That gavel ever dropped wasnt there. Good evening everyone. Thats right after months of planning its finally begun. The Democratic National convention will last four days and promises to bring a lot of excitement and a few surprises, too. Theres also controversy that kicked offer the convention with the announcement of dnc chair Debbie Wasserman schultzs resignation. Outgoing democratic cleaver got boos at her florida delegation breakfast. This afternoon convention leaders said she would not gavel the convention to order. Wasserman schultz stepped down as chairman yesterday amid the scandal over those hacked emails suggesting the dnc took various measures to favoring Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders during the democratic primary. All right. From the controversy to the politics to the protests, and then theres the excessive heat. We got it all covered tonight with our Action News Team. Walter perez is live where protestors continue to march this evening. Ali gorman is live with how protestors or anyone else outside can stay safe in the heat. But first we go live to the Convention Floor and action News Reporter dann cuellar. Dann. Reporter rick, it was just a few hours before the convention was to get under way that it was revealed that dnc chair Debbie Wasserman schultz would not be gaveling in the convention but rather stephanie rawlingsblake the mayor of baltimore would be doing so in her capacity as secretary of the convention and wouldnt you know it she almost forgot to gavel in the convention and had to run back to do so. It has been pretty contentious here this afternoon. Debbie Wasserman Schultz stepping aside to try to lessen the tension. She released a statement earlier today saying that she had decided that in the interest of making sure that the convention started on a high note, that she was not going to gavel in the convention and thats what has happened. We have not seen her here on the floor today. Bernie sanders supporters some of whom we talk to believe the damage lab done. Despite the chair womans goodwill gesture trying to straighten things out and making sure that everybody is on high note but some of them are still very unhappy here on the floor. The Clinton Campaign is blaming the russians for the leak implicating Vladimir Putin in trying to help donald trump. Hillary clintons main mission now here will be to project an optimistic tone and shell have an allstar cast of trying to make that happen including president s obama and clinton, Vice President joe biden, Elizabeth Warren and tonight Bernie Sanders himself. So thats going to be very interesting to he see how that turns out tonight. Well be here on the Convention Floor. Back to you, rick. All right, dann, thank you. Senator Bernie Sanders will take the Convention Stage tonight but we also heard from him earlier today. Sanders addressed his delegates and supporters this afternoon calling for party unity. We have got to defeat donald trump. [cheers and applause] and we have got to elect Hillary Clinton and tim kaine. The mention of Hillary Clinton drew some boos at sanders addressed some of his supporters at the Pennsylvania Convention center but sanders pressed on telling them they must now unite to defeat trump who he called a bully. By the way, there are several big name speakers scheduled over the next few days. As we mentioned, Bernie Sanders will speak tonight as well as first Lady Michelle obama. Then tomorrow sometime in the late afternoon, the roll call vote will take place to nominate Hillary Clinton officially. Former president bill clinton speaks tomorrow evening. On wednesday, president obama and Vice President joe biden will address the delegates. It all culminates on thursday with Hillary Clinton accepting her partys nomination. Shell be introduced by her daughter, chelsea. Needless to say the dnc is the hottest ticket in town but its nothing compared to todays weather. The heat is really cranked up for the start of the convention. We got lows to 100 degrees today and it felt even worse than that at times. Live from sky6 hd showing you the Wells Fargo Center and the huge setup outside for all the coverage of the dnc. It is sweltering out there, sizzling temperatures as thats going to stick around for awhile unfortunately. Lets check in now with meteorologist cecily tynan at the action news big board and get the latest from accuweather. Hi, cecily. Hi, rick. Todays heat certainly tough to take. The air temperature in philadelphia so far up to 96 degrees. That ties the record high set back in 1999 but it felt a lot worse than that with the dewpoints in the 70s, the heat index, the way it felt on your body 108 degrees, thats not only the highest heat index of the year, its the highest heat index weve had in about four years here. Right now the heat index has dropped a little bit in philadelphia, 104 but it still feels like 107 in millville and wilmington. Dover reporting a heat index of 114. Allentown 73. Because its rain cooled. We had some storms roll through allentown about a half an hour ago and double scan live really showing the big picture and whats going on, theres a cold front thats slicing through central pennsylvania. Thats the main line of storms but we are get something severe thunderstorms popping up ahead of