What to expect from the DNC today – Chicago Tribune

US

Good morning, Chicago.

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison will gavel-in the party’s national convention today — the first political convention to be held in Chicago in 28 years.

Overall, the way to think about each day’s activities at the DNC is to divide it between days and nights. During the day, it’s time for business. At night, it’s time for showbusiness.

Regular business will mostly occur at McCormick Place, where delegates and other party officials will discuss and debate policy issues and agendas. Following delegation breakfasts at their respective hotels around Chicago, DNC constituency caucuses and councils plan to meet Monday through Thursday until about 3:15 p.m. Varying caucuses on Monday will discuss everything from issues affecting minority communities and LGBTQ+ rights to small business needs and the climate crisis.

But after that work is done, it’s time for the lights and action at the United Center. Convention programming should begin around 5:15 p.m. and will run until 10 p.m. sharp (to align with broadcast television schedules) each night of the four-day convention. Every day will have a theme and today’s is “For the People.” Democrats said the theme was designed in part to contrast with Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, who “puts himself first.”

Read more on what to expect from the Tribune’s A.D. Quig.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.

Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Today’s eNewspaper edition

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker visits the convention floor on Aug. 18, 2024, before the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Amid talk of unity, DNC opens in Chicago with diverging themes

The nation’s Democratic leaders open their national party convention Monday with diverging themes as they receive a celebratory welcome to Chicago and offer a bittersweet farewell to President Joe Biden.

The call-to-order of the convention — the first in-person gathering of Democratic officials in eight years after the pandemic collapsed the 2020 event in Milwaukee — follows a series of dramatic events over the past two months that has culminated in Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the party’s newly minted presidential nominee.

Democratic National Convention Chairman Don Fowler and CEO Debra DeLee give reporters an internet demonstration during the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (C-SPAN)
Democratic National Convention Chairman Don Fowler and CEO Debra DeLee give reporters an internet demonstration during the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (C-SPAN)

New-fangled internet dazzled 1996 DNC in Chicago. Today, experts debate the benefits — and dangers — of online influence.

The 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago made history as the first DNC where the internet highly shaped political discourse and dissemination of news, allowing everyday Americans to experience a political convention like never before.

News reporters and camera crews hovered as the DNC’s general chairman and its CEO offered a demonstration of the convention’s internet communication services from a beige-encased cathode-ray tube computer monitor, according to a C-SPAN video of the moment.

Chicago skyline

Lights illuminate the Chicago skyline as seen from Northwestern University in Evanston on May 15, 2022.

Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune

Lights illuminate the Chicago skyline as seen from Northwestern University in Evanston on May 15, 2022.

On the eve of historic DNC, Chicago named host city for NAACP’s 2026 convention

Chicago is preparing for the return of another storied and well-traveled convention after decades in other cities.

The NAACP National Convention will hold its 117th annual gathering in Chicago in July 2026, the civil rights organization and the city announced Sunday.

COVID-19 and flu vaccines at a walk-in clinic on Dec. 3, 2023, at St. Procopius School in Pilsen. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
COVID-19 and flu vaccines at a walk-in clinic on Dec. 3, 2023, at St. Procopius School in Pilsen. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

COVID-19 is on the rise across the US

The most recent wastewater data — from the beginning of August — shows the highest levels since January. Detections were highest in the West and South, and lowest in the Northeast. The agency labels national wastewater viral activity level as “very high.”

Sculptures commemorating the centennial of the Springfield race riot of 1908 outside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield on Aug. 15, 2024. They represent charred chimneys rising from the smoldering rubble of burned-out buildings. (Tess Crowley/Chicago Tribune)
Sculptures commemorating the centennial of the Springfield race riot of 1908 outside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield on Aug. 15, 2024. They represent charred chimneys rising from the smoldering rubble of burned-out buildings. (Tess Crowley/Chicago Tribune)

Biden grants national monument status to site of 1908 Springfield race riot

President Joe Biden on Friday signed a proclamation designating the site of the 1908 Springfield race riot, one of the most egregious outbreaks of race-related violence in American history, as a national monument.

The riot has long been a calamitous symbol of the racism and intimidation that many Black Americans have endured in America. In recent years, both of Illinois’ Democratic U.S. senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, pushed for the legislation to prioritize the site of the riot as a national monument, and advocates have urged Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906, a federal law that protects cultural and natural resources of historic or scientific interest, to make that a reality.

That came to fruition on Friday, two days after the 116th anniversary of a riot that erupted just blocks from where President Abraham Lincoln once lived.

The Reserve Management Group facilities in the East Side neighborhood of Chicago on Feb. 16, 2022. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
The Reserve Management Group facilities in the East Side neighborhood of Chicago on Feb. 16, 2022. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago wins appeal to block scrap shredder permit on Southeast Side

Chicago won an appeal Friday reinstating a decision to block a clout-heavy company from opening a metal shredding plant on the heavily polluted Southeast Side.

In 2022, Mayor Lori Lightfoot denied the Reserve Management Group’s permit for the South Deering shredder amid outcry from activists and federal authorities over environmental concerns. But the Ohio-based company won an administrative court’s decision last year determining Lightfoot had overstepped.

