serious threat to his 30-year- old regime. for decades, anger has simmered near the surface in egypt and throughout the arab world, anger over corrupt governments, poverty, and a lack of freedom. today, for the fourth straight day, protesters poured into the streets of cairo and other cities in egypt, throwing rocks at the police, who fired back with water cannon, rubber bullets and tear gas. president mubarak imposed a curfew and cut off all internet access. he also called out the military to restore order. late tonight, mubarak went on television and said he's firing his cabinet but he is staying put. this wave of protests began two weeks ago in tunisia with the overthrow of the president. today in tunis, police again clashed with protesters who want the prime minister to resign as well. and thousands marched today in jordan. they also want their prime minister to step down amid rising food prices and high unemployment. tonight, though, the world's attention is focused on egypt, anxious to see if the mubarak government can survive. elizabeth palmer reports from cairo. >> reporter: by nightfall, central cairo looked like a war zone. antigovernment protesters fought their way past police and pushed into the very heart of the city, cheering and chanting "we demand the end of the regime." hours earlier, after friday prayers, crowds set out to march but almost immediately they were stopped by lines of police in full riot gear who beat them and fired round after round of tear gas and rubber bullets. that's the front line right there. that's where the police lines are preventing people from getting to the center of town. these demonstrators are penned in and furious. ( screaming ) they want one thing. >> we don't want this party anymore! go, leave out of egypt! >> reporter: people are demanding an end to corruption, to abuse, unemployment. but above all they want to see the end of president hosni mubarak. >> go away from egypt. go away from egypt! >> reporter: the main standoff played out on a bridge over the nile river. protesters who funneled here from all parts of the city were determined to cross into downtown. a brave few rushed forward through the volleys of tear gas. the mass followed until they were pushed back again by the police. but the protesters refused to give up, at one point pausing as a group to pray. elsewhere around the city, skirmishes left the injured to be tended by the crowd. "they're firing rubber bullets" says this demonstrator. "and they're firing them right in our faces." east of cairo in the city of suez, protesters attacked a police van. the driver was finally forced to escape by driving through the crowd. as dusk fell in cairo, the crowds had grown so huge, pressing forward from the bridge, throwing rocks, until the police seemed simply to give up and the crowds streamed forward into cairo's freedom square. nearby, a powerful symbol of mubarak's regime, his political party headquarters, was looted and set ablaze. authorities had announced curfew in cities across the country, but in cairo, at least, nobody paid any attention. then suddenly the army appeared and the protesters cheered, climbing on the military vehicles and welcoming the soldiers who appeared to be under orders to guard strategic public buildings. finally, after midnight, president hosni mubarak appeared on television and told the country "i will ask my government to resign and tell the new government to work with the current situation." so president hosni mubarak made a concession there, but it certainly isn't the one the demonstrators were asking for. he's going to fire the cabinet, but he does remain president and the power is concentrated very much in his hands. harry? >> smith: so, liz, even at this late hour, there are still people in the streets. what is the situation there now? >> reporter: it's still very unstable. you may be able to hear people shouting. it seems plausible that the news of the speech has made it into the crowds and it's inflamed them. we can also see the police retaking territory they lost earlier in the day, and i believe we were hearing live rounds, which we didn't hear earlier on. so it may be we're seeing the beginning of a crackdown. but the demonstrators aren't giving up. >> smith: so we know that the government has shut off the internet, shut off twitter. but were people around egypt able to watch this? actually watch it unfold on their television sets? >> astonishingly, egyptian state television, which usually toes the party line, was showing pictures of what was going on here. and furthermore the arab satellite channels have covered it like a blanket, so anybody who has access to a television in egypt knows exactly what's going on. >> smith: and, liz, is there any way to guess what might unfold tomorrow? >> we are in completely uncharted waters here, harry. there's no question egyptians will wake up tomorrow to a new chapter in their history. but whether it would be ugly or hopeful, i don't think anybody