Fmr. President Obama rallies support for Harris at Night 2 of DNC

Former President Barack Obama headlined night two of the DNC, rallying support behind Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency. And Russian officials say Moscow came under the largest attack by Ukrainian drones since the war began over two years ago. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024.

Former President Obama rallies support for Harris at Night 2 of DNC

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will formally accept the nomination for vice president at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago Wednesday night. Among those set to speak on night three of the DNC is former President Bill Clinton. 

Tuesday, Aug. 20, was a night of Democratic Party star power — including speeches from the Obamas. 

Former President Barack Obama closed out the night by rallying up the crowd and throwing his full support behind Vice President Kamala Harris while speaking out against her opponent, former President Donald Trump.

“We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos,” Obama said. “We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse. America is ready for a new chapter. America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”  

While the DNC speeches were unfolding, Harris was about 90 miles away from the convention campaigning in Milwaukee. She took a brief pause to make a virtual appearance by live stream into the DNC Tuesday night. 

Her running mate, Gov. Walz, will headline night three with a primetime speech Wednesday night.

Running mate says RFK Jr. can stay in the race or back Trump

Former President Donald Trump is continuing a rally blitz across battleground states. He spent Tuesday, Aug. 20, campaigning in Michigan with an emphasis on crime and inflation. 

On Wednesday, Trump will join his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, in North Carolina. 

This comes as it looks like Trump could potentially pick up an endorsement from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan. Shanahan said on a podcast they have two options: stay in the race or join forces with Trump to avoid a Kamala Harris presidency. 

RFK Jr. has yet to comment on this direction of his campaign, but said Tuesday he is open to talks with other political parties with similar goals. 

As always, I am willing to talk with leaders of any political party to further the goals I have served for 40 years in my career and in this campaign. These are: reversing the chronic disease epidemic, ending the war machine, cleaning corporate influence out of government and…

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 20, 2024

A CNN reporter asked Trump whether he would consider RFK Jr. for a spot in his administration following the news of the potential endorsement. Trump said he is open to the idea.

Matt Gaetz defeats McCarthy-backed candidate in Florida primary

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, R, won his primary Tuesday, Aug. 20. He defeated Navy veteran Aaron Dimmock, the candidate backed by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-La., in the deep-red 1st district of the Florida panhandle. 

McCarthy and his allies had targeted Gaetz as well as three other Republicans who voted to oust him from the speakership late last year. 

McCarthy did claim one win — helping to defeat House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R, in Virginia earlier this summer. However, South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace and Arizona Rep. Eli Crane won each of their races despite the opposition from McCarthy.

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez officially resigns after bribery conviction

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, D, has officially resigned. Tuesday, Aug, 20, was his last day in office. 

It comes just over a month after a jury convicted him on federal bribery charges. 

The state’s Democratic governor is tapping former top aide George Helmy to succeed the three-term incumbent until the November election results for the Senate seat are certified. It’s a high stakes race, with Democrats holding a narrow majority in the Senate.

Russia says it fought off Ukraine’s largest drone attack yet on Moscow

Russian officials said they shot down at least 12 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow late Aug. 20 night and early Aug. 21 morning, local time. Russia said it was part of one of the largest drone attacks since the Russia-Ukraine War began in 2022. 

While it’s not clear how many drones were launched in total, Russia said it took out more than 45 over various regions. 

🇺🇦 Watch: Ukraine launches largest drone attack on Moscow

Eleven drones were destroyed over the Russian capital and its surrounding areas overnight, the country's defence ministry said.

Follow the latest ⬇️https://t.co/r8MZvXWJGM pic.twitter.com/csywHL8u0I

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 21, 2024

The attacks come as Russia is advancing in eastern Ukraine while also trying to fight off Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region — which is the biggest foreign attack on Russian territory since World War II.

Federal judge blocks FTC’s rule banning noncompete agreements

The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) plan to ban noncompete agreements in the workplace is no longer happening — at least for now. On Tuesday, Aug. 20, a federal judge in Texas blocked the new rule that would have made it easier for employees to quit a job and go work for a competitor or start a competing business. 

The judge ruled the FTC “exceeded its statutory authority” in making its decision back in April and said the ban would cause irreparable harm. The FTC has previously said noncompete agreements restrict workers’ freedoms and suppress wages. 

The rule was to take effect on Sept. 4. An FTC spokesperson said the agency is considering appealing the judge’s decision.