Daily Digest: The Democrats’ turn

Good morning, and happy Monday. The Democratic National Convention begins today in Philadelphia, and unlike the Republicans in Cleveland, several Minnesotans will speak from the stage. Like the Republicans, most of the Minnesota delegates will not support the person who will claim the nomination. It was Bernie Sanders, not Hillary Clinton who won big in the Minnesota Democratic caucuses back in March, and the delegation reflects that. With a reminder that like last week we'll have live convention coverage on the radio beginning at 7 p.m., let's take a look at the Digest.

1. Emails do not bring good news for Clinton. Of course she's still trying to get past the controversy surrounding her decision to use a private email server when she was secretary of state. And late last week Wikileaks released 20,000 hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee. They showed party leaders tried to undercut Bernie Sanders' campaign once it became clear he was gaining on Clinton, something that Sanders has been complaining about for months. Yesterday the latest email flap caused DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to announce she will step down after the convention. (NPR)

2. Maybe the oddest thing about the latest email scandal is where the leak appears to have originated. Clinton's campaign manager Robbie Mook suggested to ABC News Sunday that it came from Russia. And some cybersecurity experts agree that Russia may be trying to meddle with the election. Mook tried to tie the leak to Donald Trump's campaign, which called the allegation outrageous. (Washington Post)

3. Clinton's choice of Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine didn't appear to be an outreach to the Sanders' wing of the party. They think he's too conservative. Many of the members of the Minnesota delegation are still not sold on Clinton, even though Sanders endorsed her earlier this month. Clinton supporters note they were in the same situation eight years ago when it came to Barack Obama, and they ended up coming around.  (MPR News)

4. One problem for Clinton as she begins her convention is the simple fact that she has been around so long. It's tough to introduce yourself to the American people when they already know you. The challenge for her is whether she can convince large segments of the electorate to take another look. (New York Times)

5.  Clinton and Kaine sat for their first joint interview broadcast Sunday on 60 Minutes. Kaine said having a president who would be married to a former president is an "embarrassment of riches." Clinton said she would work with Bill Clinton and Barack Obama on the nation's problems. The two tried to present themselves as a positive alternative to the Trump/Pence ticket. About her trust issues, Clinton said she feels as if there's one standard for her and another for everyone else. (CBS News)

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.