it. Areas north of philadelphia we do have a Severe Thunderstorm Warning posted for really the Northeast Corner of bucks county into northern Mercer County until 5 15 but our entire viewing area is under a severe thunderstorm watch tonight. Meaning there there is a possibility that these storms could contain damaging winds, hail and torrential downpours. So, this is what were looking at right now. Rolling through Mercer County, it just moved through downtown tren tornado its crossing route 206, route one, 114 lightning strikes with this and also some hail and were also looking at some pretty heavy hitters right now near quakertown crossing 309 and 611, 275 lightning strikes. You hear that thunder, get inside immediately. Ill talk about more storm on the way and unfortunately more heat and humidity. The heat wave is only about halfway over. All those details coming up in the full accuweather forecast. Rick. [cheers and applause] rick. Thank you cecily. And by the way philadelphias corporation of aging heat hotline is open today. There number is 215 7659040. Staff members are available to answer your heat related questions until 6 oclock tonight. And with the heat comes danger for your health. The young and the elderly are especially vulnerable in these hot humid conditions. Many people have been outside all day long because of the dnc. Action News Reporter and registered nurse ali gorman is live near fdr park in south philadelphia with that part of the story. Ali. Reporter hey, rick, yeah and i just recently lost my shade. It is so hot when youre standing in the sun but youre right with all of the activity planned around the city there are a lot of people spending a lot of time outside. Now, at last check city Officials Say that nine people have suffered heat related injuries in the city today. Thats actually not a bad number considering how hot it is out here. But we do know that three of those people were taken to local hospitals. A march across the ben franklin bridge turns dicey for at least one protestor. She was overcome by the excessive heat and taken by a stretcher to a hospital. Shes visiting from florida. Across town the Salvation Army is working with the city of philadelphia to help keep people safe. Theyre distributing water to the public and thanksgiving water ice and cold towels to first responders. Including police who cant leave their posts. It goes from a Courtesy Service that were providing to is a Safety Service were providing on days like today especially when the heat index is well over a hundred. Reporter and there is even greater concern in fdr park where thousands of protestors are expected to gather. It is very, very hot. I live in puerto rico and ive been in the south my whole life and this is as hot as ive ever been. Reporter in the park theres free water first aid and misting tents. As the Convention Continues into the week, so does the high heat. Continuing to take these precautions is vital. Started out with 80 pallets of water which is over 100,000 bottles. Weve already gone through about 25 or 30 percent of that. Reporter he says there are contingency plans if more water is needed. Will you have enough. Yeah, well have enough. Reporter and these precautions are not just for visitors in town for the dnc, they are for everyone. You want to make sure that you are drinking plenty of fluids, that you limit your time outside in the heat and of course i always say please check on your neighbors especially if you have Senior Citizens living in your neighborhood. Thats the latest here, were live outside fdr park, ali gorman, channel6 action news. Rick. Thank you ali. Now lets switch live to action News Reporter walter perez live at will at broad and packer avenues where the protests continue as the convention gets under way. Walter. Reporter hey, rick. Well give you a live look here at broad and packer. As you would imagine the heat was too much for some protestors. We have reports of several people collapsing during todays marches so its fair to say the protestors were slowed by the heat but not deterred. They arrived by way of the ben franklin bridge. They marched down broad street and 33 picketed in marconi plaza. Hundreds of protestors made their way through philadelphia today representing a mirror myriad of policy demands some carrying a 50foot inflatable marijuana cigarette demanded the decriminalization of pot. We wander marijuana to be removed from the controlled substances act treated like alcohol and tobacco. Reporter others from an Organization Called democracy spring are calling for the abolition of super delegates. Were demanding that the Democratic Party live up to their name and publicly commit to reforms that would give us that one person one vote democracy that we were promised that we do not have. Reporter most of these protestors are Bernie Sanders supporters some of whom still have hope. We are hoping that hillary will not receive the coronation. Its really not a nomination because this has not been a fair process. We really wander Bernie Sanders to be the nominee. Reporter and in the middle of all this was Police Commissioner richard ross in a show of support for his office and with the lope that these picketers stay safe under this brutal heat. Very hot out here. Not as many people as there was