Eight Republican candidates will take to the stage on Wednesday night in the first debate of the primary season—and former President Trump won't be among them. He's skipping the Fox News-hosted debate in Milwaukee as well as the next, which is slated for Sept. 27. Here's what you should know about the stakes for the eight who appear: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (who went to the ER last night), and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
- The AP flags what it sees as the biggest questions going into the night. Among them: Can DeSantis turn the ship around and live up to his initial billing as Trump's biggest rival? Will Christie, who "almost single-handedly ended Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's campaign during a 2016 presidential debate with a devastating takedown," keep going after Trump or set his sights on an on-stage candidate? And will the candidates who are scraping the bottom when it comes to fundraising and polling numbers—Pence, Hutchinson, and Burgum—have a memorable moment that will raise their standing?