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• CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's military-backed government offered protection Thursday to supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morsi who end their two sit-ins -- widely seen as a first step toward dispersing the vigils on opposite sides of Cairo.
• But the protesters responded defiantly: "Over our dead bodies!"
• The standoff underscored the ongoing political crisis since the armed forces toppled Egypt's first democratically elected leader on July 3: thousands in the streets demanding Morsi's reinstatement, a government unable to exert its authority, and recurrent violence that has killed more than 260 people.
• Rights groups, activists and politicians from rival camps, fearful of more bloodshed, tried to ward off any use of force, including a suggestion of putting a human chain around the protest sites.
• International pressure grew for the interim government to release Morsi and create a process that includes his Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest political faction, which refuses to deal with the new authorities.
• ___

• WASHINGTON (AP) -- Robust hiring in July would mark a fourth straight month of solid gains, an encouraging sign for a U.S. economy that is still struggling with high unemployment.
• Economists predict that employers added 183,000 jobs -- a figure that would show that businesses are growing more confident despite weak economic growth. More jobs would boost consumers' ability to spend, allowing for stronger growth in the second half of the year.
• The unemployment rate is expected to have dipped last month to 7.5 percent from 7.6 percent. The Labor Department will release the report at 8:30 am EDT Friday.
• The Federal Reserve will pay particularly close attention to the report. Many economists think the Fed could begin scaling back its $85 billion monthly bond purchases later this year if the economy and job market continue to strengthen.
• Hiring has improved this year. Employers have added an average of 202,000 a

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