Delegates at the Democratic National Convention officially nominated Hillary Clinton as the party’s presidential candidate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Thousands of protesters rallied outside, disgruntled with the party agenda.
29 July 2016
Protests die down
Protests against the DNC continued into the late night hours, but the mood progressively turned to calm. Instead of standing and chanting, many sat and sang. One witness reported an "excessive amount of sage."
This marks the first time the iconic post convention balloons have been released for a female candidate.
"Donald Trump isn't offering change, he's offering empty promises." -HRC
"I'm not here to take away your gun... I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place."
"A man you can bait with a Tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." - HRC
"When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit." - Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton has accepted the nomination.
"Don't let anyone tell you our country is weak," Hillary said, "And most of all, don't believe anyone who says 'I alone can fix it.'"
"I want to thank Bernie Sanders," Clinton said. "And to all of your supporters here and around the country, I want you to know I've heard you, your cause is our cause. Our country needs your ideas, energy and passion. That is the only way we can turn our progressive platform into real change for American."
Hillary Clinton has taken the stage.
Chelsea Clinton has taken the stage. "My mother taught me public service is about service."
Singer Katy Perry has taken the stage, talking about the importance of voting and says, "Vote if for no other reason than to cancel out your weird cousins vote."
Khizr Khan, father of a fallen Muslim US soldier, is speaking. He received a long standing ovation when he got on stage with his wife.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is up next. The NBA legend is speaking about discrimination and specifically named Pence.
Reverend William Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP, is speaking. He referred to Jesus as a "dark skinned Palestinian Jew," and went on to say "We love the Jewish child and the Palestinian child."
The families of fallen police officers have taken the stage to a standing ovation.
Sheriff Lupe Valdez, the only Latina sheriff in the US, is speaking about the risks her officers take. "The only way to serve your community is to know your community."
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf is speaking, unlike Ohio Governor John Kasich at the RNC in Cleveland.
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper is speaking and talking about his experience being laid-off.
28 July 2016
Nancy Pelosi's speech has drawn some interesting criticisms from Twitter.
The six US flags that usually grace the Philadelphia City Hall have been moved to the Democratic National Convention stage, a city official told the Daily Caller.
In the meantime, Lauren Hitt, communications director for the City of Philadelphia, said the flags were down for “safety reasons.”
“We took them down for safety reasons. Every time we needed to lower them to half-staff, we needed to get a roofer down here who would then have to use 2 ladders to get to where the flags were. Given the thunderstorms, expected flash floods and extreme heat we’ve experienced this week, we didn’t feel it was safe,” she said.
McBride hopes that Clinton will change the lives of the LGBT community, as she called on the Democrats to pass Gender Equality Act.
First transgender person to address any national convention, Sarah McBride told the delegates that she is a “proud transgender American.”
The second and third speakers on Thursday both referenced Clinton's nomination on their daughters' dreams of one day being president.
"You can't run to be the first Native American president until you turn 35," Minnesota state Representative Peggy Flanagan told her daughter from the podium. She is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe.
Sanders supporters stick out like a sore thumb inside the DNC, wearing bright yellow or green shirts.
Through the first three days of the DNC, police have cited 103 people. Federal officers arrested 11 people for jumping the perimeter fence, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
At his daily briefing, Police Commissioner Richard Ross said that 34 people were cited near the Wells Fargo Center and 10 at the Comcast Center on Wednesday, with seven arrests for breaching the fence.
The fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention has kicked off in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton, the party’s presidential nominee, will address attendees after being introduced by her daughter Chelsea.
Voice your vote: How can Hillary Clinton best convince disaffected Americans to vote for her?
Donald Trump Jr. has accused President Barack Obama of plagiarizing the line "That is not the America I know" from his speech at the RNC last week.
Trump's stepmother Melania caused a stir on the first night of the RNC when her remarks were eerily similar to Michelle Obama's convention speech in 2008.
arrests
Seven DNC protesters face federal charges after jumping a security fence, according to David Spunt of KYW-TV, who spoke with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross.
Kaine
Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine went for laughs in his speech by impersonating Donald Trump. Far from becoming an icon for expressions in the way that current Vice President Joe Biden has, Kaine had quite a few highlights. Watch them all here.
Protesters have thrown a DNC coffin over a security perimeter fence chanting “Hell no, DNC! We won’t vote for Hillary.”
A large crowd of protesters have gathered outside the Wells Fargo Center where a “massive police presence” has been reported.
Military mom Sharon Belkofer, whose soldier son was killed in Afghanistan, is discussing the death of her son and meeting the POTUS.
Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va) has officially accepted the nomination to be Clinton's running mate. In his speech he praised a bit the Democratic candidate, paid his respects to Bernie Sanders and attempted several phrases in Spanish, including "Yes we can", the motto of Barack Obama's campaign.
Delegates, volunteers and guests at DNC share their views on Clinton, Sanders, how the convention is organized and gender neutral bathrooms.
Tim Kaine addresses the convention saying, "I never expected to be here." He also used some of that Spanish we've all heard so much about.
Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg announces and Independent says "I am not here to endorse any political party or party platform."
Joe Biden entered the stage to the theme song of Rocky. He included a mention of his son Beau Biden who introduced him at the 2008 DNC and passed away in 2015 of cancer. This received a standing ovation.
"Just listen to me for a second without booing or cheering."
Joe Biden has not even taken the stage and the internet is already losing its mind.
Jill Biden is introducing Vice President Joe Biden.
Leon Panetta, Former Defense Secretary, pleads with audience to pause "No more war" chants to continue with his speech. Those were followed by "Love trumps hate" and chants of "USA."
drown out the Washington and Oregon delegation.
Retired US Navy Rear Admiral John Huston is speaking, saying Donald Trump "invited Russia to hack us. That's not law and order, that's criminal intent." He went on to say, "He called the military that I served in 'a disaster.'"
Chants have interrupted his speech, making him pause to say "I can't understand what they're saying."
Gabrielle Giffords, former US Representative has taken the stage to much applause. "Strong women get things done!"
Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey talks about the need for gun control, saying "I have mourned far too many officers lost to gun violence."
27 July 2016
Chants of "Nina" have broken out.
Christine Leinonen is the mother of Christopher Leinonen, a victim of the Pulse nightclub shooting. She began an emotional speech by saying, "It takes about 5 minutes for a church bell to ring 49 times." The audience broke out into chants of "Love trumps hate" during her speech.
Producer Lee Daniels asked if Hillary Clinton knew about his family members that have been to jail or his father, a police officer who was shot and killed in Philadelphia. "And still, I rise."
Nina Turner told NBC, "I was supposed to be one of the nominators for Senator Sanders, along with Congresswoman Tusli and at the last minute was told I could not do that. The Senator Sanders told me that himself for reasons that I will not comment on. But I've been nothing but gracious, you know, I was a hard fighter for my candidate, you know. So it was pretty hurtful."
She confirmed that Bernie fans were displeased, saying "They are very upset about it. But, you know, I'm about pushing forward."
Former Presidential Candidate Martin O'Malley has taken the stage. He said, "to Hell with Trump's nightmare, we believe in the American dream!"
Army widow Jamie Dorff has taken the stage to talk about benefits for the families of fallen soldiers.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) has taken the stage. He is taking about his experience in the Marines. "Donald Trump is a scam artist," he said while talking about Trump's delay in donating to veteran services.
Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid has taken the stage.
"We would actually like to make sure that the Bernie Sanders supporters are respected and not retaliated against for the support of their candidate" - Deborah Burger, President of National Nurses United.
Nida Allam, a field manager for Sanders' campaign, used the event to express her displeasure after discovering that Hillary Clinton had used her picture in a tweet that implies Allam became overcome with emotion after Clinton was nominated. This was not the case.
She believes the picture was an attempt to get the Muslim vote, which "she has to earn."
Nina Turner, a former Ohio state lawmaker who backed Sanders, was reportedly taken off the speaker list for Wednesday night. WATCH LIVE as she talks about the Democratic Party's suppression.
Senator Mazie Hirono's name was misspelled on the big screen at the DNC.
Hirono is the junior senator from Hawaii, serving her first term. She spent six years as a US representative before that.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) has suggested that intelligence officials give Republican nominee Donald Trump "fake" briefings during the campaign, he told the Huffington Post.
“How would the CIA and the other intelligence agencies brief this guy? How could they do that? I would suggest to the intelligence agencies, if you’re forced to brief this guy, don’t tell him anything, just fake it, because this man is dangerous,” he said. “Fake it, pretend you’re doing a briefing, but you can’t give the guy any information.”
Reid's comments come after Trump joked that the Russians should look for the 33,000 messages missing from Hillary Clinton's private email server.
“This guy, he’s part of a foreign power,” Reid said. “We knew he liked Putin before this, but this is quite ridiculous.”
Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) has officially been selected as the party's vice presidential candidate. The Democratic ticket of Clinton-Kaine is complete.
There were no nominating speeches for the VP candidate, however, for fear of booing. He was approved via a voice vote, despite chants calling for a roll call.
BREAKING NEWS: The protesting llama is an alpaca, according to a police report.
The infamous alpaca has been spotted daily around the protest camp... and that's nothing to spit at.
Voice your vote on what policy from the Obama administration Hillary Clinton should continue:
A New Mexico delegate who backs Bernie Sanders is calling for a protest during President Barack Obama's speech Wednesday night, saying he is "highly complicit in the silencing of the Progressive voice today."
The delegate, Kathleen M. Burke, notes in her statement that there will be a protest against the Trans-Pacific Partnership as the president enters the stage.
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the DNC? WATCH LIVE!
People and businesses in Philadelphia have been showing their support for police.
On Tuesday, 5,000 people protested outside the DNC in Philadelphia. There have been 59 citations issued and four total arrests over the first two days of the convention, the city's police department said.
As with the first two days of the RNC, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross is out and about among the protesters and buoying the morale of his officers during the long hours in high temperatures.
Protesters have entered the Marriott Hotel in Philadelphia, chanting "Free Palestine!" The California delegation is staying at the hotel.
The Golden State's Republican delegation was struck by norovirus during the RNC in Cleveland last week.
A former Pennsylvania councilman for Harrisburg City, Brad Koplinski, was arrested Sunday in Philadelphia. He is accused of stealing DNC parking passes and food vouchers, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office spokesperson Cameron Kline said Wednesday.
Koplinski is charged with theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and burglary. He was arraigned and released on $10,000 bail, the Philly Voice reported. He will appear in court on August 8.
What's your favorite costume so far?
A small protest against the mainstream media is taking place outside the Comcast Center.
The 58-story skyscraper houses Comcast Corporation's global headquarters. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of the company. Other tenants include TelAmerica Media Inc. and Center City Film and Video.
Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) will be introduced as the Democrats' choice for vice president on Wednesday night.
Before being elected to the Senate, Kaine served one term as the governor of Virginia.
Protests
Protesters supportive of Bernie Sanders have not let up following the closure of the second day of the Democratic National Convention. Witnesses have reported the burning of an Israeli flag and other outbursts teetering beyond the limits of non-violence, while police have deployed pepper spray and other crowd control tactics.
Many protested against the treatment they received at the convention, as some volunteers were not allowed entry. Most were in agreement that the primary process was rigged or unfair to Sanders.
Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein was also seen among the crowd.
Bill Clinton still talking about their early years together, people are wondering if he speaks of the other girl
The moment we've all been waiting for: Bill Clinton has taken the stage. He began by talking about how he met Hillary in the Yale Law Library.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump continues to have Twitter fingers.
Madeline Albright, former Secretary of the State, and her brooch have taken the stage. She said a Trump victory would be well received by Vladimir Putin.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is speaking about Clinton's work to end human trafficking.
Ima Matul, a human trafficking survivor, is discussing her experiences and Clinton's "fight to end modern slavery."
Howard Dean has taken the stage to highlight Clinton's work for children's healthcare. No word over whether or not there will be a repeat of 2004's "byahhh!"
Speakers have highlighted Hillary Clinton's work for 9/11 victims, NY Representative Joe Crowley criticized Trump for using it "to make a quick buck."
Let's check back with those protesters.
Lena Dunham and America Ferrera are on the stage. Dunham said Trump would rate her body as, "probably a two." Ferrera said Trump would probably call her, "a rapist."
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards has taken the stage to talk about the services Planned Parenthood provides and sent a message to Donald Trump saying, "Women are the reason you're not going to be elected president."
Loud "Black lives matter" chants as the Mothers of the Movement exit the stage.
"Mothers of the Movement," mothers who lost their children or other loved ones to gun violence or excessive use of force by police have taken the stage.
Chants of "Black lives matter," began as they took the stage.
Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLady is talking about the need for more trust in law enforcement and criminal justice reform.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder has taken the stage and voiced his support for both black lives matter and law enforcement.
26 July 2016
Meanwhile, outside of the Wells Fargo Center...
Donna Brazile has taken the stage. She is contrasting her childhood of growing up in the South during segregation with seeing Barack Obama be the POTUS.
New York Senator Chuck Schumer has taken the stage and tried to pitch the necessity of having a strong senate majority, but only received tepid applause.
Hillary Clinton has officially become the first female presidential nominee of a major political party in the US.
After the Vermont delegation announced its delegate votes, Sanders rose to speak amid chants of his name.
“I move that the convention suspend the procedural rules. I move that all votes, all votes cast by delegates be reflected in the official record, and I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of the United States,” Sanders said.
When he finished speaking, the arena erupted into cheers. Sanders then hugged his wife Jane, waved to the crowd and left.
Representative Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), the chair of the convention, then called for a vote that Clinton be nominated by acclamation, which easily passed by a voice vote.
As the roll call winds down, members of the Washington delegation chanted "Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!" during their announcement.
Sanders and his wife Jane are working their way to the Vermont delegation on the convention floor amid hugs and cheers.
Vermont will pass its turn, opting to go last in the roll call. Sanders had fought to have the roll call, rather than a voice vote, during the convention.
There have been no protests during the nearly 1.5-hour-long event. Sanders could be the person to announce the Vermont delegation's votes as another way to unify the Democratic Party.
The DNC will not announce the delegate totals inside the Wells Fargo Center until after the Vermont delegation announces how it will allocate its votes. Sanders' home state may opt to skip its turn in order to go last.
Hillary Clinton officially clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, after the South Dakota delegation announced they were awarding her 15 votes out of their 25 delegates.
Clinton's home state of New York pledged 181 delegates for the former secretary of state, putting her more than three-quarters of the way to clinching the nomination.
She has 1,907 votes to Sanders' 1,211 with 21 delegations left to announce.
Minority Leader of the Nevada state Senate Aaron Ford pointed out that the capital of the Battle Born State “is actually Carson City,” poking fun of a GOP delegate who said that the capital was Las Vegas during the RNC’s roll call.
WATCH LIVE as delegations announce their votes during the DNC roll call.
Maryland cast 84 of its 120 votes for Clinton, as announced by Representative Elijah Cummings, giving Clinton more than half of the delegates needed to formally clinch the nomination.
With 11 states and territories announcing how their votes had been cast, Clinton was more than a quarter of the way to clinching the nomination.
When it was time for the Delegates Abroad to announce their delegate votes, Sanders brother Larry announced that he was casting his vote for the Vermont senator.
Convention Secretary Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, called the official roll call to order. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, needs 2,382 delegates to formally clinch the nomination.
Alabama was the first state to announce its votes. Of its 60 votes, 50 went to Clinton and nine went to Sanders.
"Don't you have one more?" Rawlings-Blake asked, causing the audience to laugh. "I'll count it as an abstention."
Representative John Lewis (D-Georgia), an icon of the Civil Rights Movement, gave the second nominating speech for Clinton. The third speech was given by Na’ilah Amaru, who won a Hillary for America contest.
"Tonight, in the birthplace of our nation, we renew our commitment to democracy with an historic step towards gender equality," Amaru said. "Reflected in broken shards of glass and Hillary herself, we can see the dreams of our daughters. This is America’s promise."
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland), the longest-serving woman in Congress and the first Democratic woman elected in the Senate in her own right, nominated Hillary Clinton “with a full heart.”
“On behalf of all the women who have broken down barriers for others and with an eye toward the barriers ahead, I proudly praise Hillary Clinton’s name and nomination to be the next president!” Mikulski said.
Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), a member of the Hawaii National Guard, a offers the nominating speech for Bernie Sanders. She resigned from the Democratic National Committee to be a Sanders surrogate.
"Because this is a movement fueled by love, it can never be stopped ordefeated," Gabbard said. "Now on behalf of millions inspired by aloha, determined to seek a future rooted in love, compassion and justice for all, and dedicated to a government of the people, by the people and for the people, I am truly honored to nominate Bernie Sanders for president of the United States!"
Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes was the second speaker.
The first speaker on the second day of the DNC is former Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). His remarks are on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
During his remarks, he used American Sign Language, which he says he learned because of his brother. He taught the audience the sign for America, which includes interlacing your fingers together and moving your arms in a horizontal circle.
Even non-presidential candidates have an opportunity to enter the White House, thanks to One.org.
The first Black Lives Matter protest during the DNC has begun.
Contrary to previous reports, Clinton will not be officially nominated by Sanders. Instead, the formal nomination will come from Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California), Representative John Lewis (D-Georgia) and contest winner Na'ilah Amaru, according to Politico's Gabriel Debenedetti.
Protesters are again out in force on Tuesday, despite the temperature of 92 degrees F (33 C), which feels like 96 F (36 C) with 41 percent humidity.
WATCH LIVE: Sanders supporters rally in Philadelphia.
Part of Philadelphia's City Hall was blocked off for a few minutes Tuesday afternoon, due to a suspicious package. Police soon gave the all-clear.
The package was a box left in the road, according to scanner traffic.
Amazon's policy arm is making an appearance at the DNC, co-sponsoring a panel on the Internet of Things with CQ/Roll Call.
Timmy Kelly, dubbed the Philadelphia Eagles' "little good luck charm," will sing the national anthem at the DNC on Tuesday. The 23-year-old, who was born blind and with cerebral palsy, is the team's "go to guy" for the NFL playoffs.
Apparently no one told the Democrats that the Eagles have never won a Super Bowl.
Actress Susan Sarandon has confirmed the obvious: She is done with the Democratic Party.
Her tweet is in response to one by Ohio state Senator Nina Turner, a Sanders surrogate, who wrote that the "DNC betrayed Bernie Sanders and the rest of America," referring to the scandal over leaked emails showing that the supposedly neutral Democratic National Committee was actively favoring the Clinton campaign.
Approximately 5,500 people protested at more than 15 demonstrations on Monday, the Philadelphia Police Department said in a statement. Only one protest yielded arrests.
President Barack Obama had the most retweeted post of the night on Monday, according to a Twitter employee.
Texas delegate Russell Lyttle has voluntarily withdrawn his credentials after condemning Clinton on Monday.
Negotiations are underway for Sanders to officially nominate Clinton as the Democratic presidential candidate at the end of Tuesday's roll call, much like Clinton did for then-Senator Barack Obama at the 2008 DNC, NBC News reported.
Bernie 6
"Our job now is to see that strong Democratic platform implemented by a Democratic-controlled Senate, a Democratic-controlled House, and a Hillary Clinton presidency," Sanders said, to a smattering of boos for the latter point.
Bernie 5
Sanders supporters were spotted crying in the crowd, still holding onto their "Bernie" signs.
Bernie 3
"Based on her ideas and her leadership, Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States," Sanders said to a raucous crowd. He paused before continuing.
"The choice," he said, before pausing again.
"This election is about a single mother who with tears in her eyes, told me she was scared to death about the future," he then said, to a hushed audience.
"Hillary Clinton understands," he pivoted back, "that we must raise the minimum wage to a living wage, and she is determined to create millions of new jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure."
Bernie 2
"99 percent! 99 percent!" chants followed Sanders' list of pet causes, from wealth inequality to the diminishing middle class to the future prospects for the younger generation, which he said defined this year's election.
Thanking President Obama and Vice President Biden, Sanders said "much more needs to be done," before moving onto Hillary Clinton, without actually naming her. Building up to the point, the mood of the crowd seemed to shift.
Bernie Sanders
"Bernie! Bernie!" chants rang out as Bernie Sanders gave thanks to the volunteers and donors as well as the delegates they helped send to the convention.
Sanders said he is looking forward to tomorrow night's roll call vote.
"I think it's fair to say that no one is more disappointed than I am," Sanders told his supporters, empathizing with their frustration, adding, "[Our] revolution continues."
Keith Ellison
Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota was next to pump up the crowd.
"Not voting is not a protest. It is a surrender," he said.
"As a proud, and I said proud, Bernie Sanders supporter, I will always remember feeling the Bern in Minnesota. There's my Minnesotans over there," he added.
Notably, not all in the Minnesota delegation looked enthusiastic when the camera panned over. But then Ellison introduced Bernie Sanders.
Liz Warren
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts took the stage next, taking a moment to praise previous speakers before immediately turning to championing Hillary Clinton for president.
"She fights for all of us," Warren said, adding that Clinton is "strong enough to win those fights."
That's when protest chants broke out.
"We trusted you! We trusted you!" was heard from the floor as Warren spoke about the election.
"It's about what country we want to be," she said, ignoring the fray below.
Warren added, "There's a big difference between those fighting for a level playing ground and those fighting to keep the system rigged," which drew some backlash on Twitter.
FLOTUS Michelle Obama has taken the stage.
Booker was interrupted in his speech by people chanting, "war hawk" and "Black lives matter"Booker was interrupted in his speech by people chanting, "war hawk" and "Black lives matter" as he talks about police relations with black population.
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has taken the stage. His speech, which contrasted the origins of the US to the current climate said, "Generations of heroic Americans have made our nation more inclusive... our nation wasn't founded because we all look alike or prayed alike or came from the same family tree."
"Rugged individualism didn't defeat the British, it didn't get us to the moon, it didn't build the nations highways, it didn't map the human genome. We did that together. And so this is the high call of patriotism," he said.
"If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together."
Actress Eva Longoria has taken the stage. The 'Desperate Housewives' star talks about growing up in a small town in Texas saying, "I'm ninth generation American," but during that time, Texas was annexed and as a result, "we didn't cross the border, the border crossed us."
Comedian Sarah Silverman has taken the stage with Senator Al Franken. Silverman introduced herself by saying, "I was feeling the Bern. But don't worry, I put some cream on it."
In a speech of her own, she said "As some of you may know, I support Bernie Sanders and the movement behind him. And Bernie's already succeeded in so many way. He proved Citizens United is not a necessary evil," she went on to say, "And I'm very glad that Hillary vowed to overturn it."
"This Democratic primary was exemplary. No name calling, no comments about the size of their hands... that stuff is for third graders." She mocked the Republican nominee saying, "I'm still emotionally four, calling people names from my gold encrusted sandbox."
Her support for Hillary received loud cheers and some jeers. She said, "I am proud to be a part of Bernie's movement and a vital part of that movement is making sure that Hillary Clinton is the next president of our United States. Baba Booey."
Her statement of "To the Bernie or Bust people, you're being ridiculous" was received with loud applause.
International Disability Rights Advocate Anastasia Somoza has taken the stage following a video criticizing Donald Trump for mocking a disabled reporter. She commended Hillary Clinton for, "In a country where 56 million people with disabilities so often feel invisible, she sees me."
"Donald Trump doesn't see me, he doesn't hear me and he definitely doesn't speak for me," she said.
Senator Al Franken (D-Minnesota) has taken the stage. He said he received his doctorate in "megalomaniac studies at Trump University."
He said of Trump University, "their bankruptcy program is known throughout the real estate investment."
Franken went on to joke "Many of you have jobs," he continued, "many of you have families. Ignore them" in lieu of working to get Hillary elected.
So far, Franken's speech has been the best received.
25 July 2016
One way that the DNC is trying to differentiate itself from last week's RNC is by showing off how much more inclusive its convention is.
Strong thunderstorms have hit Philadelphia, causing the power to go out at Wells Fargo Center.
Former RT America host Abby Martin has been arrested outside the DNC.
Did you voice your vote in today's Twitter poll? Check out the results!
While the number of people arrested while protesting at the DNC on Monday will easily eclipse the total number of people arrested during the entire RNC, police and protesters appear to be good-natured about it.
At least until patience wore out in the heat.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) may have been booed off the stage at the RNC last week, but it didn't send Americans flocking to their keyboards, at least not like they have when searching for "booing" on Monday.
There have been 17 arrests so far on the first day of the DNC, WCAU reported. There were 24 total arrests during the four days of the RNC.
Arrests of protesters in Philly have begun, according to Fuse Media's Jason Lipshutz.
One person at a Democracy Spring protest was arrested after jumping a fence, the Philadelphia Inquirer's Samantha Melamed tweeted.
The DNC has issued an apology to Sanders and his supporters over the leaked emails written by outgoing Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other DNC staffers that showed anti-Sanders bias and pro-Clinton collusion.
