12:48 p.m. | Updated CHARLOTTE, N.C. - As Democrats gather here, seeking to recapture the unity from 2008, the convention officially opens on Tuesday, and The Times's political unit will be broadcasting live with the latest from the convention, beginning at 2 p.m. Here are a few of the highlights from the program:
TimesCast Politics at 2 p.m. Eastern time:
- Jeff Zeleny, a national political correspondent, discusses the challenges facing Democrats at the start of their convention.
- Previewing the Get Out the Vote effort in Charlotte.
- Carl Hulse, deputy Washington bureau chief, interviews Senator Patty Murray of Washington.
- Jim Roberts, an assistant managing editor, and Ben Smith, editor in cheif of BuzzFeed, break down Monday's demonstrations.
- Jodi Kantor looks at the role of Valerie Jarrett in Charlotte.
- In the latest installment from the series The Agenda, John Broder looks at the role energy policy and gas prices will play in Charlotte. Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts will sit down for an interview on energy policy in a second Obama administration.
- Opinion: the Op-Ed columnist Charles M. Blow talks with the editorial writer David Firestone.
Opinion: Google+ Hangouts
Live at 4 p.m. Eastern time, five voters join the Op-Ed columnists Gail Collins and Frank Bruni in Google+ Hangout to discuss the future of bipartisanship after President Obama's failed promise to change the tone of politics in Washington.
On the Floor
In addition to the roll call vote to re-nominate the president late Tuesday afternoon, there is a full schedule of speakers. Live coverage of the night's events will begin at 7 p.m. Eastern time on NYTimes.com.
Michelle Obama will speak during the 10 o'clock hour, giving a speech that advisers describe as an exercise in empathy and connection.
Mayor Julián Castro of San Antonio, who will deliver the keynote address, is the first Latino to give the address in the convention's history. He is a close friend of the Obama family, and sat with Mrs. Obama during the State of the Union address in January.
Gov. Martin O'Malley of Maryland, whom many see as a potential 2016 presidential contender, will deliver a speech before Mr. Castro.
