Barack Obama’s fiery DNC speech and highest rate of job seekers in a decade: Morning Rundown

Michelle and Barack Obama make the case for Kamala Harris. A survey shows Americans are seeking new jobs at the highest rate in a decade. And Jennifer Lopez files for divorce from Ben Affleck.

Here’s what to know today.

The Obamas get Democrats fired up for Harris

Former President Barack Obama played the role of elder statesman in last night’s keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, conveying a message of hope, admiration and determination. “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling fired up,” he said in a callback to the early days of his own campaign in the city where he forged his political career. 

His speech was a reminder of Democratic principles; a road map for the party’s future; a tribute to his former VP President Joe Biden; a call to Americans to spurn divisiveness; and, maybe most importantly, an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. Obama ticked through her accomplishments, including her actions to lower health care costs. 

The speech wasn’t without criticisms of Harris’ Republican opponent. One of the biggest laughs of the night came when Obama took a shot at former President Donald Trump for having “this weird obsession with crowd sizes,” while making a pointed accompanying gesture that drew cheers from the crowd.

Before Obama’s speech, former First Lady Michelle Obama had some jabs of her own, chiding Trump for his repeated use of the term “Black jobs.” “Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs?’” she asked.

Read the full story here.

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More Democratic National Convention coverage: 

• Watch highlights from Night Two of the DNC in 3 minutes.
• Protesters were arrested last night near the convention after a pro-Palestinian group with militant leanings refused to disperse.
• Meanwhile in Milwaukee, Harris and Walz rallied in the same venue where Trump accepted the GOP presidential nomination a few weeks ago.
• Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, introduced the country to “momala,” seeking to humanize Harris as a “joyful warrior” and loving co-parent. 
• In her speech, former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham talked about working for the former president during the Covid pandemic and the moment on Jan. 6 that pushed her to resign.
• A surprise performance from rapper Lil John — plus a DJ, popular music and special guests — made a celebration out of the roll call.
• Here’s why protesters outside the DNC have far outnumbered those at the Republicans’ convention.
• With President Biden speaking Monday, former President Obama last night and former President Clinton tonight, this week’s convention showcases the Democratic Party’s institutional strength, NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd writes. Read the full analysis.
• Despite Dems’ apparent strength, there are still internal fissures that are hard to miss.
• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s comments about GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance and abortion access sparked an outcry from Vance himself.
• RFK Jr. running mate Nicole Shanahan said in a new interview that the third-party presidential campaign has “two options”: Drop out and back Trump or stay in the race but “risk” a Harris presidency.

Video shows the moments before superyacht goes down 

Before the Bayesian superyacht sank off Sicily on Monday, the craft could be seen in grainy images being lashed by a storm, appearing bent to one side. Then, the yacht disappears, replaced by darkness. The newly released video of those fateful moments was obtained as the search continues for six of the 21 people who were aboard the vessel, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter. They are believed to be trapped in the ship’s hull, nearly 170 feet underwater. 

Experts say the speed with which a yacht built to handle rough conditions capsized was stunning. “It’s extremely rare for a boat of this size to sink,” said Capt. Stephen Richter of SAR marine Consulting, Inc. What’s not rare, experts say, is the kind of storm that sank the Bayesian.

Americans searching for jobs at highest rate in a decade

Americans’ outlook on the economy is worsening, with the highest rates of people looking for a job or worried that they’ll lose their job in a decade. The New York Federal Reserve’s latest poll of consumers found that 28.4% of respondents were on the job hunt, the highest reading since March 2014 and up from 19.4% a year ago. Meanwhile, the average expected likelihood of becoming unemployed rose to 4.4%, up from 3.9% a year ago and the highest level ever recorded for the survey, which goes back to 2014.

Despite Americans’ apparent fears, economic forecasters say that a full-blown recession remains unlikely. Layoffs are low, and 80.9% of people aged 25 to 54 are employed, one expert said. However, there are signs that the U.S. economy is entering a significantly softer period.

The end of Bennifer, again

More than two years after Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck tied the knot, the couple has called it quits. Lopez filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court, according to documents. A source close to the singer said the couple did not have a prenup.

The couple first broke off their first engagement in the early 2000s. After 17 years apart, the couple announced in 2022 that they were once again engaged, and they married in July of that year. Rumors began to swirl a few months ago that they were on the outs. Read the full story here.

Politics in Brief 

Primary results: Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz won his Florida primary, handing former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy a final defeat on his revenge tour. Republican Sen. Rick Scott will face former Democratic Rep. Debbie Murcarsel-Powell in November after both prevailed in their primaries in Florida. 

Schumer’s 2025 agenda: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, optimistic that Harris and Democrats will win the 2024 election, said he’s eyeing changes to the 60-vote filibuster rule and a potential rule change to codify abortion rights into federal law. 

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Staff Pick: A rural Democrat keeps his distance from Harris, hands out beer

To meet Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, I was instructed to look for a house with giant Trump flags at the end of a long dirt road, then turn down an overgrown driveway and park next to the U.S. congressman’s hulking black pickup truck.

Golden is not your typical Democrat. The tattooed former Marine is trying to win a fourth term in one of the whitest and most rural districts in the country, and the only one in New England that voted for Donald Trump. He’s staying far away from the Democratic National Convention and refusing to endorse Kamala Harris. At a small-town parade where he distributed Bud Lights from a rusty children’s wagon, I saw how he connects with working-class rural voters who have fled his party, offering a model some are now trying to emulate. — Alex Seiz-Wald, senior political reporter

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified 

For perfectly clean dishes, NBC Select editors spoke to cleaning company owners about the dishwashing detergents they like to use. In addition, you should be regularly cleaning your dishwasher to get rid of soap scum and built-up food residue. Check out this step-by-step guide on how to do it.

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