Wednesday night at his DNC speech, Clinton was in typical form: "I want a man for president who had the good sense to marry Michelle Obama." While he was playful ("Heck, he even appointed Hillary!" he said of Obama), the former president was also firm: he argued to an enraptured crowd that Romney's tax plan "fails the arithmetic test" and embodies a “winner-take-all society” while Obama represents a “we’re-all-in-this-together-society.” Clinton also mocked the GOP’s attitude toward Obama's reelection as immature to a laughing crowd: “We left him a total mess, he hasn’t finished cleaning it up yet, so fire him and put us back in." "No president—not me or any of my predecessors—could have repaired the damage he found in just four years." At the speech's end, Obama made a surprise visit on stage to shake Clinton's hand.

Candidate for U.S. Senate Elizabeth Warren hammered home what Obama will do for the middle class in her DNC speech Wednesday night. An enthusiastically cheering crowd chanted Warren’s name until she asked them to stop, telling them she was there to represent the hard-working Americans against whom “the game is rigged." Warren said Romney would "vaporize Obamacare" whereas “Obama believes in a country where billionaires pay their taxes just like their secretaries do,” Warren said. “And Mitt Romney? He wants to give tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires…but for middle-class families who are hanging on by their fingernails?”

A source told CBS News on Wednesday that Gabrielle Giffords is in attendance at the Democratic National Convention and is “excited to be here.” It hasn’t been confirmed, but Giffords is rumored to deliver the Pledge of Allegiance on Thursday night. The former congresswoman from Arizona has made a spectacular recovery from the 2011 shooting that killed 6 and left her severely injured, forcing her to resign from Congress to continue healing.

Chaos ensued on the convention floor Wednesday afternoon, as Democratic National Convention Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa attempted to conduct a vote on whether or not the platform should be amended to define Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and a line about God. They had been heavily criticized by the right for not doing so initially. During the voice vote, every positive vote was met with delegates yelling "no," leaving many in the crowd unclear about whether the majority actually wanted the changes. Doesn't matter though, because the DNC chairman ruled to go ahead with the amendments. UPDATE: It is now being reported that President Obama, himself, ordered the changes. 

After a two-year legal battle and numerous attempts to block it, a federal judge ruled that Arizona authorities can enforce the controversial “show me your papers” provision of its immigration law. Introduced in 2010, the provision requires that officers question those stopped for violations of other laws about their immigration status if the officer has reason to suspect they are in the U.S. illegally. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law, and on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled on an effort to have the contentious section blocked. Opponents have long expressed their concern that the provision will lead to racial profiling.

A project by more than 500 scientists from around the globe has provided an immense amount of new information on how our DNA functions. DNA is commonly known as the vessel of genes, but these only comprise 2 percent, while little is known about the rest—until now. The report, released Wednesday, finds that so-called "junk" DNA—the 80 percent of genetic blueprints once thought useless—may actually play a large part in disease. One organizer compared the project to Google Maps, calling it “the first global view of how the genome functions” that sheds light on the inner workings of DNA. The National Human Genome Research Institute organized the research into an encyclopedia and will probably be rewriting textbooks in the near future.

Some scary records shouldn’t be broken. According to officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, this year’s outbreak of the West Nile virus is the worst the country has seen since cases of the illness were first documented in 1999. Just last week, the number of cases rose 23 percent to 1,993. In all, the number of deaths due to the virus is up to 87—almost half of which are in Texas. The CDC says the alarming number of new cases is probably due to a mild spring, exceptionally hot summer, and heavy regional rainfall.

Is this really a surprise? President Obama told NBC12 on Wednesday that he has “regrets” about the “syntax” of the now infamous “you didn’t build that” line. “But not for the point, because everyone who was there watching knows exactly what I was saying.” Republicans have attacked Obama for telling an audience in Virginia that “If you got a business, you didn’t build that,” but the president says he stands by his intention, which was to point out that his government has championed small business growth. There’s still a lot left to do, Obama says, but “we are absolutely better off than we were when I was sworn in and we were losing 800 thousand jobs in a month.”

It looks like Amazon is about to jump into the mobile phone business. News of the potential new product line for the Internet retailer leaked Wednesday along with details that the smart phone would probably run on a version of the Kindle Fire’s Android-based operating system. The Verve reports that the company could announce the new product as soon as Thursday, thought it’s unlikely Amazon will have too many details to share. Amazon is also expected to release new information about its updated Kindle Fire and its “Paperwhite” Kindle e-reader tomorrow.

