5 Things to Know This Morning
5 Things to Know This Morning
— -- Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.
1. Winners and Losers of the First GOP Showdown
We’re still 460 days from the 2016 presidential election, but for two hours on Thursday night, all eyes turned to the stage of the first Republican presidential debate.
Jeb Bush stayed above the fray, but faced some uncomfortable questions. Chris Christie and Rand Paul clashed bitterly. Ben Carson struggled to get a word in edgewise. But the spotlight shined brightest on the man at center stage: Donald Trump, who is currently at the top of the national GOP primary polls. He was alternately cheered and booed by the audience at the Quicken Loans Arena and he didn’t pull his punches.
2. Donald Trump Booed at Republican Presidential Debate
Donald Trump refused to pledge his support for the eventual Republican presidential nominee -- unless it’s him -- earning him boos from the audience at the first GOP debate.
“I can totally make that pledge if I’m the nominee,” he said when Fox News host Bret Baier asked candidates whether they would promise to support whoever clinches the nomination.
But, “I will not make the pledge at this time,” Trump said, as the audience booed.
3. Russia Is Main Suspect in Cyber Attack on Joint Staff's Emails, US Official Says
The U.S. believes Russia is the leading suspect behind a cyber attack that brought down portions of the Joint Staff’s unclassified email system for almost two weeks, according to a U.S. official.
The attack launched on the Joint Staff over the July 25th weekend "bears the hallmarks of a state actor," the official said Thursday. The official said Russia is suspected of being behind the attack, though that has not been definitively determined.
The U.S. intelligence community's worldwide threat assessment released in February listed Russia and China as "nation states with highly sophisticated cyber programs." Officials said the phishing attack was so sophisticated, only a nation-state could have been capable of launching it.
4. Jon Stewart Hosts 'The Daily Show' for Last Time
After 16 groundbreaking seasons on "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart hosted the program for the very last time Thursday night, and a plethora of special guests joined him.
The hour-long finale started as expected with Stewart, 52, bringing his unique brand of sarcastic comedy. But tears eventually came after so many former correspondents he has helped along the way continued to thank the icon.
"I got big news -- this is it, this is the final episode," Stewart said, opening the show. "What a big, big night!"
5. Luke Bryan Reveals How His Life Affected His New Album
Luke Bryan's new album, "Kill the Lights," featuring the #1 party anthem, "Kick the Dust Up," as well as the follow-up, "Strip It Down," drops on Friday.
That new single is downright sultry, and Bryan says it's an indication of some of the more romantic material on "Kill the Lights."
"[It's] something for people that want to dance and have a romantic night, and I've never really done that in any of my music now that I look back," he told ABC News.
"Strip It Down" is one of six songs Bryan had a hand in writing on "Kill the Lights," which is a big increase from his previous project, "Crash My Party."
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