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The day's most popular stories
The five most popular stories on CNN.com in the past 24 hours, according to NewsPulse.
Rightful winners of '03 jackpot getting paid: Canadian lottery officials say they’ve finally awarded to the correct people a 2003 multimillion-dollar jackpot that authorities say was fraudulently claimed by a lottery retailer’s relative.
Unrest in Egypt: Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Egypt's major cities on Friday, prompting the government to deploy the army to keep the peace for the first time since unrest began Tuesday. Protesters are demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-rule.
Boy drops loaded gun at pre-k class, police say: Florida police are trying to figure out how a 5-year-old boy came into possession of a loaded handgun that he dropped inside a pre-kindergarten class.
Egyptian president dissolves government: Embattled President Hosni Mubarak said early Saturday that he asked the country's government to resign after thousands of angry Egyptians defied a government curfew.
Officer faked school shooting story: A police officer in Los Angeles who claimed he was shot while patrolling near a high school has now been arrested for making up the story, authorities said.
Young, educated and underemployed: the face of the Arab world's protesters
Images of unrest from the streets of Egypt and Tunisia this month revealed mostly male crowds of protesters in jeans and leather jackets, hoodies and argyle sweaters, baseball caps and flannel shirts - not exactly the bearded Islamist traditionally associated with revolt in the Arab world.
Who are these people and what are they fighting for? They are the young and unemployed, or underemployed, many with advanced degrees struggling to find jobs to support themselves and their families. Many have lived their entire lives under the same leader and want change, believing that it will lead to a better life.
Muslim-majority countries in North Africa and the Middle East have the highest percentage of young people in the world, with 60 percent of the regions' people under 30, according to study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
With unemployment rates at 10 percent or more, those countries also have the highest regional rates of joblessness in the world, reports an article published in "Foreign Policy" titled, "The Arab World's Youth Army."
Legislator pushes bill to restore Colonel Reb as Ole Miss mascot
A state legislator apparently misses Colonel Reb so much, he's pushing a bill to bring the former University of Mississippi mascot back.
He also wants the college band to play "Dixie" at games - even on the road.
"The University of Mississippi shall bear the nickname 'Ole Miss Rebels' and its mascot shall be 'Colonel Rebel,'" states House Bill 1106.
"The University of Mississippi's marching band ... shall play the song 'Dixie' before, during and after home and away football games and basketball games at which the band, or a portion of the band, is present," the legislation states.
Under the bill, which is authored by Democratic state Rep. Mark DuVall of Mantachic, the band would be required to play "From Dixie with Love" only once - during halftime.
FULL STORY
Behind the unrest in Yemen
The people of Yemen have joined the protests in the Middle East and Africa against long-running regimes.
The unrest in Yemen - the poorest country in the Arab world - would not be as significant on its own. Within the context of uprisings in nearby countries such as Egypt and Tunisia, however, it takes on a new meaning, said Asef Bayat, professor of sociology and Middle Easter Studies at the University of Illinois.
"The demonstrations in Egypt and Tunisia has caused a 'demonstration effect,'" says Bayat.
Half of Yemen’s population is illiterate, so if the young and educated spread their message against President Ali-Abdullah Saleh’s 32-year reign to tribal leaders, a groundswell of tribes may join in.
Click the audio link to hear the complete story:
Unrest in Egypt: President Mubarak dissolves Cabinet after night of protests
Read full coverage of the unrest in Egypt updated continually by CNN reporters worldwide.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Egypt's major cities on Friday, prompting the government to deploy the army to keep the peace for the first time since unrest began Tuesday. Protesters are demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-rule. Here are the latest developments as confirmed by CNN.
[Updated 7:40 p.m. (0240 in Egypt)] A senior U.S. State Department official said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak "was not particularly forthcoming" in his speech early Saturday. "Our initial impression is that he emphasized security far more than reform," said the official, who wasn't authorized to speak on the record.
A senior Muslim Brotherhood leader echoed those sentiments in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, saying that Mubarak has to step down and the military should intervene, according to Al Jazeera.
[Updated 6:40 p.m. (0140 in Egypt)] U.S. President Barack Obama called on Egyptian authorities Friday to refrain from violence and to reverse any actions they have taken to limit access to the internet in the wake of protests there.
Obama said he spoke to the Egyptian president after he announced plans to dissolve his government and take steps with a new cabinet to implement reforms that will revitalize the economy and create more jobs.
"I told him he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words, to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise."
[Updated 6:15 p.m. (0115 in Egypt)] President Mubarak's announcement that he was going to dissolve the government Saturday did not sit well with some protesters.
"Mubarak just blamed the government. We will continue our demonstrations until we get our full demands. We want him to leave. His time is over," said Ahmed, a 19-year-old law student demonstrator in Central Alexandria's Raml Square.
