DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

Amy Goodman Questions Fmr. President Jimmy Carter on Being Sidelined at DNC
Former President Jimmy Carter was removed from Monday’s speakers’ list in what appeared to be a last-minute change. The move immediately fueled speculation Carter is being sidelined for his outspoken criticism of the Bush administration and Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Amy Goodman asked Carter about his apparent demotion in the halls of the convention center. [includes rush transcript]

Clinton Calls on Supporters to Unite Behind Obama
Senator Hillary Clinton captured the limelight for the last time in the 2008 presidential campaign with her speech before the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night. Standing before thousands of delegates, nearly half of them her backers, Clinton endorsed Obama for the party’s nomination. [includes rush transcript]

Narrowing the Obama-Clinton Divide: A Roundtable Discussion
As Hillary Clinton delivers a prime-time address on the eve of Barack Obama’s presidential nomination, we host a roundtable discussion with Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America, who had been an active supporter of Clinton’s campaign and now supports Obama; Sacha Millstone, a Democratic delegate from Colorado, who remains a vocal supporter of Clinton; and Patricia Wilson-Smith, the founder of Black Women for Obama. [includes rush transcript–partial]

600 Arrested at Louisiana Factory in Largest Immigration Raid in US History
Nearly 600 people were arrested this week in a massive immigration raid on an electrical equipment factory in Laurel, Mississippi. The raid is now being described as the largest in US history, topping the May raid on a meat-processing plant in Postville, Iowa. [includes rush transcript]

"Operation First Casualty": Outside Democratic Convention, Iraq Veterans Against the War Re-Enact Raids on Iraqi Civilians
On the streets of Denver, outside the suites of the convention, Iraq Veterans Against the War organized a dramatic re-enactment of the raids they participated in while serving in Iraq. They called it “Operation First Casualty.”

Rep. Dennis Kucinich: "Wake Up America!"
Former presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich delivered one of the most passionate addresses Tuesday night. “Wake up, America. We went into Iraq for oil. The oil companies want more,” Kucinich said. “War against Iran will mean $10-a-gallon gasoline. The oil administration wants to drill more, into your wallet. Wake up, America. Weapons contractors want more. An Iran war will cost 5 to 10 trillion dollars.”

In Wake of Deadly U.S. Airstrike, Jeremy Scahill Questions Lawmakers About Obama's Afghanistan Policy
A UN probe in Afghanistan has backed claims of a massive civilian death toll from a U.S. air strike last Thursday. The UN mission in Kabul says investigators found some 90 civilians, including 60 children, were killed in the attack. Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill goes inside the Democratic National Convention to ask lawmakers about Barack Obama’s foreign policy plan to deploy an addition 7,000-9,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

Labor Groups Challenge Retail Giant Wal-Mart on Pressuring Employees to Vote Against Obama
Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, is being accused of violating federal election laws by urging its employees to vote against Senator Barack Obama in the November election. Last month the Wall Street Journal revealed Wal-Mart has been warning its managers that an Obama victory would lead to unionization at Wal-Mart stores. A coalition of prominent labor groups recently filed a complaint against Wal-Mart with the Federal Elections Commission.

Tarnished by Sex Scandal, John Edwards' Absence Reduces Focus on Poverty at Democratic Convention
John Edwards’ recent admission of an extra-marital affair effectively removed him from the 2008 campaign and jeopardized his political future. With his and his wife Elizabeth’s absence goes the Democrats’ leading voices on poverty in the United States. Chris Chafe, who served as a senior advisor to Edwards’ campaign says: “This is about a movement… We have to continue moving forward with all the values and strength and the policies and the leadership he brought to this race.”

When Off the Silver Screen, Actress Daryl Hannah Seen on Frontlines of Environmental Movements
Actress Daryl Hannah is in Denver this week to attend the Green Frontier Fest and other environmental events around the Democratic National Convention. Over the past 25 years, Hannah has starred in dozens of films, including Blade Runner, Splash and Kill Bill. But besides the big screen, Hannah can often be seen on the frontlines of various environmental movements. Last year she traveled to Ecuador to meet with indigenous groups suing Chevron to stop contaminating the Amazon and before that, she spent three weeks camped in a tree in a South Central Farm in Los Angeles.