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November 25, 2011 | | BLACK FRIDAY Let the Black Friday horror stories begin. Competitive shopping turned violent at a Los Angeles-area Walmart when a woman fired pepper spray to keep other shoppers at bay. Police say 20 people suffered minor injuries from the spray and subsequent “rapid crowd movement.” Witnesses say they heard screams coming from a crowd of shoppers rushing for discounted Xboxes and Wiis. In North Carolina police used pepper spray to break up a Walmart melee, and gunfire was reported at another mall where shoppers were gathered. AFTER SALEH Cornered by the Saudis, Yemen’s dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh finally stepped down this week. The Daily Beast’s Bruce Riedel writes how the nation can pull off a transition to democracy—or fall into the hands of warlords and al Qaeda operatives. EGYPT Tens of thousands of protesters entered Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday for what has been dubbed “last chance Friday,” a massive demonstration demanding the immediate transfer of power. The Social Democrats, the best-established liberal party founded since former president Hosni Mubarak left office, is boycotting next week’s parliamentary elections, calling them a sham intended to prop up military rule. Despite days of protests—and violent clashes with police—the military government refused to postpone the elections and named Mubrak-era prime minister Kamal Ganzouri to head the next government after his predecessor resigned. NO RESPONSE Syria seems to be ignoring the Arab League’s ultimatum. The 22-nation organization had given Syria 24 hours to agree to allow observers into the country or face possible economic sanctions, but a senior Arab League diplomat says that the deadline has passed with no word from Damascus. The Arab League said earlier it would consider freezing Syria’s financial assets if the deadline is missed. Meanwhile the BBC reports that a steady stream of Army defectors has been coming into the city of Homs as the demonstrations increasingly appear to be turning into an insurgency. ENTITLEMENT The university’s football program brings millions of dollars into Pennsylvania, with one home game alone pumping some $59 million into the local economy. Small wonder the school has felt entitled for so long, write Jessica Bennett and Jacob Bernstein. | | 
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