"We are one of the richest Arab countries and we want to live. Let a new government form but if we don't get what we ask for, we will go back to the streets again and again," said Mohammed, a 20- year-old student.
[Updated 5:45 p.m. (0045 in Egypt)] Protesters in the streets of Cairo are calling for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to leave, chanting in unison "we don't want him." The people in the streets represent all walks of life, from young people to families with children, CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports.
[Updated 5:31 p.m. (0031 in Egypt)] Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says he has asked the government to resign so he can appoint a new government Saturday. He gave no indication that he would step down or leave the country.
[Updated 5:27 p.m. (0027 in Egypt)] President Hosni Mubarak said he is "on the side of the people" and vowed to take steps to guarantee the rights and freedom of Egyptians, develop job opportunities and to "stand by the poor."
He said early Saturday he sees a fine line "between freedom and chaos" and that he would work to secure both freedom and security in Egypt.
I assure you that I'm working for the people and giving freedoms of opinion as long as you are respecting the law, there is a very little line between freedom and chaos," he said.
"I am absolutely on the side of the freedom of each citizen and at the same time I am on the side of the security of Egypt, and I would not let anything dangerous happen that would threaten the peace and the law and the future of the country."
Dollars & Sense: Skyrocketing credit card rates; buy a piece of the Mets
A roundup of today's CNNMoney news:
Cost to switch your iPhone to Verizon: If you're one of the estimated 2.5 million iPhone customers looking to switch to Verizon next month, you're probably furiously pounding away on your calculator to see if defecting is worth the money.
Credit card rates at record highs: Interest rates are hovering near record highs, at an average rate of 14.72%. And if your credit is bad enough, you could even end up with a rate as high as 59.9% APR. But there are some things you can do to avoid those lofty rates, even if you have bad credit.
Official: Pentagon official died from blunt force trauma after assault
Former Pentagon official John Wheeler died from "blunt force trauma after being assaulted," according to the Delaware medical examiner.
- From CNN's Allan Chernoff
FULL STORY
Lawyer: 'Jihad Jane' to plead guilty
Colleen LaRose, the Pennsylvania woman who called herself Jihad Jane is
going to plead guilty to federal charges, her attorney Mark Wilson told CNN's Susan Candiotti.
LaRose had pleaded not guilty to a four count federal indictment of conspiring to support terrorists and kill a person in a foreign country as part of an effort to "wage violent jihad in Asia and Europe."
FULL STORY
Zakaria: What is Mubarak thinking?
The Egyptian military is probably the oldest, most well-functioning institution in Egypt. Egypt has had a long tradition of a very strong state. What we're seeing is quite incredible because this is the oldest society in the Arab world with a deep and sophisticated culture with an authentic middle class. It is also the oldest state, with a very long tradition of administrative control and a very powerful military. Both sides are trying to test the other to see which will give.
Any scenario, post-Mubarak, is going to involve the military because the military, in a sense, holds the country together. They will have to support whatever processes are put in place. My guess is that they're going to want to play a role that is behind the scenes and not right in front.
Museums wager French impressionist paintings on Super Bowl XLV
Some folks paddling boats vs. naked ladies bathing – it doesn’t seem like a fair wager, at least not to this admittedly male reporter.
But that’s the bet, as the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh are putting impressionist artworks on the line for Super Bowl XLV.
If the Steelers win, Carnegie gets Gustave Caillebotte’s “Boating on the Yerres." If the Pack prevails, Milwaukee gets Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “Bathers with a Crab.”
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports the winning museum will be able to display its spoils for three months, so neither museum is in danger of permanently losing a multimillion-dollar French painting.
Adding to the fun is that the chiefs of both museums are engaging in a spirited spat of trash talk that may belie the image many of us have about museum directors.
SI.com: Tiger's first round of 2011, Fisher out as Titans' coach
No longer considered the world's top golfer, spokesperson or role model, Tiger Woods is hoping a turnaround 2011 season can resurrect his career.
He teed the new season off yesterday with a respectable 3-under 69 in the first round of the Farmer’s Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Playing the North Course, Woods turned in a bogey-free round, along with 18 holes without an incident from the gallery. The world’s former No. 1 trails rookie leader Sunghook Kang by five strokes but is in prime position to compete this weekend and build on a feel-good start.
“I'm happy with the way I played, absolutely," Woods said after the round. "I could have been a lot better if I took care of the par 5s a little bit more, but obviously, I didn't do that."
Friday's intriguing people
Alberto Contador
The three-time Tour de France champion is expected to respond next week to a proposed one-year cycling ban after testing positive for a banned substance during last year’s competition, according to The Daily Telegraph in Australia. He reportedly is threatening to quit the sport if he's banned.
