Many of the biggest stars of the Democratic convention — and the party's future — sit well outside the halls of the Capitol, Axios' Sam Baker writes.

⚡️ Why it matters: The Democratic National Committee took a lot of heat in the Obama years for neglecting state-level organization, as the party suffered steep losses in statehouses and gubernatorial races.

• Now, most of Democrats' top national prospects hail from outside Washington — including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Govs. Andy Beshear (Ky.), Roy Cooper (N.C.,) Wes Moore (Md.), Gavin Newsom (Calif.), Josh Shapiro (Pa.) and Gretchen Whitmer (Mich.).
• As Democrats have watched a full week of speeches with an eye toward future leaders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is nearly the only member of Congress to generate much buzz.

🏛️ That's in significant contrast to the GOP, whose biggest names and most ambitious politicians are much more concentrated in the House and Senate.

📺 What's next: Tonight's lineup — all leading up to Vice President Harris' acceptance speech — will be a platform for the Democrats running in several of this year's most closely contested Senate races.

• Mothers of some of the most high-profile Black victims of police violence are also expected to attend Harris' speech tonight.

Tonight's lineup.

Roughly 16% of incoming freshmen at MIT are Black, Hispanic, Native American or Pacific Islander, down from a recent average of 25%, The New York Times reports.

• Campus officials say it's a direct result of the Supreme Court striking down the use of affirmative action in college admissions.

📚 Other schools have seen similar patterns.

• When Michigan outlawed affirmative action in 2006, Black students' share of total undergraduate enrollment fell by about half.
• And California experienced a comparable decline in the 1990s.

1. 🤐 Former President Trump said he'll decline to receive intelligence briefings during his campaign so that he can't be accused of leaking classified information. Go deeper.
2. 🚅 Canada's rail shutdown, part of a protracted labor dispute, could disrupt supply chains in the U.S., BBC reports.
3. 💉 The FDA approved new formulations of both Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines. Go deeper.

The Italian Air Force Frecce Tricolori flew over D.C. yesterday as part of a U.S. tour that concludes this weekend in Ocean City, Md.