. Border Patrol union, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office and mothers whose children were killed by suspects who were in the United States illegally. The parents said they believed Trump was the candidate who could secure the border and prevent immigrants from crossing illegally and committing similar crimes.
- 🎧 NPR’s Ben Giles reports First Senator Mark Kelly earlier this week praised the Biden-Harris administration’s actions, which Democrats credit with a sharp drop in border crossings. Kelly criticized Trump for torpedoing GOP support in Congress for a bipartisan border security bill that failed earlier this year. Harris has promised to sign the bill if elected in November. Trump was dismissive yesterday when asked about reducing border crossings and called the bill a bad deal. Trump will continue his campaign in Arizona today with a rally in suburban Phoenix and has teased a special appearance.
What secret evidence does the US government have against TikTok? That’s what lawyers for the social media giant are hoping a judge will let them learn, according to new documents filed yesterday in its ongoing lawsuit against the Biden administration. TikTok is hoping to end a law that would shut down the app in January unless it’s sold. For more than four years, federal officials have been laying out a case against TikTok, arguing that its algorithm and data-collection practices could potentially be weaponized by the Chinese Communist Party. But when asked for examples, the government doesn’t cite any. In a recent filing, the Justice Department cited unspecified concerns that the app’s parent company, ByteDance, “could be compelled to comply with requests from the Chinese government to manipulate the algorithm,” referring to laws in China that would leave TikTok with no choice but to comply with Beijing’s demands. TikTok now wants a “special master” appointed to sift through classified government documents about the app.
Two updated COVID-19 vaccines were approved by the Food and Drug Administration yesterday. Vaccines are designed to keep doses up to date as virus variants emerge. The mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which have been given the green light, target the KP.2 variant. Administering the vaccine in September or October could help maximize protection during the winter surge and over the holidays.
Life advice
Financial educator Yanely Espinal shares some of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to borrowing, investing, and budgeting their money.
Rob Dobi/Getty Images
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Rob Dobi/Getty Images
Financial coach Yanely Espinal sees people from all walks of life struggling with borrowing, investing, and budgeting. She teaches them how to make smarter decisions about money. She shared with us common financial mistakes and solutions she has encountered in her field. Life Kit:
- 💵 If you need money, you may want to consider a loanbut remember it’s not free money.
- 💵 Co-sign a loan This means that you agree to be responsible for someone else’s debt.
- 💵 Putting your money in a traditional savings account will likely earn little interest. Instead, using a high-yield savings account with interest rates between around 4% and 5% helps grow your savings and protect them against inflation.
- ➡️Here are some other ways Espinal recommends being careful with money.
Weekend Selections
Look what NPR watch, read and listen this weekend:
🍿Movies: Miami’s Little Haiti is on borrowed time, as what made the area unique is now attracting developers’ attention. Filmmaker Monica Sorelle documented the area’s ongoing redevelopment and residents’ struggles with it in Mountainsa film that tells the story of a family experiencing the changes first hand.
📺 Television: In 1993, the groundbreaking crime drama, Homicide: Life on the Streetstarted out with a bracing dose of street realism. Three decades later, fans are still going strong, and all seven seasons are now available to stream on Peacock.
📚 Books: In Bronx ParadiseIan Frazier tells the story of the Bronx, New York City’s only continental borough. He begins with the native people who originally lived in the area and progresses chronologically to the current revitalization/gentrification of the area.
🎵 Music: Bryce Dessner, a member of indie rock band The National, makes his classical debut today with his album SolosHe shared some of the new music and what inspired it Morning Edition.
❓Quiz: If you followed the Democratic National Convention this week (and the Republican counterprogramming), you will have answered at least five questions correctly. But how do you think you will do overall?
Before leaving
In this file photo, voters cast their ballots at a polling place in Tempe, Arizona, on November 3, 2020. In Arizona’s 2024 presidential ranked-choice election, independent voters are not allowed to vote.
Matt York/AP
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Matt York/AP
In this file photo, voters cast their ballots at a polling place in Tempe, Arizona, on November 3, 2020. In Arizona’s 2024 presidential ranked-choice election, independent voters are not allowed to vote.
Matt York/AP
- The US Supreme Court has so far granted a Republican request Arizona voters must provide proof of U.S. citizenship when using the state’s registration form. This victory is partial, and more than 40,000 voters the Republican Party tried to prevent from voting could still cast ballots in November.
- Atlanta hospital staff allegedly misplaced part of man’s skull after brain surgeryaccording to a new lawsuit filed in Georgia. In the complaint, the couple who filed the suit claims that Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Midtown, caused them “ongoing physical and emotional pain and suffering” and left them with thousands of dollars in medical bills.
- Nearly 60% of food products for toddlers and babies in the United States According to a new study, products sold by these retailers do not meet nutritional standards set by the World Health Organization. Researchers tested more than 600 products in 2023.
This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.
