100 years later, still fighting for the vote

• On Monday, the Democratic National Convention officially got underway with a slickly produced procession of speeches from big names like Michelle Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and even former Gov. John Kasich, a Republican. [Vox / Ella Nilsen, Emily Stewart, Dylan Scott, Aaron Ross Coleman, and Li Zhou]
• For all of Monday’s star power, though, one of the most striking moments of the night came from the daughter of a Covid-19 victim. Kristin Urquiza, whose father voted for Trump, told viewers that "his only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life.” [Vox / Nicole Narea]
• The convention’s all-virtual turn didn’t always go perfectly, but as the New York Times’s James Poniewozik points out, “The program’s very existence was a kind of political argument: If this doesn’t look normal, it’s because none of this is normal right now.” [NYT / James Poniewozik]
• Next up, the second night of the convention will feature Jill Biden, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bill Clinton, and a crowded keynote address with 17 rising stars in the Democratic Party, including voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams. [NBC News / Alex Seitz-Wald]
• As always, you can follow along with Vox’s live coverage, analysis, and more at our convention hub here. Vox’s explanatory journalism plays a vital role in helping many understand this election. Make a contribution today.

• After a rigged presidential election in Belarus earlier this month, protests against dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko are growing — and some observers believe Lukashenko’s grasp on power may finally be slipping. [NYT / Ivan Nechepurenko and Andrew Higgins]
• Workers have gone on strike to demand new elections, and even heckled Lukashenko off stage on Monday. But he has remained defiant, declaring that “Until you kill me, there will be no other elections.” [Washington Post / Robyn Dixon]
• The European Union condemned Lukashenko last week for holding a transparently fraudulent election, but Russia remains on his side and has reportedly warned multiple EU nations against getting involved in the protests. [NPR / Scott Neuman]
• Nonetheless, on Tuesday, Lukashenko announced the deployment of troops to Belarus’s western border, where he says they will be on “full combat alert.” [Twitter / Frederick Pleitgen]

[NPR / Tim Mak]

• Soldiers arrested Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on Tuesday, amid widespread protests against his response to Islamic extremism and an economic collapse. Other African leaders condemned the soldiers' uprising. [Washington Post / Danielle Paquette]
• Ahead of a pair of congressional hearings, the US postmaster general is “suspending” new Postal Service initiatives that drew widespread criticism. [Washington Post / Jacob Bogage]
• There’s no meaningful distinction between voting by mail and absentee voting. [Vox / Dylan Matthews]
• “It just seems crazy”: Reopening schools isn’t going so well [WSJ / Tawnell D. Hobbs]