🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024
The presidential election is less than 80 days away. This is what we’re watching.
The Democratic National Convention begins
Today in Chicago, officials and delegates assembled for the first day of the Democratic National Convention. Here’s the latest on the race.
The convention’s first day will include a speech by President Biden. The second day will focus on Democrats’ message of optimism to contrast with the Republican refrain that the country’s best days are gone. On the final two days, Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, will formally accept the nomination.
Big names are scheduled to speak, like Barack and Michelle Obama. New stars also emerge at conventions, and our reporters will be looking to see who they are. Here’s how to watch.
Your questions: We asked readers what they’d like to know about the election. We gave today’s question to Lisa Lerer, who covers national politics and is on the ground in Chicago:
Why is it that abortion rights are/seem so central to the election? Is it really going to be a decisive factor? — Alex Leibik, Berlin
Lisa: While abortion rights had been perceived as a divisive issue by both parties, the reality was that majorities of Americans have supported some form of legalized abortion for decades. Many voters just didn’t believe that a right so established in American life could disappear.
When the Supreme Court overturned a federal right to abortion in 2022, the decision transformed abortion rights into a galvanizing issue for a new coalition of liberal, independent and moderate Republican voters. Conservative state legislatures have continued to pass restrictions on the procedure, keeping the topic central for this energized group of voters who’ve rewarded Democrats with a series of electoral victories.
The issue is likely to remain a dominant one in 2024: Polling shows voters continue to list abortion as a top issue.
If you’d like your question answered, send it to us here.
Here’s what else to know:
Stay up-to-date: Live coverage | Poll tracker | The “Run-Up” podcast | On Politics newsletter
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CONVERSATION STARTERS
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ARTS AND IDEAS
The abuse and injuries behind Shen Yun’s spectacle
Shen Yun Performing Arts began two decades ago as a Chinese dance show staged at high-end venues to entertain and spread the message of the Falun Gong religious movement, which has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party. Soon the dance group was enjoying brisk ticket sales on five continents and holdings of more than $265 million.
But some of the dancers, mostly teens and young adults, told The Times that they had been coerced into performing with serious injuries, and that they were told that medical treatment was a crutch of the unfaithful. Most described feeling like an expendable commodity as the group focused on spreading its views and raking in cash.
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