1.4%. researchers say people don't have to join a gym. just put on a good pair of shoes and go outside for a wake. "nbc nightly news" is next, and more local newswe ate l seyou eh . we'll see you then. good night. military takes control as the egyptians find a new voice. the road to reform in a new egypt. ancient wonder and a modern dilemma. how to lure tourists back to egypt's treasures. and safety check two years after a deadly air crash. why the skies may now be safer. sex and politics. the scandal that brought out tens of thousands of women and could bring down a world leader. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. egyptian citizens who for so long had no voice in their country's destiny today were loudly exercising their newfound right of free speech across a broad spectrum of society, and as the work week started in cairo, no place symbolized the country's new beginning more than tahrir square. at the height of the anti-government protest, this is what the famous square l oked like, wall to wall people. by contrast, take a look at what it looked like today. note the automobile traffic that's now returned to the hub of this sprawling city. this was also the day egyptians learned the fine points of what this revolution has bought them in terms of who will be governing the country now and for how long. nbc's richard engel starts out again tonight from cairo. richard, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the egyptian military consolidated its grip on power but insists that military rule here will only be temporary as egyptians are now trying to push

their democracy movement forward to claim basic rights. the army is realizing how difficult it is to manage this country with its new expectations. military police moved in to re-open tahrir square to traffic. the army started to remove some of the protesters' tents. there were scuffles as some demonstrators refused to go. >> the military tried to move the people out of the square but the people refused. >> reporter: but today, the military did firmly put itself in control. in a statement read on television, the military's high command, which took over for mubarak, immediately suspended the constitution, dissolved parliament and assigned the military to command for six months until elections are held for a new president and parliament. the military said it will only oversee what it called "a transition to the democracy, dignity and freedom that the egyptian people have demanded."

still, some protesters claim to square, worried if they leave the promise of democracy might just melt away. they fought to keep this square, slept here, shed blood here. already encased with the amazing speed of this uprising, they've erected a monument in granite in the square for the martyrs of the revolution. egyptians today caught on to the power of what they've done. they were protests on what seemed like every corner. every grievance is bubbling up. in just a few hours, walking through cairo today, we found journalists protesting against their editor-in-chief, accusing him of picking favorites. protesters at the national bank say the ceo has ties to mubarak's son, gamal. "no one will be silenced anymore. we will speak our mind everywhere. it is enough" he said. nearby, musicians were protesting their union boss.

a few blocks away, demonstrators at another state bank accuse the ceo of corruption. there is a feeling of empowerment here. people thought if they came out and made a stand, they could achieve their political rights. now egyptians want that to translate to their offices and factories. people say they are no longer willing to accept corruption and mismanagement. everyone is settling scores. until mubarak was forced out, state television broadcast nothing but government propaganda. it turned out to be a bad choice. this cell phone video shows the employees of the state broadcasters today chasing down their news director, until he was hidden in an office by soldiers. but perhaps the biggest sign of how different egypt has become was this -- police out protesting. the same police that unsuccessfully tried to crush the democracy movement, today were, themselves, protesting for better wages, and they got them.

the interior ministry doubled every low-ranking policeman's salary. more pay, as the police here are trying to re-invent themselves with a new image. police realize they've been hated here for years because of scenes like this. an undated video shows an officer humiliating a detainee with constant slaps to the face. [ laughter ] as other policemen laugh. today, the interior ministry opened a website for citizens to send in complaints. as egyptians have discovered the power of expressing themselves. 30 years of grievances have been pent up here, lester. egyptians have now finally found a voice to address them. >> folks there have a lot to get off their chests. richard engel, thank you. while egyptians are largely bidding good riddance to their president hosni mubarak, they also have a few questions for him, mainly about where his

fortunes may be cashed. here's nbc's martin fletcher. >> reporter: he's said to be the richest man in egypt if not the world. some egyptians say up to $70 billion, although u.s. officials say it's $2 to $3 billion. but where's the money? the egyptian people want it back. the hunt for mubarak's fortune began within hours of his resignation in switzerland. the government ordered all swiss banks to find and freeze his assets. pressure is growing on the british government to do the same. >> in every corner of egypt, if you overhear people speaking, they speak about nothing but the mubarak family's assets. they are absolutely shocked. >> reporter: nobody is claiming mubarak stole money from the budget of the bank. it's about abusing his power to help family and friends make billions. his guilt could be tough to pin down. >> it's not personal, but it is the money of the people and we need it. >> reporter: since resigning,

mubarak has been staying in his residence in the red sea resort of sharm el sheikh, one of the many properties his family is said to own around the world. there's this home in london worth around $10 million, and critics claim more properties in madrid, paris, dubai, washington and new york, as well as hotels, land and businesses here in sharm el sheikh. one resident described the tourist town as mubarak-land. >> they don't see a difference between public money and private money. >> reporter: mubarak's corruption was a key complaint of the protesters and now they're demanding egypt's new government seek the return of his money. martin fletcher, nbc news, sharm el sheikh, egypt. another story about money, a reversal of fortune for one of egypt's great industry, tourism. the upheaval kept many visitors away. and now that depend on tourists are hurting. nbc's ron allen now that part of

