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Democrats open their convention transformed by Harris’ ascendance but facing lingering questions
By STEVE PEOPLES, ZEKE MILLER and BILL BARROW
CHICAGO (AP) — A refreshed Democratic Party reintroduces itself to a divided nation this week, having been transformed by the money, momentum, relief and even joy that followed Vice President Kamala Harris ‘ rise to the top of its ticket.
The whiplash of the last month culminates in a convention that begins Monday in Chicago. Above all, the four-day gathering of thousands of activists and party leaders from across the nation is designed to celebrate and strengthen Harris as President Joe Biden’s replacement and boost her campaign to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November.
Just beneath the surface, real questions loom about the depth of Harris’ newfound support, the breadth of her coalition and the strength of her movement. Not even a month ago, Democrats were deeply divided over foreign policy, political strategy and Biden himself, who was holding on after his disastrous debate by suggesting he had a better chance than any Democrat — including Harris — of beating Trump.
The stage is set at the United Center for the Democratic National Convention on August 15, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. The convention will be held August 19-22. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Far from the formality that many modern party conventions have become, this week’s event will bring many Americans their first extended look at Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. How the Democrats present Harris and Walz will be critical, especially with Trump launching a weeklong effort to cut into their message.
A potential distraction will be thousands of progressive protesters who are expected to descend upon Chicago to decry the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Harris’ allies are hopeful that the pro-Palestinian protesters will not overshadow the official program, which features a slate of current and former Democratic stars.
“Democrats are walking into that convention enthused, excited and unified,” said one of those stars, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was a finalist to be Harris’ running mate. “And it’s critically important that we prosecute the case against Donald Trump and the chaos that he would bring — and leave that convention even more unified, even more excited, even more enthused for the final 75 or so days of this campaign.”
Shapiro said he welcomed protesters during the convention — “provided the protest is peaceful, provided the protest follows the rules of the community.”
Biden will get his farewell MondayPart of introducing Harris and Walz will be first giving a graceful exit to the 81-year-old incumbent president, who is slated to deliver the keynote address Monday.
The Democratic Party likely would have been in a far worse state if Biden had continued to cling to the nomination. He faced growing concerns about his mental and physical acuity after struggling to complete sentences at the debate.
Workers drive past a mural of Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris hanging outside of the United Center, site of the Democratic National Convention on August 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. The convention will be held August 19-22. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)By deciding to step aside and endorse Harris, the 81-year-old president will instead receive a hero’s welcome in his final turn in the spotlight 52 years after being elected to the Senate from Delaware.
Biden is planning to give a lengthy endorsement of Harris and sharply criticize Trump before he leaves Chicago and makes way for the program to focus on the vice president he chose four years ago.
Trump has tried to inflame tensions over Biden’s exit. He called Biden’s Monday speaking slot “convention death valley,” suggesting that the president would get lower ratings than speakers on other nights. And as he has for weeks now, Trump described the convention itself as “rigged” because is was Biden, not Harris, who won 14 million primary votes and collected delegates state by state.
“She got no votes,” Trump said.
A focus on Harris’ firsts — and an open hand to RepublicansThe convention will lean into the party’s potential to make history. Harris vies to be the first woman, the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to reach the Oval Office.
“I wasn’t sure I would see this particular moment in my lifetime, to see a Black woman who is now on the cusp of becoming our next president,” said Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, one of the nation’s highest-ranking Black women elected officials.
Stratton recalled Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump eight years ago, one in which she lost key battlegrounds even as she led the national popular vote.
Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson delivers remarks at the stage unveiling ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center on August 15, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. The United Center will host the DNC, which is officially scheduled to kick off on Monday, August 19 and run through Thursday, August 22. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)“I remember back in 2016 when we touched the glass ceiling, and the reaction of Republicans was just to start destroying the rights that got us there,” Stratton said. “This is another chance.”
Harris will aim to use the convention to take a share of credit for what she and Biden accomplished while also trying to show that she recognizes voters want more. Heading into Chicago, she unveiled the initial planks of her policy platform focused on addressing the bite of inflation and the costs of food, housing and childcare.
Democrats will keep abortion access front and center for voters, betting that the issue will propel them to success as it has in other key races since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.
Every living Democratic president and first lady will appear this week, except for the ailing Jimmy Carter, along with a long list of federal, state and local officials and activists.
It’s set to be a contrast to last month’s GOP convention in Milwaukee, where former President George W. Bush and former vice president Mike Pence, among other well-known Republicans, stayed away from the event given Trump’s antipathy toward them.
Expected to speak this week is former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican who investigated Trump’s actions around the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection and has endorsed Harris.
The presidential race is still very closeWith precious few days remaining before early voting begins in some places in September, recent polls show a close race nationally and in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. And polls show Trump still has advantages on how Americans view the two of them on core issues like the economy and immigration.
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Terry McAuliffe, a former Virginia governor and longtime operative who will attend his 13th Democratic convention this week, warned that the euphoria Democrats have about Harris’ ascension could obscure the true state of the campaign.
He noted that the Republican convention in Milwaukee was a veritable Trump coronation, with Democrats consumed by anxiety and uncertainty. Now, it’s Trump who seems to be reeling as he searches for the right message to stop Harris’ rise.
The lesson, McAuliffe said, is never to assume the a campaign is settled and always remember the outcome rests on getting 270 Electoral College votes by winning the right battleground states.
The former president is not ceding this week to Democrats. He will go a different swing state each day — starting with Pennsylvania, followed by Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada by week’s end.
Trump’s campaign has also dispatched high-profile allies to Chicago to host daily news conferences. The lineup includes Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.
“We have four days of messaging that the country will get to look at Kamala Harris, get to look at Tim Walz. We’ll get to look at their agenda, what they stand for, who we are,” McAuliffe said. “It’s going to be a close election. That’s just where our country is today.”
Whatever happens this week, both sides will be watching with anticipation as Harris writes a new chapter in what has already been a precedent-breaking campaign.
Barrow reported from Atlanta. AP writer Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.
Palm Beach County weekly high school football schedule
The high school football schedule for Palm Beach County schools (6:30 p.m. unless noted):
Week 1Thursday
Avant Garde Academy at Inlet Grove
Benjamin at West Boca
Centennial at Wellington
Dr. Joaquin Garcia at Lake Worth
Palm Beach Central at Pahokee
Pine Crest at Oxbridge Academy (7 p.m.)
Friday
American Heritage-Delray at Westminster Christian (4 p.m.)
Boca Raton at Boynton Beach
Boca Raton Christian at Glades Day (7 p.m.)
Cardinal Newman at Monsignor Pace (7:30 p.m.)
Glades Central at Seminole Ridge
John I. Leonard at Forest Hill
Jupiter at Dwyer
Jupiter Christian at Father Lopez (7 p.m.)
Palm Beach Christian Prep at Berean Christian (5 p.m.)
Palm Beach Gardens at Atlantic
Palm Beach Lakes at Coral Springs (7 p.m.)
Park Vista at Spanish River
Royal Palm Beach at Port St. Lucie (7 p.m.)
Somerset Academy Canyons at Santaluces
St. Andrew’s at King’s Academy
Suncoast at Olympic Heights
Week 2Thursday, Aug. 29
Boynton Beach at Olympic Heights
Dwyer at Boca Raton
Lake Worth at Wellington
Palm Beach Lakes at Forest Hill
Park Vista at Jupiter
SmartEn Sports Academy at Boca Raton Christian (4 p.m.)
West Boca at Palm Beach Central
Friday, Aug. 30
Cardinal Newman at Carrollwood Day (7 p.m.)
Glades Central at Martin County (7 p.m.)
Inlet Grove at Pahokee
Tampa Jesuit at Benjamin
John I. Leonard at Royal Palm Beach
Jonesboro (Georgia) at Atlantic
King’s Academy at Fort Pierce Westwood (7 p.m.)
Oxbridge Academy at Jupiter Christian
Palm Beach Gardens at Santaluces
Ramsey (New Jersey) at Palm Beach Christian Prep (7 p.m.)
Seminole Ridge at Spanish River
Somerset Academy at Somerset Academy Canyons (7 p.m.)
Somerset Academy Key at Berean Christian (4 p.m.)
Specially Fit Academy at American Heritage-Delray (7 p.m.)
