For the second straight day, Egyptians are headed to the polls Tuesday to vote in the country's parliamentary elections. These are the first parliamentary elections held since Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule was brought to an end in February. 

So far the turnout has been huge. But some Egyptians remained skeptical of whether these elections would actually lead to civilian control of the country.

Today on American Morning, Christine Romans speaks with Republican Congressman David Dreier, who's in Egypt to monitor the election process.  As Dreier tells Romans, "this is not a perfect election...but things have gone much better than people have feared."

Election day in Egypt comes after a week of deadly demonstrations.

Egyptian-American journalist Mona Eltahawy lived through a violent run-in with police– while covering the protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square. She says she was arrested, sexually assaulted and beaten.

This morning, she's back in the U.S. and watching the historic election in a post-Mubarak Egypt from afar.

She talks with CNN's Alina Cho about surviving abuse from security forces and the importance of today's vote.

Three American students who were arrested in Egypt during the violent uprising in Tahrir Square are back in the United States today.

They were ordered freed by an Egyptian court and continue to deny charges they threw Molotov cocktails at security forces during the protests, insisting the accusations against them were lies.

On American Morning this morning, Georgetown University student Derrik Sweeney and his mom Joy talk with Christine Romans on his harrowing experience and the moment he thought the security forces would execute him.

Egypt is at a crossroads this morning.

With thousands of protesters occupying Tahrir Square, Egyptians are heading to the polls. It's the first stage of an election that's scheduled to last into March and it comes on the heels of violent demonstrations that have killed at least 42 people

This morning on American Morning, Fawaz Gerges, director of the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics joins from London to talk about the historical significance of an election in a post-Mubarak Egypt.

“This is the brutality Egyptians face everyday,” Egyptian-American Journalist Mona Eltahawy said of her recent detention by Egyptian security forces. She was recently caught in the violent cross fire during a protest in Egypt.

In addition to being assaulted, groped, and knocked to the ground, Elthahawy explains that she was also blindfolded for 12 hours, groped, thrown to the ground, held for 12 hours. She now has two broken arms and bruises all over her body.

Eltahawy feels that it is important as a journalist to remain in Egypt and be the voice for Egyptians who face this abuse daily, but do not have a voice to bring attention to it.

This morning on American Morning, Mona Listen to what else she had to tell American Morning’s Carol Costello.

Cairo (CNN) - Three American college students arrested on suspicion of throwing Molotov cocktails during a protest in Cairo were released Thursday, a spokesman for the Egypt general prosecutor's office told CNN.

Joy Sweeney, whose son Derrik Sweeney is one of the three students, told CNN's "American Morning" she was overjoyed by the news.
"We are just so blessed and so grateful right now," she said. "I can't wait to give him a big hug."

The students were to be taken to a physician for a medical examination and back to the police station for paperwork to be processed, then to their dorm rooms, she said. They may be able to call home afterward.

View the entire interview here.