out here yesterday with this group but very humid, very hot. So were worried about everybody out here trying to encourage them the keep moving so they dont overexert themselves and expose themselves to all this oppressive heat out here. Reporter all right. Back out live regarding the email scandal that led to the resignation of dnc chair Debbie Wasserman schultz many said they were stunned but not surprised. Reporting live from south philadelphia, walter perez, channel6 action news. Rick. Walter thank you. And 6abc. Com dnc is your Online Convention coverage headquarters. There you can find the latest reports and breaking news stories as well as the traffic advisories in the city due to the dnc. And our coverage will continue tonight online after action news. Log onto 6abc. Com starting at 7 30 for the latest from the convention here at the Wells Fargo Center. Monica, thats it for now. Live at the Wells Fargo Center well be back in just a few minutes with more coverage from the dnc and until then well go back to you in the studio. Thank you so much, rick. Time right now for a check of the action news traffic report. Folks continue to navigate around all the road closures of course because of the dnc convention. Lets go he to matt pelman in the action News Traffic Center with the latest on that. Monica take one look at the closed roads here in south philadelphia and you dont is top wonder why theyre closed. Theyre filled with participants and protestors and police. This is South Broad Street at pattison avenue right by the at t station and it is very busy out here this evening but not with vehicle traffic. South broad is closed between packer and terminal although today those closures spanned northward towards center city because of protestors on the move that came southbound earlier on. Also the ramps from the schuylkill eastbound to packer and the ramps kenting 95 with broad street are also shut down for the most part all week long and of course if youre driving a vehicle over 5 tons you cant be on 95 between the platt bridge and center city. So theyve set up Police Check Points going into those points so we have delays southbound headed towards center city and northbound passing the airport where speeds are in the teens. Bunch of septa buses are on detours because of the situation in south philadelphia. The broad street line is not running south of oregon this afternoon because of security. But the regional rails although many of them are with delays are not substantially different from how theyve been the last few weeks on those interim schedules. Well check it again monica coming up in the next half hour. Sounds good. Thank you so much. Much more ahead on action news at 5 00 gunfire erupted at a nightclub hosting a swimsuit themed party for teenagers leaving two of them dead, several others hurt. Plus, after a five month auction, verizon won the bid to buy yahoo in multi billion dollar deal. Well continue our coverage of the Democratic NationalConvention Live from the Wells Fargo Center next. Earlier today at the Wells Fargo Center singer Debbie Lovato with her performance at the Democratic National convention tonight. She and paul simon are both set to sing. Simon did his sound check yesterday. We can tell you they both sounded great. We are back live here at the Wells Fargo Center where the convention is officially under way. Baltimore mayor stephanie rawlingsblake was chosen to gavel in the full Convention Just about an hour ago. She of course replaces Democratic Party chair Debbie Wasserman schultz who resigned her post over the weekend. At Independence Mall mayor jim kenney took part in a path discussion about immigration reform. New york mayor bill deblasio phoenix mayor greg stanton and immigration experts took part in the forum. The event was held at the National Museum of American Jewish history moderated by latino president Maria Theresa kumar. Thank you. Monica, back to you. Thank you so much, rick. Well send it right here, a nightclub meantime packed with teens in fort myers into is the late of the site of a mass shooting. But police are stressing the rampage there was not an act of terror. Witnesses say gunfire rang out in the clubs parking lot as were coming to pick them up. An 18yearold an 14yearold died. 20 other people were injured. Police say three persons of interest are already in custody. More are being sought. The motive is not known at this time. The man suspected in yesterdays suicide bombing in germany who left behind a chilling clue. Police say he pledged allegiance to isis before blowing himself up and wounding 15 people. On cell phone video he warned that germans wont be able to sleep peacefully anymore. At this point nothing indicates that he was directed by isis or part of the group. The suspect was a syrian refugee facing deportation. He did attempt suicide twice before. Your Business Needs a lot of speed. But getting it doesnt have to break the bank. Introducing the comcast business Summer Savings event. Now you can get a lot for a little. As little as a cup of coffee and donut a day. Fast Internet Speed to drive performance, plus cutting edge wifi for your employees and customers, and voice mobility so your calls find you wherever you are. Get some of our most advanced products at a great price with