Your Morning: Kamala Harris closes in on VP pick

Democratic nominee: Vice President Kamala Harris crossed an important milestone late Monday night: She officially won enough votes during a virtual roll call of delegates to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. She received more than 99% of the vote. Here’s how the process worked > 

Running mate decision: Harris is set to make her biggest decision as a presidential candidate yet. She is expected to announce her running mate Tuesday before a rally in Philadelphia. The keys for her in making this decision are chemistry, connection to the person and being convinced this person has her back, especially if there is a disagreement about a particular policy, a source with knowledge of the process told NewsNation. Read more > 

VP search: Harris has reportedly narrowed her search to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, according to Reuters, which cited three unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter. How well does Harris know her running mate choices? > 

Battleground state blitz: Whoever Harris chooses as her running mate will need to bring a full suitcase to Philadelphia, as that rally will be the first stop on a whirlwind tour of seven battleground states. The top of the ticket will hit the seven cities in five days beginning Tuesday. The itinerary includes big arena and college campus rallies as well as “more intimate settings” like union halls, restaurants and campaign field offices. Read more >

Rocket attack: A suspected rocket attack struck Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq, where U.S. and coalition forces are stationed. The incident has resulted in injuries to several U.S. personnel, a Department of Defense spokesperson confirmed to NewsNation on Monday. A White House official confirmed President Joe Biden was briefed on the attack. The latest > 

US sends ships, jets: Meanwhile, the Pentagon is sending additional ships and aircraft to the Middle East as Israel braces for a possible attack by Iran and its proxies. Iran has been threatening to respond to the suspected Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukr in Beirut. What to know >

Debby swamps the southeast: Just hours after Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane, the system weakened to a tropical storm as it moved through Florida’s Big Bend region, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm contributed to at least four deaths in the state and the rescue of hundreds of people from flooded homes. Now, the tropical storm has moved into parts of Georgia and South Carolina, bringing torrential rains and a major flood threat. The latest > 

Cocaine washes ashore: As Debby made landfall Monday, more than high winds and pounding rain made landfall in the Florida Keys. Around 70 pounds of cocaine — worth more than $1 million — also washed ashore, according to U.S. Border Patrol Miami Acting Chief Patrol Agent Samuel Briggs II. Briggs credited the discovery to a “good Samaritan,” adding that the U.S. Border Patrol has since seized the drugs. Read more > 

Boaters rescued: The Coast Guard aircrew came to the aid of two boaters who were caught adrift off Boca Grande, Florida. United States Coast Guard officials said the boaters were amid 15- to 20-foot seas and winds around 50 knots. No one was injured prior to, or during the rescue. The rescue team hoisted the boaters from their vessel and into a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. Video >

Jet ski smuggling: Video out of San Diego shows cartels using jet skis to drop off migrants along the beach, with Americans cheering them on. The video, captured at Sunset Cliffs, includes bystanders saying, “Welcome to the USA” to the migrants. Watch > 

Migrants on terror ‘watch list’: More than 250 migrants on the terrorist “watch list” entered the U.S. illegally at the southern border during fiscal years 2021, 2022 and 2023, with at least 99 of them later allowed to enter and settle. That’s according to a 19-page report from the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee, an assessment of the Biden-Harris administration’s border policies and results that claims to show a record number of border crossings by those considered dangerous. In June 2024, President Joe Biden released a series of executive actions capping migrant crossing until border encounters remain consistently low — under 2,500 per day for an entire week — in an effort to give Border Patrol more time to handle each migrant’s situation. Full report >

Diddy raids: Former record executive and convicted felon Suge Knight believes the rumored impending divorce between Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck is the result of Lopez’s appearance in tapes the FBI seized in the raid on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes. In a new episode of his prison podcast, Knight claims the FBI may have confiscated tapes from the raids on Diddy’s mansions earlier this year, and some of them include Lopez. Details >

Campus protests: Pro-Palestinian student activists are preparing for what they call “Round 2” of campus protests for the upcoming school year. Student organizers at Columbia University told NewsNation they have been working on plans all summer to make their voices heard in an effort to convince the university to divest from Israel as students and faculty return to campus next month. What to know >

Stock market shaken: Concerns over the U.S. economy caused the stock market to falter Monday morning after a Friday jobs report came in weaker than expected. While some fear a recession, especially after the triggering of a reliable indicator known as the Sahm rule, experts caution not to panic yet. The National Bureau of Economic Research defines a recession as “the period between a peak of economic activity and its subsequent trough, or lowest point.” In between that peak and low point, the economy is considered to be in an “expansion,” or a normal state. Recession explained > 

Rebound: The S&P 500 sank 4.1% in early trading Monday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average pulled back more than 1,100 points and the Nasdaq composite slid 5.7%. Overseas, Japan’s Nikkei 225 went down by 12.4% Monday morning — marking its worst day since 1987. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index soared more than 10% Tuesday. The latest >

Monopoly: A judge ruled Monday that Google’s search engine has been illegally exploiting its dominance to squash competition. The decision comes nearly a year after the beginning of a trial pitting the U.S. Justice Department against Google in the nation’s biggest antitrust case in a quarter century. What to know >