Politics
DNC Live Blog, Day 3: Walz, Clinton Take the Stage; Local Labor Leaders Push for New Chicago Stadium
WTTW News reporters are spread out across Chicago covering the 2024 Democratic National Convention and the Illinois delegation. Check back throughout the day for continuous updates and be sure to tune in to “Chicago Tonight” live at 5:30 and 10 p.m. For a recap of the second day of the convention, check out our DNC Day 2 live blog.
Pritzker’s Chief of Staff on Bringing the DNC to Illinois: ‘We Wanted to Show Off Chicago’
11:30 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Anne Caprara, chief of staff for Gov. J.B. Pritzker, appeared on “Chicago Tonight” to discuss Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s speech and the benefits of Illinois hosting the Democratic National Convention.
“Most importantly, we wanted to show off Chicago,” Caprara said. “I think Republicans use Chicago as a punching bag a lot, and we wanted to bring people here, … to show them our business, our restaurants, our cultural life. Just how vibrant and amazing the city is, and the state, and all of the work in progress that’s been done here.”
-Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Harris’ Running Mate Tim Walz Introduces Himself to the Nation
11 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo)
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted his party’s nomination for vice president Wednesday night, using his Democratic National Convention address to thank the packed arena for “bringing the joy” to an election transformed by the elevation of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple, reason: We love this country,” Walz said as thousands of delegates hoisted vertical placards reading “Coach Walz” in red, white and blue.
Walz described his upbringing in Nebraska and teaching and coaching football in Minneosta and told the crowd, “Thank you for bringing the joy to this fight.”
“While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” he said. In a dig at his Republican counterpart, JD Vance, he added, “I had 24 kids in my high school class, and none of them went to Yale.”
When Walz talked about the difficulty conceiving his daughter, Hope, she made a heart with her hands and held it over her chest. His son, Gus, wept watching his dad speak and at least once shouted, “That’s my dad!”
“I haven’t given a lot of speeches like this but I’ve given a lot of pep talks,” Walz said. Read the Full Story
-Associated Press
Duckworth Calls Netanyahu’s Actions ‘Egregious,’ But Senator Doesn’t Support Cutting Aid to Israel
10 p.m., United Center, Chicago
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) said she would not support cutting military aid to Israel amid the ongoing violence in Gaza.
She said Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions have been “egregious” and have resulted in destruction in Gaza. But, she said, Israel is “our best ally in the Middle East.”
“This is about making sure that we get the hostages returned and ensuring Israel’s right to defend herself, but also at the same time we must acknowledge that there is a crisis in Gaza and we need to have a mutual cease-fire and we have to get help into Gaza to end the suffering,” Duckworth said.
When asked how she squares both defending Israel’s strategy to defeat Hamas while at the same time protecting Palestinians, a move some say is not possible to do, Duckworth responded that she’s not defending Israel’s strategy. There needs to be an immediate cease-fire on both sides, she said, as well as aid into Gaza.
“I support the Israeli people, but I certainly don’t support Netanyahu,” Duckworth said.
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war as of last week, the territory’s Health Ministry said.
The doctor who saved Duckworth’s life in Iraq went to Gaza to provide medical care, telling NPR that “he couldn’t save her with those wounds in Gaza.”
Duckworth hosted a briefing with her colleagues to hear the experience of the doctor providing humanitarian and medical aid in Gaza in June. A month later, she sent a note to U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sharing her concern over “reports of severe inadequacies of medical facilities in Gaza and the continued blocking of medical supplies.”
Duckworth asked Blinken to work with Israel on commitments to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and protections for aid workers in line with international law.
-Blair Paddock, WTTW News
Bill Clinton Returns to DNC to Tear Into Trump Before the Introduction of Tim Walz
9 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Former President Bill Clinton speaks during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (Brynn Anderson / AP Photo)
Former President Bill Clinton returned to the Democratic National Convention stage to denounce Donald Trump as selfish and praise Kamala Harris as focused on the needs of Americans, giving another of his emblematic, off-the-cuff addresses.
Clinton said November’s election would be “‘We The People’ versus ‘Me, Myself and I,’” firing up Wednesday’s third night of the DNC before vice presidential nominee Tim Walz got the chance to introduce himself to a national audience.
Clinton, the nation’s 42nd president and a veteran of his party’s political convention going back decades, was once declared the “secretary of explaining stuff” by Barack Obama, whose reelection bid in 2012 was bolstered by a Clinton stemwinder at that year’s DNC. Now 78 — the same age as Trump — Clinton’s delivery was sometimes halting and his movements slower, but he delivered homespun lines about the election and urged Democrats to back Harris.
“What does her opponent do with his voice? He mostly talks about himself,” Clinton said. “So the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I’s.”
Clinton also said he was glad to have “a coach on our team,” warming up for Walz, the Minnesota governor who has become known among supporters as a folksy, Midwestern teacher, football coach and dad. He’s also been the target of Republican criticism over how he’s portrayed his National Guard service and his personal story.
-Associated Press
Hundreds of Protesters Rally, March
8:30 p.m., Chicago
Police detain a protester during a demonstration outside the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
More than 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched Wednesday past a park where pro-Israel demonstrators had gathered earlier and toward the arena hosting the third night of the Democratic National Convention.
The demonstration, which stayed largely peaceful, came a day after violent clashes between police and protesters led to 56 arrests.
As marchers passed under a new elevated train station near the United Center that was completed just before the DNC, officers were seen bringing a person to the ground on the platform above. In response, hundreds of protesters pushed against the edge of the station, banging on the glass with their hands and flag poles as they called on police to free the person. The person left through the station’s emergency exit moments later, accompanied by officers but not in handcuffs, prompting cheers from the crowd.
The crowds of pro-Palestinian protesters included many families and people of different faiths. Read the Full Story.
-Associated Press
Oprah Will be Part of DNC Program Wednesday Night
8:15 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Oprah Winfrey is set to be part of the Democratic National Convention program Wednesday night, lending her voice and support to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.
Winfrey is set to participate in the lead up to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s acceptance of the Democratic vice presidential nomination, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the night’s program. CNN reached out to representatives for Winfrey and the DNC for comment.
Winfrey is in the United Center, according to multiple people who just saw her in the venue’s basement.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Winfrey told one person in the hallways.
Winfrey’s close friend Gayle King previewed some of Winfrey’s remarks on CBS.
“She was still tweaking this afternoon,” King said. “She hadn’t intended to be involved. She tries to stay out of politics.”
King added, “She has some things to say tonight.”
-CNN
Polin Family Calls for a Cease-Fire and Hostage Release
7:15 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Jon Polin thanked Biden and Harris for their work trying to secure a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza. Acknowledging the “agony” of civilians in Gaza as well, he said, “In a competition of pain there are no winners” and called for a swift agreement to free the hostages and stop the fighting in Gaza.
Polin and Rachel Goldberg are the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli hostage. Polin grew up in West Rogers Park and Skokie. Goldberg grew up in Streeterville. The family moved to Jerusalem in 2008.
Halie Soifer, the head of the Jewish Democratic Council of America and former national security advisor to Harris when she was senator, said in a statement Wednesday after the Polins’ speech that “Jewish Americans are proud to stand with Vice President Harris because she stands with us on every issue, including strong support of the US-Israel relationship.”
-Heather Cherone, WTTW News and Associated Press
Head of DNC Host Committee on Fundraising Efforts, Showing Off Chicago
7:15 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Christy George, the executive director of the Chicago DNC host committee, joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss organizing efforts, the impact the convention could have on the city and the Democratic message.
On fundraising efforts:
“We certainly had the opportunity to bolster Chicago in that way and ensure that we showed off the best of what our city has to offer,” she said. “And our donors were incredible support for that. … We were very close to our fundraising goal with President Biden as being the top of the ticket, and then we completely shattered it with Kamala Harris. So we couldn’t be in a better position.”
