Hillary Clinton walked out to 'Brave'
The former secretary of state took the stage to Sara Bareilles' song "Brave," a track that became synonymous with her 2016 presidential campaign.
Kamala Harris' childhood friend and her mother speak: 'Your mom would be so proud'
Stacey Johnson-Batiste, Harris' childhood friend who wrote "Friends From the Beginning: The Berkeley Village That Raised Kamala and Me," spoke with her mother, Doris Johnson, who was the best friend of Harris' late mother.
"Kamala has always been a protector," Johnson-Batiste said.
Johnson-Batiste retold a story about a boy in their class who broke a sculpture she made.
"Kamala jumped in between him and me and said something that made him so mad he picked up a rock or something and hit her on the head," Johnson-Batiste said. "Blood came streaming down."
The stitches left a scar that Harris still has, Johnson-Batiste said.
"That's the kind of person Kamala has always been, from the very beginning. Someone who doesn't hesitate to stand up for what's right, to take up for the underdog and to stand up to bullies," she said.
Johnson said, "Kamala, your mom would be so proud of you."
AOC calls for an Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal in her remarks
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in her remarks that Harris is "working tirelessly" to secure a cease-fire deal in Gaza that would also bring the hostages home.
"In Kamala Harris, I see a leader who understands. I see a leader with a real commitment to a better future for working families and Chicago. We have to help her win, because we know that Donald Trump would sell this country for $1 if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends," Ocasio-Cortez said.
She said she's tired of hearing Trump, "a union buster," thinking "of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day."
"The truth is, Don, you cannot love this country if you only fight for the wealthy and big business," she continued. "To love this country is to fight for its people, all people, working people, everyday Americans, like bartenders and factory workers and fast food cashiers who punch a clock and are on their feet all day in some of the toughest jobs out there."
Ocasio-Cortez finished her speech by saying that they can't send just Harris and Walz alone to the White House.
"We must also elect strong Democratic majorities in the House and in the Senate so that we can deliver on an ambitious agenda for the people," she said.
Biden stopped by reception with longtime Delaware supporters tonight
After he conducted his walk-through at the United Center, Biden has spent some of his downtime back at his hotel preparing for tonight’s address — but also catching up with some of his longest-term supporters.
At his downtown hotel, Biden surprised some of the several dozen supporters who flew on a chartered plane from Delaware today to attend his speech.
Biden “worked the room like he was still running for office,” joked the Rev. Christopher Bullock, the pastor of Canaan Baptist Church in New Castle.
Schumer sings a message to Trump: ‘You can’t always get what you want’
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., decided to sing one of Trump's favorite campaign rally songs: "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
'Trump's a scab': UAW head throws muscle behind Harris-Walz ticket
Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers, praised Harris and Walz for standing "shoulder to shoulder with the working class" — and dissed Trump and Vance as "two lapdogs for the billionaire class who only serve themselves."
"It's real simple: Kamala Harris is one of us," Fain said to cheers. "She's a fighter for the working class — and Donald Trump is a scab!"
The crowd broke out into loud chants of "Trump's a scab" — union slang for a person who refuses to join up or go on strike. Fain later removed his jacket to reveal a red T-shirt that read: "Trump Is A Scab. Vote Harris."
The influential UAW has roughly 370,000 members nationwide, including in key Midwestern battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin.
Hollywood takes the stage
Actor Tony Goldwyn, of "Scandal" fame, rolled out the proverbial Hollywood red carpet after Harris' surprise address.
He touted her vision of unity, optimism and opportunity, saying, "Americas are not a cynical people."
"We are not small-minded," he added. "We can dream as big as we want."
NBA coach Steve Kerr jokes about Walz's coaching background
Fresh off of coaching Team USA's men's basketball squad to a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, legendary NBA coach Steve Kerr endorsed Harris and Walz and brought a hopeful tone to the convention.
"Think about what our team achieved with 12 Americans in Paris — putting aside rivalries to represent our country. Now imagine what we could do with all 350 million of us playing on the same team," Kerr said.
As he stepped into the political arena, his remarks focused on the qualities of what it takes to lead, including dignity, commitment to the truth and an ability to laugh at yourself — attributes he said both Harris and Walz have.
"They have devoted their lives to serving other people, whether Vice President Harris was defending her community in the courtroom or Gov. Walz was inspiring the next generation in the classroom, or on the field, for that matter."
Walz was an assistant football coach at Mankato West High School and helped bring back a winning tradition to the school in the form of a state championship.
"Coach to coach: That guy's awesome," Kerr said, though he joked that Walz had "way too much reliance on the blitz" as a coach.
And, he added, quoting "the great Steph Curry: We can tell Donald Trump, night night."
Walz says it's an important night to honor Biden
Walz said in a brief interview with MSNBC that it's an "important night for Democrats tonight to honor Joe Biden."
Asked about his role as the VP candidate, Walz said, "I can tell you this ticket, feeling that energy ... just a privilege."
Walz said of the campaign's bus tour in Pennsylvania over the weekend that there was "energy out there" and that it was "exciting."
Hillary Clinton to highlight Harris' "heart and her integrity" in tonight's speech
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will use her speech tonight to highlight Harris' "heart and her integrity," underscoring how Harris' experience sets her apart.
"We both got our start as young lawyers helping children who were abused or neglected. That kind of work changes you," Clinton will say, according to selected prepared remarks released by the Democratic National Convention Committee. "Those kids stay with you. Kamala carries with her the hopes of every child she protected, every family she helped, every community she served."
Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, will argue that Harris "has the character, experience and vision to lead us forward."
She will also take jabs at Trump, arguing that Harris "cares about kids, families and America" but that "Donald only cares about himself."
"On her first day in court, Kamala said five words that guide her still: ‘Kamala Harris, for the people,'" Clinton will say, according to the prepared remarks. "That’s something Donald Trump will never understand."