10 things you need to know today: October 12, 2012

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the struggling, disjointed European Union on Friday, much to the confusion of the rest of the world.

(Image credit: Cristina Arias/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

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 to 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 dismissed nearly half of the electorate as government moochers. "These people are my mom and dad, the people I grew up with, my neighbors," Biden said. "They pay more effective tax than Gov. Romney pays in his federal income tax." [Los Angeles Times]

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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]

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 he 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 firstborn child in the shape of a "bean" during a sonogram, said he is against abortion, but would make exceptions in cases of incest, rape, or when the life of the mother is at risk. [Washington Post]

One of the night's most memorable lines 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]

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 was skewered for having little control over last week's presidential debate. 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 that Raddatz was too quick to jump on Ryan and let Biden interrupt too frequently. [Associated Press]

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]

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 chief executive Doul Ulman said the organization's goal is to "keep fighting for the mission" of helping cancer victims. He added that 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]

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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