1. GOP debate — Presidential candidates (L-R) Ohio Governor John Kasich, Mike Huckabee, Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Ted Cruz (R-TX), New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) take the stage at the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate at University of Colorados Coors Events Center on Wednesday in Boulder, Colorado. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
2. CNBC moderators, media under fire — Debate moderators John Harwood, Becky Quick, and Carl Quintanilla, and the liberal mainstream media in general, emerged the villains of the third GOP primary debate Wednesday after the candidates slammed the questions. At one point, Ted Cruz lashed out. "The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media,” he said to cheers from the audience. “Donald Trump, are you a comic book villain? Ben Carson, can you do math? John Kasich, will you insult two people over there? Marco Rubio, why won’t you resign? Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?" (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
3. Carson overtakes Trump in national polls, at least for a moment — For the first time in months, Donald Trump lost his lead in the GOP presidential race. But only for a day, or so it seems. Ben Carson overtook the billionaire businessman on Tuesday, 26 percent to 22, in a CBS/New York Times survey. But a day later, an Economist/YouGov national poll put Trump ahead of the retired pediatric neurosurgeon 32 percent to 18. Friday's Ipsos/Reuters online poll has the two in a statistical dead heat among likely Republican voters — 29 percent to 27.
4. Say it ain't so — Hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats have been linked to colon, stomach, and other cancers, the World Health Organization said Monday, adding that red meat probably causes cancer, too. Processed meats are now in the same category as smoking and asbestos, though that doesn't necessarily mean a slice of bacon is as dangerous as a cigarette, but it could mean health experts change their recommendations about how much red meat is safe. (Ritmoboxer/Dreamstime.com)
5. South Carolina cop fired for student slam — Ben Fields, the South Carolina deputy seen in cell phone video flipping a disruptive student out of her desk and tossing her across her math class floor this week, was fired Wednesday after his behavior sparked heated debate over the role of police in schools and the use of excessive force. (Screen grab from video)
6. Military balloon on the run in Pennsylvania — An unmanned Army surveillance blimp, which broke loose from its ground tether in Maryland on Wednesday, is seen floating through the air about 1,000 feet about the ground while dragging a several thousand foot tether line just south of Millville, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania State Police deflated the balloon Thursday with approximately 100 blasts from a shotgun, but it could take weeks to remove the aircraft from the area completely. (Jimmy May/Bloomsburg Press Enterprise via AP)
7. Paul Ryan elected Speaker of the House — Outgoing House Speaker John Boehner hugs his successor Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday. Republicans rallied behind Ryan to elect him the House's 54th speaker as a splintered GOP turns to the youthful but battle-tested lawmaker to mend its self-inflicted wounds and craft a conservative message to woo voters in next year's elections. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
8. A marathon World Series Game 1 — New York Mets left fielder Michael Conforto (30) and center fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) chase a ball hit for an inside-the-park home run by Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (not pictured) in the first inning in game one of the 2015 World Series at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday. The Royals went on to win the game 5-4 in 14 innings and also took game two. The two teams face off in New York City Friday night for game three. (Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)
9. China scraps its one-child policy — Zhao Xingqiu poses with her husband and baby in front a baby products shop in Beijing on Friday. The Communist country stepped back its one-child policy this week, citing an ever-aging population and a shrinking workforce, but the announcement has been met with a disinterested shrug from many younger couples. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)
10. Budget deal — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, walks to the Ohio Clock Corridor in the U.S. Capitol to speak to the media on Tuesday. President Barack Obama and top lawmakers from both parties reached a tentative two-year budget agreement earlier this week that would avert a U.S. debt default and reduce chances of a government shutdown, easing years of political friction over fiscal policy in Washington. Senators voted 64-35 for the measure early Friday, and it is now ready for the president's signature. (CQ Roll Call via AP Images)