10 things you need to know today: July 27, 2013

1. VIOLENCE ERUPTS DURING PROTESTS IN EGYPT

Dozens of people were killed in protests in Alexandria and Cairo as demonstrations broke out across the country over the ouster of deposed President Mohamed Morsi, who is being held by the army in an undisclosed location. Pro- and anti-Morsi forces have repeatedly clashed over the last week. [The New York Times, CNN]

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2. U.S. GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WON'T PURSUE DEATH PENALTY AGAINST SNOWDEN

Attorney General Eric Holder told the Russian government that the U.S. has no plans to pursue the death penalty for NSA leaker Edward Snowden, who is still believed to be stuck at Moscow's airport. Snowden, who could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of espionage, has claimed asylum in Russia on the grounds he could could face torture or the death penalty in the United States. [Associated Press]

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3. DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN CHARGED WITH PIMPING

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, was charged with "aggravated pimping as part of a group" on Friday for his alleged involvement in sex parties in the French city of Lille. Strauss-Kahn has admitted to attending the parties, although he claims to have not known that the women involved were prostitutes. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine. [Reuters]

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4. EMBATTLED SAN DIEGO MAYOR TO TAKE TIME OFF FOR THERAPY

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner announced that he would take two weeks off for "intensive therapy" after being accused of sexual harassment by seven women, including four who went public on Thursday to claim he made sexual advances on them and touched them inappropriately. [ABC10 San Diego]

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5. CLEVELAND KIDNAPPER PLEADS GUILTY

Ariel Castro pleaded guilty to 937 criminal counts in connection with the abduction of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, who escaped from Castro's Cleveland home in May after allegedly being held there for a decade. Castro now faces 1,000 years in jail with no parole, but will likely avoid the death penalty. A judge will decide the sentence on August 1. [USA Today]

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6. HALLIBURTON ADMITS TO DESTROYING OIL SPILL EVIDENCE

Hallburton pleaded guilty to destroying critical evidence connected with the Deepwater Horizon disaster that killed 11 people and spilled 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The company agreed to a $200,000 fine and three years of probation. [The New York Times]

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7. SAC CAPITAL PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO INSIDER TRADING

SAC Capital, the hedge fund founded by billionaire Steve Cohen, pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges that it tolerated "insider trading that was substantial, pervasive and on a scale without known precedent in the hedge fund industry." U.S. prosecutors say they are basing their case on "court-authorized wiretaps," as well as electronic communications such as emails and instant messages. [Reuters]

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8. LINCOLN MEMORIAL VANDALIZED WITH GREEN PAINT

Unknown vandals splattered the Lincoln Memorial with green paint on Thursday night, causing park officials to close parts of it down as they began the cleaning process. U.S. Park police said they are reviewing surveillance tapes in hopes of identifying the perpetrators. [CBS News]

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9. DEFENSE CLOSES IN BRADLEY MANNING CASE

The lawyer for Pfc. Bradley Manning, who leaked hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, said in his closing arguments that Manning wasn't a traitor looking for notoriety, but rather a "young, naive, well-intentioned soldier" whose "sole purpose was to make a difference." The presiding judge, Colonel Denise Lind, is expected to reach a verdict within the next few days. [The Guardian]

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10. "PINK PANTHERS" JEWEL THIEF ESCAPES SWISS PRISON

Poparic Milan, a member of the Bosnian "Pink Panthers" gang of jewel thieves accused of 340 robberies since 1999, was busted out of a jail in Switzerland on Friday by a group of armed men, according to Swiss authorities. Interpol estimates that the gang has stolen $436 million in luxury goods from stores throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. [NBC News]