Day 1 of Democratic National Convention, Biden slated to speak tonight

[KARAH RUCKER]

THE STAGE IS SET IN CHICAGO THIS MORNING — 

WHERE WE’LL SEE THE START OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION. 

IT’S A FOUR DAY EVENT — THAT WILL END WITH VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND GOVERNOR TIM WALZ FORMALLY ACCEPTING THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATIONS FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. 

HARRIS — ARRIVING IN CHICAGO ON SUNDAY AHEAD OF THE START OF THE DNC. 

PART OF THE AGENDA FOR DAY ONE — SPECIAL TRIBUTES ARE PLANNED TO HONOR TONIGHT’S HEADLINE SPEAKER — PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN. 

TONIGHT YOU CAN EXPECT TO ALSO SEE FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON. 

OTHER SPEAKERS YOU’LL SEE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS INCLUDE FORMER PRESIDENTS BARACK OBAMA AND BILL CLINTON. 

FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI AND FORMER FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA ARE ALSO SLATED SPEAKERS. 

THE CITY’S MAYOR SAYS CHICAGO IS “PREPARED AND READY” — BEEFING UP SECURITY INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CONVENTION — 

WITH THOUSANDS OF GAZA WAR PROTESTERS PLANNING TO DESCEND ON THE CITY OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. 

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS RELEASED SOME OF ITS KEY POLICY POINTS IT EXPECTS TO ADDRESS OVER THE NEXT FOUR DAYS. 

THAT INCLUDES RAISING THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE TO 15 DOLLARS PER HOUR. 

MAKING THE CHILD TAX CREDIT PERMANENT. 

AND IVF AND ABORTION PROTECTIONS. 

A SNAPSHOT OF THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL — 

HARRIS AND WALZ SPENT TIME IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA BEFORE HARRIS’ ARRIVAL IN CHICAGO. 

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL BE BACK IN PENNSYLVANIA TODAY AFTER ALSO SPENDING TIME OVER THE WEEKEND IN THE KEYSTONE STATE. 

A NEW ABC POLL HAS HARRIS LEADING TRUMP OVERALL 50 TO 45 PERCENT. 

BUT TRUMP IS LEADING HARRIS ON KEY ISSUES FOR VOTERS — MORE PEOPLE SAYING THEY TRUST TRUMP OVER HARRIS ON HANDLING OF THE BORDER AND THE ECONOMY. 

FORMER REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN GEORGE SANTOS IS EXPECTED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES IN A NEW YORK COURTROOM THIS AFTERNOON — A REVERSAL OF HIS PREVIOUS PLEA OF **NOT GUILTY. 

SANTOS — WHO WAS EXPELLED FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES — FACES 23 FELONY CHARGES INCLUDING DEFRAUDING DONORS, LYING ABOUT HIS FINANCES AND NEEDLESSLY ACCEPTING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS — AMONG OTHER THINGS. 

A GUILTY PLEA WOULD AVOID A TRIAL — WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN NEXT MONTH. 

SOURCES CLOSE TO THE MATTER SAY DURING TODAY’S HEARING… SANTOS IS EXPECTED TO GIVE A STATEMENT ACKNOWLEDGING THE CRIMES HE HAS AGREED TO PLEAD TO.

TO THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST — 

SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN IS IN ISRAEL TODAY MEETING WITH TOP ISRAELI OFFICIALS BEFORE TRAVELING TO EGYPT for ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS to REACH A CEASEFIRE AND HOSTAGE RELEASE AGREEMENT. 

THIS IS HIS NINTH TRIP TO THE REGION SINCE THE WAR FIRST BEGAN — 

TELLING THE MEDIA AT A PRESS EVENT IN TEL AVIV — 

THIS IS THEIR BEST — AND PERHAPS LAST CHANCE AT REACHING A DEAL. 

ANTONY BLINKEN | U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE 

This is a decisive moment. Probably the best, maybe the last opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security. 