St. John Paul II Academy at St. Andrew’s (7 p.m.)
Suncoast at Dr. Joaquin Garcia
Windermere Prep at Glades Day (6 p.m.)
Week 3Thursday, Sept. 5
Glades Day at Jupiter Christian
John I. Leonard at Olympic Heights
North Miami Beach at Atlantic
Seminole Ridge at Pahokee
Somerset Academy Key at Oxbridge Academy (7 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 6
American Heritage-Delray at Astronaut (7 p.m.)
Boca Raton at St. Andrew’s (7 p.m.)
Boca Raton Christian at Marco Island Academy (7 p.m.)
Boynton Beach at Santaluces
Cardinal Newman at Benjamin
Central Florida Christian Academy at Berean Christian (4 p.m.)
Dr. Joaquin Garcia at Hollywood Hills (4 p.m.)
Dwyer at Martin County (7 p.m.)
Forest Hill at Lake Worth
Key West at Somerset Academy Canyons (7 p.m.)
King’s Academy at Gulliver Prep (4 p.m.)
Palm Beach Central at Spanish River
Palm Beach Christian Prep at Lake Highland Prep (6 p.m.)
Palm Beach Gardens at Jupiter
Palm Beach Lakes at Glades Central
Royal Palm Beach at Suncoast
Wellington at Park Vista
Week 4Thursday, Sept. 12
Boynton Beach at Suncoast
Dwyer at Royal Palm Beach
St. Andrew’s at University School (6 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 13
Atlantic at Blanche Ely (7 p.m.)
Benjamin at Gulliver Prep (4 p.m.)
Berean Christian at Miami Country Day (7 p.m.)
Boca Raton Christian at St. John Paul II Academy
Dr. Joaquin Garcia at John I. Leonard
Glades Day at Oxbridge Academy (7 p.m.)
Inlet Grove at Somerset Academy Canyons (7 p.m.)
Jupiter at Spanish River
Jupiter Christian at Santa Fe Catholic (7 p.m.)
Lake Worth at Boca Raton
Moore Haven at Glades Central
North Broward Prep at American Heritage-Delray (7 p.m.)
Olympic Heights at Forest Hill
Pahokee at Cardinal Newman (7 p.m.)
Park Vista at Palm Beach Lakes
Santaluces at Palm Beach Central
Seminole Ridge at West Boca
Somerset Prep at King’s Academy (7 p.m.)
Week 5Thursday, Sept. 19
Glades Central at Dwyer
Jensen Beach at Benjamin (6 p.m.)
LaBelle at Glades Day (7 p.m.)
Somerset Prep at King’s Academy
Friday, Sept. 20
Clewiston at Cardinal Newman (7 p.m.)
Forest Hill at Royal Palm Beach
Fort Pierce Central at Inlet Grove (7 p.m.)
Jupiter Christian at Boca Raton Christian (4 p.m.)
Olympic Heights at Dr. Joaquin Garcia
Pahokee at Palm Beach Gardens
Park Vista at Boynton Beach
Santaluces at Seminole Ridge
Somerset Academy Canyons at Archbishop McCarthy (7 p.m.)
Spanish River at Wellington
St. Andrew’s at North Broward Prep (6 p.m.)
Suncoast at John I. Leonard
Treasure Coast at West Boca
Week 6Thursday, Sept. 26
Boynton Beach at Dr. Joaquin Garcia
Dillard at Suncoast
Forest Hill at Pahokee
John I. Leonard at Santaluces
Jupiter Christian at Tradition Prep (7 p.m.)
Lake Worth at Park Vista
Oxbridge Academy at University School (6 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 27
Cardinal Newman at Tampa Jesuit (7:30 p.m.)
Clewiston at Glades Central
Glades Day at Palm Beach Christian Prep (7 p.m.)
King’s Academy at Inlet Grove
Martin County at Olympic Heights
Miami Country Day at Berean Christian (4 p.m.)
Palm Beach Central at Jupiter
Palm Beach Gardens at Seminole Ridge
Palm Beach Lakes at Wellington
Pompano Beach at Boca Raton Christian (7 p.m.)
Somerset Academy Canyons at Tampa Catholic (7 p.m.)
Somerset Prep at St. Andrew’s (7 p.m.)
Spanish River at Coral Glades (7 p.m.)
St. John Paul II Academy at Pine Crest (7 p.m.)
Stoneman Douglas at Boca Raton
West Boca at Dwyer
Westminster Academy at American Heritage-Delray (7 p.m.)
Week 7Thursday, Oct. 3
Westminster Academy at Glades Day (7 p.m.)
Friday, Oct. 4
ABF Academy at Inlet Grove (7 p.m.)
Avant Garde Academy at Jupiter Christian
Boca Raton Christian at St. Edward’s (7 p.m.)
Dwyer at Palm Beach Lakes
Forest Hill at John Carroll Catholic
Goleman at Cardinal Newman (7 p.m.)
Jupiter at Suncoast
North Broward Prep at St. John Paul II Academy (7 p.m.)
Olympic Heights at Park Vista
Pahokee at Lake Worth
Palm Beach Christian Prep at King’s Academy
Palm Beach Gardens at Palm Beach Central
Royal Palm Beach at Boca Raton
Santaluces at Midland (Texas) (7 p.m.)
Seminole Ridge at Benjamin
SmartEn Sports Academy at American Heritage-Delray (6 p.m.)
Treasure Coast at Atlantic (7:30 p.m.)
TRU Prep Academy at Oxbridge Academy (7 p.m.)
Wellington at Dr. Joaquin Garcia
West Boca at Western
Week 8Thursday, Oct. 10
Benjamin at Manatee (7:30 p.m.)
Boynton Beach at Northeast (7 p.m.)
Cardinal Newman at Golden Gate (7 p.m.)
Coconut Creek at Atlantic
Coral Glades at Boca Raton
Dr. Joaquin Garcia at Dillard (7 p.m.)
Dwyer at Palm Beach Gardens
Glades Central at Bishop Verot (7 p.m.)
Jupiter Christian at American Heritage-Delray (7 p.m.)
Lake Worth at John I. Leonard
Palm Beach Central at Palm Beach Lakes
Royal Palm Beach at West Boca
Somerset Academy Key at St. Andrew’s (6 p.m.)
Spanish River at Stoneman Douglas (6 p.m.)
Wellington at Jupiter
Westminster Academy at Inlet Grove
Friday, Oct. 11
All Saints Academy at Berean Christian (4 p.m.)
Clewiston at Pahokee
Glades Day at Southwest Florida Christian (7 p.m.)
Jordan Christian Prep at Boca Raton Christian (4 p.m.)
Oxbridge Academy at Lake Highland Prep (6 p.m.)
Park Vista at Santaluces
Somerset Academy Canyons at King’s Academy
Week 9Thursday, Oct. 17
Suncoast at Northeast (7 p.m.)
Friday, Oct. 18
Atlantic at Deerfield Beach (7 p.m.)
Berean Christian at St. Edward’s (7 p.m.)
Boca Raton at Cardinal Gibbons (7 p.m.)
Doral Academy at Spanish River
Glades Central at Sebring (7:30 p.m.)
Inlet Grove at Fort Pierce Westwood (7 p.m.)
John I. Leonard at Boynton Beach
Jupiter at Martin County (7 p.m.)
Lake Worth at Palm Beach Lakes
Lakeland Christian at American Heritage-Delray (7 p.m.)
Melbourne Central Catholic at Cardinal Newman (7 p.m.)
Olympic Heights at Wellington
Oxbridge Academy at Space Coast (7 p.m.)
Pahokee at Zephyrhills Christian Academy (7 p.m.)
Palm Beach Central at Benjamin
Palm Beach Christian Prep at Old Plank Christian Academy (7 p.m.)
Royal Palm Beach at Palm Beach Gardens
Santaluces at Forest Hill
Seminole Ridge at Dwyer
Somerset Academy Canyons at Moore Haven (7 p.m.)
St. Andrew’s at Calvary Christian Academy (7 p.m.)
Tradition Prep at St. John Paul II Academy
True North Classical Academy at King’s Academy
West Boca at Bishop Verot (7 p.m.)
