The Skanner News Freelancer John Moreno caught up with Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith at the Democratic National Convention.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (CNN) -- They've traveled for nearly 40 days, risking arrest, or worse, deportation.

(CNN) -- In a rare display of just how quickly a tightly scripted national political convention can unwind, Democrats on Wednesday struggled to complete a voice vote amending their party platform to include language referring to Jerusalem and God.

National Urban League President Marc Morial, Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous caught up with The Skanner News on the ground at the Democratic National Convention.

Charlotte, North Carolina (CNN) -- President Obama's health care reform law, which expands preventative care and lets young people remain on their parents' health insurance plans well into their 20s, is a central part of his election year pitch to college students.

As the Republication National Convention concludes, ethnic media journalists and commentators weigh in on what they were tracking during the confab. Some were on the ground in Tampa, FL, and share their observations of the gathering. Many noted that one key issue of concern across ethnic groups – immigration – was hardly mentioned.

This year The Skanner News Group is partnering with the Los Angeles Wave and several other papers to bring readers all the latest news on the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. These news groups are sending John Moreno, managing editor of the Los Angeles Wave, to both conventions.

Convention watchers who were perhaps underwhelmed this week by the Republicans' entrainment lineup in Tampa — 3 Doors Down, the Oak Ridge Boys, Taylor Hicks — might find the music more appealing in Charlotte, where artists including Branford Marsalis, Mary J. Blige and Earth, Wind and Fire are scheduled to perform for the assembled Democratic delegates and supporters.

(CNN) -- Thirty was not a good year for Michelle Jackson. A few weeks before her birthday, she lost her job. Then her husband left her -- with a 1½-year-old at home.

(CNN) -- Chest pain could mean you need a serious operation to get blood flowing back to your heart. But it's hard to know who needs such an intervention, especially without evidence of a heart attack.