NETANYAHU’S OFFICE HAS EXPRESSED “CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM” THAT A DEAL CAN BE REACHED — 

BUT HAMAS IS ACCUSING ISRAEL OF STALLING EFFORTS TO REACH A DEAL IN ORDER TO CONTINUE STRIKING INSIDE GAZA. 

ISRAEL IS STILL BRACING FOR A POTENTIAL ATTACK BY IRAN — ADDING MORE PRESSURE FOR COMPROMISE AT THE NEGOTIATION TABLE.

A NEW BIDEN ADMINISTRATION POLICY WILL ALLOW SOME SPOUSES OF U-S CITIZENS WHO DO NOT HAVE LEGAL PERMISSION TO STAY IN THE U-S — TO LEGALIZE THEIR STATUS *WITHOUT* HAVING TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. 

THAT INITIATIVE STARTS *TODAY*. 

IT’S KNOWN AS “PAROLE IN PLACE” — THE NEW POLICY ALLOWING MIGRANT SPOUSES TO APPLY FOR A GREEN CARD AND EVENTUALLY GET ON A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP. 

TO BE ELIGIBLE… THEY MUST HAVE BEEN CONTINUOUSLY IN THE U-S FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS — 

NOT POSE A SECURITY THREAT OR HAVE A DISQUALIFYING CRIMINAL HISTORY — 

AND HAVE BEEN MARRIED TO A U.S. CITIZEN **BEFORE JUNE 17 — THE DAY BEFORE THE PROGRAM WAS ANNOUNCED.THEY MUST ALSO PAY A 580 DOLLAR FEE TO APPLY AND FILL OUT AN APPLICATION — EXPLAINING **WHY THEY DESERVE HUMANITARIAN PAROLE AND PROVIDING A LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS PROVING HOW LONG THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE COUNTRY. 

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SAYS ABOUT 500-THOUSAND PEOPLE COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR “PAROLE IN PLACE” — PLUS ABOUT 50-THOUSAND OF THEIR CHILDREN.

EGG PRICES ARE ON THE RISE — AGAIN. 

ACCORDING TO THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX — EGG PRICES WERE UP BY NEARLY 20 PERCENT IN JULY… AND ECONOMISTS SAY INFLATION IS *NOT* THE ISSUE THIS TIME. 

RATHER — IT’S BELIEVED TO BE THE ONGOING BIRD FLU OUTBREAK LIMITING THE SUPPLY OF EGGS. 

THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS SAYS THE AVERAGE RATE FOR A DOZEN LARGE, GRADE A EGGS TOPPED 3 DOLLARS IN JULY — FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN A YEAR. 

JULY ALSO MARKED THE THIRD MONTH EGG PRICES ROSE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS — A 1-80 AFTER A YEAR OF RELATIVE DECREASES.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – WE HAVE SOME MORE IMPORTANT CONSUMER NEWS THAT MAY AFFECT YOUR MEAL PLANNING TODAY.   

PERDUE FARMS IS RECALLING OVER 167 THOUSAND POUNDS OF ITS FROZEN CHICKEN PRODUCTS – HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. 

THE COMPANY HAS VOLUNTARILY RECALLED THE ITEMS AFTER A FOREIGN MATERIAL IDENTIFIED AS A THIN STRAND OF METAL WIRE – WAS FOUND IN SOME PACKAGES. 

THE PRODUCTS ARE THE PERDUE SIMPLY SMART ORGANIC GLUTEN-FREE BREADED CHICKEN BREAST NUGGETS, THE BREADED CHICKEN BREAST TENDERS AND THE BUTCHER BOX ORGANIC FREE FULLY FROZEN-COOKED BREAST CHICKEN NUGGETS. 

ALL HAVE A “BEST-IF-USED-BY DATE” OF MARCH 23RD 2025. 

PERDUE SAYS NO ILLNESSES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AND THE RECALL WAS ISSUED OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION.