CNN hosts town halls with Biden and Warren

By Fernando Alfonso III and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 10:43 PM ET, Thu February 20, 2020
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7:30 p.m. ET, February 20, 2020

Warren campaign hits new fundraising milestone

From CNN’s Daniella Diaz

Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Sen. Elizabeth Warren's campaign has raised more than $5 million since yesterday's debate in Nevada, according to a tweet the lawmaker from Massachusetts sent today.

As a result, the campaign has upped their fundraising goal to $12 million before the Nevada caucuses on Saturday.

That amount is up from $7 million initially and then $10 million in a campaign email blast earlier today.

7:21 p.m. ET, February 20, 2020

This Nevada Culinary Union won't endorse anyone in the Democratic presidential race 

From CNN's Eric Bradner

The Culinary Union, Nevada's largest labor union and political organizing force, will not endorse a candidate ahead of the Democratic caucuses there, the union's leaders announced last week.

"We respect every single political candidate right now. We know they are great people," said Geoconda Argüello-Kline, the union's secretary and treasurer. 

She said the union will "really work hard" to defeat President Trump in 2020. 

The Culinary Workers Union, or UNITE HERE Local 226, represents 60,000 hotel and restaurant workers in Las Vegas casinos, and also says it is the largest immigrant organization with a membership representing 178 countries and speaking over 40 different languages. The union boasts the state's largest massive grassroots organizing force, with 350 workers phone banking and canvassing in the 2018 midterms. 

While it stayed out of the Democratic primary, the union made one priority clear in recent days: opposing the "Medicare for All" plan championed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. It's offered softer criticism of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who proposes a similar or same plan.

Argüello-Kline said last week that members "want to protect their health care." 

7:11 p.m. ET, February 20, 2020

There was a Democratic debate last night. Here's how it went.

From CNN's Eric Bradner, Dan Merica and Gregory Krieg

In the most fiery and contentious Democratic primary debate yet, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren led a non-stop barrage against the former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who was appearing on stage for the first time.

She kicked off the debate Wednesday in Nevada by calling him an "arrogant billionaire" who "calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians."

Then everyone else jumped in.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar accused Bloomberg of "hiding behind his TV ads." Former Vice President Joe Biden hammered him for opposing Obamacare. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders attacked Bloomberg's support for stop-and-frisk policing in his first answer of the night. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg called him "a billionaire who thinks that money ought to be the root of all power."

The pile-on against Bloomberg came three days before the Nevada caucuses, as candidates trailing Sanders and with nowhere near Bloomberg's money are desperate to prove they deserve to remain in the race as it narrows.

Keep reading here.

6:58 p.m. ET, February 20, 2020

Biden and Warren will participate in back-to-back CNN town halls tonight

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren will take the stage in Nevada tonight for hourlong, individual candidate town halls.

Biden will go on at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Warren at 9 p.m. ET.

Earlier this week, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar also participated in CNN town halls in Nevada.

How to watch: The town halls will air on CNN, CNN en Espanol, CNN International, CNN Airport Network, and stream on CNN.com, CNN OTT apps for AppleTV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Samsung SmartTV, and Android TV, and CNN Mobile apps for iOS and Android, CNN's SiriusXM Channels, and the Westwood One Radio Network.