Westfield Old Orchard owner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield plans to replace an empty Bloomingdale's on the mall's north side with five and seven-story residential buildings. The plan won approval from the Skokie Plan Commission. (Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield)
Westfield Old Orchard owner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield plans to replace an empty Bloomingdale’s on the mall’s north side with five and seven-story residential buildings. The plan won approval from the Skokie Plan Commission. (Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield)

Skokie Plan Commission approves hundreds of new apartments at Old Orchard mall as residents push for more affordable housing

The Skokie Plan Commission approved the construction of hundreds of new apartments at the upscale shopping mall Westfield Old Orchard Thursday evening, the latest step in its transformation into a 24/7 mixed-use community.

The five and seven-story residential buildings will replace an empty Bloomingdale’s on the mall’s north side and sit beside a new town square, roughly half an acre where residents, shoppers and Skokie neighbors can mingle while attending concerts, farmers’ markets, holiday celebrations and other events.

USA's Kennedy Blades and her coach, Izzy Martinez, celebrate after she defeated Kyrgyzstan's Aiperi Medet Kyzy 8-6 in an Olympic women's freestyle wrestling 76-kg semifinal, Aug. 10, 2024, at Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
USA’s Kennedy Blades and her coach, Izzy Martinez, celebrate after she defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Aiperi Medet Kyzy 8-6 in an Olympic women’s freestyle wrestling 76-kg semifinal, Aug. 10, 2024, at Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

How Northwestern’s legendary lacrosse coach helped a Chicago wrestler win an Olympic medal

Kelly Amonte Hiller knows how to win and she knows how to bring out the best in college-aged women. So, in that regard, Amonte Hiller — the legendary lacrosse coach who turned Northwestern’s program into a national powerhouse — was the perfect person to mentor Kennedy Blades in the year leading up to the Paris Games.

Her addition to the already formidable team of Blades and her coach, Israel “Izzy” Martinez played a significant role in the wrestler’s stellar Olympic debut, which ended with a silver medal and big hopes for U.S. women’s wrestling in 2028.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) fakes a handoff to running back Travis Homer (20) in the second quarter against the Bengals in a preseason game at Soldier Field on Aug. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams fakes a handoff to running back Travis Homer in the second quarter against the Bengals in a preseason game at Soldier Field on Aug. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears eventually hit their stride in a 27-3 preseason win against the Cincinnati Bengals

Caleb Williams needed a little while to warm up in his first appearance at Soldier Field, but the Bears eventually found their rhythm as coach Matt Eberflus allowed the offensive starters to play until halftime.

Carlos Kalmar conducts Mahler Symphony No. 8 with the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park on Aug. 16, 2024. (Norman Timonera)

Norman Timonera

Carlos Kalmar conducts Mahler Symphony No. 8 with the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park on Aug. 16, 2024. (Norman Timonera)

Review: An epic Millennium Park finale for outgoing Grant Park Music Festival director Carlos Kalmar

This weekend, Carlos Kalmar — the Grant Park Music Festival’s Uruguay-born, Austria-raised artistic director and principal conductor — stepped down after 25 years on the podium.

But to parrot a phrase immortalized by one of Kalmar’s countrymen, he’ll be back, writes Hannah Edgar. A preconcert ceremony on Friday bestowed Kalmar with the Nikolai Malko Award— the festival’s first, named for its inaugural chief conductor — and a conductor laureate title, accompanied by assurances that he’ll return in seasons to come.

Viking Press

“The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore” by Evan Friss (Viking, Aug. 6, 2024).

Biblioracle: ‘The Bookshop’ taught me something new about bookstores

“The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore” by Evan Friss taught John Warner more than a few things about these spaces that he sometimes takes for granted.

Structured through a combination of chronology and theme, Friss moves from era to era, starting with Benjamin Franklin’s various shops, which combined publishing, printing and bookselling under one roof. As Friss tells us, the word “bookstore” didn’t even exist, and books were primarily luxury goods. It is clear from the outset that Friss’ research is deep, but he keeps it accessible, frequently flavoring the history with interesting morsels, such as Thomas Jefferson purchasing a “sumptuous two-volume history of Italy” that was the same price as 14 hogs.

Outdoor diners Imelda Caballero and Guadalupe Cisneros click their glasses as the meal arrives at 5 Rabanitos restaurant at 18th St., in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, Nov. 5, 2020. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Outdoor diners Imelda Caballero and Guadalupe Cisneros click their glasses as the meal arrives at 5 Rabanitos restaurant at 18th St., in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Nov. 5, 2020. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Latin Restaurant Weeks returns with more than 40 restaurants and cafes

Ushering in its fourth year with an extensive roster of restaurants, cafes and bakeries, Latin Restaurant Weeks runs Aug. 16 through Aug. 30 as organizers hope to spotlight the diversity of Latin flavors in Chicago, beyond the usual tamales and tacos.

Products You May Like

Articles You May Like

Heavy Rain and Flash Flooding in Connecticut Leads to Car Rescues
Venezuelans in Caracas and across the world demonstrate to defend opposition’s victory claim – The Denver Post
Here’s the inflation breakdown for July 2024 — in one chart
Illinoisans to take center stage at Democratic convention
Gabby Thomas on winning gold at 2024 Paris Olympics: “I knew I was ready for that moment”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *