2016 President: Republican Outsiders Rising  —  Plus: Could anyone beat Clinton in a primary?  —  Our most recent rating of Republican presidential contenders features a top tier of three notably different candidates: A Midwestern governor (Scott Walker) who is known best by the activists …

Death Toll in Egypt Clashes Climbs to 525  —  CAIRO — The death toll from Egypt's bloody crackdown on supporters of the deposed president, Mohamed Morsi, soared beyond 500 across the land on Thursday with more than 3,700 people injured, the Health Ministry said, in a further sign of the extent …

Obama's unconstitutional steps worse than Nixon's  —  President Obama's increasingly grandiose claims for presidential power are inversely proportional to his shriveling presidency.  Desperation fuels arrogance as, barely 200 days into the 1,462 days of his second term …

McCrory offers shallow rhetoric to justify Voter ID law  —  Even as Gov. Pat McCrory put pen to paper Monday, specifically the pen that signed the Voter ID bill into law, two lawsuits were on the way in federal court, a third was being readied for state court, and U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield …

Filner ‘Blurred Lines’ Parody Draws Criticism In San Diego (VIDEO)  —  A parody video calling on San Diego Mayor Bob Filner to resign has drawn criticism from some Southern California media outlets this week.  —  U-T TV, a news station launched by the U-T San Diego newspaper …

Obama's Economic Approval Slips to 35%  —  Was 42% in June; decline mirrors drop in overall approval  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Despite President Barack Obama's renewed focus on the nation's economy this summer, crisscrossing the country to talk about job creation, he scores worse with Americans on the economy than he did in June.

Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin eyed as 2016 GOP debate moderators  —  WASHINGTON SECRETS REPUBLICAN PARTY CNN NBC HILLARY CLINTON RUSH LIMBAUGH 2016 ELECTIONS CAMPAIGNS  —  The Republican National Committee, already threatening to block CNN and NBC from hosting 2016 primary debates …

Horrifying moment Egyptian protestors pushed an armoured police van 50ft off a bridge before officers were stoned by mob  — After it landed, protesters attacked it and threw stones at the wreckage while under fire from police  — Not clear how many people were on board …

Rep. Steve King: GOP under a “spell”  —  Rep. Steve King (R-IA) continued to defend his comments on immigration reform during an interview with New Day's Kate Bolduan, explaining that most Republicans agreed with him before the presidential election, but are now cast under a “spell.”

This September May Be New York City's Voting Apocalypse  —  On Tuesday, Bill de Blasio became the latest frontrunner in New York City's mayoral election, a race which has seen several major shifts in polling.  Whoever emerges victorious in the first round of the Democratic primary next month …

Orson Scott Card Worries About Obama Turning “Urban Gangs” Into His Personal Police Force  —  Taking a break from plotting to recruit thugs for his private mafia, President Obama vacations in Martha's Vineyard.  —  The controversy over Orson Scott Card's opposition to gay marriage appears to have simmered down.

It only gets worse from here  —  You could ask a thousand questions about the violence that has shaken Egypt, from why police decided to move now against Islamist sit-ins and with such brutality after making so much of its careful planning in the last week, to whether the attacks on churches …

Did an 8-Year-Old Spy for America?  —  When U.S. allies in Yemen needed help targeting an alleged al-Qaeda operative for an American drone strike, evidence suggests they turned to one of the people closest to him.  —  as Barack Obama and Mitt Romney crisscrossed America in a final mad scramble along …

California Supreme Court rejects bid to revive Prop.  8  —  Adam Chandler, 33, left, and Ivan Chandler, 38, both of Citrus Heights, wait in line to get married at San Francisco City Hall on June 29 after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the stay on gay marriage in California.

NEWS/ Andy Cohen Turns Down Miss Universe Hosting Gig in Russia: “Their Discriminatory Policies Make It Unsafe for the Gays”  —  The Miss Universe pageant will be missing one familiar face this year.  —  Andy Cohen will not be taking his regular post as cohost of the 2013 Miss Universe competition …

Kevin Spacey jabs do-nothing Congress  —  Kevin Spacey, who plays the House majority whip on the popular Netflix series “House of Cards,” poked fun at the real-life Congress Wednesday night on “The Colbert Report.”  —  The current 113th session of Congress is on track to beat the 112th's record as the most unproductive ever.