Week 10Thursday, Oct. 24
Dillard at Boynton Beach
Inlet Grove at Jupiter Christian
King’s Academy at Glades Central
Northeast at Dr. Joaquin Garcia
Suncoast at Forest Hill
Friday, Oct. 25
Benjamin at Atlantic
Boca Raton at Spanish River
Glades Day at Gateway Charter (7 p.m.)
Olympic Heights at Oxbridge Academy (7 p.m.)
Palm Beach Lakes at Jupiter
Park Vista at John I. Leonard
Royal Palm Beach at Seminole Ridge
Santaluces at Lake Worth
Somerset Academy Key at St. John Paul II Academy
St. Andrew’s at Somerset Academy Canyons (7 p.m.)
Wellington at Palm Beach Central
West Boca at Palm Beach Gardens
Week 11Thursday, Oct. 31
Cardinal Newman at Buchholz (Gainesville) (7 p.m.)
Dr. Joaquin Garcia at Royal Palm Beach
Forest Hill at Park Vista
Inlet Grove at Palm Beach Gardens
Friday, Nov. 1
Archbishop McCarthy at King’s Academy
Atlantic at West Boca
Benjamin at St. Andrew’s (7 p.m.)
John I. Leonard at Boca Raton
Jupiter at South Fork (7 p.m.)
Lake Worth at Boynton Beach
Pahokee at Glades Central
Palm Beach Central at Dwyer
Spanish River at Olympic Heights
St. John Paul II Academy at John Carroll Catholic (7 p.m.)
Suncoast at Palm Beach Lakes
True North Classical Academy at Somerset Academy Canyons (7 p.m.)
Wellington at Seminole Ridge
Broward County weekly high school football schedule
The high school football schedule for Broward County schools (7 p.m. unless noted):
Week 1Thursday
Avant Garde Academy at Inlet Grove (6:30 p.m.)
Coral Springs Charter at University School (6 p.m.)
Miami Northwestern at Coconut Creek (8 p.m.)
Northeast at Pembroke Pines Charter (5:45 p.m.)
Peachtree Ridge (Georgia) vs. Monarch (4 p.m.) (at Coconut Creek)
Pine Crest at Oxbridge Academy
Friday
Archbishop McCarthy at Community School of Naples
Boyd Anderson at Blanche Ely
Calvary Christian Academy at Belen Jesuit
Coral Glades at Cooper City
Deerfield Beach at Piper
Dillard at Plantation
Flanagan at Goleman (7:30 p.m.)
Fort Lauderdale at Everglades
Hallandale at McArthur
Hollywood Hills at Taravella (4 p.m.)
Lake Mary at Cardinal Gibbons
Miami Norland at Miramar
Milton (Georgia) vs. American Heritage (Played at St. Thomas Aquinas)
Moore Haven at Nova
Palm Beach Lakes at Coral Springs
Pompano Beach at Marathon
Somerset Academy at North Broward Prep (6 p.m.)
Somerset Prep at Somerset Academy Key (4 p.m.)
South Broward at West Broward
Stoneman Douglas at Cypress Bay
Westminster Academy at Tradition Prep
Saturday
Bishop Gorman (Nevada) at St. Thomas Aquinas (4 p.m.)
Hoover (Alabama) at Western
St. John Bosco (California) vs. Chaminade-Madonna (8 p.m.) (Played at St. Thomas Aquinas)
Week 2Thursday, Aug. 29
Cooper City at Stoneman Douglas (6 p.m.)
Coral Glades at South Plantation
Deerfield Beach at Monarch
Hallandale at Fort Lauderdale
Taravella at Northeast
Westland Hialeah at Avant Garde Academy
Friday, Aug. 30
Archbishop McCarthy at Cypress Bay
Chaminade-Madonna at Blanche Ely
Coral Springs at Nova
Dillard at Stranahan
Everglades at Richmond Hill (Georgia)
Hollywood Hills at Mourning (3:30 p.m.)
Miramar at Plantation
North Broward Prep at Westminster Academy
Pembroke Pines Charter at Coral Springs Charter
Pine Crest at Pompano Beach
Somerset Academy at Somerset Academy Canyons
Somerset Academy Key at Berean Christian (4 p.m.)
Somerset Prep at Piper
South Broward at Cardinal Gibbons
St. Thomas Aquinas at Boyd Anderson
University School at Calvary Christian Academy
Western at American Heritage
West Broward at Camden County (Georgia) (7:30 p.m.)
Week 3Thursday, Sept. 5
Everglades Prep Academy at Avant Garde Academy
Pembroke Pines Charter at North Broward Prep (6 p.m.)
Pine Crest at St. Edward’s (6:30 p.m.)
Somerset Academy Key at Oxbridge Academy
South Plantation at Piper
Friday, Sept. 6
American Heritage at Chaminade-Madonna
Blanche Ely at Stranahan
Coconut Creek at Baylor (Tennessee) (7:30 p.m.)
Columbus at St. Thomas Aquinas
Cooper City at South Broward
Coral Springs at Coral Glades
Coral Springs Charter at Ransom Everglades
Dillard at Northeast
Dr. Joaquin Garcia at Hollywood Hills (4 p.m.)
Everglades at Flanagan
Fort Lauderdale at Boyd Anderson
Miramar at McArthur
Nova at Fort Pierce Central
Pompano Beach at Taravella (4 p.m.)
Somerset Prep at Westminster Academy
Stoneman Douglas at Deerfield Beach
St. Brendan at Archbishop McCarthy
TRU Prep Academy at Calvary Christian Academy
University School at Somerset Academy
West Broward at Plantation
Week 4Thursday, Sept. 12
Miami Central at Pompano Beach
Miami Edison at Chaminade-Madonna
Pembroke Pines Charter at North Miami
South Plantation at Nova
St. Andrew’s at University School (6 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 13
American Heritage at Naples (7:30 p.m.)
Archbishop McCarthy at True North Classical Academy (3:30 p.m.)
Atlantic at Blanche Ely
Boyd Anderson at Dillard
Calvary Christian Academy at Clewiston (7:30 p.m.)
Cardinal Gibbons at West Broward
Coconut Creek at Deerfield Beach
Cooper City at Hollywood Hills (4 p.m.)
Cypress Bay at McArthur
Flanagan at Fort Lauderdale
Hallandale at Northeast
Mater Academy Charter at Miramar
Monarch at Seminole
North Broward Prep at American Heritage-Delray
Piper at Coral Springs
Somerset Academy at Westminster Academy
Somerset Academy Key at Avant Garde Academy
Somerset Prep at King’s Academy
South Broward at FSU High
Stranahan at Coral Glades
St. Thomas Aquinas at Western
Taravella at Everglades
Westminster Christian at Pine Crest
Week 5Thursday, Sept. 19
Cooper City at Pembroke Pines Charter (5:45 p.m.)
Cypress Bay at Stranahan
Everglades at Mater Academy Charter
Lake Highland Prep at University School (6 p.m.)
Miami Norland at Chaminade-Madonna
Pompano Beach at Coral Springs Charter
Somerset Prep at St. John Paul II Academy (6:30 p.m.)
Western at Taravella (4 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 20
American Heritage at Miami Central
Avant Garde Academy at Florida Christian
Blanche Ely at Piper
Boyd Anderson at Stoneman Douglas (6 p.m.)
Coconut Creek at Cardinal Gibbons
Coral Springs Charter at Somerset Academy Key
Dillard at Miramar
Flanagan at West Broward
Hallandale at Coral Glades
McArthur at St. Thomas Aquinas
Monarch at Fort Lauderdale
North Miami at Calvary Christian Academy
Pine Crest at Ransom Everglades
Plantation at South Broward
Somerset Academy Canyons at Archbishop McCarthy
South Plantation at Coral Springs
St. Andrew’s at North Broward Prep (6 p.m.)
Westminster Academy at Cambridge Christian (Tampa)
Week 6Thursday, Sept. 26
Coral Springs Charter at Taravella (4 p.m.)
Dillard at Suncoast (6:30 p.m.)
Miami Edison at Avant Garde Academy
Miramar at Pembroke Pines Charter (5:45 p.m.)
Monarch at Coral Springs
Northeast at South Plantation
Oxbridge Academy at University School (6 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 27
Blanche Ely at Deerfield Beach
Boyd Anderson at Coconut Creek
Calvary Christian Academy at Cardinal Gibbons
Chaminade-Madonna at Western
Fort Lauderdale at Cooper City
McArthur at Hollywood Hills (4 p.m.)