knows tonight. >> smith: liz palmer in cairo this evening. thank you very much. and just moments ago, president obama made a statement about the turmoil in egypt. >> our first concern is preventing injury or loss of life, so i want to be very clear in calling upon the egyptian authorities to refrain from any violence against peaceful protesters. the people of egypt have rights that are universal. that includes the right to peaceful assembly and association. >> smith: the administration faces some very tough questions tonight: whom to support-- a trusted ally or the people in the street? chip reid is at the white house and has more tonight. chip? >> reporter: harry, we've been waiting all day to hear from the president, we finally did. he's still walking that fine line, condemning egyptian authorities for violence and supporting protesters but he's reluctant to give up old american friend hosni mubarak. >> we are urging that there be a restraint on the part of the security forces. >> reporter: in washington, secretary of state hillary clinton took the lead, calling on the egyptian government to stop the violence. while at the white house, press secretary robert gibbs voiced sympathy for the egyptian people. >> their grievances have reached a boiling point and they have to be addressed. >> reporter: but the administration stopped short of explicit threats or angry denunciations of egyptian president hosni mubarak who, despite his authoritarian rule, has been a vital u.s. partner in the arab world for 30 years. he's worked closely with presidents jimmy carter, ronald reagan, george h.w. bush, bill clinton, george w. bush and now president obama who, in 2009, invited mubarak to the oval office. >> i'm grateful to president mubarak for his visit, for his willingness to work with us on these critical issues. >> reporter: issues ranging from middle east peace to the war in iraq to iran's nuclear weapons program. despite that close relationship, the u.s. has little control over mubarak's actions now. today, using what leverage it has, the white house warned egypt it's considering cutting foreign aid. during the three decades of mubarak's rule, egypt has ranked second in u.s. aid, with a staggering $68 billion. mubarak's survival is impossible to predict and, even if he does, his plan to make his son his heir apparent is now in serious jeopardy. that uncertainty has the white house walking a tightrope. >> clearly we've got to walk a fine line between supporting democracy and the principles we espouse and supporting countries and allies that have been long- standing friends to the united states. >> he has had a blank check and somebody has to wake him up. >> reporter: but former u.s. ambassador to egypt, edward walker, says it's time to the obama administration to side more forcefully with the egyptian people, even if that means abandoning their long-time ally. >> we don't need mubarak, we need egypt. egypt is very important to us. but mubarak is not egypt. >> reporter: and making clear how little control the united states has of this situation, the president said in the end the future of egypt is in the hands of the egyptian people. harry? >> smith: chip reid at the white house tonight. thank you. richard haas is president of the council on foreign relations. he is at the world economic forum in davos, switzerland. richard, the united states government has been such a good friend to hosni mubarak for a long time, yet the white house is clearly very sympathetic to the people in the streets in cairo and the other cities in egypt. it really leaves the united states in quite a precarious position. >> you're right, it is precarious, but the united states has to be very careful. the stakes here are enormous, harry. egypt is somewhere between one- fourth and one-third of the entire arab world. if instability comes to egypt, it will send shockwaves throughout the rest of the arab world. it's the first country to establish peace with israel. it's, indeed, the cornerstone of what peace there is in the middle east. so if the united states is seen to pull the rug out from under this friend which, as you noted in the report, a friend for some three decades, it will raise major questions about american reliability. on the other hand, if we're seen to give him an uncritical embrace, it could risk alienating the egyptian people and some future government we may have to work with. we've seen this go on now in tunisia. there were protests today in jordan. there were protests in yemen yesterday. what is going on here? >> well, what we're seeing is a part of the world that has largely missed out on many of the great trends of modern decades. there hasn't been anything like the political and economic reform in the middle east that we've seen in europe, in asia, and latin america and africa. and suddenly it's coming and it's coming suddenly. in part triggered by the tunisian experience and the social media. but the middle east was ripe for this kind of