5 things to know for Aug. 21: DNC, Chicago protests, RFK Jr., Ukraine, Superyacht sinks
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The launch of Boeing’s long-delayed 777X aircraft has encountered another problem, forcing the company to pause testing. It’s another setback for the airplane maker, which is already embroiled in a safety crisis after a door plug blew off a 737 Max flight earlier this year. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and second gentleman Doug Emhoff were the big speakers on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The Obamas delivered an impassioned call to American voters and pledged to continue their efforts to help Vice President Kamala Harris in the final 11 weeks of her presidential campaign. Emhoff used his speech to show a personal side of Harris, who he described as the anchor of their family. While Harris skipped night two of the DNC to campaign in Milwaukee, she symbolically accepted the party’s presidential nomination after delegates at the convention held a ceremonial roll call. The speaker lineup today includes Harris’ running mate Tim Walz, former President Bill Clinton, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In today’s “One Thing” podcast, CNN’s David Rind travels to the DNC to hear from Democrats about how Harris has injected energy into the race — and if that enthusiasm will translate into votes. Listen here. Large protests are erupting outside the Democratic National Convention this week, including clashes with police in the streets of Chicago. Crews set up an additional line of security fences in the area on Tuesday — a day after a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, rallying against US support for Israel in its war against Hamas, breached a barrier near the United Center. Tuesday’s protests also saw some tense moments outside the Israeli Consulate in Chicago where protesters and police in helmets began pushing and shoving, a CNN crew observed. Hundreds of officers have taken to the streets, clearing the roadway and sidewalks. It’s unclear how many arrests had been made Tuesday but multiple people appeared to be detained by police. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering dropping out of the 2024 race and endorsing former President Donald Trump, his running mate Nicole Shanahan said in an interview Tuesday. She framed the decision as an effort to reduce “the risk” of Vice President Kamala Harris becoming president, arguing Kennedy pulls more votes from Trump than from Harris. When asked about the role Kennedy could play in a future Trump administration, Shanahan speculated that her running mate may be open to taking a role as secretary of health and human services. Trump said Tuesday he would “certainly” be open to Kennedy playing a role in his administration. This comes as new filings also show Kennedy is facing dwindling campaign resources and nearly $3.5 million in outstanding debts.
Speaker Mike Johnson is a political survivor, weathering crisis after crisis since his unlikely ascent two years ago.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Elena Kagan are well matched, rhetorically forceful opposites. And they have been clashing for more than a decade over an increasingly relevant question of presidential power: How easy should it be for the president to fire the heads of independent agencies?
The Army gynecologist described in a recent lawsuit as a “predator in uniform” is now being held in the Bell County Jail in Texas, “after apparently violating conditions of liberty imposed by his commander,” according to an Army spokesperson.
Brian Walshe on Thursday came face-to-face for the first time with the man who had been having an affair with his wife before her death, as he took the stand to testify in Walshe’s murder trial.
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Texas to use a congressional map that will boost President Donald Trump’s effort to keep Republicans in control of Congress, blocking a lower court decision that found the new boundaries were likely unconstitutional because they were drawn based on race.
The US military carried out a strike Thursday on a suspected drug boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing four people on board, according to a social media post from US Southern Command.
A grand jury voted against indicting New York Attorney General Letitia James after being asked to look at the mortgage fraud case against her a second time, according to multiple people familiar with the development Thursday.
National Guard troops deployed to Washington, DC, can remain there for now, after a federal appeals court on Thursday temporarily froze a judge’s ruling that would have soon required them to leave the city’s streets.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s bad week just got worse. That’s after the long-awaited release Thursday of an inspector general’s report on his sharing of highly sensitive military attack plans on the unclassified app Signal earlier this year.
President Donald Trump has hired a new architect for the White House ballroom amid disputes between the president and his architect originally contracted to complete the project, several sources have told CNN.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.
If nothing else, the controversy over the Trump administration’s second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean has surfaced a long-overdue debate about its already legally dubious first strikes.
Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.