Miami Beach at Flanagan
Miami Norland at Archbishop McCarthy
North Broward Prep at Somerset Academy Key
Plantation at American Heritage
Pompano Beach at Boca Raton Christian
Somerset Academy at Stranahan
Somerset Prep at St. Andrew’s
Spanish River at Coral Glades
Stoneman Douglas at Boca Raton (6:30 p.m.)
St. John Paul II Academy at Pine Crest
St. Thomas Aquinas at Bishop Moore
West Broward at Everglades
Westminster Academy at American Heritage-Delray
Cypress Bay at Goleman
Week 7Thursday, Oct. 3
Westminster Academy at Glades Day
Friday, Oct. 4
Avant Garde Academy at Jupiter Christian
Cardinal Gibbons at Hallandale
Chaminade-Madonna at Monarch
Coral Glades at Stoneman Douglas (6 p.m.)
Coral Springs at Key West
Deerfield Beach at McArthur
Flanagan at Cypress Bay
Hollywood Hills at St. Thomas Aquinas
Monsignor Pace at Calvary Christian Academy
North Broward Prep at St. John Paul II Academy
North Miami at Miramar
Northeast at Coral Springs Charter
Nova at Pembroke Pines Charter (5:45 p.m.)
Piper at Boyd Anderson
Plantation at Blanche Ely
Somerset Academy at Immaculata-La Salle
South Broward at Coconut Creek
Stranahan at South Plantation
West Boca at Western
Week 8Thursday, Oct. 10
Archbishop McCarthy at Plantation
Boyd Anderson at McArthur
Boynton Beach at Northeast
Coconut Creek at Atlantic (6:30 p.m.)
Deerfield Beach at Cardinal Gibbons
Dr. Joaquin Garcia at Dillard
Dr. Krop at Flanagan
Fort Lauderdale at Piper
Hollywood Hills at Hallandale
North Broward Prep at Calvary Christian Academy
Nova at Cooper City
Somerset Academy Key at St. Andrew’s (6 p.m.)
South Broward at South Plantation
Spanish River at Stoneman Douglas (6 p.m.)
Stranahan at Miami Central (7:30 p.m.)
Taravella at Cypress Bay
University School at Ransom Everglades (4 p.m.)
West Broward at Miami Beach
Westminster Academy at Inlet Grove (6:30 p.m.)
Friday, Oct. 11
Coral Springs Charter at Pine Crest
Goleman at Western
Pembroke Pines Charter at Mater Academy Charter (5:45 p.m.)
Pompano Beach at Somerset Academy (3:30 p.m.)
Spanish River at Stoneman Douglas
St. Thomas Aquinas at Chaminade-Madonna
TRU Prep Academy at Avant Garde Academy
Saturday, Oct. 12
American Heritage at Miami Norland
Everglades at North Miami
Somerset Prep at Westminster Christian (1 p.m.)
Week 9Thursday, Oct. 17
Hollywood Hills at Pompano Beach
McArthur at Fort Lauderdale
Pembroke Pines Charter at Everglades
Somerset Prep at Somerset Academy
Suncoast at Northeast
Taravella at Coral Glades
Friday, Oct. 18
ABF Academy at University School
Archbishop McCarthy at American Heritage
Atlantic at Deerfield Beach
Avant Garde Academy at Chaminade-Madonna
Blanche Ely at Dillard
Boca Raton at Cardinal Gibbons
Coral Springs Charter at North Broward Prep (6 p.m.)
Evangelical Christian at Westminster Academy
Hallandale at Flanagan
Miramar at Coconut Creek
Monarch at St. Thomas Aquinas
Pine Crest at Lake Highland Prep (6 p.m.)
Plantation at Piper
Somerset Academy Key at Miami Country Day
South Plantation at Cooper City
Stoneman Douglas at Coral Springs
Stranahan at Boyd Anderson
St. Andrew’s at Calvary Christian Academy
Western at Cypress Bay
West Broward at Gulf Coast
Week 10Thursday, Oct. 24
Dillard at Boynton Beach (6:30 p.m.)
Flanagan at South Broward
Northeast at Dr. Joaquin Garcia (6:30 p.m.)
Palm Beach Christian Prep at Westminster Academy
Piper at Monarch
Plantation at Miami Norland (7:30 p.m.)
Pompano Beach at Stranahan
Somerset Prep at Avant Garde Academy
Stoneman Douglas at Coral Springs Charter
Friday, Oct. 25
American Heritage at St. Thomas Aquinas
Blanche Ely at Coconut Creek
Boyd Anderson at Hollywood Hills (3 p.m.)
Calvary Christian Academy at Archbishop McCarthy
Cardinal Gibbons at Chaminade-Madonna
Cooper City at Cypress Bay
Coral Glades at Nova
Coral Springs at Fort Lauderdale
McArthur at South Plantation
Miami Central at Somerset Academy
Miramar at Everglades
Pembroke Pines Charter at Hallandale
Pine Crest at North Broward Prep (6 p.m.)
Somerset Academy Key at St. John Paul II Academy
Taravella at Goleman (7:30 p.m.)
University School at Gulliver Prep (4 p.m.)
Western at Deerfield Beach
West Broward at Dr. Krop
Week 11Thursday, Oct. 31
Cypress Bay at Hallandale
Somerset Prep at Carol City
South Plantation at Plantation
Friday, Nov. 1
Archbishop McCarthy at King’s Academy (6:30 p.m.)
Cardinal Gibbons at Miramar
Coconut Creek at Stoneman Douglas (6 p.m.)
Cooper City at Flanagan
Coral Springs at Taravella (4 p.m.)
Deerfield Beach at Dillard
Everglades at McArthur
Fort Lauderdale at Stranahan
Marathon at Pine Crest
Monarch at Blanche Ely
Northeast at Pompano Beach
Nova at Hollywood Hills (3 p.m.)
Piper at South Broward
Somerset Academy at Neumann
Western at West Broward
Daily Horoscope for August 19, 2024
General Daily Insight for August 19, 2024
Our desires might be reined in at the moment. While sensual Venus goads unrestrained Jupiter, the pursuit of pleasure has the potential to go awry. The vital Sun provokes unpredictable Uranus, bringing chaotic consequences. When the dramatic Full Moon strikes at 2:26 pm EDT, passions could run uncomfortably high. Jupiter’s stifling square to Saturn, the planet of boundaries and limits, should show us what we need to change to avoid problems going forward. Playing it safe isn’t punishment — it’s just respecting reality.
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
Proving yourself might seem urgent at present. You’re potentially willing to take a significant risk in order to make it clear that you deserve respect as the passionate Sun in your expressive 5th house winds up independent Uranus in your self-worth sector. With your ego wounded, it’s plausible that no personal sacrifice will seem too dramatic in your quest to restore your honor. Even so, a moment of glory may not justify what comes to mind. Stop and think before you talk too big.
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
You’re potentially tired of being pushed around and are ready to take your power back ASAP. Standing up for yourself may be what you need to do to restore your own sense of self-worth. That said, as confident Jupiter in your 2nd House of Values clashes with judgmental Saturn in your 11th House of Community, others observing the situation might get the idea that you’re out of line. They probably don’t know the whole story, so try to keep their opinions in perspective.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
Hitting a nerve in conversation is possible today, especially if a routine chat veers into sensitive personal territory. While overbearing Jupiter in your sign conflicts with dogmatic Saturn in your authority zone, the problem probably won’t be the specific details of whatever you found helpful in your life. It’ll more likely have to do with poking your nose into something that isn’t yours to decide. Yes, you can value what you’ve learned from your experiences — just remember that others have their own journeys.
CancerJune 21 – July 22
The presence of spectators could make a current financial drama uglier than it already is. Perhaps a seemingly vulnerable party has convinced others that you need to be doing more to help them. It might appear to outsiders that you’re not following the rules or social norms that apply to your situation, but maybe there are valid reasons why you’ve handled things the way you have. You’re not required to give every busybody a full explanation, but be sure you can live with yourself.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
A power struggle in a relationship could have you totally frustrated throughout today. You may feel like there’s no way you can win because the other person is always the victim somehow. Would a jury of your peers give you a fairer hearing than you’re currently receiving? Although you might appreciate the validation of having your pals take your side, pursuing this would probably require you to reveal information you normally keep private. Think carefully about whether that’s worth the trouble.
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
Your progress toward a major goal might hit a roadblock at any moment. As exuberant Jupiter in your ambitious 10th house runs into resistance from frustrating Saturn in your relationship sector, you may blame another person for holding you back. Hold on — they potentially have a few legitimate points! If you pin down the details of your plan a little better, they could be convinced. Don’t make it a battle of egos. Instead, stay focused on finding out what’s going to practically work.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
Managing expectations about your present social life could be crucial. While idealistic Jupiter in your philosophy zone aggravates practical Saturn in your grounded 6th house, you may be disappointed because things aren’t unfolding in the way you believe they should. Not everyone approaches relationships with the same foundational assumptions that you do. If you want something specific from your friends that you’re not getting, consider asking for it directly. They might be surprised, but that shouldn’t be the end of the world.
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
Someone you’re involved with could currently be calling the shots by refusing to commit to a specific course of action. Instead of giving you the information you need to confidently plan ahead, they’re potentially maintaining power by keeping you on your toes. Confronting them would understandably be tempting under the circumstances. Before you do that, work carefully to identify the outcome you genuinely must have. The most realistic way to get it may require you to set some of your less vital preferences aside.
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
A companion could presently be working hard to drag you along on an adventure. As enthusiastic Jupiter in your relationship zone conflicts with reticent Saturn in your introverted 4th house, you might be surprised by your reluctance. Do you feel like the other person isn’t listening to you? Even if the plan doesn’t ultimately wind up changing, your take on certain details at least deserves to be heard out before you proceed any further. Wait to go ahead until you’re all comfortable.
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Your motivations could be pretty simple right now. When the eye-opening Full Moon lands in your 2nd House of Resources, you’ll be especially conscious of what you have and what you lack. In light of that, you may want to throw yourself into working hard to earn more money, which might seem to be key to your personal freedom. You probably won’t be the chattiest person as you attend to this desire, but you should be able to take pride in what you accomplish!
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Figuring out who’s to blame for your frustration could command your attention now. With the emotional Full Moon in your sign, you’re in danger of getting overwhelmed by any difficult feelings you’ve been suppressing. An overbearing person in your life might seem like an easy target to unload on, especially if they’re thickheaded enough to get in your way today. If you can’t personally afford some pleasure you crave, though, that’s not unavoidably their fault. Don’t jump to conclusions too quickly.
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
Getting away from the grind could be crucial today. If you’ve been arguing with someone else over the details of a task for a while, maybe you should just take a break from it. As the Full Moon illuminates your contemplative 12th house, the answer might come to you when you’re thinking about something else. Even if it doesn’t, you may discover a much-needed perspective on the situation. You don’t have to be productive at every single moment — sometimes it’s okay to prioritize comfort.
Pro-abortion rights and LGBTQ+ protesters rally ahead of the start of the DNC
A crowd of hundreds called for abortion and LGBTQ+ rights Sunday evening in downtown Chicago, getting a head start on a week of protests before the Democratic National Convention kickoff Monday.
Starting with a rally on Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive by the Chicago River, with Trump Tower as a backdrop as the blazing sun set behind the Marina City Towers, demonstrators headed south to the Grant Park monument of Union Army Gen. John Logan, which protesters climbed in an iconic moment during the DNC protests in August 1968.
After an acoustic sing-along by the crowd — “My body, my body/ My choice, my choice,” punctuated by a flute and ukulele — emcee and activist Scout Bratt took the mic to say, “Palestinian liberation is reproductive justice,” a nod to the common thread that ran through speeches and chants during the evening.
“And we reject any political compromises on bodily autonomy,” added Bratt, a spokesperson for Jewish Voice for Peace and a member of the social justice group Avodah. “Today, we are coming together on the eve of the Democratic National Convention to be sure that they don’t even begin … without knowing our demands.”
The rally and march took place a week after the coalition Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws — endorsed by more than 30 local and national organizations — won a permit for a route on Michigan Avenue following a long legal battle with the city. The lawsuit continues in federal court with representation from the American Civil Liberties Union over the city’s security perimeter ordinance.
Other groups have also had difficulties obtaining permits in what they have called a slow and contentious approval process; several have taken the city to court.
The Sunday gathering sought to demand that if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidency in November, she will commit to sweeping legislation for abortion access and transgender and LGBTQ+ health care, as well as an end to U.S. aid to Israel and a call for a cease-fire.
They hope national legislation will include no gestational bans or viability limits on abortion and a guaranteed minimum income so children can be raised “in a healthy, nurturing environment.” And as trans people continue being targeted by the far right — which the coalition sees as attacks on the bodily autonomy of all LGBTQ+ people — they also demand equal employment and housing rights enshrined in legislation.
The coalition includes pro-Palestinian groups that emphasize the interconnectedness of human rights struggles in Gaza and at home; for instance, anti-war, women-led grassroots organization CODEPINK has said that discussions of reproductive justice within the Democratic Party must consider Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Reproductive genocide, my comrades and friends, is the eradication and destruction of life-giving and life-sustaining resources such as food, such as water, such as medicine, such as medical care,” said Chicago organizer and community leader Leena Odeh of the Palestinian Feminist Collective.
According to reports from the United Nations, miscarriages in the region have increased by 300%, and a shortage of medical supplies means that women are giving birth without pain relief and children are dying without incubators. The largest fertility clinic in the region has been destroyed by Israeli forces, newborn babies face malnutrition and have no access to clean water, and 690,000 women and girls have no access to menstrual hygiene products.
On more than one occasion, speakers forcefully reminded Harris she has to earn their vote. They also repeatedly called out Democratic leaders for what they see as a disconnect between promises and policies enacted at home and abroad.
“We are at a pivotal moment of recognizing and raising cautiousness about all the ways in which the Democratic Party and its brutal policies violently suppress working-class organization and liberation movements. The main line of the Harris candidacy is to vote for them or face fascism, when in fact, the two parties are two sides of the same coin,” said Sultana Hossain, an Amazon labor union activist and co-facilitator for NYC Labor for Palestine.
Nadine Naber, professor of gender and women’s studies at the University of Illinois Chicago and co-founder of Mamas Activating Movements for Abolition and Solidarity, said, “We are here to fight for our bodies and our hearts. And I believe that any movement guided by radical, collective love is like fire.”
The DNC starts Monday in Chicago. Here’s what to know
More than a year after Chicago was announced as the host city, the Democratic National Convention is about to start.
Running Monday through Thursday, the convention is a huge moment for national Democrats, who have had a whirlwind few weeks since President Joe Biden quit the race, paving the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the first Black and Asian American woman to lead a major party ticket.
Eyes will also be on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who are looking to pull off the massive made-for-TV event without a hitch, building on the success of the 1996 Democratic convention and continuing to push aside historic images of the contentious 1968 DNC.
Here’s what to know:
What’s expected at the convention? Red, white and blue balloons are bundled and raised to the rafters on Aug. 15, 2024, before the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)Traditionally, party leaders come together every four years to nominate the person they want on the top of the presidential ticket in November. Republicans held their convention last month in Milwaukee.
There are a few nontraditional things about this year’s DNC, though.
Typically, the person nominated emerged victorious through primary elections across the country in spring and summer. This year is different for Democrats since Biden dropped out of the race in July.
Harris, Biden’s vice president, has already been nominated in an online roll-call of delegates to be the Democratic nominee, so there won’t be a formal, official vote to nominate her at the convention.
Instead there will be a ceremonial roll call, speeches from party leaders and up-and-comers, and an introduction of Harris’ recently announced running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. It’ll be a televised rally of support to build on Harris’ fundraising and polling momentum from the past month.
Who will be there, and what’s the schedule of events? Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker at the Secret Service field office talking about security measures for the 2024 Democratic National Convention on July 25, 2024. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)Nearly all of the Democratic Party’s well-known officeholders will be joined by thousands of delegates and other supporters and volunteers, along with thousands of members of the media, at the main venues: McCormick Place and the United Center. In addition, organizers are predicting thousands of protesters will take to the streets to bring attention to issues that include the war in Gaza.
There will likely also be some A-list celebrity sightings at the convention sites and around town. Billie Eilish and Julia Louis-Dreyfus took part in Democrats’ last national convention, which was primarily virtual due to the pandemic.