On boosting Chicago’s image:
“Here in Chicago, we have the opportunity to showcase the beauty of our city, the vibrancy of our city, all of our wonderful small businesses, the diversity and vibrancy of all of our neighborhoods,” she said. “It’s key to being able to flip that narrative and showing people that you can come here, visit here, you can be safe, you can host a safe convention, you can have a level experience here. And so we want more people to come here and experience our city.”
- Emily Soto, WTTW News
Buttigieg Says Democrats Need to Keep DNC Momentum Going: ‘American People Agree With Us’
6:55 p.m., United Center, Chicago
It’s the penultimate night before Vice President Kamala Harris makes her case Thursday, and the focus is on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who most Americans probably had never heard of until early this month when Harris picked him as her running mate.
Convention-goers and viewers on Wednesday will hear from former President Bill Clinton and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
Illinois delegates got a preview from the former mayor of nearby South Bend on Wednesday morning, when he stopped by their breakfast.
Buttigieg got serious about what’s at stake, saying that momentum might be with Harris and Walz, but they have to keep it up.
“I’ve been thinking about where that momentum is coming from, and there are so many parts to it, but one of them — one that maybe we don’t talk about enough — is the simple fact that the American people agree with us on the issues that matter most in their lives,” Buttigieg said. “We’ve gotta remember that. For some reason Democrats have this habit of sometimes feeling like our views must be unpopular.” Read the Full Story
- Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Protesters March on Chicago’s Near West Side
6:45 p.m., Union Park, Chicago
Protesters with the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine and March on the DNC 2024 begin marching on Washington Boulevard from Union Park on Night 3 of the Democratic National Convention. (Nicole Cardos / WTTW News)
As JD Vance Takes Aim at Chicago, Brandon Johnson Dismisses GOP as Irrelevant
6:20 p.m., United Center, Chicago
(Heather Cherone / WTTW News)
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, called Chicago a “combat zone,” joining former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly held up Chicago as a “war-torn country” consumed with violence.
Vance said he wasn’t following the action at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where his rival, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will formally accept his party’s nomination for vice president.
“It’s almost a joke to me that they held it in Chicago, which has become the murder capital of the United States of America thanks to very failed Democrat leadership,” Vance said, comparing the city to “a Third World country.”
Chicago is not the “murder capital” of the U.S. That ignominious title is held by St. Louis. Missouri is a reliably red state, and its governor is a member of the GOP.
Murders dropped nearly 9% between July 2023 and last month.
Vance, who served in the Marine Corps, attempted to use Chicago to slam Walz, who served in the Minnesota National Guard for 24 years.
“My little theory about why they decided to have the convention in Chicago is Tim Walz has been going around saying he served in war and maybe they did it in Chicago so they can accurately say that he visited a combat zone,” Vance said.
Walz visited Afghanistan while representing Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has never claimed to have served in combat, but did apologize for speaking in a 2018 video about “weapons of war that I carried in war.”
Johnson dismissed the criticism from Vance during an appearance at the CNN-Politico Grill Wednesday afternoon alongside New York Mayor Eric Adams and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
“The Republican Party is about as needed or as useful as a hotel keycard after checkout,” Johnson said.
Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot had a spicier reaction to Vance on social media, sharing a clip of his remarks and adding: “A nice thing about not being mayor anymore is I don't care who hears me tell this clown to STFU.”
-Heather Cherone, WTTW News
Speaker Schedule Features Tim Walz and Bill Clinton, Performances From Stevie Wonder and Amanda Gorman
6:05 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz laughs as he arrives at the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo / Brynn Anderson)
Tim Walz has a tough task ahead of him.
