Statement by President Barack Obama on Egypt  —  As I have said since the Egyptian Revolution, the United States supports a set of core principles, including opposition to violence, protection of universal human rights, and reform that meets the legitimate aspirations of the people.

Review of Mark Leibovich's ‘This Town’  —  Carlos Lozada is Outlook editor of The Washington Post.  Follow him on Twitter: @carloslozadaWP  —  Mark Leibovich toyed with several titles for his new book on self-interest, self-importance and self-perpetuation in the nation's capital.  “Suck-Up City” was one.

ASSAD PRAISES EGYPT REVOLT AGAINST PRESIDENT  —  You are here  —  Home » Mohamed Morsi » Assad praises Egypt revolt against president  —  BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's embattled president on Wednesday praised Egypt's protests against their leader and said his overthrow by the military means the end of “political Islam.”

Most in U.S. Still Proud to Be an American  —  But 71% say the signers of the declaration would be disappointed  —  PRINCETON, NJ — As the United States celebrates Independence Day, most of its adult residents continue to say they are proud to be an American, including 57% who are extremely proud and 28% who are very proud.

Body of Sen. Mark Udall's brother, Randy, recovered in Wyoming  —  The body of Randy Udall, brother of Sen. Mark Udall, was located Wednesday after six days of searching by authorities.  —  Randy Udall, 61, never returned from a solo backpack trip to Wind River Range of Wyoming.

Revealed: the Rupert Murdoch tape  —  “Incompetent” cops, regrets over his own investigation, promises to protect Sun journalists: a secret recording reveals Rupert Murdoch's real attitudes to the scandal that has engulfed his empire.  —  Please wait while this video loads.

Exclusive: Supreme Court's Ginsburg vows to resist pressure to retire  —  (Reuters) - At age 80, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, leader of the Supreme Court's liberal wing, says she is in excellent health, even lifting weights despite having cracked a pair of ribs again, and plans to stay several more years on the bench.

McCain: Keep US troops in your prayers  —  Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) is asking Americans to keep U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan in their prayers this Fourth of July.  —  The Arizona Republican made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Wednesday, where he and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

GOP questions legality of mandate order  —  Republicans on Wednesday questioned whether the administration has the legal authority to delay the employer mandate under ObamaCare.  —  Two top GOP lawmakers expressed doubts that federal officials have the authority to defer major parts of ObamaCare without approval from Congress.

Lib ‘journalist’ blasts Twitchy for ‘fake’ pro-abortion photo, ends up eating crow  —  In The Atlantic Wire, senior writer Elspeth Reeve has produced an execrable article entitled “The Conservative Meme of Satan-Loving Texas Pro-Choice Protesters Is a Bit Off.”  Why is the conservative meme off?

Egypt: Epidemic of Sexual Violence  —  At Least 91 Attacks in 4 Days; Government Neglect Means Impunity Rules  —  (New York) - Egyptian officials and political leaders across the spectrum should condemn and take immediate steps to address the horrific levels of sexual violence against women in Tahrir Square.

Profiles: Adly Mansour and Mohamed ElBaradei - Egypt's incoming leaders  —  Adly Mansour only took up his job as chief justice of the country's Supreme Constitutional Court on 1 June, and now finds himself Egypt's interim President.  —  Born in 1945, Mansour was appointed to the court in 1992 …

Obama Lets Loose on Evo Morales  —  I'm late to this and I don't really have anything substantive to add, but just for the record:  —  Did we really, seriously, strong-arm the governments of France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy to deny the president of Bolivia permission to fly over their airspace?