5 vital stories to know this week [8/25]
From Democrats excluding a Palestinian speaker from their convention to RFK Jr. exiting the presidential race to endorse Trump, here are 5 vital stories to know this week.
Kamala Harris accepts the nomination for President of the United States
On Thursday, Kamala Harris made history by officially accepting the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, becoming the first Black, South Asian woman to be nominated for president by a major U.S. political party.
“On behalf of the people, on behalf of every American regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks; on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey; on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams, and look out for one another; on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth. I accept your nomination for president of the United States of America.”
Democrats refused to give Palestinian Americans DNC speaking slot
The Democratic National Convention, which has included a variety of speakers, including Republicans, abortion-rights advocates, families of hostages kidnapped by Hamas, and A-list celebrities, denied the request of pro-Palestinian, “uncommitted” delegates to speak for 5 minutes at the DNC.
"We were hopeful because Vice President Harris' team has been engaging with us. They've been calling, they've been having conversations, and we told them what our policy ask is," delegate Abbas Alawieh told reporters on Wednesday, who-co founded the Uncommitted Movement, which aims to pressure Kamala Harris to support a weapons embargo on Israel.
"I got a call shortly after our press conference earlier, the call said, 'Abbas, the answer is no.' I said, 'What do you mean? We're just asking for our voices to be heard.'"
In response, the group of about 40 delegates and supporters outside staged a 24-hour "sit in," telling reporters they would not get up until Harris or someone from her team called them with an answer other than no.
Their request was still declined.
“This was a simple ask,” said Rima Mohammad, an uncommitted delegate from Michigan told the group of reporters outside the DNC. “Abbas worked tirelessly for a simple ask — to be heard, to share the stories of the Palestinian people, my people, that are struggling in Gaza, that are struggling in Israel, that are struggling in the West Bank.”
CONTEXT: Chicago is home to the largest Palestinian diaspora in the country and is known as ‘little Palestine.’
RFK Jr. suspends campaign; endorses former President Trump
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced at a rally in Arizona on Friday that he is suspending his campaign and endorsing former President Trump.
“These are the principal causes that persuaded me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent, and now to throw my support to President Trump,” Kennedy said at his event in Phoenix.
Kennedy said that he would be removing his name from swing states such as Arizona but would remain on the ballot in Democratic and Republican-majority states like California and Texas.
Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, floated the idea that Kennedy could join Trump’s administration as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from multiple members of the Kennedy family, who have denounced the endorsement of Trump as a "betrayal."
"We want an America filled with hope and bound together by a shared vision of a brighter future, a future defined by individual freedom, economic promise and national pride," said a statement signed by five of the former independent presidential candidate's siblings.
16 Republican-Led States Challenge Program to Aid Undocumented Spouses
Texas and 15 other GOP-led states have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration to block a new immigration program that could grant citizenship pathways to nearly half a million undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens. The initiative allows undocumented spouses to apply for "parole in place," enabling them to stay in the U.S., obtain a green card, and eventually pursue citizenship without leaving the country. The program also aims to benefit about 50,000 stepchildren under 21, offering them a route to permanent residency.
The lawsuit contends that the program, which began accepting applications this week, bypasses Congress and is politically motivated.
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