He’ll take center stage on Wednesday, the third night of the DNC, introducing himself to the American people as the Democratic party’s vice-presidential candidate. And he has to do it in a way that will get people to stop talking about Tuesday night’s rollicking roll call and the one-two oratorical punch of Michelle and Barack Obama.
Tune in to see if Walz rises to the occasion. His speech has been kept under wraps but is likely to hit on the evening's theme “A Fight for Our Freedoms.” Read the Full Schedule.
-Patty Wetli, WTTW News
Chicago Police, FBI Investigating Reports of Bugs in DNC Delegation Breakfast
6 p.m., Fairmont Hotel, Chicago
Chicago police and the FBI are investigating reports that two women spoiled the breakfast buffet for at least one state delegation to the Democratic National Convention at a downtown hotel by dropping bugs into the food.
One source told WTTW News the bugs were maggots, while another said crickets were used to spoil the Indiana delegation’s breakfast.
One person was treated and released in connection with the incident, which occurred at the Fairmont Hotel on Columbus Drive near Millennium Park, according to a statement from the Chicago Police Department.
Police are looking for two women who were seen placing the bugs on the buffet table but then fled.
Fairmont Hotel officials confirmed the incident took place shortly before 7 a.m.
“We can confirm that a group of individuals caused a disruption at a DNC-related breakfast event at our hotel this morning. We are grateful for the swift response of law enforcement. The safety, security, and well-being of our guests and staff are our top priorities.” Read the Full Story.
-Heather Cherone and Jared Rutecki, WTTW News
Nancy Pelosi Will Address the DNC After Playing Role in Biden-to-Harris Switch
5:20 p.m., University Club of Chicago, Chicago
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., holds a sign as President Joe Biden speaks during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo / Paul Sancya)
Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday didn’t want to discuss her fateful conversation with President Joe Biden in which she expressed her concerns about Democrats losing the White House this November.
Speaking in the cathedral-like University Club of Chicago, she initially filibustered when asked about what she told Biden before he exited the 2024 race and backed Vice President Kamala Harris.
She insisted Biden’s choice was his own. But when pressed, the 84-year-old former speaker said she needed to do what was necessary to stop Republican Donald Trump from returning to the White House.
“I wanted very much to protect his legacy,” Pelosi said of the president. “So my point was only: We need a better campaign.”
Pelosi isn’t taking explicit credit for pushing Biden to end his reelection bid and make way for Harris, a move that has transformed the presidential campaign and given Democrats new hope of beating Trump. But when she takes the stage Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago,
Pelosi will address a crowd far more enthusiastic than it might have otherwise been, due in part to her. Read the Full Story.
Pink, John Legend and Maren Morris to Perform
4:45 p.m., United Center, Chicago
Pink and John Legend. (Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
Pink has been tapped for a closing night performance by the Democratic National Convention, a source familiar with the plans told CNN.
The award-winning singer-songwriter and global pop icon will perform on Thursday evening, the source said, ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris taking the stage for the most significant speech of her political career.
On Wednesday, John Legend will be the key musical performer, another source revealed to CNN, set to take the stage ahead of Governor Tim Walz’s remarks. Country singer Maren Morris is also scheduled to perform on Wednesday.
Black Panther Member Supports Pro-Palestine Protest
4 p.m., Union Park, Chicago
James Starks attends a pro-Palestine protest in Union Park on Aug. 21, 2024. (Shelby Hawkins)
James Starks, 77, joins Free Palestine protesters in Union Park Wednesday afternoon ahead of a planned demonstration. He made the trek from St. Louis.
Starks says he became a pro-Palestine advocate after joining the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and feeling connected to the issues happening in Gaza.
-Shelby Hawkins, WTTW News
Pop-Up Art Gallery Near United Center is Amplifying Conversations Around Voting
3:30 p.m., Resolution Studios Chicago, Chicago
A pop-up gallery aimed at amplifying the intersection of art, ideas and the power of voting has been in full force, just blocks from the United Center. With an instillation comprised of work from more than 125 artists from all over the U.S., the temporary gallery is at 2226 W. Walnut St. at Resolution Studios Chicago.
Through Thursday, “Into Action 2024” offers programming featuring political leaders, activists and educators. There are workshops and conversations around defending democracy and the importance of voting.
One of the week’s featured panelists is Chicago native Makafui Searcy, founder of Fourtune House, an art gallery and community space in Bronzeville, who also leads arts and cultural programming for the new South Side Sanctuary.
Searcy said creating communal spaces creates room for all sides of a conversation, noting that no one experience is the same. As a curator he likes to look at connective tissues among artists’ work.
“Especially just considering the time that we’re in, everybody’s work doesn’t necessarily lean into the space … of politicized and political-action-oriented work, but there's a ton of work that draws from the experience of artists that do engage with it, and having that variety is important …,” Searcy said. “I can only imagine the amounts of powerful work that kind of arise from that complex relationship with being an artist and in the political landscape.”
For more information, visit the “Into Action 2024” website. Admission is free; RSVP is required.
-Angel Idowu, WTTW News
Nearly 60 Arrested After CPD Clashes With Group Officials Say Was Determined to ‘Wreak Havoc’
3:15 p.m., Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Chicago
Fifty-six members of a group calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza were arrested outside the Israeli consulate in the Loop late Tuesday after they clashed with Chicago police officers, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said Wednesday.
Members of the group Behind Enemy Lines were taken into custody and transported to a makeshift courthouse at Belmont and Western avenues to make an initial appearance, Snelling said. Among those in custody are three journalists who were arrested after defying police orders, Snelling said.
“We will not allow people to come to this city, disrespect it and destroy it,” Snelling said at a news conference at the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. “Enough is enough.”
At least 22 of the people who were arrested are not from Chicago. Another 14 people have declined to provide identification to officials, Snelling said.
Forty-seven people were cited for disorderly conduct for breaching the peace or failing to obey police orders, according to Chicago police. Twelve people were charged with misdemeanors, and just one person is charged with a felony, records show. Read the Full Story
-Heather Cherone and Jared Rutecki, WTTW News
Balloon Display Shows Off Chicago Teams, Plays Into Coconut Meme
2:15 p.m., Royal Sonesta Hotel, Chicago
A balloon display in the conference room hosting the Illinois delegation breakfast meetings at the Democratic National Convention. (Amanda Vinicky / WTTW News)
Illinois Democrats may not have fallen out of a coconut tree — but they are embracing one of the signature memes of the political season with a balloon display in the conference room hosting the state delegation’s breakfast meetings.
The selfie-friendly showpiece is accompanied by an American flag balloon wall — and in a nod to the sports-hungry town hosting the convention, a sorta-kinda Chicago flag featuring the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox.
Sorry, Red Stars and Sky — though the Red Stars did get a shoutout from Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea as members of the NWSL Players Union. Drea said Mallory Swanson and Alyssa Naeher’s performances in the Olympics shows “Chicago women union members get the gold.”
A balloon display in the conference room hosting the Illinois delegation breakfast meetings at the Democratic National Convention. (Amanda Vinicky / WTTW News)
-Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
Organized Labor Pushes for New Red Stars Stadium
1:30 p.m., Royal Sonesta Hotel, Chicago
Eric Dean, general president of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers, Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, and Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, speak to Illinois delegates on Aug. 21, 2024. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News)
A new stadium for Chicago’s women’s soccer team isn’t out of orbit, according to Illinois labor leaders.
Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, said the union has had talks with Gov. J.B. Pritzker over the plan to provide public funding for a new Chicago Red Stars stadium.
“We want to build so we’ve let leaders and the governor know that we’d love to see a stadium for the Red Stars built,” Drea said.
The Red Stars met with Illinois legislative leaders earlier this year to talk about a new stadium — stepping up from their current stadium in suburban Bridgeview. They’re joining the Chicago Bears and White Sox in vying for a taxpayer-funded stadium.
Legislation that would include women’s professional sports teams if men’s teams were to be issued Illinois Sports Facilities Authority bonds was introduced earlier this year.
“Whatever comes out, any stadiums, that’s going to take some state work somewhere … so we’re going to be working on that because really, it’s good for the community, right?” Drea said.
And it’s not just those building the stadium working with union labor: Red Stars players are part of the NWSL Players Association.
“Mallory Swanson kicked the winning goal to bring home the gold. And Alyssa Naeher saved so many goals. So it goes to prove Chicago women union members get the gold,” Drea said.
“These are jobs programs too, for the people who will work in the stadiums, for people who play on the field, work in the stands, for people who build them,” said Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor.
As for other stadium ambitions, the Chicago Bears planned to hold focus groups about new stadium plans this week. Pritzker has previously called the plan to use taxpayer funds on a new stadium a “non-starter.”
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf offered to open his wallet for the new stadium, Crain’s Chicago reported in April.
-Blair Paddock, WTTW News
Labor Leaders Slam Trump, Tout Democratic Priorities in 2024 Election: ‘It’s All on the Line’
1:45 p.m., McCormick Place, Chicago
Labor leaders tried to draw a sharp contrast Wednesday between Democrats and Republicans at the Illinois delegation’s breakfast on the third day of the Democratic National Convention — saying the GOP and Donald Trump aren’t on the side of working people.
International Iron Workers General President Eric Dean, a Chicago native with plenty of Windy City attitude, laid out the stakes in November bluntly — saying Democrats have to keep “the f---ing s-----est president in my lifetime” from returning to the Oval Office.
Dean said when he took his job in the nation’s capital, he saw a stark contrast between the attitude toward labor in Illinois.
“When I went from Chicago to Washington, I found out we don’t have that same mutual respect between labor and elected officials,” Dean said. “I think we have our relevance, and we earn that respect, but we needed to take the things that happen here and make it happen in other places.” Read the Full Story
-Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
Illinois Officials Talk Immigration, Latino Engagement
1 p.m., McCormick Place, Chicago
U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago) and State Rep. Dagmara Evelar, (D-Bolingbrook) speak on a panel about immigration at the Hispanic Democratic Caucus meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024.
The Democratic Hispanic Caucus gathered Wednesday morning to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris and talk about how she could impact the Latino community should she win the presidency.
U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago) and state Rep. Dagmara Avelar, (D-Bolingbrook) joined the opening panel, which focused on immigration. They shared personal anecdotes and discussed the ways Harris’ background as the daughter of an immigrant will help inform better policies for all immigrants.
“Immigration reform could be something as border security, and mass deportations as well, which is what we would have with Trump,” Avelar said. “Or, it could be an actual path into citizenship through that path, through other executive orders, through getting rid of the three- and 10-year guards.”
Other topics included strengthening democracy, voting access and Latino engagement.
To kick off the day, actress Eva Longoria spoke to the crowd about the importance of getting to the polls and reminded everyone to help their family members know the truth.
“Our Spanish language brothers and sisters are being targeted with misinformation, and we have to help them,” she said.
Actress Eva Longoria at the Hispanic Democratic Caucus meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Emily Soto / WTTW News)
-Emily Soto, WTTW News
Johnson and Pritzker Shake Hands
11 a.m., Chicago
Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. J.B. Pritzker greet each other on Aug. 21, 2024 (Credit: Brandon Johnson for Chicago)
Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. J.B. Pritzker ran into each other Wednesday morning while making the rounds of breakfasts hosted by various state delegations to the Democratic National Convention.
They briefly discussed the progress of the convention, with Johnson telling Pritzker that the two of them were “making history” and needed to finish strong, according to a spokesperson for the mayor.
-Heather Cherone, WTTW News
Lauren Underwood Reveals Unexpected Kamala-Inspired Side Hustle on ‘The Daily Show’
10:15 a.m., Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago
“The Daily Show” featured U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood on the second night of its Chicago run, a rising star in the Democratic Party who represents Illinois’ 14th District.
