President Joe Bidenโs grandkids gift him with โPresidents Day swagโ
In this image from video, grandchildren of Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, including Finnegan Biden, Hunter Biden, Natalie Biden, Naomi Bisden and Maisy Biden, lead the Pledge of Allegiance during the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)Thereโs nothing like meaningful gifts from family members, and President Joe Bidenโs grandchildren wanted to make sure he received a heartfelt gift in honor of Presidents Day. Naomi Biden, Bidenโs 27-year-old granddaughter, and the rest of his grandchildren gifted him with a tan baseball cap embroidered with the presidential seal. Above and below the emblem, the cap read, โPresidential Retreat, Camp David.โโWe bought him some swag since itโs Presidentsโ Day weekend and heโs โliterallyโ President,โ she tweeted. Biden spent the previous weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat in western Maryland, for the first time.
Connecticut probing Amazon's e-book deals with publishers
(AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)HARTFORD, Conn. โ Connecticut authorities are investigating whether Amazon's e-book deals with certain publishers are anticompetitive and violate antitrust laws, state Attorney General William Tong said Thursday. He said the state attorney general's office has previous taken action against Apple and e-book publishers to protect competition in the marketplace. Amazon has become the dominant force in print book sales and e-book sales in the U.S. Tong's office issued a subpoena to Amazon in 2019 requesting documents about the company's dealings with five book publishers: HarperCollins Publishers, Hachette Book Group, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan. The publishers all settled and signed consent decrees prohibiting them from restricting e-book retailersโ ability to set prices.
First volume of Barack Obama's memoir coming Nov. 17
(Democratic National Convention via AP)NEW YORK โ The first volume of former President Barack Obama's memoir is coming out Nov. 17, two weeks after Election Day. It's called โA Promised Landโ and will cover his swift and historic rise to the White House and his first term in office. Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt likened the enthusiasm for Obama's book, which seems well positioned to become the best-selling presidential memoir in history, to the final volume of J.K. Rowling's โHarry Potterโ series. Because of the pandemic, the former president will likely be unable to match Michelle Obama's spectacular, all-star arena tour. But he had been expected to write just one when Penguin Random House first announced, in February 2017, a multimillion joint publication deal with Barack and Michelle Obama.
Biden, aiming at Trump, says he won't use military as 'prop'
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON Joe Biden said on Saturday that as president, he would never use the military as a prop or private militia and accused President Donald Trump of employing U.S. forces to settle personal vendettas" and violate citizens' rights. Biden has said he's absolutely convinced" the military would escort Trump from the White House if the incumbent lost but refused to leave. "Ill never use the military as a prop or as a private militia to violate rights of fellow citizens. In July, the president deployed federal forces to Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico, after earlier sending Homeland Security agents to Portland, Oregon.
Harris will be Democrats' main counter to Trump on Thursday
Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del. Harris will detail a "profound failure of leadership from Trump and highlight proposals by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to control the virus and confront the economic fallout, Biden's campaign told The Associated Press. With Trump planning an evening address from the White House lawn, Harris' afternoon remarks from Washington will be the Democrats' main counter to the president on the final day of the Republicans' convention. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016, in part because turnout among Black Democrats dropped appreciably from 2012. Democrats see Harris as being able to excite Black women and other minority women, but also as a credible messenger to white independents and moderate Republicans unhappy with Trump, especially white college-educated women.
DNC mentions end of poverty with $15 minimum wage: AP fact check examines whether thatโs true
WASHINGTON (AP) โ Americans tuned into the Democratic National Convention were told Thursday that the higher minimum wage favored by presidential candidate Joe Biden would lift all full-time workers out of poverty. SEN. CORY BOOKER: โTogether, with Joe and Kamala in the White House, weโll raise the minimum wage so no one who works a full-time job lives in poverty.โTHE FACTS: Thatโs an improbable outcome for the $15 minimum wage supported by Biden. Moreover, the report estimated a $15 minimum wage would cost 1.3 million people their jobs because they would be priced out of the market. That finding suggests that a $15 federal minimum would not take all full-time workers out of poverty. Trust IndexThe Trust Index team fact checks questionable information circulating on social media and in our communities.
