Good morning, Chicago.
We’re just over a week out from the Democratic National Convention, a marquee event for the city that promises to bring not only the spotlight of the presidential race to Chicago but protests and safety concerns as well.
As local and national officials finalize preparations, here’s a look at how the DNC will impact residents traveling around the United Center and McCormick Place, if local businesses are expecting a boost and a former mayor joining the discussion.
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Kamala Harris is now Democratic presidential nominee, will face off against Donald Trump this fall
Vice President Kamala Harris, a daughter of immigrants who rose through the California political and law enforcement ranks to become the first female vice president in U.S. history, formally secured the Democratic presidential nomination on Monday — becoming the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket.
Picking a running mate: Inside the 16 days between Kamala Harris’ launch and her choice of Tim Walz
Kamala Harris’ whirlwind process to select Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate can be summed up in a word: weird.
With President Joe Biden and Harris, his vice president, seeking a second term together, Democrats weren’t supposed to have a veep search at all. But as soon as the 81-year-old president ended his campaign and endorsed Harris, it was go time. And there was no playbook for the newly elevated candidate and a vetting team that in a normal campaign would have months, not days, to make such a critical decision.
What followed was a 16-day blitz on parallel tracks.
Former Mayor Lightfoot to join CBS 2 Chicago as TV analyst for DNC
Chicago viewers will have a familiar face to guide them through the historic political drama set to unfold this month at the Democratic National Convention inside the United Center.
Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a key architect in promoting and bringing the DNC back to Chicago, has been hired by CBS 2 to provide analysis of the four-day event, where Kamala Harris is expected to formally accept her nomination as the Democratic presidential nominee.
With Democratic National Convention imminent, groups exchange barbs over planned pro-Palestinian protests
Less than two weeks before protesters are expected to march on the Democratic National Convention, pro-Israel advocates gathered in Chicago to warn that demonstrations could lead to violence and “anti-American” acts, an allegation one pro-Palestinian group characterized as baseless fearmongering as the event approaches.
Long-awaited Damen Green Line station opens, serving United Center and housing nearby
More than a decade after planning began, a new CTA train station at Damen Avenue and Lake Street on the Green Line began serving passengers Monday.
With trains rumbling to a stop behind them, Chicago and CTA leaders heralded the station’s proximity to the United Center, Malcolm X College, the Kinzie Industrial Corridor and the mixed-income Westhaven Park housing development. They also nodded to its delayed completion weeks before the Democratic National Convention comes to the nearby Bulls and Blackhawks arena.
Chicago business owners unsure if they’ll see DNC business boost
At the Chicago Oyster House near McCormick Place, reservations for the week of Aug. 19 are light compared with a typical summer week.
Owner Rick Cheng speculated that diners might be trying to avoid the area during the Democratic National Convention. The Oyster House, at 1933 S. Indiana Ave., is located within the security perimeter outside of McCormick Place.
As for relying on conventiongoers for business, Cheng said, “I don’t know how that’s going to turn out.” Because of the uncertainty, he said, it’s hard to predict how to staff the restaurant. Cheng said that typically people booking private parties during other large conventions book reservations months in advance. For the DNC, during which Chicago expects 50,000 visitors to descend upon the city, Cheng said, “We got nada.”
At a tense time in American politics, Chicago hospitals prepare for Democratic National Convention
Each summer, Rush University Medical Center holds a drill to make sure it’s prepared for disasters — events such as mass shootings and chemical attacks.
The focus of this year’s drill? An explosion at a political convention in Chicago.
On eve of DNC, a summit that centers racial equity will bring together elected officials and community leaders
The day before the start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Journey for Justice Alliance will convene a summit centering racial equity at Insight Hospital and Medical Center on the Near South Side, where community leaders, elected officials and educators will come together to discuss urban policy reform.
Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press
The musical group Funkadesi performs during Evanston’s Juneteenth celebration on June 18, 2022. The music group will perform Aug. 20 in Daley Plaza for “Celebrating Chicago.” (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
‘Celebrating Chicago at Daley Plaza’ will run week of DNC
The Chicago arts are worth showing off. “Celebrating Chicago at Daley Plaza” will be a week of events in the Loop to celebrate the city’s culture, diverse communities and cuisine all during the Democratic National Convention.
The plan was announced Friday by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and Mayor Brandon Johnson. The celebration runs Aug. 19-23 in Daley Plaza.
DNC cleanup aims to improve Chicago beyond the convention, but also echo 1996 efforts
The man leading the city of Chicago’s planning efforts for the Democratic National Convention likes to compare the preparation needed for next week’s political celebration to hosting a house party. And he now has a clear directive: It’s time to cut the grass.
For months, legions of city workers have been preparing for the estimated 50,000 politicians, national media and others expected to descend on Chicago for the DNC, which begins Aug. 19. The city has tackled projects big and small, from repaving roads and installing new signs to fast-tracking the new $80 million Damen Avenue Green Line stop near the United Center, where all the show business of the convention will occur.
A ‘Boy Orator’ brought down the house at the 1896 Democratic Convention in Chicago
In civics class, we’re taught the two-party system fits our nation perfectly. Yet third-party candidates and others have regularly been part of the quadrennial election. Third parties and splinter groups court voters who feel their issues have been ignored by Republicans and Democrats. Abraham Lincoln faced three opponents in 1860, and the U.S. seemed headed toward the European model of multiple parties and shifting coalitions.
But on July 9, 1896, William Jennings Bryan endowed the two-party system with some life insurance. Stepping up to the podium of the Chicago Coliseum at 63rd Street and Stony Island Avenue, he demonstrated that reformers could profit from working within the system rather than fighting it.
Stretching his arms wide, he mimed Jesus’ crucifixion.
“You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns!” he thundered. “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold!”
At the 1944 Democratic convention in Chicago, an ailing FDR faced a difficult choice
Delegates to the Democratic National Convention of 1944 traveled to Chicago in passenger cars crowded with GIs headed to the battlefields of World War II. Ahead of the convention, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt met with party officials in the 51st Street rail yard where his fortified sleeping car, the Ferdinand Magellan, was parked.
His legs, weakened by polio, were encased in heavy metal braces. Press photographers only had access to him sitting at his desk, looking like a man unencumbered by any handicap, leading his people to victory.