Much of the chat with host Desi Lydic focused on Underwood’s partnership with Kamala Harris in crafting and passing “Momnibus” legislation related to maternal health care. But at the end of the segment, the congresswoman revealed a surprising way Harris has influenced her personally.
“She loves to throw a party,” Underwood said of the vice president. “And at the end ... she gives you a parting gift. Well, her parting gifts are these beautiful candles.
“Now, you’re a millennial woman,” Underwood said to Lydic. “I’m a millennial woman. And we know that we love a candle. So I was inspired by her gorgeous scent and her candle, to launch my own candle line. It’s called Domestic Tranquility.”
Underwood wasn’t kidding. The candles are hand-poured by Batavia-based Hearth & Hammer and are sold on Underwood’s website.
So what does Domestic Tranquility smell like? Well the scents are ... wait for it: liberty, justice and freedom.
“The Daily Show” is taping at Lakeview’s Athenaeum Center through Thursday. Jordan Klepper is hosting tonight’s show, with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore as a guest; Jon Stewart will host Thursday’s show, airing live.
-Patty Wetli, WTTW News
Pete Buttigieg Speaks to Illinois Delegation
9 a.m., Royal Sonesta Hotel, Chicago
U.S. Transportation Secretary and former South Bend, IN mayor Pete Buttigieg, speaks to the Illinois delegation breakfast on the third morning of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Nick Blumberg / WTTW News)
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg got a rousing welcome at the Illinois delegation’s breakfast on Wednesday morning.
He said Democrats sometimes have a bad habit of feeling like their views are unpopular, when in fact a majority of Americans agree with the party’s principles. Buttigieg said reelecting Trump would be a return to darkness, grievance and anger, asking “why would we want to go back?”
He also took a swipe at Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance’s now-infamous “childless cat ladies comment,” saying “I’m a dog guy with two kids, and I’m offended by that.”
-Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
Tim Walz, Bill Clinton Headline Wednesday Speakers
5 a.m., Chicago
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appear at the Fiserv Forum during a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and former President Bill Clinton will headline the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, the third day of the party's choreographed rollout of a new candidate, Kamala Harris, and her pitch to voters.
In a delicate balancing act, Harris and the parade of Democrats speaking on her behalf all week are looking to harness the exuberance that has swept over their party since President Joe Biden stepped aside while making clear to their supporters that the election will be a fierce fight and frustratingly close.
“So much is on the line in this election,” Harris said Tuesday in Milwaukee, where she spoke at a professional basketball arena in battleground Wisconsin as the convention continued 90 miles away in Chicago. “And understand, this not 2016 or 2020. The stakes are higher.”
And in Chicago hours later, former President Barack Obama offered his own caution: “Make no mistake, it will be a fight,” Obama said. For all the energy and memes and rallies that have defined the campaign since Harris became the nominee, Obama said, “this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country.”
Harris is working to stitch together a broad coalition in her bid to defeat Republican former President Donald Trump this fall. She is drawing on stars like Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, and other celebrities, officials from the far left to the middle, and even some Republicans to boost her campaign.
And while the theme of Tuesday was “a bold vision for America’s future,” the disparate factions of Harris’ evolving coalition demonstrated, above all, that they are connected by a deep desire to prevent a second Trump presidency.
Convention organizers dubbed the theme for Wednesday “a fight for our freedoms," a nod to the concept around which Harris has organized her campaign. She frames Trump as a threat to abortion rights and personal choices, but also to democracy itself.
Walz’s job Wednesday when he accepts the nomination is to introduce himself to Americans who had never heard of the Minnesota governor until Harris plucked him from relative obscurity to join her ticket. His goofy, folksy, Midwestern dad aura has endeared him to Democrats and balanced Harris' coastal background.
- Associated Press
