Democrats kick off their convention in Chicago – five things to watch out for
It feels like a very long time ago that Joe Biden was the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
In fact, it’s only four weeks since he stepped aside, paving the way for his running mate, Kamala Harris, to take centre stage.
Instead of closing out the Democratic National Convention (DNC), a four-day gathering of thousands of activists and party leaders ending on Thursday, Mr Biden will now be the subject of a hero’s goodbye on Monday evening in Chicago.
It’s likely he will receive one of the loudest cheers of the week inside the arena, in recognition of what many in his party perceive as a selfless act to step away at the expense of his own political ambitions.
The first lady, Jill Biden, will also speak on Monday and recap her husband’s achievements in an effort to secure his legacy. But the president will then disappear from Chicago and spend the rest of the week on holiday in California.
Ms Harris and her vice presidential candidate Tim Walz on the campaign bus ahead of the DNC. Pic: Reuters
Return of the formers
There is a huge amount of excitement around the return of former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, who will address the crowd in her home city.
Ms Obama gained a lot of attention for her speech at the DNC in 2016 when she notably said “when they go low, we go high,” and consistently polls as one of the most popular figures in American politics.
Her speeches also tend to attract big audiences on online platforms so her endorsement of the Harris/Walz ticket is a valuable one.
Meanwhile, Mr Obama will likely focus on the contrast between the respective visions for the country that Ms Harris and Donald Trump have. Bill and Hillary Clinton will also speak, with the latter having failed in her bid to become America’s first woman president in 2016.
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The United Center during final preparations for the DNC in Chicago. Pic: AP
Harris policy
By the time most presidential nominees arrive at their national convention, there is a coherent message about their policy platforms.
Kamala Harris shops for snacks at a service station in Pennsylvania. Pic: Reuters
A criticism being levelled at Ms Harris since she became the de facto nominee is that it is not entirely clear what she stands for and is instead being sustained by the positive vibes around her campaign.
She is leaning into more general messaging which has wider appeal. She has started to tease out some of her economic policy, including plans to tackle soaring supermarket prices. But this week we should learn more.
Protesters wave Palestinian flags ahead of the DNC. Pic: Reuters
Protests and Gaza
Protests are planned for every day of the DNC. Thousands of activists are expected on the streets of Chicago to call attention to the war in Gaza, abortion rights and economic injustice.
The city’s 12,000 police officers and the Secret Service say they are ready for large-scale protests and key areas of the downtown are already protected by barriers and parked snowplough trucks.
Pic: Reuters
Ms Harris will be hoping to showcase Democratic unity but these protests will highlight the division on the left. Parallels are being drawn with anti-Vietnam war protests outside the Democratic convention in Chicago in 1968, which led to clashes with police.
The celebrity factor
The Republican National Convention had Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan performing. But the DNC is expected to trade more on star power.
The convention will have a celebrity host for each of the four nights, including actor Kerry Washington and comedian Mindy Kaling, narrating proceedings in the hall.
John Legend will perform at the convention on Tuesday evening and Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus will host a round table of female Democratic governors.
Speculation is continuing to run rampant that a major star – possibly even Beyonce or Taylor Swift – could appear, too.
There are 161 people still missing in Texas in the aftermath of last weekend’s deadly flash floods, the state’s governor has said.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, governor Gregg Abbot said the number of missing had risen markedly.
He said among the missing were five children and one counsellor from Camp Mystic – where at least 27 people were killed in the flash flooding.
At least 109 people are confirmed to have died in the floods, which took place on the 4 July weekend, but this figure has been steadily climbing ever since.
People comforted each other in Kerville. Pic: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP
The bulk of deaths, and the main search for additional bodies, have been concentrated in Kerr County and the city of Kerrville.
The area was transformed into a disaster zone when torrential rains struck the region early last Friday, unleashing deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River.
Travis County, Kendall County, Burnett County, Williamson County, and Tom Green County were also hit.
Mr Abbot said many of those who were unaccounted for were in the Texas Hill Country area, but had not registered at a camp or hotel, posing further challenges for authorities.
Camp Mystic
Mr Abbot planned to make another visit to Camp Mystic.
The century-old all-girls Christian summer camp was badly hit by the flash floods, with at least 27 campers and counsellors dying.
Hanna Lawrence, left, and Rebecca Lawrence, right. Pic: John Lawrence/AP
Lila Bonner (L) and Eloise Peck both died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. Pic: Family handout
Chloe Childress. Pic: Debra Alexander Photography via AP
Some of the victims include Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, both eight, Chloe Childress, 19, who was among the counsellors at Camp Mystic when the flood hit, and Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner, both nine.
There were scenes of devastation at the camp as the flood water receded.
Outside the cabins where the girls had slept, mud-splattered blankets and pillows were scattered.
Also in the debris were pink, purple and light blue luggage, decorated with stickers.
A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic after the flooding. Pic: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Camper’s belongings lie on the ground following flooding on the Guadalupe River, at Camp Mystic.
Pic: Reuters
‘Everything looked flooded and broken’
One of the campers, 10-year-old Lucy Kennedy, told Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, that she woke up to the sound of thunder at around midnight before the floods struck.
“I couldn’t go back to sleep,” she said. “I just had a feeling that something really bad was about to happen.”
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She said the girls at the camp were told to grab blankets, pillows and water bottles and line up single file as the floodwater rose, before getting airlifted to safety.
Wynne Kennedy, Lucy’s mother, added: “When I saw her, she was wrapped up in a blanket, had a teddy bear.
“We just held each other tight, and I held her all night.”
Their home in Kerrville was also destroyed by the flash floods.
Lucy Kennedy, 10 who was rescued from Camp Mystic, and her mother Wynne. Pic: NBC
Political row
Meanwhile, a political row has unfolded parallel to the recovery efforts, with some questioning whether local authorities sent out warnings and alerts early enough.
Similarly, Democrats have criticised Donald Trump over cuts his Elon Musk-launched Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has made to the National Weather Service – but it isn’t clear whether these actually made any difference.
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Wall of water
The flash floods erupted before daybreak on Friday, after massive amounts of rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to rise by eight metres in less than an hour.
The wall of water overwhelmed cabins, tents and trails along the river’s edge.
Some survivors were found clinging to trees.
Some of the campers had to swim out of their cabin windows to get to safety, while others clung to rope to make it to higher ground.
The date for Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sentencing hearing has been confirmed.
Following his high-profile trial, the hip-hop mogul was found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution by jurors in Manhattan, New York, last week – but was cleared of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Defence lawyers argued Combs, who has been in prison in Brooklyn since his arrest in September last year, should be bailed ahead of sentencing given the not guilty verdicts for the more serious charges, but Judge Arun Subramanian denied this – citing, among other things, the rapper’s own admissions of previous violent behaviour.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in court after the verdict was delivered. Pic: Reuters/ Jane Rosenberg
The charges of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy carried a potential life sentence. Combs still faces up to 20 years in prison for the prostitution-related offences, but is not expected to receive the maximum punishment.
After the verdict was delivered, the judge scheduled the sentencing hearing for 3 October. At a remote follow-up conference on Tuesday, with agreement from the defence and prosecution, the judge approved the date.
Combs joined the call but did not make any comment.
Any sentence will include credit for time already served – which will be just over a year by the time the hearing takes place.
During his trial, Combs was accused by prosecutors of abusing and coercing three alleged victims, including his former long-term partner, singer and model Cassie Ventura.
Jurors found the allegations did not amount to sex-trafficking or racketeering, or running a criminal enterprise – but they did find him guilty of transporting Cassie and another former girlfriend “Jane” for prostitution offences around the US, and paying male escorts to engage in sexual encounters.
Despite the guilty verdict on those charges, the 55-year-old’s team described it as “the victory of all victories”.
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In an interview over the weekend, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said Combs had received a standing ovation from fellow inmates when he returned to jail after being acquitted of the more serious charges.
“They all said, ‘We never get to see anyone who beats the government’,” he said.
Ahead of sentencing, Combs’s lawyers will file their recommendations by 19 September, with prosecutors likely to follow a week later.
Prosecutors previously said the rapper could face about four to five years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, while the defence has suggested a two-year sentence.
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