WATCH LIVE: Night 3 of 2020 Democratic National Convention
(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)NOTE: A livestream player will be added to this article when the convention program starts at 9 p.m. The 2020 Democratic National Convention continues Wednesday night as another round of speakers take their respective virtual stages starting at 9 p.m. The night features remarks from Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senator and Bidens pick for Vice President, Kamala Harris, and Former President Barack Obama. Heres the full list of speakers:Former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally YatesSenator Elizabeth WarrenPerformance by Billie EilishSpeaker Nancy PelosiFormer Secretary of State Hillary ClintonGovernor Tony EversGovernor Michelle Lujan GrishamFormer Congresswoman Gabrielle GiffordsPerformance by Jennifer HudsonPerformance by Prince RoyceSenator Kamala HarrisFormer President Barack ObamaThe DNC continues through Thursday night.
Democratic convention takeaways: Make history, pound Trump
(Democratic National Convention via AP)There has been one persistent theme in the Democratic National Convention so far: to portray President Donald Trump in highly personal ways as one unsuited for the White House both in skills and temperament. Here are some key takeaways from the third night of the convention. Donald Trump hasnt grown into the job because he cant, Obama said, according to his prepared remarks. Thats been a theme of the entire Democratic Convention, but having the most recent former president make it explicit demonstrates that this time Democrats are taking Trump seriously, and literally. The Democratic party is increasingly dependent on female voters, as a gender gap grows in U.S. politics.
WHAT TO WATCH: Joe Biden's big moment at the DNC
(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)LAS VEGAS Democratic Party luminaries, rising stars, former presidents and presidential contenders have been making a pitch for Joe Biden over three days of an atypical convention. Biden will speak Thursday night from Wilmington, Delaware, as he closes out the fourth night of the all-virtual Democratic National Convention, starting at 9 p.m. The 78-year-old moderate and former Republican being given a spot to help to close out the Democratic convention is striking. The convention is also available to watch on Twitch, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV. A celebrity-studded afterparty hosted by Andy Cohen is scheduled to be shown immediately after Bidens speech on the official livestream.
The Latest: Booker warns of Trump 'dirty tricks' in voting
WASHINGTON The Latest on the Democratic National Convention (all times local):7:50 a.m.Sen. Cory Booker says that there may be dirty tricks from President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 general election vote and that the nations voters should be stalwart in their determination to cast ballots. Postal Service funding and access to voting by mail. The Republican president has warned repeatedly without evidence about potential fraud in mail-in voting even though voter fraud is exceedingly rare. Booker speaks on the fourth and final night of Democrats virtual convention Thursday, ahead of former Vice President Joe Bidens first address as the partys official nominee. Cotton says Democrats have to explain why America would be better off with Joe Biden as our president.
WATCH LIVE: Second night of 2020 Democratic National Convention features Bill Clinton, Jill Biden
(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. NOTE: A livestream player will be added to this article just before 9 p.m., when the convention program begins. Democrats convene virtually Tuesday for the 2020 Democratic National Conventions second night. Several speakers will take their respective virtual stages, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former President Bill Clinton and Dr. Jill Biden, who is giving the keynote address. The convention program starts at 9 p.m.Heres the full list of speakers:
Key takeaways from night 2 of the Democratic convention
In this image from video, former Georgia House Democratic leader Stacey Abrams, center, and others, speak during the second night of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)Sustaining energy through four days of a political convention is never easy. On the second night of the Democratic National Convention, party leaders tried to blend its past with its future. Here are key takeaways from night two. But the 2020 Democratic convention is notable for the consistency of dire warnings about the other partys leader.
From farm to beach, Democrats across America nominate Biden
(Democratic National Convention via AP)SACRAMENTO, Calif. A Montana cattle range, a California beach, a historic bridge in Alabama. These were the sometimes kitschy, sometimes poignant scenes from the first-ever virtual roll call vote at the Democratic National Convention. Fred Guttenberg spoke about Biden's compassion following the murder of his daughter at the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Each state also cast some votes for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the last Democrat in the race to challenge Biden. Following tradition, Delaware, Biden's home state, was the final state to announce its support for Biden, with Gov.
Democrats hope unconventional travelogue entices viewers
(Democratic National Convention via AP)NEW YORK An unexpected travelogue connected as a television event during the second night of the Democrats' virtual convention, livening up a show that so far is struggling in the ratings. Four years ago, opening night drew just under 26 million viewers. NBC's telecast drew 2.28 million viewers, down from 4.29 million four years ago, Nielsen said. The left-leaning MSNBC, where Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid and Nicolle Wallace were anchors, led the way Monday with 5.1 million viewers, up from four years ago. Fox News Channel's audience was unimpressed; the 2.1 million viewers it reached for its hour of convention coverage compared poorly with the 3.4 million viewers that time slot occupant Laura Ingraham had on an average July day.
Key takeaways from night 2 of the Democratic convention
In this image from video, former Georgia House Democratic leader Stacey Abrams, center, and others, speak during the second night of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)Sustaining energy through four days of a political convention is never easy. On the second night of the Democratic National Convention, party leaders tried to blend its past with its future. During the first two days of the Democratic National Convention, the partys luminaries and even some Republicans have grimly warned the public that he represents a fundamental danger to democracy. But the 2020 Democratic convention is notable for the consistency of dire warnings about the other partys leader.
The Latest: Jill Biden defends Joe against Trump's attacks
In this image from video, Jill Biden is joined by her husband, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, after speaking during the second night of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)WASHINGTON The Latest on the Democratic National Convention (all times local):8:30 a.m.Jill Biden is pushing back against President Donald Trump's claims her husband, Joe Biden, lacks the stamina to serve as president and is calling a Trump campaign ad questioning his mental fitness ridiculous.Speaking on NBCs Today" show on Wednesday, Jill Biden defended the Democratic presidential nominee against Trump's allegations. She says Joe Biden is on the phone every single minute of the day talking to governors. Im a teacher thats who I am.Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden as their presidential candidate on Tuesday night. His vice presidential pick, Kamala Harris, speaks at their virtual convention on Wednesday night.
NBC News deletes tweet that Ocasio-Cortez calls misleading
NEW YORK NBC News deleted a tweet early Wednesday about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's brief speech at the Democratic National Convention that she complained was misleading and appalling. Ocasio-Cortez complained via Twitter that NBC's report didn't appear to recognize the purpose of her 90-second commentary: a routine procedural motion to salute Sanders' runner-up campaign. In deleting the tweet and sending out a replacement, NBC said that its original report should have included more detail on the nomination process.That correction didn't satisfy Ocasio-Cortez, however. Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez, said people who criticized the congresswoman for ignoring Biden in her speech were looking to create division when there wasn't any. She said that both Biden and Sanders representatives went over her speech before she recorded it.
A different view of the Democrats on Fox News prime time
NEW YORK Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity are providing television viewers with a distinctly different vision of the Democratic National Convention each night from their perches on Fox News Channel. But as cable rivals CNN and MSNBC devote three hours in prime time to the convention including showing the Democrats' feed virtually uninterrupted Fox will not dislodge its biggest opinion stars. Hannity called the convention a predictable dose of poorly produced, cult-like, psychotic rage (and) hysteria against all things Donald Trump. Hannity had 3.88 million viewers Monday, and many Fox viewers clicked away when news coverage of the convention began. Fox pointed out that its convention coverage schedule was the same as it was in 2016 and will be for next week's Republican national convention.
Democrats use Trump's 'It is what it is' to make their case
Trumps comment came in an interview with Axios on HBO earlier this month, when he was asked how he could say the coronavirus was under control with 1,000 Americans dying every day from it. His wife, Hillary Clinton, will deliver her own spin on Trumps comment Wednesday night. Like, if you want any proactive effort for higher wages, more jobs, addressing the climate crisis, or this pandemic and healthcare crisis, Donald Trumps administration really could be summarized with it is what it is. Littman said Trumps comment stood out because it showed a certain dismissiveness, and Democrats are highlighting it because it shows the president doesnt want to talk about the pandemic. I think what people are highlighting at the convention is that Donald Trump doesnt care about this issue.
Progressives irked by spotlight on GOP at Dem convention
In this image from video, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., delivers a nominating speech during the second night of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)WASHINGTON For nearly three minutes at this week's Democratic National Convention, Cindy McCain recounted Joe Biden's friendship with her late husband, John McCain, the Arizona senator and former Republican presidential candidate. Meanwhile, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most dynamic young stars of the Democratic Party, spoke for just 60 seconds. California Rep. Ro Khanna, head of the California delegation to the convention, said people need to be inspired to vote. Among those who have addressed the convention is Ady Barkin, a progressive activist who after being diagnosed with A.L.S.
