The second night of the Democratic National Convention begins on Tuesday in Chicago.

Former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will speak at the DNC, a day after the unofficial farewell to President Joe Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president for eight years. Biden will not be in the hall to watch his former running mate’s speech because he left Chicago after delivering his own speech late Monday.

After Biden addresses the delegates, the entire focus of the week now turns to Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Below you will find regular updates on the conference:

Texas Democrats focus on abortion in 2024

By Louis Jacobson

CHICAGO — At the Texas Democratic National Convention, Democrats see the abortion issue as a point that can tip the election in their favor.

“We need to make sure that ‘liberty and justice for all’ includes women, and women need to have control over their bodies,” U.S. Rep. Al Green of Houston said Tuesday morning at a breakfast meeting of Texas delegates. “If you haven’t had a child, you actually have no right to be informed about what a woman does with her body.”

Politicians who don’t understand this, says Green, “are not fit to do their job because they don’t understand you.”

Under Republican leadership, Texas enacted a near-total abortion ban that has remained in effect since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down national abortion protections in Roe v. Wade in 2022.

U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch cited a woman who nearly bled to death in a Dallas suburb after struggling to get medical treatment following an ectopic pregnancy.

“This is inexcusable, and we must change it,” Johnson told the crowd. “We must change it. We must fight for the women of the state of Texas. Women across the country need us to fight so we can win.”

Another breakfast speaker, Gina Ortiz Jones, founded a political action committee called Find Out PAC, whose goal is to remove three Republican state Supreme Court justices who ruled against women suing Texas for what they say were delayed or denied abortions.

Jones, an Iraq War veteran who twice ran unsuccessfully for Congress and later served as undersecretary of the Air Force, said in an interview that the state’s strict abortion ban deters women from having abortions necessary to preserve their health.

“I think Texans feel this very strongly,” Jones said.

Harris appears via video at the end of the roll call

It was never in question, but Harris’ nomination as the Democratic nominee’s first female candidate was confirmed Tuesday night in a ceremonial vote by states. Harris was officially nominated in a virtual vote of delegates earlier this month.

After the roll call, a video of Harris and Walz’s campaign appearance in Milwaukee, where the two appeared on stage in the same arena where the Republicans held their convention last month, appeared in the convention hall. They took the stage to Beyoncé’s Freedomwhich has become the anthem of the election campaign.

“I thank everyone there and here for believing in what we can achieve together,” Harris said.

This split-screen moment created a striking image for Harris: two arenas full of fans at the same time.

Representing Texas in the roll call were Kate Cox, a Dallas-area woman who spoke about having to leave Texas after being denied a medically necessary abortion, and Cecile Richards, former president of Planned Parenthood and daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards.

“There is nothing family-friendly about banning abortion,” Cox said in the congressional hall. “There is nothing life-friendly about allowing women to suffer and even die.”

Read more about the appeal in Texas here.

Trump’s former press secretary supports Harris

Trump’s former White House press secretary told DNC delegates that she used to be a “true believer” and spent the holidays with the Trump family, but now she supports Harris.

Stephanie Grisham said Trump “mocks” his supporters behind closed doors and “has no empathy, no morals and no loyalty to the truth.”

As Trump’s press secretary, she did not hold press conferences and explained: “Unlike my boss, I never wanted to stand behind that podium and lie.”

This fall, Grisham said, she is supporting Harris because the Democrat “tells the truth, she respects the American people and she has my vote.”

Grisham resigned from her White House post following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, becoming the first senior official that day to take the step.

James Taylor is not mad that he was thrown off the DNC stage

Singer James Taylor said it was an honor to be at the Democratic National Convention, even though his performance on Monday night was cut short due to time constraints.

Taylor was supposed to sing his 1971 hit You have a friend accompanied by cellist Owen Young and singers Kenya Hathaway and Matthew Johnson before President Joe Biden’s speech. But convention officials said they had to make cuts because the “loud applause” interrupted the speakers and lengthened the program.

“As the evening progressed, it became clear that we had no time for our You have a friend with cello and voices,” Taylor said in a statement Tuesday. “Perhaps the organizers could not have anticipated the wild reaction from the United Center audience.”

He added: “I’m sorry to disappoint you. But it was a great and inspiring, all-American moment. It was an honor to be a part of it.”

The DNC roll call will be ceremonial but festive

The Democratic delegates have already voted virtually to nominate Harris as their presidential candidate.

Regardless, a ceremonial vote by in-person attendance and roll-calling will take place on Tuesday – and it is expected to be a real party.

A congressional spokesperson said the roll call will feature a live DJ playing songs representing each of the 57 delegations present, as well as music, lighting, visuals and special effects.

The spokesperson said those attending in person or tuning in from home can expect to hear a diverse range of voices during the roll call, including elected officials at all levels of government and delegates who will share personal stories.

Voting begins with Delaware, Biden’s home state, and ends with California and Minnesota, the home states of Harris and Walz.

Texas was the focus on the first day of the DNC

• U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett of Dallas was relentless in her criticism of former President Donald Trump and used her trademark biting wit to portray Vice President Kamala Harris as a caring public servant committed to working “for the people.”
• Amanda and Josh Zurawski of Austin put a Texas face on the case for abortion access when they took the stage on opening night of the Democratic National Convention. In a video introduction, Amanda emotionally described the pregnancy complications that almost certainly meant the death of her daughter, Willow. Still, she said, doctors refused to treat her because the state’s strict abortion ban went into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
• Grammy-nominated country music artist Mickey Guyton, born in Arlington and raised in Texas, sang a rousing version of her song “All American.” Editor Gromer Jeffers Jr. spoke with her father and others about a performance that resonated with delegates and delighted her family and friends back home. Read his story here.