Overall, the DNC estimates some 50,000 visitors will be in Chicago for the convention.
Convention events at the United Center and McCormick Place are not open to the public.
Much of the schedule, including the speaker list, has yet to be announced, although Pritzker, expected to speak Tuesday, and former President Barack Obama are among those that figure to have prominent slots. Daytime party business and meetings will largely take place at McCormick Place, according to the DNC. Evening events, including the major speeches and hoopla that is likely to be televised, will be at the United Center.
Harris is expected to give the convention’s final speech on Thursday, with Walz expected to speak Wednesday.
What is the plan for protests? Superintendent Larry Snelling attends a news conference to discuss final preparations for public safety before the Democratic National Convention at the Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Aug. 13, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Johnson’s administration proposed that many protesters march west from Union Park, past a small park north of the United Center and then east back to Union Park. Officials announced the route after a coalition of pro-Palestinian protest groups sued to block the city from confining protesters to a two-block strip of Grant Park, far from the United Center.
U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood ruled that she would not force City Hall to widen and lengthen the authorized route, as some protesters had sought.
Park No. 578 just north of the United Center will also serve as a “free speech zone,” Glen Brooks, director of community policing at the Chicago Police Department, said.
On Friday, following last-minute complaints from protesters and negotiations with the city that were ultimately settled after Mayor Johnson himself intervened, the city allowed for a stage and a sound system for two rallies in Union Park.
What are the plans for televised coverage? Cameras are set up in preparation for the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 15, 2024. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)Cable news channels will likely carry much of the top prime time programming live. Fox News, CNN and MSNBC will all have top anchors present at the convention, with Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum anchoring for Fox and Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper broadcasting from the United Center for CNN.
The DNC will broadcast its own feed on social media and its website, DemConvention.com, as well as on Amazon Prime Video. The major networks are expected to offer some prime time coverage. Events will also be available through streaming services.
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” plans to broadcast from the Auditorium Theatre downtown throughout the week of the DNC — suggesting the Emmy-winning, formerly Chicago-based comedian and Northwestern University alum plans to host guests from the United Center on his late-night show.
Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” will also broadcast from Chicago during the convention, including a live show Aug. 22.
How many political conventions has Chicago hosted?Chicago has hosted 25 major party national conventions, 14 for Republicans and 11 for Democrats, since 1860, when Abraham Lincoln was nominated by Republicans, according to the Chicago History Museum. That’s the most of any U.S. city, with the runner-up, Baltimore, having hosted 10.
- The mayhem of the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago
- At the 1944 Democratic convention in Chicago, an ailing FDR faced a difficult choice
- A ‘Boy Orator’ brought down the house at the 1896 Democratic Convention in Chicago
- Chicago’s history with hosting Democratic and Republican conventions dates back to 1860
- How Chicago became the go-to city for political conventions
Chicago Tribune’s A.D. Quig contributed to this story. This is an abridged version; it was originally published by the Chicago Tribune.
Can the DNC help reverse Chicago’s national narrative?
The eyes of the political world turn to Chicago this week as tens of thousands of delegates, media, dignitaries and political influencers arrive for a historic Democratic National Convention featuring Vice President Kamala Harris’ celebratory and ceremonial acceptance of the party’s presidential nomination.
An event that only a month ago saw Democratic organizers trying to build enthusiasm over the anticipated renomination of President Joe Biden has now developed its own energy with the president’s decision to drop from the race and back Harris, the first Black and Asian woman to receive a major party nomination.
A convention that organizers had planned for more than a year to be a showcase of Biden accomplishments has been quickly rescripted to — starting Monday — define and boost Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and offer voters an aggressive alternative in the Nov. 5 general election to former President Donald Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.
Biden is scheduled to deliver the opening night keynote address. In doing so, he will in effect cede the presidential campaign stage to Harris while forcefully touting the new ticket and what’s at stake in the election. First Lady Jill Biden also is scheduled to speak on Monday and Harris, who is to fly into Chicago on Sunday night, is expected to be in attendance at the United Center.
As is traditionally the case at political conventions, the Democratic event will feature daily themes — “For the People” on Monday, “A Bold Vision For America’s Future” on Tuesday, “A Fight for Our Freedoms” on Wednesday and “For Our Future” on Thursday. The themes will be used to promote their speakers, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton as well as the Harris-Walz ticket. But there also is one overarching convention theme of parochial importance that also has national implications.
Does Chicago have something to prove with this convention?
There’s a chip on the City of Big Shoulders, like it or not, due to a national narrative that points to Chicago’s long-standing issues of crime and renewed questions of public safety.
A Google search on Chicago, while offering a litany of places to see, things to do and food to eat, also lists frequently asked questions such as, “Is Chicago worth visiting?” “What is the crime rate in Chicago” and “Is it safe to visit Chicago?”
They’re prompted by a narrative exploited and exaggerated amid the nation’s sharply divided politics — mainly through Republican attacks on a city run by Democratic progressives and led by a rookie mayor in Brandon Johnson.
And they’re driven by Trump who, throughout his political history, labeled the city “worse than Afghanistan,” “totally out of control” and a “total disaster,” despite having a lavish namesake hotel operation on the Chicago River.
Of course, no Democratic delegates are being housed there.
A tour boat prepares to pass under the Wells Street Bridge along the Chicago River on July 23, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)At a convention kickoff luncheon on Saturday to thank those who helped bring the event to the city, Gov. JB Pritzker said picking Chicago as the location for the DNC was a calculated decision by Biden.
“There’s one really, really, important reason that he chose Chicago, and that is that we’ve demonstrated to the country that Democrats deliver in Chicago and in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said, citing the convention theme of Illinois Democrats.
“So when all these people come from around the country, they get to see what the Democratic agenda looks like in action,” Pritzker said. “It is going to be one of the greatest experiences and the best conventions ever in the history of the Democratic Party.”
By the numbers, the 50,000 anticipated attendees are no big deal for a city that has long been a convention destination.
The annual Lollapalooza music festival, which wrapped up earlier this month, routinely draws 100,000 people per day. The annual National Restaurant Association show — the other NRA — draws more people in May. And in only three weeks the International Manufacturing Technology Show at McCormick Place will draw an estimated 100,000 visitors.
But for those events, there’s no need for specially designated security areas, protests are not part of the daily rituals and there are no dignitaries designated for protection by the U.S. Secret Service.
So the question of whether Chicago has something to prove can draw some defensive reactions when posed to convention advocates who live in the city.
“Do we have something to prove? Absolutely not. We know who we are. I know who these officers are. I know what this department is and who this department is,” said Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling.
“What I will tell you is, whatever the national narrative is, if it’s negative, we’ll prove that wrong. We’re not setting out to prove it wrong,” Snelling said. “The only thing that we do is what we do every single day — we go out here. We work to keep this city safe, and the DNC is no different.”
Superintendent Larry Snelling, right, attends a news conference to discuss final preparations for public safety before the Democratic National Convention at the Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Aug. 13, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Chicago saw spikes in gun violence and other crime when the pandemic swept through the country in 2020, as well as in the aftermath of the killing that year of George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota. Since then, the city has seen reductions by more than 20% each in killings and total shootings while the trend has gone in the opposite direction for other crimes such as robbery and sexual assault.
Chicago typically leads the nation each year in total slayings, but its homicide rate on a per-capita basis is far from being tops in the U.S.
Michael Jacobson, who heads the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, said that “tens of thousands of political thought leaders” will be in Chicago after having helped shape a narrative about a city “many of them haven’t been to … in a decade.”
“We do have something to prove in terms of redefining, reshaping that narrative about what Chicago is. If things go off without a hitch — and we’re confident that it will — we are going to successfully change a lot of people’s perceptions about Chicago. And then they’re going to go home and talk about it. They’re going to post on social media. You’re going to see stories written that Chicago is not what you thought it was. And so, yes, I do think we have something to prove,” Jacobson said.
“Do we have problems that need to be addressed? Absolutely. I’m not trying to sugarcoat the fact that we have some problems that we need to continue focusing on,” he added. “But at the end of the day, I think we do get a bad deal in terms of the fact that a lot of other major cities are going through very similar issues that Chicago is, and yet we get a lot worse narrative around this city than a lot of these other cities do.”
Red, white and blue balloons are bundled before being raised to the rafters on Aug. 15, 2024, inside the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)Jacobson said there is a “new excitement” about the convention with the dramatic change to the Democratic ticket and said the city has seen an uptick in hotel bookings “that definitely coincides” with it.
Still, there’s been no shortage of attempts to try to deflate expectations for the convention, including some often wild attempts to compare this year to the most infamous Democratic political convention in history, the violent DNC in Chicago in 1968. Much less attention has been paid to the last DNC in Chicago, the 1996 renomination of Clinton for a second term, which largely went off without a hitch.
One Chicago-based dark-money, Republican-aligned group has even posted a video series warning “how likely the city is to see a repeat of 1968.”
While 1968 was the last time a Democratic incumbent president, Lyndon B. Johnson, opted not to seek reelection and was replaced on the ticket by his vice president, Hubert Humphrey, the atmospherics then were very different from now.
LBJ stepped down after leading a vastly unpopular war in Vietnam amid nationwide protests from many, including military draft-eligible youths. It also was a year of violent political upheaval with the assassinations of civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, who was pursuing the Democratic presidential nomination.
The 1968 convention was the ignition, if not a symbolic capstone, to a combustible decade of racial and antiwar strife. There was chaos inside the convention hall. There was chaos outside the convention hall.
“I know there are people who want to harken back to 1968. This is nothing like 1968,” Pritzker said recently. “We know how to manage through allowing protesters to exercise their First Amendment rights and have a great convention for the 50,000 people who are coming to Chicago.”
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Protests are expected, led by Palestinian supporters lashing out at the violence and deaths in Gaza and the U.S. relationship with Israel in its war on Hamas. Chicago also has been coping with an influx of border immigrants bused from Texas by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, though previous predictions from city leaders that tens of thousands of migrants would arrive here ahead of the DNC have so far not been proven out.
Protesters also plan to demonstrate during the convention in support of more affordable housing, better education opportunities, improvements on immigration, health care, policing, LGBTQ+ rights and development in long-neglected communities.
But there are protesters and there are disruptors.
It’s likely Chicago will see a combination of both throughout the city — not just in designated protest areas — and the response will say much about the image of the city and its leadership going forward.
It’s also the nature of political conventions to feature the contradiction of street protests and exclusive high-end parties.
Several groups, delegations and caucuses are planning to make use of places such as the House of Blues and Harry Caray’s to host parties.
With the Cubs out of town, Wrigley Field is expected to see two events, one co-hosted by Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and another by Harris’ presidential campaign.
On Tuesday night, when Pritzker is set to take the stage at the DNC as host governor, he later will be throwing a post-convention concert at the Salt Shed featuring John Legend, who disappointed some Ravinia-goers last year by appearing solo and largely talking about his own greatness rather than performing.
Gov. JB Pritzker greets people while visiting the stage before the Democratic National Convention Aug. 16, 2024, at the United Center. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said he also thinks Chicago has been unfairly singled out for criticism involving urban problems and issues.
“I just think it’s always good that we can show the country how good we are because sometimes the narrative is not good and it hasn’t ever been since the pandemic,” Toia said. “That’s not just the problem in Chicago. That’s in any big urban city.”
Toia said he expects Chicago restaurants to fare better than those in Milwaukee did for the Republican convention because the Wisconsin city’s footprint is so much smaller and falls within the security restricted areas. Food destinations in the West Loop, River North and much of the city aren’t encumbered by the restrictions.
Among Illinois’ top Democrats, there’s no shortage of boosterism for an event that Chicago business and political leaders think can provide a significant injection of cash and publicity into a city still struggling to regain its pre-COVID activity. Supporters say the convention could provide a $150 million boost to the city’s economy, though such estimates are often difficult to prove.
Still, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said she thinks the convention’s messaging to promote the Harris-Walz ticket and contrast it with Trump and Vance can also help turn the city’s narrative.
“I certainly think that having a president who, you know, puts down our city every five minutes certainly doesn’t help,” Mendoza said of Trump.
“I’m very proud of the beautiful city that we’re going to be presenting to people from across America,” she said. “And I think they can make up their own minds.”
Tribune reporter Olivia Olander contributed.
Thousands of activists expected in Chicago for Democratic convention to call for Gaza cease-fire
By SOPHIA TAREEN
CHICAGO (AP) — Thousands of activists are expected to converge on Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, hoping to call attention to abortion rights, economic injustice and the war in Gaza.
While Vice President Kamala Harris has energized crowds of supporters as she prepares to accept the Democratic nomination, progressive activists maintain their mission remains the same.
Show Caption1 of 8ExpandActivists say they learned lessons from last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and are predicting bigger crowds and more robust demonstrations in Chicago, a city with deep social activism roots.
Who is protesting?Demonstrations are expected every day of the convention and, while their agendas vary, many activists agree an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war is the priority.
Things kicked off Sunday on the convention’s eve with an abortion rights march along iconic Michigan Avenue.
Activist Liz Rathburn, right, talks with University of Illinois-Chicago student Arsalan Zahid on campus Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, about two marches in support of Palestine, during the Democratic National Convention next week in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)Organizer Linda Loew said even though Democrats have pushed to safeguard reproductive rights at home, the issue is international. They marched in solidarity with people everywhere who struggle for the right to control what happens to their bodies, as well as to protest the money the U.S. spends to back wars that could be used for healthcare, she said.
“We believe that the billions of dollars that continue to flow to the state of Israel and the flow of weapons are having an inordinate and horrific impact, but in particular on women, children and the unborn,” she said. “All of these things are tied together.”
Activist Liz Rathburn hands out a flyer on the University of Illinois-Chicago campus Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, about two marches in support of Palestine, during the Democratic National Convention next week in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)The largest group, the Coalition to March on the DNC, has planned demonstrations on the first and last days of the convention.
Organizers say they expect at least 20,000 activists, including students who protested the war on college campuses.
“The people with power are going to be there,” said Liz Rathburn, a University of Illinois Chicago student organizer. “People inside the United Center are the people who are going to be deciding our foreign policy in one way or another.”
Where are they protesting?Activists sued the city earlier this year, saying restrictions over where they can demonstrate violate their constitutional rights.
Chicago leaders rejected their requests for permits to protest near United Center on the city’s West Side, where the convention is taking place, offering instead a lakefront park more than 3 miles (5 kilometers) away.
Activist Liz Rathburn hands out a flyer on the University of Illinois-Chicago campus Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, about two marches in support of Palestine, during the Democratic National Convention next week in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)Later, the city agreed to allow demonstrations at a park and a march route closer to the United Center. A federal judge recently signed off on the group’s roughly 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) route.
Coalition to March on the DNC spokesman Hatem Abudayyeh said the group is pleased it won the right to protest closer to the convention, but he believes its preferred 2-mile (3-kilometer) march would be safer for larger crowds. The group is chartering buses for activists from about half a dozen states.
“We’re going forward, full speed ahead,” he said.
The city has designated a park about a block from United Center for a speakers’ stage. Those who sign up get 45 minutes.
Activist Liz Rathburn, second from right, and Angel Gonzalez, right, hand out a flyers on the University of Illinois-Chicago campus Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, about two marches in support of Palestine, during the Democratic National Convention next week in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)The Philadelphia-based Poor People’s Army, which advocates for economic justice, plans to set up at Humboldt Park on the city’s Northwest Side and will feature events with third-party candidates Jill Stein and Cornel West, plus a 3-mile (5 kilometer) march Monday to the United Center.
Some group members have spent the last few weeks marching the more than 80 miles (130 kilometers) from Milwaukee, where they protested during the Republican convention.
“Poor and homeless people are being brutalized, with tents and encampments destroyed and bulldozed away, from San Francisco to Philadelphia to Gaza and the West Bank,” spokesperson Cheri Honkala said in a statement as the group reached Illinois. “These preventable human rights violations are being committed by Democratic and Republican leaders alike.”
How does a new nominee change things?Many activists believe nothing much will change because Harris is part of the Biden administration.
Activist Liz Rathburn hands out a flyer on the University of Illinois-Chicago campus Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, about two marches in support of Palestine, during the Democratic National Convention next week in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)“The demands haven’t changed. I haven’t seen any policy changes,” said Erica Bentley, an activist with Mamas Activating Movements for Abolition and Solidarity. “If you’re going to be here, you’re going to have to listen to what’s important to us.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Chicago have been highly visible, shutting down roads to the airport and staging sit-ins at congressional offices. Some are planning their own one-day convention Sunday with third-party candidates.