change. the kindling, if you will, is extraordinarily dry here and that's what we're seeing, not just in egypt, but also in several other countries. >> smith: and how much should we be concerned about what a new egypt might look like? >> we should be very concerned. the last thing we want to have, say, is an egypt in chaos or an egypt dominated by islamic fundamentalists. we don't want to see that sort of experience there. so the united states has to be very careful in how it manages this situation. and if the government survives-- and we should take our cue from the army here-- if the government survives, then we should try to work out a long- term reform program. if, however, the government can't survive-- and, again, the army will tell us this, perhaps as early as tomorrow, harry-- then we have to start working on plan "b," on putting into place some alternative. the one thing we never want to have in egypt is the sort of thing, say, we had in iran three decades ago where the choice is between an authoritarian government and a radical islamist alternative. so we either want to push the mubarak government in the direction of reform or, if it's too late for that, we want to work with some successor government. >> smith: richard haas in davos tonight. thank you very much for your expertise. in south africa today, concern over the health of nelson mandela eased somewhat when he was discharged after two days in the hospital. the 92-year-old former president was taken by ambulance to his home in suburban johannesburg. he will continue treatment there for what doctors call an acute respiratory infection. they say his condition is now stable. still ahead on the "cbs evening news," the american spirit. the comeback kids reaching new heights. but up next, 25 years later, the "challenger" crew inspires a new generation of explorers. 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[ both ] ♪ oh what a relief it is! the unlikely birthplace of a fundamental idea. it's where ethel percy andrus found a retired teacher living because she could afford nothing else. ethel couldn't ignore the clear need for health and financial security. and it inspired her to found aarp. for over 50 years, we've continued that work, to help all americans pursue their best life. discover more of what we do, for every generation at aarp.org. >> couric: 25 years ago today, the nation watched in horror as the space shuttle "challenger" blew apart just after liftoff. today at the kennedy space center, family and friends and coworkers gathered to remember the crew and its legacy. as kelly cobiella reports, the "challenger" seven are still an inspiration. >> reporter: it was a bright, cold morning and the nation's eyes were on florida. >> pilot mike smith followed by christa mcauliffe. >> reporter: nasa was about to send a seven-person crew into space, among them, a teacher, christa mcauliffe. >> i don't think any teacher has ever been more ready. >> i always wanted to be an astronaut. >> reporter: sheree kearns was working at an accountant's office. >> part of my spirit was with these teams when they went up and when i saw the vehicle lifting off, my heart was just rising up. "that is a teacher going. this is awesome." >> reporter: 73 seconds into flight, it was suddenly, horrifically, over. >> obviously a major malfunction... >> reporter: school kids across the country saw it. matt hagopian was in eighth grade. >> you could just tell that it didn't go as planned and it was just gone from, like, confusion to just, like, shock. >> if your heart could sink to your stomach, that's what i felt. >> reporter: nasa took the blame for putting an ambitious launch schedule ahead of safety. for two years, the shuttle program was grounded. but in that time, another mission quietly took off, with the "challenger" commander's widow at the helm. >> the world knew how they died. we want the world to know how they lived, so why not build a tribute to them? >> reporter: millions of people remember watching the shuttle explode live on television. but the crew's families wanted their memories to live on in a different way, so they created this, a place where kids can explore space and be inspired. >> look at the radar screen. >> reporter: it's the "challenger" learning center. an interactive space lab where kids can try out all things space and even be part of the crew. >> little kids, they will come up the to me when i'm wearing my flight suit and say "are you an astronaut?" no, but i do aspire to be one. >> reporter: matt hagopian... >> i was in eighth grade. >> reporter: ...was inspired to become an eighth grade science teacher. >> ladies and gentlemen, we're passing through a micro media shower. >> reporter: and sheree kearns left the accountant's office to become the fictional commander kearns at the "challenger" center in jacksonville. >> maybe this is where i need to be to inspire that next person who goes and walks on mars and maybe they'll call me back one day and say "commander kearns, remember me?" >> reporter: four million kids have now gone through those centers, and the 48th center opened today, numbers they're very proud of here at kennedy space center. harry? >> smith: kelly cobiella at the kennedy space center tonight. thank you. coming up next, a deadly gun battle right inside a police station. to keep in balance after 50, i switched to a complete multivitamin with more. only one a day women's 50+ advantage has gingko for memory and concentration plus support for bone and breast health. a great addition to my routine. 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( gunfire ) the shooter, 38-year-old lamar moore, was being investigated for a sexual attack on a 13- year-old girl. he fired his pistol-grip shotgun again and again as wounded police officers scrambled for cover and others returned fire. at one point, split-screen video showed moore scrambling over the duty desk and opening fire again. at the most dramatic point in the shootout, an officer faced moore with his gun drawn only to be downed by a 20-gauge shotgun blast at point-blank range. the gunfire went on until at last moore died in a hail of police bullets. amazingly, no officers were killed. four were wounded, but all are expected to recover. we'll be right back. a heart attack that's caused by a clot, one that could be fatal. but plavix helps save lives. plavix, taken with other heart medicines, goes beyond what other heart medicines do alone, to provide greater protection against heart attack or stroke and even death by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous clots. ask your doctor if plavix is right for you. protection that helps save lives. 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[ professor ] good morning students. today, we're gonna... found. now the painful wait for his family. live coverage of the investigation. next on cbs 5 >> smith: everyone loves a comeback story, and this one is pretty amazing. a basketball team that just three years ago lost a game by 75 points is now ranked 20th in its division and hasn't lost a game. along the way, wyatt andrews reports the players overcame some significant obstacles with "the american spirit." >> reporter: with his team trailing and time running out last sunday, gallaudet coach kevin cook didn't think his players would win. >> we're fine. we know what we're doing. >> reporter: he knew they would. gallaudet did win 51-48 to stay undefeated at 16-0. it's remarkable when every member on this team is either deaf or hard of hearing, but cook says forget that. all he sees are tough athletes who have willed themselves to win. >> m.t.x.e. >> reporter: m.t.x.e.? >> mental toughness, extra effort. when we face any adversity, they just find a way. >> reporter: and by the way, coach cook himself is battling parkinson's. >> stressful time it will really be like this. >> reporter: which means that when the tension is highest, cook's shaking left hand stops him from calling plays in sign language. his assistants do to that for him. the delay, he says, costs his team some six points a game, but to the players it's just another obstacle to knock down. >> (translated): it doesn't bother us at all. he's just a coach that knows his stuff and we respect that. >> reporter: if you think it's a disadvantage when the entire team can't hear the coach change a play or hear the referee's whistle, that just makes this team smile. they enjoy being underestimated. >> (translated): sometimes i get really upset. you know what? i don't need to talk to you, i'll just show you on the basketball floor. >> i tell our group, "yeah, it's not fair. it's not fair that you're deaf. it's not fair that you're hard of hearing. i don't think it's fair that i have parkinson's. but this is life, guys, and we're going to fight everything, we're going to fight everything together." >> reporter: and now they have fought to 16-0. >> yeah, coach! >> reporter: the coach that can't stop shaking and a team that can't hear are unbeaten on the court by any other team. >> one, two, three! >> team! >> reporter: but they're unbeaten in life by choice. wyatt andrews, cbs news, washington. >> smith: katie will be back on monday. i'm harry smith. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org breaking news in the kidnapping case involving a four year old >> everything led us here and that as these days have progressed we knew that the likelihood of bringing the 4- year-old boy home was diminishing. breaking news in the kidnapping case involving a 4- year-old boy. the suspect's car was pulled from a canal but this case is not resolved. good evening, i'm allen martin. >> i'm dana king. this is breaking news. authorities have retrieved the car at the center of a kidnapping case of a child. now there is a new mystery. kiet do is at the canal with the latest on this investigation. kiet? >> reporter: dana, we are in the midst of a press conference with the sheriff here. they have told us that they have