Oct 10, 2019

McConnell challenger Amy McGrath raised nearly $11 million in Q3

Photo: Jason Davis/Getty Images

Amy McGrath, the Democrat challenging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his Kentucky Senate seat in 2020, raked in $10.7 million in the third quarter of fundraising, her campaign said Thursday.

Context: McGrath's campaign raised more last quarter than several Democratic presidential candidates, including Sen. Cory Booker, who raised $6 million, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who raised $4.8 million. McGrath would be the 6th highest earner in the presidential field.

The campaign says the money came from 299,000 donations, with an average of $36 per contribution.

The big picture: Kentucky hasn't had a Democratic Senator since 1999.

McConnell beat his last Democratic challenger in 2014 by about 15 points, and Donald Trump won the state with about 63% of the vote.

Go deeper: McConnell says impeachment will fail with him as Senate majority leader

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Axios

Updated 51 mins ago - Politics & Policy

U.S. cities crack down on protesters

The scene near the 5th police precinct during a demonstration calling for justice for George Floyd in Minneapolis on Saturday. Photo: Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images

Major U.S. cities have implemented curfews and called on National Guard to mobilize as thousands of demonstrators gather across the nation to continue protesting the death of George Floyd.

The state of play: Hundreds have already been arrested as tensions continue to rise between protesters and local governments. Protesters are setting police cars on fire as freeways remain blocked and windows are shattered, per the Washington Post. Law enforcement officials are using tear gas and rubber bullets to try to disperse crowds and send protesters home.

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Sara Fischer

1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Journalists get caught in the crosshairs as protests unfold

A man waves a Black Lives Matter flag atop the CNN logo during a protest in response to the police killing of George Floyd outside the CNN Center on May 29. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images

Dozens of journalists across the country tweeted videos Saturday night of themselves and their crews getting arrested, being shot at by police with rubber bullets, targeted with tear gas by authorities or assaulted by protestors.

Why it matters: The incidents show how easy it can be for the media to entangled in the stories they cover, especially during a time of civil unrest.

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Axios

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

George Floyd protests: What you need to know

Photo: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

Clashes erupted between police and protesters in several major U.S. cities Saturday night as demonstrations over the death of George Floyd and other police-related killings of black men spread across the country.

The big picture: Floyd's death in Minneapolis police custody is the latest reminder of the disparities between black and white communities in the U.S. and comes as African Americans grapple with higher death rates from the coronavirus and higher unemployment from trying to stem its spread.

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