WHAT TO WATCH: Democrats adapt roll call, keynote to virus
In this image from video, people from across the U.S. sing the National Anthem during the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)LAS VEGAS The pageantry often associated with presidential conventions will be remade again as Democrats gather virtually for a second day. The roll call vote of state delegations, which typically unfolds over several hours of fanfare, will instead be abbreviated Tuesday. BUT FIRST, BILLA speech from Bill Clinton is among the traditions that Democrats are including in Tuesday nights programming. The roll call will go alphabetically through the 57 states, territories and the Democrats Abroad delegation, meaning Alabama will lead off.
Franklin County teacher speaks during statewide DNC watch party
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. โ This week, the Democratic National Convention is set to make its presidential pick. Monday night, a special education teacher from Franklin County is gearing up to speak to hundreds of Democrats across southwest Virginia during a virtual watch party. Stephanie Cook, who supports Joe Biden, is a special education teacher from Rocky Mount. Stephanie Cook, a special education teacher from Rocky Mount, is set to speak to a crowd virtually during a virtual watch party Monday night for the DNC watch party. And I feel like that really just shows a commitment to serving Virginia as a whole.โThe DNC runs through Thursday.
Milwaukee misses Democratic convention: 'It is a gut punch'
This Aug. 13, 2020 photo shows the skyline of downtown Milwaukee, the location of a scaled down Democratic National Convention. It would have been the first time Milwaukee, a city of 1.6 million, hosted a presidential nominating convention. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)Downtown Milwaukee restaurant owner Omar Shaikh envisioned overflowing crowds, packed dining rooms and a big payday when the Democratic National Convention came to town. It would have been the first time Milwaukee, a metropolitan area of 1.6 million, hosted a presidential nominating convention. Those who worked to bring the convention to Milwaukee argue the city should be first in line for a future convention.
The Latest: Trump heads to Midwest as Dems open convention
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, in Washington. Trump is en route to Minnesota and Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON The Latest on the Democratic National Convention (all times local):10:20 a.m.President Donald Trump says he has no choice but to campaign in Wisconsin this week while the Democratic National Convention goes on, in order to address voters there in what he says is a news media environment hostile to him. Trump plans an afternoon campaign stop at a private air hangar in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a pivotal state in the quest for a majority of the Electoral College votes. The Democratic convention is being held in Milwaukee this week, but mainly features speakers addressing the event virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Democrats tested in first party convention of pandemic era
The Democratic National Convention, which formally begins Monday, is not a convention in the traditional sense. Along the way, Biden's party will make history by unveiling the nation's first Black vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris. Im glad that John and other moderate-type Republicans understand that it is wrong to be supporting Trump, Sanders told The Associated Press. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist, predicted next week's convention would lack excitement. He said it likely doesn't matter, however, especially as Trump and his party prepare for their convention the following week. As excited as I am about Kamala Harris, the best weapon Democrats have is Donald Trump, Sharpton said.
Trump's counter to Democratic convention? Swing state trips.
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is looking to counter next week's Democratic National Convention with travel to several swing states including Wisconsin, which was to have hosted the Democratic gathering. Trump campaign announced Friday that Trump will host events aimed at attacking his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, on Monday in Wisconsin and Minnesota and on Tuesday in Arizona. Democrats moved their campaign completely virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans also cancelled nearly all of their convention, scheduled for the following week, because of the outbreak. Trump's events in Mankato, Minnesota, and Oshkosh, Wisconsin, are being billed as remarks on Biden's failures on Jobs and the Economy. Tuesday's speech in Yuma, Arizona, is advertised to be on Biden's failures on Immigration and Border Security.
Democrats, Biden still juggling virtual convention details
FILE - In this July 24, 2016, file photo, workers prepare for the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Still unsettled, according to convention organizers, is who gets to speak live and who must be taped. Many other details remain up in the air, organizers said, from specific time slots to how many speakers will be allowed to speak live. Biden is expected to speak live from his home state of Delaware, but advisers have not disclosed a venue. Biden allies said the candidate wanted to feature the full breadth of the party and his supporters.
AP Interview: Clyburn warns US lacks plan to stop virus
Our entire economy is at stake, Clyburn told The Associated Press in a Newsmakers interview. The third-ranking House Democrat said he's hopeful that negotiators on Capitol Hill can reach an agreement soon on a new virus aid package. Weve got a health care crisis wrapped into an economic crisis, and they are so interwoven, Clyburn said. And so that we can have a fair, unfettered election, said Clyburn, who is the House Democratic whip. You know, when I was a child, I spoke as a child and understood as a child.