CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It is the very last day of January, but the very first day of a new week of CNN Student News! I'm Carl Azuz. If you took a look at the news at all this weekend, you probably know what our top story today is.

AZUZ: Egypt. The world is watching as a political crisis engulfs the north African nation. Protesters have been marching through the streets for days. They're speaking out against the Egyptian government, and specifically against long-time President Hosni Mubarak. The protesters say they have two demands. One: They want President Mubarak to leave office and to be put on trial. Two: They want to change the country's constitution. The government has been trying different ways to get these protests under control. It's established a curfew; it's sent out fighter jets and thousands of security troops. As you can see, it doesn't seem to be making any difference. The protests lasted through Sunday night and looked like they could keep going for a while.

In different cities around the world, other people are holding rallies in support of Egypt's protesters. Businesses and governments that have offices in Egypt are working to evacuate their citizens and clients from the country.

President Mubarak went on TV over the weekend to talk to the people of Egypt. He said he understands why they're upset, including their concerns over alleged government corruption and desire for better living conditions. Mubarak asked his government ministers to resign, but said he plans to stay in power. But that's not enough for the man you see here: Mohamed ElBaradei, a prominent Egyptian and holder of a Nobel Peace Prize. He's a leader of the largest group that's against President Mubarak. And on Sunday, he urged the Egyptian president to quote "leave today and save the country." ElBaradei says the push for Mubarak to step down is "non-negotiable."

Egypt Breakdown

AZUZ: All right, we're gonna talk about some of the major players in all of this in today's Breakdown. First off, Egypt's leader, Hosni Mubarak. He's been the country's president since 1981. Egypt's president serves six-year terms with no term limits, which is why he's been in power so long. The country is a republic, with the president chosen by popular vote. But here's the kicker: Until 2005, Mubarak was the only candidate on the ballot! In 2005, Mubarak beat out a couple other candidates when he got almost 90 percent of the vote. Another election is scheduled for later this year.

The country Mubarak leads has 80 million people; it is the largest population in the Arab world. And that's put a strain on the government because many of the people feel it's unable to meet their demands. 20 percent of Egypt's population lives below the poverty line.

And one more point, here: the Muslim Brotherhood. This is a group that's been very vocal in encouraging people to protest. And it's technically illegal! Egypt's constitution does not allow religion-based political parties. But the Muslim Brotherhood has been somewhat tolerated by President Mubarak. I say "somewhat" because members are allowed to run in local elections, but they're not allowed to have seats in the country's government.

Now, I'm gonna turn it over to Don Lothian to show you why what happens in Egypt is so important to the United States, as well as countries near Egypt in the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: As tensions rise in Egypt, the White House is ramping up its response.

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: When President Mubarak addressed the Egyptian people, he pledged a better democracy and greater economic opportunity. I just spoke to him after his speech, and I told him he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words, to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise.

LOTHIAN: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton weighed in too, voicing concerns over the violence directed at protestors by police and security forces.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON: We urge the Egyptian authorities to allow peaceful protests and to reverse the unprecedented steps it has taken to cut off communications.

LOTHIAN: The Obama administration has been pushing President Hosni Mubarak privately and publicly to implement reforms. A delicate dance as cables released by Wikileaks revealed. In a 2009 dispatch over concerns about human rights abuses, U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey is reported to have written, "Mubarak takes this issue personally and it makes him seethe when we raise it, particularly in public." U.S. officials have also resisted calling for regime change.

JON ALTERMAN, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: I think the administration is going to try to appeal to the best instincts, and ultimately will work with whoever is in power in Egypt.

PROTESTERS: Hey Hey! Ho Ho! Mubarak has to go!

LOTHIAN: Even so, outside the White House, pressure from protesters looking for change. Egypt has been a key U.S. ally for years, working to bring Israelis and Palestinians together, being a stable partner in the region, and supporting the international effort to reign in Iran's nuclear ambitions.

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: And that's important, but there is a responsibility that is had by the government of Egypt, regardless of the role that they have played internationally or regionally, over the course of any number of years. They also have to address the grievances that have built up for those same number of years within the country of Egypt.

LOTHIAN: Officials here at the White House are also discussing the assistance that the U.S. gives to Egypt, including more than a billion dollars each year. They'll be reviewing over the next few days how the government deals with unrest on the ground and how that might impact that aid. Dan Lothian, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEO)

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mrs. Barnes' and Mrs. Rumbarger's STEM classes at Petal High School in Petal, Mississippi! What U.S. government program provides money to retired workers? Is it: A) HUD, B) Social Security, C) CDC or D) Peace Corps? You've got three seconds -- GO! The Social Security program gives money to Americans who are retired, disabled or in need. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

AZUZ: It was 71 years ago today that the first Social Security check was issued! The person who got it? Her name was Ida Fuller; she received a check from the government for $22.54. During the two years before that, Fuller had paid money into the system. That's how Social Security was designed to work: People who are working pay money in; people who are retired get money out. If any of you have jobs, you're part of this, too. There's a line on your paycheck for how much money is taken out for Social Security.

But there's a lot of debate around Social Security and concerns that this fund might run out some day, and maybe in the not-too-distant future. People are living longer than they used to, so they're getting more money from Social Security. And by the time people who are currently putting money into the system are old enough to take money out, there might not be anything left for them.

AZUZ: And something else that might disappear? This: cursive writing. It's pretty, but is it useful? There are 41 states that use English standards that don't require students to learn cursive. Georgia, in fact, is getting ready to debate this issue soon. And some people are worried that the writing may be on the wall for cursive. The argument against learning cursive is that it takes up time and isn't as useful as learning how to type. But some parents and teachers say script should stay. They feel that learning proper handwriting helps students learn better in general. And that without it, you won't be able to understand some historic documents that are written in cursive. The Constitution is one example that comes to my mind.

Blog Promo

AZUZ: Now personally, I write in cursive when I'm taking notes, because that's what I learned in school. But I also know how to type, too, and I learned that as well. What we're asking on today's blog is: Do you think it's important to preserve the old-school cursive, or should schools focus on skills you'll need later in life, like typing? You know where to go to talk to us: !

Before We Go

AZUZ: And finally, we're right on time for today's Before We Go segment. It may look like a normal cuckoo clock, until you realize that the cuckoo coming out's a person! This thing actually is the world's largest cuckoo clock. At least, that's what the creators were aiming for. They unveiled this 66-foot tall, 28-foot wide clock this weekend. Every hour, the bells brought out an actor who gave a performance.

Goodbye

AZUZ: Some people may think it sounds a little... you know. But you're welcome to chime in with your own thoughts. And we are just about out of time. To help us sign off, of course, we have today's sign-off line from Today's sign-off line comes from Nick: He says anything unrelated to elephants is irrelephant. You can send us your sign-off line -- I love that, by the way -- you can send us your sign-off line at CNNStudentNews! Whether it's a pun or whether it's just a creative goodbye, we're gonna look forward to it, and we'll see you right back here tomorrow when CNN Student News returns.

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