A slew of political powerhouses are set to speak at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) today in Charlotte, N.C. at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Former White House Chief of Staff and now Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will address delegates around 9 p.m. Emanuel has been under fire all summer as violence in Chicago's troubled neighborhoods reached an all-time high. The spike in criminal activity landed the mayor on CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley.

Also slated to speak is Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn. The governor will be speaking between 6 and 7 p.m. Some have speculated that Quinn is responsible for the recent failure in pension reform that led to a downgraded credit rating. Quinn has also been at a stalemate with Mayor Emanuel regarding gaming expansion in Illinois.

Cable subscribers can start watching the DNC at 6 p.m. Central Time on CNN or other 24-hour news outlets. For those with network TV, the earliest viewing of the DNC starts at 7 p.m. on WTTW Channel 11.

Meanwhile, here is a list of other notable speakers:

6 p.m. to 7 p.m EST:

• Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)
• Cory Booker (D-N.J.)
• Pat Quinn (D-Ill.)
• Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
• Nydia M. Velazquez (D-N.Y.)

7 p.m. to 8 p.m EST:

• Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.)

8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST:

• Candidate Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
• Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.)
• Lincoln Chafee (D-R.I.)

9 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST:

• Former Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio)
• Deval Patrick (D-Mass.)