Biden comes out swinging at the VP debate, the EU wins the Nobel Peace Prize, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
1. BIDEN COMES OUT SWINGING AT VP DEBATE, TALKS 47 PERCENT
Vice President Joe Biden aggressively went after Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on the economy, taxes, foreign policy, and more throughout their 90-minute debate in Danville, Ky. on Thursday night. In stark contrast from last week's presidential debate, in which President Obama was accused of being listless, Biden frequently scoffed at Ryan's claims and explicitly cast doubt on the GOPer's command of the facts. And unlike Obama, Biden brought up Romney's 47 percent remarks, in which the Republican dismisses nearly half of the electorate as government moochers. "These people are my mom and dad, the people I grew up with, my neighbors. They pay more effective tax than Gov. Romney pays in his federal income tax," declared Biden. [Los Angeles Times]
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2. EUROPEAN UNION WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
The European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its role in promoting peace and reconciliation across the continent. The top honor was seen somewhat as a surprise, as several countries in the EU are mired by a debt crisis. "The EU has been a key in transforming Europe from a continent of wars to a continent of peace," Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said. [Reuters]
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SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: October 9, 2012
3. WATCHDOG: 106 SYRIAN SOLDIERS KILLED BY REBELS
Syrian rebels trying to oust President Bashar al-Assad have revved up their attacks, killing 106 soldiers in two days, a watchdog group said Friday. The violence comes as tension between Syria and Turkey mounts after a Syrian passenger plane was forced to land in Turkey on suspicion of carrying weapons. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the latest deaths are the highest total for the military in the 19-month civil war. [AFP]
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4. BIDEN, RYAN SPAR OVER ABORTION
The vice-presidential debate on Thursday night got personal when ABC News moderator Martha Raddatz asked the two candidates how their Catholic faith has played into their personal views on abortion. Biden said his religion teaches him that life begins at conception, but would not impose his beliefs on all Americans. "I do not believe we have the right to tell people, women, they can't control their body," he said. Ryan, who recounted seeing his first born child in the shape of a "bean" during a sonogram said he is against abortion, but would include exceptions in cases of incest, rape or when the life of the mother is at risk. [Washington Post]
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SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: October 6, 2012
5. BIDEN TO RYAN: 'OH NOW YOUR JACK KENNEDY?'
One of the night's most memorable lines at the vice-presidential debate came during a discussion of tax policy. Paul Ryan insisted that Mitt Romney would lower tax rates without increasing the deficit. "Not mathematically possible," Biden sniped. "It is mathematically possible," Ryan insisted. "Jack Kennedy lowered taxes and raised revenue." Biden shot back, "Oh, now you're Jack Kennedy?" That evoked memories of the famous moment in the 1988 vice-presidential debate in which Lloyd Bentsen zinged Dan Quayle. After Quayle brought up JFK, Bentsen replied: "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." [CBS News]
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6. ASSERTIVE RADDATZ PRAISED AS DEBATE MODERATOR
ABC News' Martha Raddatz won praise for being an aggressive debate moderator during Thursday night's vice-presidential debate. Her style was very different from PBS' Jim Lehrer, who during last week's presidential debate, was skewered for having little control. Raddatz, who was moderating her first debate, pressed the candidates to be specific and interjected frequently. "I want to move on," she said after the candidates descended into bickering. "No specifics again," she said while pressing Ryan for proposals on how he'd close tax loopholes. Some Republicans, however, argued Raddatz was too quick to jump on Ryan and let Biden interrupt too frequently. [Associated Press]
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SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: October 4, 2012
7. YANKEES FACE ELIMINATION AFTER LOSS TO ORIOLES
After a deflating extra-innings defeat in Game 3 of their playoff series, the Baltimore Orioles bounced back on Thursday, beating the New York Yankees 2-1 in 13 innings in Game 4 of the AL division series. The two will battle Friday in a final, win-or-go-home game. The victor will advance to the next round, where they'll face Detroit. The Orioles' J.J. Hardy, who had an RBI double, said "we just kept telling ourselves, this is not the last night of the season." [Associated Press]
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8. ARMSTRONG NON-PROFIT: WE'LL CONTINUE MISSION
Lance Armstrong's cancer-fighting foundation says it's going nowhere, despite a devastating report that paints the cyclist as a cheater who deceived his way through seven Tour de France victories. Livestrong's chief executive Doul Ulman said the organization's goal is to "keep fighting for the mission" of helping cancer victims. He added Armstrong's "leadership role doesn't change. He's the founder. He's our biggest advocate and always will be." Because of the doping allegations, Armstrong can never compete again. [Associated Press]
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9. U.N.: CHILD MARRIAGES ON DECLINE IN INDIA
There has been a steady decline in the rate of child marriages among young girls in India, according to a new report by the United Nations. The rate of child marriage among girls under 15 is slowing down at more than twice the rate among girls under 18. The report, however, insists the progress is not enough to sufficiently guarantee the girls' right to education and self determination. [Economic Times]
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10. BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN TO WED ADOPTED BROTHER
Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of the late singer Whitney Houston, is engaged to her adopted brother Nick Gordon. After Houston's death, rumors began to fly that the two were seeing each other. The 19-year-old confirmed her commitment to Gordon in a trailer for her family's upcoming reality series on Lifetime. "We're engaged," she declares. [E! Online]
SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: October 10, 2012
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