Sanders supporters booed Convention Chair Marcia Fudge, a US representative from Ohio, as she addressed the convention.
The boos are in direct contradiction to a text that Sanders sent to his supporters earlier on Monday that read: "I ask you as a personal courtesy to me to not engage in any kind of protest on the floor."
The GOP is already trolling the Democrats.
Unrest within the party made itself known on the convention floor within minutes of being gavelled to order.
Motown Philly back again...
Baltimore, Maryland Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the secretary of the DNC, has officially gavelled the party's nominating convention into session.
Until Monday morning, outgoing DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz was to have the honor of calling the convention into order. Democratic strategist Donna Brazile has taken over as interim DNC chair.
Monday's lineup includes people personally affected by the growing substance abuse epidemic, undocumented immigrants and a woman with cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The two headlining speakers are Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and First Lady Michelle Obama.
RT America is on the ground in Philadelphia, following both the protests outside...
And inside the DNC.
During a massive march supporting Sanders, chants of "Hell no DNC, we won't vote for Hillary" and "Bernie or bust" have broken out.
Maybe the Trump Steaks brand would have sold better if all the meat looked like this...
First responders are concerned with protesters' health as Philadelphia suffers amid a heat wave. The current temperature is 96 degrees F (36 C), but it feels like 103 F (39 C) with 49 percent humidity.
The RNC in Cleveland was marked by many high-profile Republicans who decided not to attend. Most also refused to endorse Donald Trump for president.
At least one high-profile Democrat, former Vice President Al Gore, will not attend the DNC, but he has endorsed Clinton.
Outgoing DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will not gavel the nominating convention to order on Monday afternoon.
"I have decided that in the interest of making sure that we can start the Democratic convention on a high note that I am not going to gavel in the convention," Wasserman Schultz told the Sun-Sentinel, a newspaper in her Florida district.
"I stepped down the other day because I wanted to make sure that having brought us to this momentous day and to Philadelphia and planned the convention that is going to be the best one that we've ever had in our party's history that this needs to be all about making sure that everyone knows that Hillary Clinton would make the best president," she said.
Baltimore, Maryland Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will gavel the DNC to order in her role as the secretary of the committee, AP reported.
“We have got to defeat Donald Trump, and we have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine,” said Sanders as a roomful of his supporters responded with "No!" and a loud round of “Boo,” followed by a chant of “We want Bernie!”
Bernie Sanders is addressing his delegates ahead of the start of the DNC.
“Make no mistake about it we have made history!” Sanders said. “And as all of you will recall, when we began this campaign over a year ago, we were considered to be fringe players among the establishment and corporate media,” he continued as the audience booed.
“Well, a year has come and gone. we're not fringe players anymore!” he said among chants of “Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!”
We have proved that our ideas aren’t crazy, they are supported by working class people, he added.
Sanders supporters are making their presence felt at the California delegation breakfast on Monday. They are chanting his name and booing any mentions of Clinton.
The Democratic Party is trying to hard to portray that it is unified, especially after the divisions that were at the forefront of last week's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
Sarah McBride of the Human Rights Campaign will become the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention when she speaks on Thursday at the DNC.
The official hashtag for the DNC is #DemsInPhilly. However, #DNCCheckList is now trending on Twitter, with sardonic tweets of what the Democrats have planned for the week.
The FBI has announced it is investigating a "cyber intrusion" into the leaked DNC emails.
"The FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion involving the DNC and are working to determine the nature and scope of the matter," the bureau said in a statement. "A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously, and the FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace."
A leaked memo shows the Bernie Sanders campaign considered asking the Democratic National Convention for a private plane as part of his endorsement of Hillary Clinton to help “keep his movement energized.”
The Bernie Delegate Network, which has approximately 1,200 Democratic delegates, may issue a "formal challenge" of Clinton's vice presidential selection, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, the New York Times' Michael Barbaro reports. The delegate network is independent of the Sanders campaign.
Supporters of former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders are protesting outside the Democratic National Convention.
Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) has resigned as chair of the Democratic National Committee, effective at the end of the convention.
She was booed off the stage at a Florida delegate meeting Monday morning.
Party insiders, including allies of presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, are pressuring Wasserman Schultz to remove herself completely from the DNC, fearing she has become too much of a distraction to party unity, The Hill newspaper reported.