the story. >> reporter: they've sat on a plateau overlooking cairo for more than 4,000 years. the pyramids of guida, the only wonder of the ancient world still standing, and today, standing very much alone. >> america is very good. >> reporter: avan said he's never seen so futurists in his 25 years of giving rides aboard his camel. this is what it usually looks like around perhaps the most impressive manmade monument anywhere, but since tahrir square erupted and countless foreigners fled, the local people who eek out a living on tourists tips have been desperate for them to return. you think they're coming back? >> no. >> reporter: it's been this way since the crisis began nearly three weeks ago. egypt has been losing about $300 million every day, a lot of that tourist dollars, money that would have been spent by people coming to see all these magnificent sights.

the streets of cairo are getting their energy back, but not the places where tourists go and that's egypt's lifeblood. more than 10% of its jobs and economy. an industry worth $11 billion and crucial to its image around the world. about 350,000 americans visit each year. in the heart of tahrir square not much of a destination before all of this, but now, the place for egyptians to snap a picture and join the celebration. they believe this now historic sight will soon start to draw the foreigners back as well. hassan mustafa just reopened. his tour business was shut for weeks. >> we all know that there's a reason for this and we're happy about the reasons and we know that egypt will go up again one day. >> reporter: rise like the pyramids did thousands of years ago. in a nation where everything now seems possible. ron allen, nbc news, cairo.

elsewhere in the arab world, there were promore protests today in yemen. thousands of people marched through yemen's capital in a third day of demonstrations calling for political reform and the resignation of the american-backed president. the police stopped the protesters from reaching the main square. the u.s. worries that increased instability in yemen could play into the hands of al qaeda in that country. president obama sends congress his 2012 budget plan tomorrow. a proposal that includes more than $1 trillion in cuts. that may sound like a lot but republicans are saying it falls short. nbc's mike viqueira is at the white house to tell us more about this. mike, good evening. >> reporter: good evening. there's been a bipartisan calm over the capital since last year and lasting through the crisis in egypt. but with big budget and spending fights looming next week, all that is about to change. even as the obama budget was being readied for release this weekend the president warned it will reveal some painful choices on spending. >> it cuts what we can't afford

to pay for what we cannot do without. that's what families do in hard times. and that's what our country has to do as well. >> reporter: today, top officials said the plan will put a dent in now record debt and deficits. >> we have a responsible budget that will cut in half the deficit by the end of the president's first term. >> reporter: the plan would freeze domestic spending for five years, slash $78 billion of military spending including a new fighter engine and more c-17 cargo planes. cut $100 billion from college pell grants, in part, by ending payments for summer school. take $2.5 billion or 50% from low-income heating assistance. and limit the mortgage interest deduction for the wealthy along with other cuts, it adds up to more than $1 trillion in deficit reduction over the next ten years. still, just a fraction of the projected total. >> we're broke. >> reporter: republicans are proposing deeper and faster cuts. >> what's really dangerous is if we continue to do nothing and allow the status quo to stay in place.

when are we going to get serious about cutting spending? >> reporter: driven by tea party conservatives, this week, house gop leaders will vote on cuts totalling $100 billion from this year's budget, affecting a range of items from foreign aid to head-start. >> these are not easy cuts but we understand that our country is on a path to fiscal ruin and if we want to get the economy going, we want to get people back to work, this is one of the first steps we need to take. >> reporter: and lester, the total debt of this country is now above $14 trillion and even with all the talk of cutting the budget, there's no talk, no formal proposals on the table to tackle the biggest ticket items of all -- social security and medicare. lester? >> mike viqueira at the house tonight, thank you. when we come back, two years after a deadly plane crash, how the families of victims fought for and won some important safety changes. we'll tell you about it. and outrage in italy. the sex scandal that brought tens of thousands of women to the streets today.

and the first lady offers some advice on love and happiness this valentine's day.

it was two years ago this weekend the deadly crash of a regional airliner outside buffalo brought new attention to safety issues on such flights. tonight, nbc's tom costello tells us about some big changes made as a direct result of that disaster. [ bell tolling ] >> reporter: outside buffalo, a

candlelight vigil at the very spot where continental flight 3407 went down two years ago. each of the 50 victims' names read aloud. >> zafd horner. >> jeanne marzoff. >> reporter: while flight 3407 carried continental's logo it was, in truth, flown by regional carrier, cogan air. ntsb finding of pilot error, crew training experience and fatigue put a glaring spotlight on the regional airline industry and forced change. itch criticized colgan airline has been taken over by pinnacle airlines and congress raised the mime flight hours for a new commercial pilot to 1,500 hours. meanwhile, the faa is setting new guidelines for the number of hours pilots are required to work and rest. rules that haven't changed since the 1940s that allow airlines to schedule pilots for 16-hour duty days, eight hours of that flying with eight hours for rest. rest time that starts when the

pilot pulls the plane up to the gate, not when he or she arrives at a hotel. the faa's new rules require the pilots get nine hours of rest starting from the time they get to the hotel, and the length of the duty day will now depend on time zone changes, number of takeoffs and landings, and whether they fly long haul or short duration flights. it's the families of flight 3407 who kept the pressure on, making 35 trips to washington, forcing the government and the airlines to act. >> just as a big brother keeps a watchful eye on his little brother to make sure no harm comes to him, so, too, we expect the major airlines to keep a close eye on their regional partners. >> for mary ellen and ken mello who lost their son, coly on the flight -- >> we miss him terribly. >> reporter: -- their success is bittersweet. >> there isn't a day that goes by that we don't cry, that we don't reminisce, that we don't say prayers and remember him in such a special way, but comfort?

no. satisfaction, yes. >> reporter: tom costello, nbc news, washington. actress betty garret has died. after success on broad way, she starred in two films as frank sinatra's sweetheart. "on the town" and "take me out to the ball game. " her career was hampered by admitted ties to the communist party but resumed in television in the 1970s when she played archie and edith bunkers liberal neighbor in "all in the family" and a landlady in "laverne and shirley." betty garrett was 91. mothers, daughters and outrage today over a growing political sex scandal.

it sounds awfully familiar, a day of protests calling for an entrenched leader to step down, only today, it wasn't egypt but italy where prime minister silvio berlusconi is facing growing public anger over allegations regarding his private life. nbc's simmons now the latest.

[ chanting ] >> reporter: one banner reads "resign and get your head checked." more than 100,000 women gathered across italy, side-by-side with husbands, boyfriends and sons. the protesters say sexism is corrupting italian society. they are furious that their 74-year-old prime minister clings to power despite accusations of corruption, wild parties and of sex with an underage girl. "it's time for him to go," this woman says. the protests follow claims that silvio berlusconi paid a belly dancer for sex when she was 17 and asked police to help her when she was arrested for petty theft. the focus on his personal life splashed across italy's newspapers more than a public embarrassment. it has increasingly threatened his leadership and the prospect of prosecution. this week a judge is expected to say whether he should be put on trial.

it's really a shame, he says. but photos and videos of young women alleged to be connected to italy's leader have been plastered across italian television. berlusconi even nominated former show girl nicole minetti to stand for the italian parliament. protesters say women are promoted to are their looks rather than their brains. >> he has corrupted the entire political establishment. will the women succeed in getting rid of him? i do not think so. >> reporter: a billionaire, berlusconi owns much of the media and has survived intense criticism before. but now he is facing not just a sex scandal but angry accusations that he encourages sexism, from women who say it's time for him to go. kier simmons, nbc news, london. and there's also this tonight from the department of the outrageous -- this is how lady gaga made her entrance to the grammy awards this evening, arriving encased in a giant egg carried by four attendants.

the singer is among the nominees tonight. you might be interested to know lady gaga wore a raw meat dress to the mtv video music awards, as she continues to work with various food groups. when we come back, a lesson for love and happiness on valentine's day.

this evening, before valentine's day, we were struck by some advice for couples from first lady michelle obama. she said it helps that the president is very romantic with a lot of laughing in their relationship and finding ways to keep each other smiling. and if you doubt the value of a good laugh, consider what nbc's ian williams found in a place where they take laughter seriously. [ laughter ] >> reporter: it's 6:00 a.m., laughing hour in bangalor. no jokes, just child-like hysteria for no reason at all. >> when we laugh, we can really laugh then and people can't stop laughing. >> it's so fresh. once we come here, it's a good day. >> reporter: orchestrated by the man they call "the giggling guru." >> it's a healthy exercise. stress levels are very, very

high and laughter can melt away stress. >> reporter: on any given morning there are more than 200 of these clubs meeting across bangalore and it's rapidly spread across india and beyond, all motivated by a belief that laughter is the best medicine. qataria, a medical doctor, started laughing yoga in 1995 with five people in a mumbai park. it spread to 65 countries with 500 clubs now in the u.s. >> hi diane from california. >> reporter: he thinks that this just might be the answer to u.s. health care reform. >> i think this is the best way to stay healthy. all the insurance companies should be laughing. >> reporter: but first he's out to save bangalor in the high-tech capital. >> a city that's highly stressed and this is a region that has the largest number of laughter clubs. if you want to get the benefits of laughter -- >> reporter: one of his toughest missions yet, software engineers at dell.

>> everybody wants to do business with smiling and nobody wants to do business with grumpy people. [ laughter ] >> reporter: quickly, reprogrammed. qatari is recommending smoking rooms be replaced by laughter room. >> i came up with a group called emotions and health. i forgot to switch off my phone. [ laughter ] eporter: he plans a laughter university and a million laughter clubs worldwide. >> laughter where the whole world will come together through laughter. >> reporter: the giggling guru determined to be heard around the globe. [ laughter ] ian williams, nbc news. lang alorre. >> always nice to leave them smiling. that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. we've got a special edition