Arkansas: Delegation gets royal treatment in Philly. At the 2012 Democratic convention in Charlotte, the Razorback delegates stayed in a chain hotel near the airport and sat near the back of the hall in the “cheap seats.” This year, the Arkansans were in a top-drawer hotel overlooking Independence Hall and were seated on or near the front row. “If we were any closer,” state Sen. Joyce Elliott (D) told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “we would be on the stage… it all has to do with Hillary Clinton’s connection to Arkansas.” ……. North Carolina: Businesswoman blasts HB2 and Trump. Brooks Bell, owner of a high-tech start up in the Tar Heel State, said at the DNC podium, “[O]ur legislature passed what’s known as the bathroom bill [concerning transgenders], which cause the New York Times to describe North Carolina as a ‘pioneer in bigotry.’” Now, she says she is “terrified about what may happen if we elect Trump,” whose running mate Mike Pence backed related legislation in Indiana, reports the News & Observer ……. Virginia: McAuliffe trade claim draws fire. After contending that Hillary Clinton would revert to her past support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership after she wins the election, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) quickly claimed his comment was a “misunderstanding,” reports the Washington Post. Both Bernie Sanders’ backers and Donald Trump were quick to denounce Clinton’s potential flip-flop. And the Clinton campaign also quickly called McAuliffe’s claim “wrong.” …….