Did Contador eat tainted beef, which he blames for the positive test? Is he cooperating with investigators? Either way, if the ban goes through, Contador will be the second Tour champ - Floyd Landis being the first - to be stripped of the title.
Gotta Watch: Challenger witnesses; witchy homes; Conan
Witnessing tragedy – The novelty of manned space travel may be a bit worn after hundreds of manned spaceflights. But in 1986, a shuttle launch was a special event. This haunting video captures the simultaneous awe and terror of spectators watching as the Challenger launches and subsequently explodes.
[cnn-video url="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/01/27/vo.1986.challenger.spectators.wcvb"%5D
On the Radar: Egypt uprisings, 25 years since Challenger, Davos
Egypt - The uprising in the African nation continued Friday as police fired tear gas into crowds in an attempt to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters. Vans filled with riot police circled Cairo neighborhoods before Friday afternoon prayers, and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei was placed under house arrest, a high-level security source told CNN on Friday. Keep up with minute-by-minute action right here at "This Just In."
Meanwhile, in other nations, protests broke out in the Jordanian capital, and an opposition party in Albania pushed for more protests in Tirana. Analysts said the widespread protests are part of a ripple effect that began last month in Tunisia.
Challenger - It’s been a quarter-century since the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into takeoff, killing the six astronauts on aboard and teacher Christa McAuliffe. The disaster grounded the space shuttle program for three years. NASA Television will air a remembrance service honoring the crew, and June Scobee Rodgers, the widow of Cmdr. Dick Scobee, will be among the speakers. CNN will also talk to a former neighbor and Sunday school pupil of McAuliffe’s, who says McAuliffe inspired her to become a teacher. Be sure to check out CNN’s full coverage page, Remembering Challenger.
Davos - World leaders, economists and business people continued gathering Friday in Switzerland to discuss the global economy. The theme this year is “The New Reality.” Last year’s World Economic Forum in Davos focused on financial reform. CNN will explore whether reforms have made the global banking system more stable.
This year, a “little explosion” at a hotel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s defense of the euro already have made headlines.
Honoring the Challenger crew
A special ceremony is taking place at the Kennedy Space Center's visitor complex this morning. Members of the NASA family and the public will gather to honor those who died aboard space shuttle Challenger.
Twenty-five years ago the STS-51L crew boarded Challenger for a six-day flight. It was just after liftoff when things went wrong. Challenger was in the air for 73 seconds before the orbiter exploded.
June Scobee Rodgers, the widow of Cmdr. Dick Scobee, will be one of many speakers honoring her husband and the members of his crew.
This mission was to take the first teacher, Christa McAuliffe, up into space. Her widow, Steven McAuliffe, released a statement saying that his family finds it "comforting and inspirational" that people across the country continue to remember his wife and her Challenger crew members.
The astronauts on the flight with Scobee and McAuliffe were pilot Michael Smith, mission specialists Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka and Ronald McNair; and payload specialist Gregory Jarvis.
According to investigators' findings, the cause of the explosion was an O-ring that failed in one of the solid rocket boosters. Cold weather was cited as a contributing factor.
The ceremony is taking place in front of The Space Mirror Memorial. This memorial lists the names of 24 U.S. astronauts who lost their lives while exploring space.
Remembering the Challenger disaster, 25 years later
Seventy-three seconds.
That's how long NASA's space shuttle Challenger was in the air before an O-ring failure turned a routine mission into space into a tragedy on January 28, 1986.
Twenty-five years after NASA's first fatal in-flight accident, the memory of the Challenger disaster is still strong. FULL POST
Friday's live video events
Anti-government protests continue in Egypt, while the battle over repealing health care reform goes on in Washington. CNN.com Live has both issues covered.
9:00 am ET - Remembering the Challenger tragedy - Today marks the 25th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger accident. The Astronauts Memorial Foundation holds a remembrance service for the victims of the tragedy.
Zarrella on 25 years ago: 'We realized that something was really wrong'
Editor's note: John Zarrella was the CNN network correspondent on site when the 1986 Challenger shuttle disaster occurred. He recalls that day:
When I went to the Kennedy Space Center on January 28, 1986, to cover the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, I was expecting it to be routine, like the launches I had covered in the past. The only thing different this time was the excitement that surrounded the first teacher-turned-astronaut, Christa McAuliffe.
It was brutally cold, and the weather caused the launch to slip several times during the morning. Just before launch, I walked down to the countdown clock, as was tradition among the journalists, and waited for liftoff. I remember that typical winter clear-blue sky as Challenger took off. FULL POST
Ireland PM to dissolve government, call elections
Ireland's prime minister said Friday that he would dissolve parliament Tuesday and call a general election, Irish state broadcaster RTE said.
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