The Latest: Boos and cheers interrupt Dem convention chair
PHILADELPHIA — The Latest on the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia (all times EDT):
5 p.m.
The Ohio congresswoman who’s the chair of the Democratic National Convention got an earful from a rowdy group of delegates in the convention’s opening moments.
During Marcia Fudge’s opening remarks, she was halted by boos and chants from Bernie Sanders’ delegates at any mention of presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton.
But also cheers — from Clinton’s supporters. At one point, there were chants of “Let her speak!”
Fudge asked for respect and promised to deliver it in turn.
She said, “We are all Democrats and we need to act like it.”
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4:55 p.m.
Donald Trump is suggesting China may have been involved in the hack of the Democratic National Committee’s email system — even though there’s no evidence to indicate Chinese involvement.
Trump made the comment at an event in Virginia — and it comes in reference to the decision by Democratic National Committee head Debbie Wasserman Schultz to step down in the wake of the email disclosure.
Here’s what Trump said, with sarcasm: “Little did she know that China, Russia — one of our many, many friends — came in and hacked the hell out of us.”
The cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Inc. discovered traces of at least two sophisticated hacking groups on the Democrats’ network — and both have ties to the Russian government.
Trump’s campaign has laughed off suggestions that the Russians may be trying to influence the election in the Republican’s favor.
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4:50 p.m.
Donald Trump says Hillary Clinton made a mistake when she picked Tim Kaine as her running mate. Trump says the Virginia senator is “the opposite” of what supporters of Clinton rival Bernie Sanders wanted.
Trump says Clinton should have picked a more liberal running mate to satisfy Sanders’ supporters.
Trump calls Kaine “a weird little dude” and a political “hack,” and says Kaine’s record is far eclipsed by that of the GOP vice presidential candidate, Indiana Gov, Mike Pence.
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4:45 p.m.
The Democratic National Committee is offering its “deep and sincere apology” to Bernie Sanders, his supporters and the entire party for what it calls “the inexcusable remarks made over email.”
The statement from incoming interim party leader, Donna Brazile, and six other officials says the comments in the emails “do not reflect the values of the DNC or our steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process.”
The statement says the party won’t tolerate disrespectful language.
The statement wasn’t signed by the outgoing DNC head, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
She announced on Sunday that she’d step down from that job at the end of this week’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
The emails suggested party officials favored Clinton over rival Sanders during the primaries.
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4:15 p.m.
Democrats have gaveled in their convention in Philadelphia — after a day of discord that sent the party chief into exile.
It was Baltimore’s mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who called the 47th Democratic convention to order. Her formal welcome was briefly held up a slight oversight — she forgot the gavel and had to retrieve it off stage.
Rawlings-Blake is a last-minute fill-in Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the ousted Democratic National Committee leader.
The Florida congresswoman was forced out of her post by a trove of leaked emails that appeared to show DNC officials favored Hillary Clinton over Sanders in their fierce primary fight. She’s set to step down from the party job after the convention.
Rawlings-Blake serves as secretary of the DNC.
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4 p.m.
Donald Trump says the Democrats’ outgoing party head, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is “highly over-rated,” and he’s accusing Hillary Clinton of throwing Wasserman Schultz “under the bus.”
Trump tells supporters in Roanoke, Virginia, that Clinton’s “disloyalty was incredible” for allowing Wasserman Schultz to be pushed out.
Her exit comes after the release of hacked emails that suggest some Democratic National Committee staff members favored Clinton over primary rival Bernie Sanders.
Trump claims Wasserman Schultz “worked very hard to rig the system” in Clinton’s favor.
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3:34 p.m.
Hillary Clinton says she opposes a Senate bill that would slow growth rates for housing and education benefits for veterans.
Some veterans groups call that a cut because benefits may not keep up with inflation.
Clinton tells the Veterans of Foreign Wars Monday that she’d fight against the cuts. They’re part of a bill to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs and make it easier to fire employees for wrongdoing.
Clinton faults Republicans for “chipping away” at veterans benefits.
Republicans point out that 28 Democrats have co-sponsored the Senate bill, including Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Clinton’s newly announced running mate.
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3:31 p.m.
Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence, are holding their first campaign event since the GOP convention.
The setting is a town hall event in Roanoke, Virginia.
Trump is planning a busy week of events as the Democrats hold their convention in Philadelphia.
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2:38 p.m.
The White House is pitching first lady Michelle Obama’s speech Monday night as a barometer of party unity.
Democrats are trying to overcome anger from Bernie Sanders supporters to the leaked emails indicating staffers at the Democratic National Committee favored Hillary Clinton in the primary race.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest says he’s confident the first lady will be warmly received at the Democratic National Convention. He says the first lady will give voice to the values and agenda that the Obama administration has pursued over the past seven years.
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2:33 p.m.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has been chosen to gavel in the Democratic convention in place of the party’s chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Rawlings-Blake is secretary of the Democratic National Committee.
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2:27 p.m.
Former Vice President Al Gore is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president, but says he’s “not able” to attend the Democratic National Convention this week.
Gore tweets that he’s voting for Clinton “given her qualifications and experience — and given the significant challenges facing our nation and the world.” He’s not saying why he’s not attending the convention.
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2:23 p.m.
Delegates for Bernie Sanders say they don’t want to be taken for granted.
Amos Miers of St. Petersburg, Florida, says Sanders should do more explaining before instructing supporters to get behind Clinton. Miers says Sanders’ supporters are “not going to get steamrolled.”
Colorado delegate Anita Lynch says she “had to boo” and wants to take some type of action later on the convention floor.
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1:50 p.m.
Bernie Sanders drew boos and angry chants from his delegates as he urged Hillary Clinton’s election.
Many in the crowd chanted, “We want Bernie” as Democrats gathered in Philadelphia to nominate Clinton.
Sanders says electing Clinton is the way to stop Republican Donald Trump from becoming president. Sanders calls the GOP nominee “a bully and a demagogue.”
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1:36 p.m.
The outgoing head of the Democratic Party says she won’t gavel her party’s national convention to order.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz tells the Sun Sentinel newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that she made the decision “in the interest of making sure that we can start the Democratic convention on a high note.”
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1:23 p.m.
Bernie Sanders says Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s departure from the Democratic National Committee will “open the doors of the party to people who want real change.”
To roaring cheers from delegates in Philadelphia, Sanders also is promoting progressive victories in the Democratic party platform and over future nominating rules.
Sanders says his supporters should continue to push for the “transformation of American society.”
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1:17 p.m.
Bernie Sanders is thanking his delegates at a meeting before the Democratic National Convention, saying “make no mistake about it, we have made history.”
Sanders addressed over a thousand delegates packed into a ballroom at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, in advance of the Democratic National Convention.
Sanders says his candidacy proved that “the American people want a bold progressive agenda that takes on the billionaire class.”
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12:08 p.m.
Hillary Clinton is offering a scathing critique of Donald Trump’s foreign policy.
Clinton is slamming many of Trump’s positions without mentioning his name. She is pledging to stand by American allies, fight dictators and listen to the advice of military officials.
Clinton is speaking at the annual conference of the Veterans of Foreign Wars during a campaign swing through Charlotte, North Carolina.
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11:40 a.m.
Tim Kaine is getting another chance to show off his Spanish skills in an interview with Spanish-language network Telemundo.
The network says Hillary Clinton’s pick for her running mate will discuss immigration, the leak of Democratic National Committee emails and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, among other topics.
The interview will air Monday evening.
Kaine is fluent in Spanish thanks in part to a year in Honduras as a Catholic missionary before graduating from law school.
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11:37 a.m.
The FBI has confirmed that agents are investigating a cyberattack involving the Democratic National Committee that resulted in the release this weekend in embarrassing emails.
The FBI says it will “continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace.”
Emails arising from the hack were posted over the weekend to WikiLeaks. Their release led party leader Debbie Wasserman Schultz to announce her resignation.
A cybersecurity firm that looked into the DNC breach found traces of at least two sophisticated hacking groups on the Democrats’ network — both of which have ties to the Russian government.
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10:57 a.m.
Donald Trump will take questions from the public on a web forum during the third night of the Democratic National Convention.
The Republican presidential nominee will participate in an “Ask Me Anything” event Wednesday night on Reddit. Users can begin asking questions at 6:30 p.m. and Trump will start responding at 7 p.m.
No topics are off limits on the forums, which have become a popular Internet staple.