10 things you need to know today: July 4, 2013

1. SENIOR JURIST SWORN IN AS TEMPORARY EGYPTIAN HEAD OF STATE

Adli Mansour, the chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court, was sworn in as Egypt's acting head of state on Thursday, hours after military officers removed the country's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi. In his first reported remarks, Mansour praised the protesters whose mass demonstrations spurred the military action, saying they "corrected the path of its glorious revolution." He also held out an olive branch to Morsi's Islamist supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood. [New York Times]

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2. BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT BLAMES IMPERIALISM FOR BLOCKED EUROPEAN FLIGHT

Thousands of Bolivians welcomed President Evo Morales home after his plane was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Austria — it had been denied permission to enter the airspace of several European countries on suspicion he was harboring NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Morales thanked Latin Americans for their support, while criticizing unnamed European nations for collaborating with the U.S.'s "North American empire" to block his flight. [Wall Street Journal]

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3. FIREFIGHTERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SLOWED BLAZES IN ARIZONA

Four days after a wildfire killed 19 elite firefighters in Prescott, Ariz., about 550 firefighters took advantage of better weather, including overnight rain and less wind, to battle the deadly Yarnell Hill fire, which has consumed more than 8,400 acres but was 45 percent contained as of Wednesday night. By Thursday morning, the blazes continued their devastating path. [Los Angeles Times]

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4. BELGIUM'S KING ANNOUNCES ABDICATION

King Albert II of Belgium announced his abdication in a nationally televised address. The 79-year-old monarch said he would step down in favor of his son Crown Prince Philippe, 53, on July 21, Belgium's national day. He said his health was no longer good enough to fulfill his duties. King Albert was sworn in as the sixth king of the Belgians on Aug. 9, 1993. [BBC]

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5. THE STATUE OF LIBERTY REOPENS IN TIME FOR JULY 4

Months after superstorm Sandy swamped the island she stands on, the Statue of Liberty will finally welcome visitors again on the 4th of July. Sandy made landfall one day after the statue's 126th birthday. Despite some lingering repairs, Sen. Robert Menendez, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and others will appear at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and visitors will arrive via ferry boats once again to tour the national landmark. [CBS News]

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6. EGYPTIAN POLITICAL CRISIS CAUSES OIL PRICE SPIKE

The price of crude oil traded above $102 a barrel Wednesday, the highest level in over a year, just before embattled former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was removed from office. The political crisis in Egypt is not only causing heightened uncertainty in markets, but it is also raising fears that oil prices could spike if the crisis leads to a supply disruption, particularly if the all-important Suez Canal suffers a blockage or bottleneck. [USA Today]

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7. COMPUTER PIONEER DIES AT 88

Douglas C. Engelbart, one of the inventors of the computer mouse and contributor to ARPANET, the internet's predecessor, died at 88. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said, "I have admired him so much. Everything we have in computers can be traced to his thinking. To me, he is a god. He gets recognized for the mouse, but he really did an awful lot of incredible stuff for computer interfaces and networking." [ABC News]

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8. CHEESE-RELATED LISTERIA OUTBREAK HITS U.S.

A listeria outbreak linked to cheese might have killed one person and sickened four others in four states, the FDA said Wednesday. One of the cases was a pregnant woman who suffered a miscarriage. The listeriosis is linked to Les Freres cheese distributed by Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics, a Wisconsin producer, the FDA said. [CNN]

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9. 50 CENT CHARGED WITH VIOLENCE AGAINST EX-GIRLFRIEND

Rapper and actor 50 Cent was charged with attacking his ex-girlfriend and trashing her Los Angeles condo on Wednesday. The 37-year-old "In da Club" singer was charged with domestic violence and four counts of vandalism. If convicted, he faces up to five years in jail and $46,000 in fines. [Huffington Post]

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10. BOSTON CELTICS HIRE NEW HEAD COACH

The Boston Celtics hired 36-year-old Brad Stevens from Butler as their next head coach. A source close to the Celtics confirmed that Stevens' deal is for six years and $22 million. [ESPN]