Hundreds of thousands of people are gathering in Cairo as the protests against the autocratic government of Hosni Mubarak continue. Meanwhile, an army spokesman announces that the military will not take action against the protesters. What does this all mean? I think it means that Mubarak is about to fall.

What is the likely result for Egypt? I hate to be pessimistic, but I have to agree with Richard Cohen on this one that the outcome will likely be a bad one. I expect El Baredei will be placed into position as the head of a caretaker government, followed by elections which will be won by the Islamists. The other likely scenario is a caretaker government that is unable to get a grip on the economic and social problems of the country, leading to more protests, leading to its fall and replacement by an Islamist government.

Gordon Chang points out that the Butchers of Beijing are watching events in Egypt with a nervous eye. They could be next, which would be especially ironic since this is the 100th anniversary of the 1911 revolution in China.

Here at home the centerpiece of President Obama's first term, the health care reform law, is ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge. This makes two rulings in favor and two against so far. Clearly, the issue will be decided by the Supreme Court.