5 Things to Know This Morning

— -- Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.

1. How a California Woman Fell in Love With a Vatican Swiss Guard

This isn’t a fairy tale. It’s the true story of a woman from Huntington Beach, California, who fell in love after asking a question of a Swiss Guard while on vacation at the Vatican.

Miranda Emde, 31, had written down 16 requirements for her future husband in April 2013 -- among them, that he be a “chivalrous knight” who was “noble, dignified and humble,” and that he be “comfortable in his own skin.”

“I had narrowed it down from about 50, and I knew I would never compromise on my list,” Emde told ABC News.

2. Homeowners Clean up in Texas; Death Toll Climbs to 21

Homeowners dragged soggy carpet to the curb and mopped up coffee-colored muck Wednesday after a barrage of storms and floods in Texas and Oklahoma left at least 21 people dead and 11 others missing.

More rain fell on the hard-hit Houston area, temporarily complicating the cleanup a day after a downpour of nearly a foot triggered the worst flooding the nation's fourth-largest city has seen in years. Hundreds of homes were damaged.

Severe weather continued in other parts of Texas, with hundreds of people west of Fort Worth told to evacuate along the rising Brazos River and flash flood warnings posted in many areas.

3. Putin Accuses US of Meddling Into FIFA Affairs

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the United States is meddling in FIFA's affairs in an attempt to take the 2018 World Cup away from his country.

Putin said in televised comments Thursday that it is "odd" that the probe was launched at the request of U.S. officials for crimes which do not involve its citizens and did not happen in the United States.

In a separate probe, Swiss prosecutors are investigating the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.

4. Rick Santorum on Hillary Clinton: 'We’ve Taken Her On'

Rick Santorum is ready for Hillary, but not in the way her supporters are.

The former Pennsylvania Republican senator turned two-time presidential candidate is in a “great place” to begin “countering a big, top-down, statist approach that Hillary Clinton has advocated,” he said in an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos.

“We’ve taken her on; on everything from moral and cultural issues on the floor of the United States Senate,” said Santorum, who spent several years in the upper chamber alongside then-Sen. Clinton.

5. Riley Curry Is the True Champion of the 2015 NBA Playoffs

The true champion of the 2015 NBA Playoffs isn't a player with the Golden State Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers, the two teams facing off for the title.

No, this postseason belongs to Riley Curry, the 2-year-old daughter of Warriors star Stephen Curry. Riley again stole the spotlight Wednesday, celebrating on the court after her father’s team won the Western Conference Finals – then later singing, reaching for the microphone and walking around lackadaisically during the post-game press conference.