Good evening. I'm Jeff Bennett and I'm on the Navas here in Chicago for the first day of the Democratic National Convention on the news hour tonight.

President Joe Biden prepares to speak not as a candidate but in support of his replacement.

How the convention has been revamped for the Harris Wall's ticket that's reinvigorated

the Democratic base.

People are engaged, people are hopeful, people are getting involved.

Tamra Keith and Amy Walter weigh in on former President Donald Trump's efforts to counter

program the DNC with a tour through crucial swing states. And the US

calls this maybe the last moment to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. A look at the efforts to at least pause the

war and stave off a broader regional conflict. Welcome to the news hour. Democrats will kick off their convention tonight

here in Chicago. A very different event than was being planned just one month ago.

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to formally accept her party's nomination for

president later this week, but tonight will culminate with a speech from the current

occupant of the White House, that's President Joe Biden, who ended his own campaign for

re-election last month, clearing the way for Harris.

Laura Barone Lopez is here on the convention floor.

She's been reporting on Harris's surge in polling.

Laura.

I'm now and Jeff from business owners to college students.

Democrats have a new sense of hope around Vice President

Harris's nomination, and I've been speaking to voters here in Chicago

to see if Harris can maintain that energy from now until November.

If he can make more of these because people are coming.

...