• Sexy Liberal John Fugelsang joins us from the New York Bureau at 9am ET / 6am PT for all three hours of Fridays With Fugelsang

• In his first speech as the Republican Party’s official presidential nominee, Mitt Romney on Thursday delivered an uncharacteristically personal plea for the presidency, outlining his vision for the nation’s future while vowing to “put the disappointments of the last four years behind us.”

• At the height of the tightly-scripted Republican National Convention, actor Clint Eastwood on Thursday made a “surprise” appearance, delivering a sometimes humorous, other times bizarre speech – a speech that was ad-libbed, according to the Romney campaign.

• Florida Senator Marco Rubio introduced Mitt Romney at the Republican National Convention Thursday as the man who will ensure the United States continues to be the land of opportunity and that “new beginnings” are possible

• At the Republican National Convention, former House Speaker and Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and his wife, Calista, said Mitt Romney will bring the country back to the principles that are “core to Reagan’s presidency.”

• Isaac hovered over Louisiana for a third day Thursday, shedding more than a foot of additional rain that forced authorities to hurriedly evacuate areas ahead of the storm and rescue hundreds of people who could not escape as the rapidly rising waters swallowed entire neighborhoods.