TODAY'S TALKING POINTS 10-28-15

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS

The Pentagon chief said the U.S. plans to put boots on the ground to fight the Islamic State. When American soldier Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler was killed while freeing hostages in Iraq on Thursday, the government stressed that it didn’t happen during a combat mission. But yesterday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the U.S. “will begin direct action on the ground” and increase the frequency of air attacks against the extremists in Iraq and Syria. The bottom line? American soldiers “will be in harm’s way, no question about it.”

Yemen is no stranger to airstrikes either. For a second time, a Doctors Without Borders hospital was decimated — this time in Saada and not at the hands of the U.S. Hospital officials didn’t report any casualties from the attack, but said the bombing cut off medical access for 200,000 people. With the latest attack, it's clear that hospital facility destruction in conflict zones is on the rise.

The DOJ opened a civil rights investigation into the officer who slammed a black student. After the video of South Carolina school resource Officer Ben Fields assaulting a student went viral, he was placed on administrative leave. But that escalated Tuesday when investigators announced a probe to see if any civil rights were violated during the violent arrest, and the Richland County Sheriff said Fields might not have a spot on the force for much longer.

The third GOP debate will air tonight. If you needed an extra cup of coffee to stay awake through the last one, there’s good news: Tonight's political sparring will have a hard stop after two hours, thanks to a strongly-worded letter that Donald Trump and new GOP front-runner Ben Carson penned. Here’s everything you need to know to watch.

The Senate passed its first major cybersecurity bill in years. The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act aims to stop cyberattacks on government agencies and private businesses, but tech leaders have slammed it, calling it a "surveillance bill."

Leading soccer scorer Abby Wambach announced her retirement. The 35-year-old soccer champ, who created a viral moment when she kissed her wife on the sidelines after she helped the U.S. Women’s National Team win the World Cup, will play her final match on Dec. 16 against China in New Orleans.

As President Barack Obama told the 2015 Women’s World Cup champs when he honored them at the White House: “Playing like a girl means you’re a badass.”