turmoil in the middle east. anti-government street protests and violent clashes in egypt signal spreading unrest in a muslim world. on the ballot. former white house chief of staff rahm emanuel wins a court battle for the right to run for chicago mayor. and digging out. plowed in cars and deeply buried sidewalks are everywhere in the northeast, after the latest big sidewalks are everywhere in the northeast, after the latest big snowstorm. captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. days of anti-government protest in egypt could be coming to a head today. demonstrators demanding the ouster of longtime president hosni mubarak planned a massive

rally in cairo. it's unclear how the government will respond, though. ines ferre joins us from washington with the latest on all of this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, betty. security forces haven't been visible on the streets of cairo ahead of today's planned protest. but the largest opposition group in egypt says that already at least five of its leaders have been detained. tens of thousands of protesters are expected to take to the streets of cairo today. for what could be their biggest demonstration yet. frustrated with high unemployment and widespread poverty, they're demanding the ouster of egyptian president hosni mubarak after nearly 30 years in power. but security forces are cracking down hard. for days, police have gone head-to-head with protesters in violent clashes. outside the capital, furious mobs torched this government building. social networking sites have helped drive the movement but internet service was shut down throughout the country thursday.

even so, nobel peace prize winner mohamed elbaradei could give demonstrators a boost. he returns home to egypt to lead today's rally. president obama is walking a fine line on the issue. while he sees mubarak as a key u.s. ally in the middle east, he's also sympathetic to the protesters. >> you can see these pent-up frustrations that are being displayed on the street. >> reporter: in an interview posted on youtube the president called for mubarak to make changes, but refused to take sides. >> i've always said to him that making sure that they are moving forward on a reform, political reform, economic reform, is actually critical to the long-term well-being of egypt. >> reporter: mubarak hasn't been seen in public or heard from since the protests began tuesday. his party says it's ready to talk with opponents but so far has offered no consensus. and many of the protesters are young and without jobs. egypt has a population of about 80 million people. about 40% of them living on less than $2 a day, betty.

>> all right, ines ferre in washington for us. thanks for that update. do appreciate it. the protests in egypt were inspired by earlier anti-government demonstrations in tunisia which succeeded in driving that country's strong-man president from office. similar protests erupted this week in yemen, and there are signs the anti-government sentiment may be spreading to other middle eastern countries. in south africa there is growing concern over the health of former president nelson mandela. the 92-year-old mandela was hospitalized in johannesburg on wednesday with no cause given. the government insists there's no reason for panic, despite mandela's age and history of lung problems. mandela contracted tuberculosis during the 27 years he was in prison by south africa's former apartheid regime. in indonesia this morning, a crowded ferry caught fire, killing at least 11 people. the vessel had just left port on the island of java. smoke from the fire was clearly visible from shore. nearly 200 were injured, some

critically. in this country, many people still digging out from the northeast and that winter blast that just left so many places buried under more than a foot of snow. here's randall pinkston. >> reporter: a snow weary northeast got more of the same. a lot more. >> we love snow, but i'm -- i'm getting -- i'm getting up to here now. >> reporter: a blanket of snow fell from virginia to maine. shattering decades-long records, and piling more misery on residents who have barely managed to dig out from the last storm. this time mother nature hit particularly hard. two girls from the bronx, new york, were rushed to the hospital, suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. their mom had been digging the family car out of the snow when the tailpipe became blocked. >> i saw them, they're all laying down like lifeless body almost. i couldn't describe it, because i have my own kids.

>> reporter: two men in boston narrowly escaped death after the roof in this parking garage collapsed on their car. and in connecticut two horses died after this barn in summers gave way. nearly a half million people lost their electricity. most of them in the washington, d.c. area. most forecasters have predicted as much as a foot of snow. new york got 19 inches. this january is already officially the snowiest in the city's history. the snow and ice also wreaked havoc on roads. the storm is blamed for at least six deaths. it also made for difficult air travel. more than 900 flights were canceled across the country. meteorologists warn, another major storm is already brewing, and could hit the northeast as early as next week. randall pinkston, cbs news, new york. former white house chief of staff rahm emanuel is back on the ballot for mayor of chicago this morning. the illinois supreme court ruled he does meet chicago's residency requirements. emanuel had never stopped campaigning, even after an

appeals court ruled the two years he spent in washington disqualified him under the residency rules. he was asked to comment during a candidates debate last night. >> i've always said that the voters should make this decision on who should be the next mayor, and what the supreme court decided today was the voters will make that decision. >> emanuel is a heavy favorite to win next month's election. we have unconfirmed reports this morning that the body of a young mother missing in western michigan has been found. 30-year-old amy henslee vanished from her rural home on monday. this morning, cbs affiliate wwmt in grand rapids is reporting that the bodies of two women were found at a mobile home nearby. relatives are said to have identified one of them as amy henslee. yesterday afternoon henslee's cousin was taken by police for questioning. it's reported blood was discovered in his trailer. on the "cbs moneywatch," stocks in asia were in the red this morning. ashley morrison is here in new york with the latest on all of that.

good morning, ashley. >> and good morning to you, betty. asian markets fell off after japan's long-term debt rating was downgraded. japan's nikkei lost more than 1% while hong kong's hang seng shed more than half a percent. on wall street, the dow tries again today to finish above the 12,000 milestone. yesterday, the dow picked up four, while the nasdaq added 15. the government-appointed panel investigating the roots of the financial crisis that set off the depp recession says it was avoidable. the panel concludes the meltdown occurred because government officials and wall street executives ignored warning signs and failed to manage risks. the bush and clinton administrations, the current and previous federal reserve chairmen, and treasury secretary timothy geithner all bear some responsibility, according to the panel. today the government reports on last quarter gross domestic product. the numbers are expected to show the economy is picking up, growing at an annual rate of 3.5%. if so, that would be the

strongest showing since the first quarter of last year. the administrator of a $20 billion fund responsible for compensating victims of bp's gulf of mexico oil spill says thousands of the claims are scams. the fund was set up to handle claims for compensation for those who suffered financial losses from the bp well blowout. attorney kenneth feinberg says he has received more than 7,000 potentially fraudulent claims. many have been referred to the justice department. and, betty, compared to other industrialized countries, the u.s. lags behind in life expectancy. the national research council says there are two main reasons, smoking and obesity. american women can live up to 80 1/2 years while men can expect to live to just over 75 1/2 years. and i know you can relate to this, i always say, i think by 80 i'll be ready to take a nap. >> that is very true. so we beat men by ten years, huh?

>> yep. >> you and i will hang out there. >> ashley, thanks for joining us live here in new york. do appreciate it. just ahead on the "morning news," president obama hits youtube to answer america's burning questions. plus, cold case. firefighters launch a dramatic rescue on a frozen pond. you're watching the "cbs morning news." discover customersl are getting five pcent cashback bonus at restaurants. it pays to switch, it pays to discover. [ female announcer ] and now, winter skin can be too. discover relief from dry, uncomfortable skin with skin relief moisturizing lotion. only aveeno has an active naturals triple oat and shea butter formula that soothes,

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makes the cold aisle easy. the robitussin relief finder. it's that simple. the robitussin relief finder. can getting enough vegetables make you feel good? oh, yeah. v8 juice gives you 3 of your 5 daily servings of vegetables. v8. what's your number? check this out. in colorado, a 13-year-old boy was rescued yesterday after he fell into a partly frozen reservoir. a firefighter crawled onto the ice with a rope to get him and they were dragged back to safety. the boy was checked out, and released to his parents. police on both sides of the u.s./mexico border are investigating the shooting death of an american woman. nancy davis was shot in the head in mexico on wednesday, in what may have been a failed carjacking. her husband sam drove back into texas, where his wife died. the victim's niece says nancy

davis was a nurse and a missionary for 40 years. >> she was just an astonishingly awesome woman, great aunt. great friend. great wife. >> the area where the couple was attacked is the scene of violent turf wars between rival drug cartels. president obama was on the internet yesterday. this was his third time answering questions on youtube. he made a pitch for his new economic plan that he introduced tuesday in the state of the union address. joel brown reports. >> reporter: the president took his new message to the new media. >> welcome back, mr. president. >> great to be here, steve. thank you so much for doing this. >> reporter: he answered questions thursday live on youtube. part of a week-long effort to sell the plan he laid out in the state of the union. >> we've got to make sure that we're focused exclusively on economic growth over the next 12 months. >> reporter: since tuesday's address, the white house has been on a social media blitz, on

twitter and facebook, top aides have been pushing the president's plan for targeted spending in education and innovation, as the road to a new economy. their tactics take a page right out of the president's '08 campaign playbook. >> i think it's just another way of bringing people a little closer to the decisions that get made here, and why. >> reporter: on capitol hill the president's opponents were using more traditional politics to push back against the new state of the union agenda. conservative senators gathered a group of tea party activists. they promised a big push on spending cuts, and didn't hold back on their distaste for the president's plan. >> i think he truly believes that government is the answer to all of our economic problems. >> this is where we determine whether we're going to be the city on the hill, or are we going to settle in to what we call a european-style of socialism? >> reporter: both sides are

staking their ground on policy and priorities. the prelude to the presidential campaign that begins in a year. joel brown, cbs news, washington. the white house shake-up is taking shape. former reporter jay carney will replace robert gibbs as press secretary. carney has served as the spokesman for vice president joe biden during the first two years of the administration. before that carney worked for "time" magazine for 20 years. straight ahead, your friday morning weather. and in sports, the knicks find a way to beat the heat. it's supposed to rain tomorrow. probably can't paint the garage. [ thinking ] really? like i haven't seen that movie. [ snoring ] i got this amazing meal off mcdonald's dollar menu. the beefy mcdouble, the crispy mcchicken. everything's so good and just a buck each. i was smart enough to do all that, so my turn.

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catch you on the flip side! i'd tell him the sign's not finished, but it would just break his funky little heart. more discounts, more ways to save. now, that's progressive. call or click today. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, mostly cloudy, 36 degrees. miami, partly cloudy, 70. chicago, flurries, 30. dallas, sunny and warm, 72. los angeles, sunny and 77. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows a storm approaching the northwest, bringing rain and snow to the higher elevations. the great lakes could see more snow today. and the southern plains and the southwest are clear tonight. now, later today, the northeast and the great lakes region can expect snow showers of one to three inches possibly with two clipper systems swinging through quickly. the northwest gets rain again, and sunny and warm conditions stretch through the southwest, and the southern plains.

in sports now, the knicks finally beat the heat. after seven losses in a row to miami, new york got some crucial three-point shots in the closing minutes to defeat the heat. the knicks 93-miami 88. it was the heat's fifth loss in their last six games. in dallas, j.j. berea of the mavericks had 19 points against houston and dallas won on to beat the rockets. the mavericks have won four of their last five games. in college basketball, more upsets for top teams. pritchard of indiana scored on a tip-in with just under 45 seconds left to take the lead against number 20 illinois. and the hoosiers hung on for a 52-49 victory. illinois has lost four of its last five games. and stu douglas of michigan made a three-point shot with 20 seconds left in the game to upset number 25 michigan state. the wolverines over the spartans 61-57. when we return, another look

at this morning's top stories. and new drama for actor charlie sheen, who's landed in the hospital. >> man: getting across town to a job interview is stressful enough without being late. i want guidance that takes me where i need to be, without any problems along the way. i feel the same way when i do taxes. turbotax has a unique gps feature that guides me step-by-step. and calculations are guaranteed 100% accurate,

so i know it's done right. they even offer representation in case of an audit. which helps me reach my maximum refund, guaranteed. >> try turbotax online now. you don't pay unless you're satisfied with the results. oakland. who's taking the reins.. and what's next for chief anthony batts. shedding light on what caused the san bruno explosion. the push to make sure top regulators aren't keeping secrets. and... is it the end of human interaction on the golden gate bridge? the final vote today that could leave dozens of people without jobs. plus.. she claims the airline seats were too tiny for her baby. why a mom was booted off a plane at s-f-o. join us for cbs 5 early edition ... beginning at 4:3,,,,

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. more snow is in store for the northeast for both today and tomorrow, with a pair of clipper systems. rain and snow return to the northwest. and the southern half of the nation is mostly quiet and mild. here's another look at this morning's top stories. days of anti-government protests in egypt may be coming to a head today in cairo, where protest leaders planned the biggest demonstration yet. and it's another dig-out day for residents in the northeast, buried by the latest in a numbing series of winter storms. the storm was blamed for at least six deaths.

actor charlie sheen has landed in new trouble. the star of the hit cbs comedy "two and a half men" was hospitalized yesterday in los angeles. so far no word on his condition. sandra hughes reports. >> reporter: an ambulance took actor charlie sheen from his sherman oaks home thursday morning to cedars-sinai medical center. his publicist says the actor was experiencing severe abdominal pain. neighbors reportedly said the actor threw a party wednesday night. >> don't stand in the surf. >> reporter: the star of the cbs comedy "two and a half men" has been battling his personal demons in the public for years. last summer while on a trip with his ex-wife denise richards, and their two daughters, he left a new york hotel room in shambles, after a reported romp with a porn star and was sent to a hospital there. >> my husband had me with a knife, and i'm scared for my life, and he threatened me. >> reporter: on christmas day 2009, his third wife, brooke mueller, who he is now divorcing, called 911.

sheen later pleaded guilty to assaulting her at an aspen, colorado, home where the family was staying with their twin boys. cbs entertainment president nina tassler has said she has a high level of concern regarding the actor's behavior, but that it has not affected his professional conduct. sandra hughes, cbs news, hollywood. a new viral video has a lot of people doing a double-take. it shows a gorilla standing up on his hind legs and walking, just like a human. the male silverback has become a big attraction at a wild animal park in england. a youtube video of him has more than 700,000 hits. and the newest addition at the san diego zoo is attracting plenty of attention, too. an adorable baby hippo was born wednesday. officials don't know if it's a male or a female. but the calf is sticking pretty close to its mother for now. very cute.

this morning on "the early show," more on the aftermath of the northeast snowstorm. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." ♪ [ beep ] [ beep ] [ beep ] [ beep ] [ male announcer ] find an italian masterpiece in your grocer's freezer. shrimp and lobster ravioli with garlic butter sauce, from buitoni. simple ingredients, artfully prepared. buitoni. create an italian masterpiece. discover more buitoni masterpieces in the freezer section.

[thunder] did you buy the flashlight and the batteries? yes. did you make sure we're not missing anything in the first aid kit? yup. did you go through the plan with the kids again? yes. announcer: the more you prepare today, the more you'll be able to reduce the devastating effects

of a tornado, an earthquake, a power outage, or any other disaster. get a kit, make a plan, be informed. visit ready.gov. last night a documentary that takes a unique look at life premiered at the sundance film festival in utah. the film also debuted on youtube, which played a huge role in how the movie was made. richard schlesinger has more. ♪ >> reporter: if there are laws of hollywood physics, this film surely violates a bunch. it is a movie where everyone's a star. >> oh, she's doing well. >> reporter: but no one's famous. it was shot in a day, and cost nothing to see. july 24th, 2010, was the date chosen by the director of the film, called "life in a day." >> morning. >> reporter: call went out for homemade videos. >> life in a day.

>> reporter: from around the world, shot on that day. it's a sort of video diary for the planet earth. two filmmakers in spain sent this video of a little girl climbing a human ladder. the movie was directed by kevin mcdonald, who's an academy award winner. >> what we asked them to do was to film what was most important to them in their lives that went on that day. >> reporter: here's how it worked. in 24 hours, more than 80,000 clips were made, in 192 nations. it all added up to 4,500 hours of video, that had to be cut down to 90 minutes. filmmakers are being tight-lipped about how many videos made it in. some of them look at least semiprofessional. some less so. >> it's not like any other movie you've seen before.

but actually does all the things you expect from a good movie. it makes you laugh, it makes you cry. hopefully you feel at the end of it more connected to your fellow humanity, to other human beings around the world. >> reporter: if some of the clips look unpolished that seems to be the point. it is an in-depth portrait of one day, and a celebration of the everyday. richard schlesinger, cbs news, new york. >> what a unique idea. and it is the final note for that piano on a sand bar in biscayne bay, florida. yesterday a towing company took the piano away. it was hired by a musician from palmetto bay who decided to rescue the much-talked about about piano. the day before it was revealed that the piano was put there by an area art student who had wanted to take photos of it for his college application. coming up a little bit later on "the early show," the big dig-out after the latest winter storm to hit the northeast. we'll get a live report from hard-hit maryland. also commemorating the 25th anniversary of the "challenger"

disaster. we will hear from the widow of "challenger" commander dick scobee. and new trouble for charlie sheen, who's been hospitalized. we'll get an update on that. this is the "cbs morning news" for this friday. thanks for watching, everyone. i'm betty nguyen. have a great weekend. ,,,,,,,,