Daily Briefing: The uncommitted delegates
The Harris campaign refused a request from a group of uncommitted delegates to give a Palestinian-American a speaking slot on stage at the Democratic National Convention. Vice President Kamala Harris has officially accepted her party's nomination. The last corpse recovered from a sunken superyacht.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. It is definitely wayyy too early for pumpkin spice (*sips PSL*).
Gaza war protesters made a final bid for recognition
Stymied in their demand that a Palestinian-American be allowed to speak to the Democratic National Convention about the war in Gaza, a group of uncommitted delegates ended a protest outside the United Center on Thursday with a new request: that Vice President Kamala Harris meet with Arab-Americans and Muslims in Michigan and elsewhere.
They also set a deadline for such a meeting or meetings to take place on Sept. 15.
- Failing to meet with advocates could have ramifications for Harris, such as losing essential votes in some swing states, like Michigan, which have large Arab-American and Muslim communities.
- The pressure on Harris over the devastation in Gaza isn't only coming from the streets. Uncommitted delegates locked arm in arm and attempted to enter the convention floor but were reportedly barred from returning to their seats.
- It was a mistake the DNC did not feature a speech by a Palestinian-American, said Congressman Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a rising progressive star and an adviser to Harris.
Meanwhile, inside the United Center, Kamala Harris becomes the nominee
Democrats positioned themselves as the patriots' party on the final night of the DNC in Chicago. Flags waved as the party turned to military veterans and national security officials to cast former President Donald Trump as a threat to the country and someone who has disrespected veterans. Then, Kamala Harris took the stage to officially accept her party's nomination, presenting herself as someone who is "no stranger to unlikely journeys." The vice president, a child of immigrants, is the first Black and South Asian woman nominated by a major party. Read Paste BN's recap of Harris' speech in Chicago last night.
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Body of last missing person found after Sicily superyacht sinking
Italian rescue divers on Friday found the body believed to be the daughter of British tech magnate Mike Lynch. The Bayesian, a 184-foot luxury sail boat carrying 22 passengers and crew, was anchored near Palermo when it capsized and rapidly sank after being struck by a pre-dawn storm on Monday. The bodies of the other five dead passengers, including Lynch, were recovered on Wednesday and Thursday from inside the yacht. Read more
COVID-19 vaccines are updated and ready for fall
Major retailers like Walgreens and CVS will shortly begin stocking millions of updated COVID-19 vaccines after the shots received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week. The updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna for people aged 6 months and older come amid a summer surge in COVID-19 cases across the U.S. Getting the shot now will offer protection when the anticipated winter surge comes and other respiratory illnesses become more prevalent, as people congregate indoors. Read more
Keep scrolling
- "Pommel horse guy" has joined "Dancing with the Stars."
- Here's how to stay alive in your fantasy football pool.
- Beyoncé has asked Trump to cease and desist using her song "Freedom."
- Three years after a dognapping, Lady Gaga finally got a new pup.
- Should you and your partner sign a pet prenup?
College Football season is about to kick off
Deeper conferences. More games. An even tougher road to the national championship under the 12-team College Football Playoff format set to debut this season. It's become harder than ever to post an unbeaten record. That's why there isn't one team — not Ohio State, not Texas, not even Georgia — picked to run the table in the Paste BN Sports predictions. Read more
Photo of the day: Swinging on America's court
Matches in the last couple of weeks suggest tennis stars who played in the Olympics came back physically and emotionally drained while those who skipped Paris enter the U.S. Open in better form. Those dynamics set up a fascinating tournament in New York where it seems like there could be some chaos and early-round upsets.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.