“Regardless of who the nominee is, we’re marching against the Democrats and their vicious policies that have allowed Israel to kill over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza,” said Fayaani Aboma Mijana, an organizer with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
It’s unclear if the convention will draw far-right extremists who ardently support former President Donald Trump.
Secret Service Deputy Special Agent in Charge Derek Mayer said last week there are no known specific security threats against the convention.
Is Chicago ready?The convention will draw an estimated 50,000 people to the nation’s third-largest city, including delegates, activists and journalists.
The city says it has made necessary preparations with police and the Secret Service. Security will be tight, with street closures around the convention center.
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To combat traffic concerns, city leaders are touting a new $80 million train station steps from the United Center. They also have tried to beautify the city with freshly planted flowers and new signs. City leaders also cleared a nearby homeless encampment.
Police have undergone training on constitutional policing, county courts say they are opening more space in anticipation of mass arrests and hospitals near the security zone are beefing up emergency preparedness.
Authorities and leaders in the state have said people who vandalize the city or are violent will be arrested.
“We’re going to make sure that people have their First Amendment rights protected, that they can do that in a safe way,” Mayor Brandon Johnson told The Associated Press in a recent interview.
But some have lingering safety concerns, worried that protests could become unpredictable or devolve into chaos.
Activist Hy Thurman protested and was arrested at the infamous 1968 convention. The 74-year-old now lives in Alabama but plans to come to Chicago to protest the war in Gaza.
“It’s extremely personal for me,” he said. “I see parallels.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has said that he expects peaceful protests.
“We intend to protect the protesters’ First Amendment rights, and also the residents of the city of Chicago and the visitors to Chicago at the same time,” Pritzker told the AP in a recent interview.
Associated Press video journalist Melissa Perez Winder contributed to this report.
Convention delegates will nominate Harris, again. This time, there’s less suspense and more pizzazz
By ROBERT YOON
WASHINGTON (AP) — Once more, with feeling!
It’s been nearly two weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris officially won the Democratic presidential nomination in an online vote, the first time a nominee was named prior to a party’s convention. But the roughly 4,700 delegates charged with picking a nominee to lead the ticket did so from locations around the globe on their laptops and devices in relative isolation from one other. There was none of the pomp and fanfare that usually accompany the selection of the party’s standard-bearer. In other words, it wasn’t very fun.
Balloons are staged to be raised to the ceiling as preparations are made before the upcoming Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)Democratic party leaders hope to make up for that by holding a ceremonial vote at the Democratic National Convention, which begins Monday in Chicago. Among the major agenda items will be what’s essentially a re-staging of the official presidential nomination vote from early August, mirroring the sometimes-festive, sometimes-raucous roll call votes that have been a staple of in-person party conventions for almost 200 years.
The Democratic National Committee calls it a “celebratory Roll Call” and said in a statement the event would give delegates the opportunity to “celebrate the nomination” of Harris, who is the first woman of color to lead a major party presidential ticket.
Here’s how it will work:
When is the celebratory roll call?Delegates will gather on the convention floor on Tuesday to cast their symbolic votes. It’s the third consecutive Democratic convention when the roll call was held on a Tuesday and the first in-person roll call since 2016. For decades, Democrats held their roll call on a Wednesday, the second-to-last day of the convention.
Will there be any suspense in the roll vote?It’s been more than 40 years since there’s been any question about who the nominee would be heading into a convention roll call vote. Since then, a single candidate has always emerged in each party as the presumptive nominee well before the convention, making the vote itself a foregone conclusion.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, stands at the podium at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)That is especially true in the 2024 Democratic convention, since the ceremonial vote is non-binding and cannot undo or modify the results of the earlier, official vote to nominate Harris held over five days in the first week of August. That’s not to say there can’t be some attempt to stage a protest vote from the convention floor, but it won’t have any impact on the outcome.
The result from the official nomination vote from early August was 4,563 votes for Harris and 52 for “present,” the only other option on the ballot. An additional 79 delegates did not cast votes.
What will the ceremonial roll call look like?Convention organizers have indicated the ceremonial vote will follow the general format of past in-person convention roll calls, with some stylistic flourishes. State delegations will still call out their votes from the convention floor in a session presided over by the convention secretary. These presentations are usually an opportunity for each delegation to express their support for the nominee and the party, while also demonstrating their state pride. This year, each presentation will be accompanied by a song to represent the delegation, similar to a star batter’s “walk-up” song at a baseball game. A DJ will play the song on the main stage, while iconic images from each state and territory will be displayed on large screens.
What’s the order of voting for the states?The convention secretary will call on state delegations to vote mostly in alphabetical order, with a few key exceptions. Voting in the celebratory roll call will begin with President Joe Biden’s home state of Delaware as a tribute to the president. The roll call vote will conclude with vice presidential nominee Tim Walz’s home state of Minnesota and Harris’ home state of California. Organizers say the modified order symbolizes the passing of the torch from Biden to Harris and the “next generation of Democratic leadership.”
Tony Popelka guides a bag of balloons as preparations are made before the upcoming Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)Modifying the order in which delegations cast their votes is a common tool that both parties have used to choreograph the roll call to allow certain states to play a heightened role in the process.
Do they vote straight through?In past roll call votes at both parties’ conventions, the voting temporarily stops once the nominee surpasses the votes needed to win the nomination so that delegates mark the occasion and hold a celebration on the floor. Eventually, the voting resumes until all delegations have voted. Convention organizers have not indicated how or whether delegates would mark the milestone of Harris symbolically clinching the nomination. The distinction is somewhat moot this year, since Harris is already the nominee, based on the official vote held earlier in August.
Is there a vote for the vice presidential nominee?Delegates will cast symbolic votes in the celebratory roll call for both Harris and Walz, according to a statement from convention officials, a departure from traditional roll calls.
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Normally, the vice presidential nominee is officially chosen by delegates through a separate procedure, often on a different day of the convention. Vice presidential nominees of both parties are usually selected by acclamation, or a voice vote by the entire convention delegation, rather than through a separate roll call vote. This separate process is usually a formality, since the identity of the presumptive vice presidential nominee is often known well before the start of the convention.
This year, Walz won the vice presidential nomination in early August. After becoming the presidential nominee, Harris officially nominated Walz to be her running mate, and the convention chair declared Walz the nominee in accordance with party rules. The same procedure was used to nominate Harris as the vice presidential nominee at the 2020 convention.
When do Harris and Walz accept the nominations?Harris and Walz became the Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees Aug. 6. But each will symbolically accept the nominations in speeches before the full convention. Harris will speak on Thursday, in keeping with both parties’ tradition of the nominee addressing the convention on the final night.
Walz will speak on Wednesday night. For decades, the Democratic vice presidential nominee addressed the convention on the final night, just before the presidential nominee. That practice ended in 1996, and the vice presidential nominee’s speech has been held on Wednesday night ever since, with the exception of 2012, when it was held on Thursday.
Were roll call votes always done in-person?At the 2020 convention, then-candidate Joe Biden won the nomination after delegates cast their votes virtually through a series of elaborate live remote video presentations from every state and U.S. territory, a process created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Work continues at the United Center before the upcoming Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)The unique and sometimes quirky nature of the remote presentations quickly became a convention favorite. This year, convention planners said in a statement on Sunday that the celebratory roll call will once again incorporate some live video elements to “showcase the diversity and beauty of America.”
Why was the official nomination vote held before the convention this year?DNC officials first indicated in May that they would conduct a virtual roll call before the convention to clear a potential hurdle in getting the Democratic nominee on the ballot in Ohio. Ohio’s deadline to file for the general election ballot was Aug. 7. Although the deadline had been modified in previous presidential election years to accommodate late-summer conventions of both parties, this year state Republicans initially planned to enforce the existing deadline, with one GOP lawmaker calling the scheduling bind “ a Democratic problem.”
The Republican-controlled Legislature did eventually make an accommodation for the convention at the behest of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, but the law does not go into effect until Aug. 31. Citing concerns that Ohio Republicans could still try to block their candidate from getting on the ballot despite the legislative fix, DNC officials moved forward with their virtual roll call as originally planned.
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