What a day for men’s tennis. Roger Berdych, the sixth seed, beat the top seeded Roger Federer in a stunning upset in the quarterfinals, winning 7-6 (1), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Berdych will now go on to the semifinals, where he will face Andy Murray, who almost lost in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. “There is no better feeling,” Berdych said. “There is no better moment than this one.” For the first time in recent memory, the U.S. Open is wide open, with Federer and Andy Roddick out and Rafael Nadal having withdrawn due to a knee injury.

Young adult fiction pioneer Judy Blume posted on her blog that she underwent a successful mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in June. Blume, who’s 74, wrote in her typical frank fashion that she’d “joined The Club,” albeit “not one I wanted to join or even thought I would ever be joining.” In her revealing post, she included personal views on cancer and her own sexuality. “The idea of a mastectomy wasn’t a difficult emotional decision for me (again, these are very personal reactions and decisions). Maybe because my breasts have never defined my sexuality. Who knows?”

Los Angeles prosecutors on Wednesday charged actress Amanda Bynes with not one but two counts of being involved in hit and run traffic accidents. The charges stem from a couple of recent crashes, the most recent of which occurred on Aug. 4 when Bynes allegedly rear-ended a Toyota but drove off without exchanging insurance information. The actress told investigators that the woman in the other car agreed there was no significant damage. If convicted, she could face six months in prison for each count. Her arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 27.

Maybe he should have released them earlier in the election cycle. A team of hackers claims to have obtained Mitt Romney’s tax returns and say the documents will be released at the end of September unless the candidate transfers $1 million in Bitcoins, an online currency. The group allegedly stole the files from Pricewaterhouse Cooper’s Tennessee office on Aug. 25. If Romney fails to pay the ransom, the hackers say, “the entire world will be allowed to view the documents with a publicly released key to unlock everything.”

Andy Roddick couldn’t hang on to win his fourth-round match against Juan Martin del Potro on Wednesday, losing in four sets to the 23-year-old who won the tournament in 2009. Roddick, who won the first set in a tie breaker, lost steam as the match went on. The final score was 6–7 (7–1), 7–6 (7–4), 6–2, 6–4. The 30-year-old Nebraska native had announced that he would retire at the end of this tournament because of injuries. After his forehand flew wide on the last point, Roddick embraced del Potro and took in the applause from the crowd.

Most visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art don’t go with a roll of two dollar bills in their pocket. But New York’s Court of Appeals will listen to arguments on Wednesday as it weighs whether or not stripping is an art form and deserves a tax exemption under state law. The case involves an Albany, NY strip club called Nite Moves that state officials say owes $124,000 in sales tax from 2005 – but the club says its patrons are appreciators of an art form as rarefied as theater or ballet. Sure, The Nutcracker and Le Sacre du Printemps evince a serious lack of bump-and-grind, but who hasn’t thought that the work of George Balanchine could be improved with a couple pasties?

The Church of Scientology, which reentered the spotlight this year amidst the virtually epochal divorce of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (some say), has refuted claims made in a new Vanity Fair story that the enigmatic religion carried out an elaborate wife-screening process for top celeb devotee Cruise. “The entire story is hogwash,” a Scientology rep told Us Weekly. “There was no project, secret or otherwise, ever conducted by the church to find a bride (audition or otherwise) for any member of the church.” The magazine story alleges that the church launched an extensive search to find a mate for Cruise after his divorce from Nicole Kidman.

The nation will honor recently departed space pioneer Neil Armstrong on Sept. 13 in a memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral. Armstrong, who mostly shunned the limelight after he became the first man to walk on the moon in 1969, died on Aug. 25. While the memorial service will be open to the public on a first come, first served basis, the service will also be broadcast via a NASA live stream. The National Cathedral already has a connection to Armstrong’s history-making voyage—the crew of the Apollo 11 mission deposited a moon rock in the sanctuary to commemorate the fifth anniversary of their trip.

People are searching for the low-cost option. Dollar General, the ultra low-cost retailer based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, reported major profits on Wednesday. Second quarter earnings for the company, at whose stores items are generally priced below $10 dollars, were up 47 percent, and its expectations for sales growth in stores open throughout the fiscal year are now between 4 and 5 percent. Its profits for the quarter were $214 million on sales of $3.95 billion – a ten percent jump in total sales. Its forecast for this year’s earnings jumped to between $2.77 and $2.85 per share. The company said it saw its biggest growth in sweets and other savory goods, as well as perishable foods.

The president of Venezuela has conferred his blessing on peace talks between the Colombian government and FARC rebels, efforts that could bring an end to the longest conflict in the Western hemisphere. President Hugo Chávez praised the steps taken by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who outlined plans for the talks set to begin next month. “I can also send my greetings to the high ranks of the FARC who have also done their part,” Chávez said. “They asked us for help and I told the president: whatever needs to be done for Colombia’s peace, I’m willing to do it.”

Japan plans to purchase a number of privately held islands in the East China Sea that have been the subject of disputes with China, according to reports in Japan on Wednesday. Japanese government officials would not comment on the deal, but three Japanese news companies cited unnamed sources who said that the country would purchase three of the five main contested islands. The islands are claimed by China, and tensions between the two countries flared earlier this year when the governor of Tokyo sent teams to explore the islands for development. Chinese officials have resisted Japanese claims on the islands and called the idea of a purchase “illegal and invalid.”

“We were so young, so in love, and so in debt.” That’s how first lady Michelle Obama began her convention speech Tuesday, which focused on her family’s roots as average Americans who struggled to achieve the “American Dream.” She recalled dating Barack when his “only pair of decent shoes was a half size too small” and the “simple joys” of family life before her husband ran for president. Four years after the election, she said she’s “seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are—it reveals who you are.” She said her husband is a man who understands the necessity of financial aid, that women are capable of making choices about their bodies and health care, and that when you’re presented with the “doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you."

Seven of the 11 men on death row in Connecticut have sued to have their sentences overturned after the state ended the death penalty this year. The inmates argue that race and geographic bias had an unfair influence in their sentencing. They are relying on a study conducted by a Stanford University professor that shows a disproportionate number of minority defendants were given the death penalty in murder cases involving white victims in Connecticut between 1973 and 2007. Of the remaining 11 inmates awaiting the death penalty in Connecticut’s penal system, four prisoners are white, six are black, and one is Hispanic.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said that his country is in favor of “political transition” in Syria but still opposes direct foreign intervention to end continuing bloodshed. “We and many countries all support a period of political transition in Syria,” said Yang. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in China conducting talks with Chinese leaders. “But we also believe that any solution should come from the people of Syria and reflect their wishes,” Yang said. China’s position has changed as the Syrian conflict has unfolded over more than 18 months. China and Russia have stood together to oppose actions by Western nations to sanction Syria.

The Syrian military is getting support from Iran via shipments through Iraqi airspace, American officials said. It’s a supply route that was being used earlier this year until the White House pressured Iraq to shut it down, but officials say that Iran has increased its material support for President Bashar al-Assad’s regime as the popular uprising in Syria continues. “The Iranians have no problems in the air, and the Syrian regime still controls the airport,” said former Lebanese Army general Hisham Jaber. Rebels in Syria have tried to shut down the route by capturing key border areas but have had little success in stemming the flow of supplies.

The Department of Justice presented examples of “gross negligence and willful misconduct” on the part of BP leading up to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The case is set to go to trial in a New Orleans court in early 2013, and the government is trying to demonstrate that most of the blame for the spill—the largest American spill ever—rests with the British company. “The behavior, words, and actions of these BP executives would not be tolerated in a middling size company manufacturing dry goods for sale in a suburban mall,” government lawyers fumed in an August court filing in New Orleans.

Super PAC American Crossroads has Obama’s campaign slogan in its dark-money crosshairs, spending $6.6 million on new ads in eight battleground states. The ads, which allege that Obama has presided over “America’s worst economic recovery ever,” hammer away at the president’s “Forward” campaign slogan and blame the president for racking up “$5 trillion more in debt.” The anti-Obama spots will show in Colorado, Iowa, Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Nevada. At the same time, American Crossroads is spending a substantial amount to try to turn a Senate race in North Dakota for the Republican candidate, producing television ads that snipe at Democrat Heidi Heitkamp.

Tough as a handful of nails and three times as sharp, Rahm Emanuel’s announcement Wednesday that he’ll drop his honorary chairmanship of the Obama campaign and hit the fundraising trail for the Democrats is a sign that they’re pulling out the big guns as they fight the GOP’s money lead going into the home stretch of the 2012 election cycle. Officials for challenger Mitt Romney’s campaign and the Republican National Committee announced that they raised $100 million in August. Glenn Thrush of Politico reported that Emanuel lobbied top Dems to establish a super PAC that could close the Republican advantage—a proposal that was rejected.

A shooting at a Canadian political event left one person dead and one in critical condition, according to police in Quebec. The Tuesday-night shooting came as Pauline Marois, soon to be Quebec’s first female premier, took the stage at a gathering on Tuesday night. A suspect who is thought to be about 50 years old was taken into police custody, and officers say that he was found to be in possession of more than one gun at the time of the incident. The man reportedly shouted “The English are waking up!” in French as he was taken away by police. Montreal Police Cmdr. Ian Lafreniere said that the shooter tried to set a fire in a doorway as he attempted his escape, but it was put out by police.

Better safe than sorry. President Obama’s convention speech on Thursday night will be moved indoors due to the possibility of severe weather. Obama was originally scheduled to accept the nomination at the open-air Bank of America Stadium, and it was reported that he would speak there rain or shine, as long as there was no risk of lightening or tornadoes. The entire program for the evening, including Joe Biden’s speech, will now take place indoors.

A former Chinese police chief has been charged with defection, taking bribes, and abuse of power in connection with the Bo Xilai scandal that has rocked the country’s political class, according to state media. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office told the BBC that Wang, who had been considered a major scourge of organized crime, fled to the U.S. consulate in a city near Chongqing shortly before Bo Xilai’s wife was accused in the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. She was later convicted of the killing. The BBC has reported that the charges against Wang appear to be an attempt to bring the debacle to a speedy end.

Investigations into attacks by uniformed Afghan police and military on international troops – or “green on blue” attacks – resulted in the firing of hundreds of Afghan soldiers on Wednesday. “Based on our investigations, hundreds of Afghan army soldiers have been detained and sacked from the army over the incident of insider attacks,” according to Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Zahir Azimi. “This is a big concern for the Afghan president and the Afghan Defense Ministry.” This week, American troops halted the instruction of police recruits while background checks are ongoing. 114 people have been killed in 76 green on blue attacks since 2007, according to the NATO coalition in Afghanistan.

The National Football League is making its largest donation ever—$30 million—to the National Institutes of Health to back brain-injury research, league officials said. Professional football has come under fire in recent years as head injuries sustained by players have been linked to long-term health effects. “Our commitment here is to hopefully help set the standard and lead the way in research about head injuries, and we’re doing it with the leading scientists,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The NIH already spends about $81 million a year researching head injuries, which are a frequent plague of veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in the sports arena.

Attendees at the Democratic National Convention are in for a huge disappointment: There will be no traditional balloon drop after President Obama’s acceptance speech. Obama’s Thursday night speech was recently moved indoors after thunderstorms threatened the area (is Mother Nature trying to make a point here?) and a party official told CNN that there will be no balloons falling from the ceiling at the end of his speech, but “there will be a festive conclusion.” This better be good.

President of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards told the crowd at the Democratic National Convention that the current political agenda being pushed by Republicans makes her feel like “we woke up in a bad episode of Mad Men.” Obama, she said, has made great strides in pushing for women’s issues and health coverage. “Thanks to President Obama, being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing condition!”  When she reminded the crowd that her mother, former Texas governor Ann Richards, addressed the DNC 24 years ago, she could barely stop the cheering. “As women, we've come too far to turn back,” she finished. “And we won't. Mom wouldn’t have stood for it and neither will we.”

Taking the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, Olympian Gabby Douglas led the crowd in a quick Pledge of Allegiance. Earlier today, Douglas told Politico that she’s an Obama fan and wasn’t nervous about her role at the DNC. “I’m just going to go out there, be myself, and have fun,” she said. The 16-year-old gold-medal-winning gymnast has been keeping her place in the spotlight, recently throwing the first pitch for the Mets. And, for the record, her hair looked great.

According to the Red Cross, at least three people are dead and 20 are injured after a magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck Costa Rica on Wednesday. At least 60 aftershocks have also been reported after the quake shook buildings and cut power to some areas of the San Jose capital. While the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center at first issued a tsunami alert for the entire Caribbean, the center quickly retracted that warning, saying that it was meant for the Pacific.