Good morning, Minnesota. On the third night of the Democratic convention, Kamala Harris formally accepted her vice presidential nomination and former President Barack Obama went after his successor, urging voters to not “let democracy be taken from them.” More on the highlights of the DNC last night, after weather. 

Return of summer heat. A good reminder that it’s still summer: Highs in the 80s and 90s across the state today. It’ll be mostly sunny and dry today, and temps in the 80s will continue through Friday. More on Updraft. 

Night 3 of the DNC: Kamala Harris shares her story, her views on racial injustice, women and Donald Trump. The Democratic vice president nominee made history last night, becoming the first Black woman and the first Asian woman to be nominated as vice president on a major-party ticket. “ We are a nation that’s grieving. Grieving the loss of life, the loss of jobs, the loss of opportunities, the loss of normalcy. And, yes, the loss of certainty. … Donald Trump’s failure of leadership costs lives and livelihoods,” she said. “And let’s be clear — there is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work.”

Obama unleashed his contempt for Trump: He “ hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t.” The former president, who had said he wouldn’t criticize his successor unless it was critical to “core questions about our values and ideals,” took off the gloves last night, questioning Trump's fitness for the job. “I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously ... But he never did,” Obama said.

More takeaways and highlights from last night’s DNC can be found here. And stay tuned tonight as Joe Biden formally accepts the party’s nomination on the last night of the Democratic convention. Watch or listen live on MPR News starting 8 p.m.

What’s at stake in the vote-by-mail and USPS saga? Here’s what to know.  While Postmaster General Louis DeJoy suspended recent changes to Postal Service that worried many voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election, other challenges still remain -- more than 8,000 postal workers have tested positive for the coronavirus, causing a staff shortage. In addition, many states are building large voting-by-mail operations for the first time, but a lack of congressional funding and the president’s opposition to giving states more dollars for the election make it difficult, ProPublica reports. 

Minnesota, again, reports double-digit daily COVID-19 deaths; “No college parties,” officials plead. State health authorities have been gently urging Minnesotans for months to do their part to help stem the spread of COVID-19, but they’re sharpening those messages now as the school year approaches for kids and college students. State’s epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield said health officials have been told of “multiple parties” where the virus has been transmitted and reiterated concerns college students are gathering to party before the school year starts and that may deliver COVID-19 to campuses.

Here are the latest coronavirus  statistics in Minnesota:

• 66,618 cases confirmed (567 new) via 1,308,264 tests (34,867 new)

• 1,738 deaths (17 new)

• 5,988 cases requiring hospitalization

• 321 people remain hospitalized; 152 in intensive care

• 60,242 patients no longer needing isolation