Last month, we asked if you had any questions you would like to ask for the First Lady, Michelle Obama on the anniversary of her “Let’s Move” fitness initiative. Nearly 100 questions later, today is the big day.

Mrs. Obama sat down with your questions on an iPad on Friday morning in Dallas, Texas. With so many excellent questions to choose from, it was a daunting task for CNN producers, but we think we chose some of the best to ask in the time we had with the First Lady.

Look for the CNN iReport interview with Michelle Obama on Monday on CNN.com.

Everyone has been hearing about the unusual weather in Europe: non-stop snow for days on end, lakes and dams turned to ice, subzero temperatures and severely cold winds resulting in frozen rain, frostbite and even death.

The bigger picture is that Europe is not just having another snow day. More than 250 people have died across the region and 135 of those cases are in Ukraine alone. National highways have been shut down in a number of countries and the icy roads are hindering transportation.

However, many Europeans are enjoying this snowy surprise. iReporters across the continent have shared with us the beautiful, snow and ice-covered landscapes around them.

We've seen winter wonderland scenes from Romania, the Czech Republic, Germany, Corsica, Spain, Ukraine and Greece.

Albin Niederstrasser, a 52-year-old professional photographer, was shooting snow panoramas in the quiet, tranquil valley of Zillertal, Austria, when about 30  falcons flew above him, fighting. "And suddenly it was totally silent again," he says.

Some of these sights have not just been beautiful, but incredible. Nature draws attention to the laws of physics and chemistry and made us wonder how something like this happens:

Rina Rautenbach, 58, was driving home in Geneva, Switzerland, when she came across the spectacle of ice.

"During the night and the day before we had extreme temperatures, -23C, where it got so cold that the spray made waves on the lake," she says. "As it sprays up, it turns into ice immediately. It became layer on layer on layer." Rautenbach says they call this phenomenon "la beeze" in French.

One iReporter from Italy wanted to show that "there is more to Italy than Rome." Cheryl Ferguson of Urbino, Italy, says her town is in a state of emergency. Residents experience regular power outages and have almost five feet of snow. But despite being trapped in their house for more than a day, Ferguson says they are lucky to have electricity, water and gas.

A number of tiny towns are experiencing difficulties like this. Yet the Europeans have taken it in stride. They are appreciating and cherishing the snow. iReporters continue to capture fun moments, whether it is a dog "dachscing through the snow" in Bosnia and Herzegovina or a fox jumping around in Southeast London.

Whether you're facing obstacles because of the snow or you’ve found an excuse to have snowy fun, we'd like to hear your story. Share your Europe snow stories and more importantly, stay safe and warm!

Who wouldn't be thrilled by a Super Bowl win, after all? Giants fans took to the streets of New York last night to celebrate after their team beat the New England Patriots, 21-17. iReporters captured a taste of the festivities:

Tarik Falah watched the game at a friend's house, and when the Giants won, immediately jumped into his car to join the celebrations on the street. He spent about two hours honking his horn and cheering with the other revelers of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Falah shot the above video while on the road celebrating. "I just figured people across the country would like to see," he said.

Julio Ortiz-Teissonniere, who shot the photo at the top, says local stores were prepared for the stampeding fans in the streets.

"The Times Square area went wild last night when the Giants beat the Patriots," he said. "One minute after the game ended, a local sporting goods store that was hosting a televised viewing of the game put out caps, t-shirts, posters and other Super Bowl champs merchandise."

And fans who stayed home didn't leave the partying to those in the streets, either.  George Nikolis his friends jumped and screamed at a buddy's place in New Jersey when the Giants won. His friend Patrick was so excited he ripped off his shirt:

"It was a nail-biter all the way down to the end," said Nikolas. "You knew it was going to come down to the last two minutes of the game. It was very exciting."

Fans are now preparing to welcome the championship team home to New York City with a parade tomorrow. Nikolas and his friends say they can't wait. Be sure to share your photos if you attend!

Last night, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney earned a commanding victory in the Florida GOP primary vote, solidifying his position as frontrunner in the continuing battle for the Republican presidential nomination.

Politically minded iReporters tuned in, and shared their thoughts on the tightening race. Though most agreed that the night was a big win for Romney, some thought the primary was as much a rejection of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich as an embrace of Romney. Others noted that Romney owed his victory to the money his campaign poured into the state, which far outstripped any of his opponents' spending.

W.J. O'Reilly of Alexandria, Virginia, believes that Romney's big win over Gingrich was as much a referendum on Gingrich's character as it was a testament to Romney's campaigning skills.

"Gingrich criticized Romney as 'the moderate Governor from Massachusetts,' and as such, there can be no surprise about yesterday's victory in the more moderate Florida demographic," he said. "Therefore, Romney's victory yesterday was a win for the more moderate candidate and, with significant female abandonment of Gingrich, a vote against cheatin' men, you might say."

Adriana Maxwell of Atlanta, Georgia, said that Romney's superior organizing skills won the night for him. "Between PAC money and the fact that Romney has a better organization then Gingrich in Florida, at least that strategy worked," she said. "Romney received all 50 [Florida] delegates. We'll see if it works in the other 46 states."

Kingwood, Texas, iReporter Egberto Willies said that he wasn't surprised by Gingrich's precipitous decline and defeat in Florida, or that Romney won the contest after outspending Gingrich 5-to-1. "Gingrich was carpet-bombed by both Romney and Romney SuperPACs," he said.

"Ironically, Gingrich championed the Citizens United case and all 'money is free speech' actions, and is now suffering the consequences of said actions. President Obama was criticized when at the previous State of the Union he chastised the Supreme Court judges for their decision. This is poetic justice and vindication."

And David P. Kronmiller of Burbank, California, believes that Romney's big victory in Florida may actually backfire on him, owing to the disproportionately negative tone of the campaign in that state. "In a recent poll, Obama beats Mitt in Florida by 8 points and is up over Romney nationally by 5. The Florida shift in Obama's favor happened last week, while Mitt went negative," he said.

If you're fired up to play pundit this election season, we want to hear from you! Join the discussion on CNN iReport.

Kathi Cordsen has been star-struck since she was 10 years old, but she usually gushes over the celebrities from the black leather couch in her den.

On Sunday, she got to see her favorite stars in person.

CNN arranged for Cordsen -- a long-time contributor to iReport -- to snag a spot in the fan bleacher seats at the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards at the Shrine Exhibition Center. Cordsen, 59, lives in Fullerton, California, and often recaps TV shows for iReport.

From her seat on the third row of the bleachers Sunday afternoon, Cordsen snapped 118 photos with her Cannon Powershot.

“The sun was so bright, I couldn’t tell through the lens what I was seeing,” she says. “I just snapped and snapped.”

Cordsen captured photos of the casts of "Modern Family," and "The Good Wife," Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, and other stars of the small and silver screens. Everyone went crazy when George Clooney and Brad Pitt showed up on the red carpet, she says.

“Brad Pitt, oh, that man is so handsome. In the movies he’s really handsome, but in person he’s unbelievable. Seriously! And Angelina Jolie, she just walks around looking like a queen ... Just a subtle smile on her face and when she looked at him, I swear, they’re so in love."

"It was so cute when Kyra was running her fingers through Kevin's hair," Cordsen said. "I had no idea she was married to him!"

Cordsen says she has loved Kathy Bates since she saw her in a Stephen King movie, and now watches her on "Harry's Law."

"She came down the red carpet and didn’t want to have her pictures taken. She just walked up to where the water was, got some water and started leaning on the statue," Cordsen says."She wouldn’t look at anybody. We were all yelling her name. All of a sudden she looked up and I just took a picture.”

Cordsen came home Sunday night feeling like she had run a marathon. But she has already told iReport, "if you need a seat warmer for the Oscars, let me know."

In 2009, when it looked like “Chuck” might not be renewed by NBC, fans mobilized on social media, including iReport, to campaign for a third season.

We saw iReport tributes from at least four countries, with a slew of creative videos from fans discussing why the show deserved to continue. One such iReporter, Gray Jones of Toronto, Ontario, appeared live on CNN.com with “Chuck” himself, Zachary Levi, and co-star Joshua Gomez. Levi and Gomez thanked Jones and other iReporters for their efforts.

Two and a half years later, the show ends its fifth and final season on Friday.

“The little show that could” found its way into the hearts of iReporters, and is finally ending after a good, long run. iReporters who posted videos in 2009 reflected on their "Chuck” fandom this week.

Since appearing on CNN.com with Levi and Gomez, podcaster Jones spent two weeks on the set interviewing dozens of cast and crew members.

“It's been an incredible family, it's been a community,” Jones said of the people he has met, some of whom he got to know almost exclusively via social media. “Five years ago, I never would believe how close these people would become. I'm very close with the cast and crew, and the fans. We're dubbing the finale 'Chuck vs. the Kleenex.' It's going to be so hard to see it go. When you've fought so hard for something, it feels different.”

Chattanooga, Tennessee residents Connie Jones and her daughter, Skylar (a big fan of Chuck’s wife on the show, Sarah Walker) talked about saving  the show when Skylar was just four years old. Now seven, Skylar is looking forward to seeing how it ends, while Connie will be celebrating her 11 year wedding anniversary watching the finale.

Wendy Farrington from Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, came up with the idea of eating at Subway (a major “Chuck” sponsor) on the day of the second season finale (not long after the idea was hatched, she met Levi at a convention in England, who served fans Subway sandwiches for his last panel of the weekend). She is putting on a finale party at the NBC Experience Store in New York City on Friday night, and was asked to work as a volunteer coordinator for Levi’s “Nerd HQ” charity event at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con.

"Much as I am sad that it's ending, it's not,” she said. “The friends and the experiences I had are never going to leave me. I'm trying not to think of it as a goodbye but more as a thank you.”

One of the show's biggest supporters, Mike Kostrov from Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, pleaded for a third season in 2009. He now thinks the show is ending on a high note.

Vincent Yau’s usual iReporting interest has been politics, but when it came to “Chuck,” the Knoxville, Tennessee resident actually inserted himself into the show to make his point about renewing it. On the eve of the finale, he shared his thoughts with iReport.

Two and a half years later, Kayley Luftig from Toronto, Ontario, says, “’Chuck’ coming to end is very bittersweet for me. While it was nice to have been given this final season, I can't help but get emotional. I could not have asked for a better pseudo family to be a part of and for that I thank the ‘Chuck’ fandom, the ‘Chuck’ cast and crew and anyone that has made this show such a huge part of my life.”

If you’re watching the farewell episode on Friday night, record a video and share your thoughts!

As legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is laid to rest Wednesday in State College, Pennsylvania, the community is remembering a local icon, despite the scar that ended his career.

Paterno was fired in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal in November 2011, in which assistant coach Jerry Sandusky allegedly sexually abused several boys. Leaving the sidelines mid-season signaled the end of an era: Paterno held a 46-year tenure as head coach and earned the honor of the winningest coach in major college football history.

iReporters who attended Penn State -- and even some who didn’t -- shared their memories of Paterno, known to many by his nickname of "JoePa."

Richard Liedy, 76, graduated from Penn State in 1957 and has followed Paterno for his entire career. Paterno was an assistant coach when Liedy was a sophomore. Liedy attended every Penn State football game until he graduated. Even after moving to Colorado, he goes back for games every few years.

"I have met [Paterno] on several occasions and think very highly of him as a mentor of men and a motivator of achieving high academic performance amongst his players," he said.

"I remember shaking his hand getting that great grin of his, especially when his team won that day," remembered Liedy, who met Paterno in 1957 at the campus' Nittany Lion Inn.

Photographer Matt Spingola and writer Emily Granville, both in their 30s, grew up in the State College area. They walked through downtown this week and noticed a lot of touching displays in memory of Paterno.

"It was overwhelming. We grew up in the area and we’ve always known about JoePa," Spingola said. "He's a local icon. He’s done so much for Penn State."

One of the store-front memorials they encountered was a drawing of Paterno with his hands in his pockets, his trademark stance. "We'll miss seeing that on the field and the press box," he said.

High school senior David Chang never met Paterno, but credits him nonetheless for changing the course of his life.

The Audubon, Pennsylvania, teenager had a wake-up call last year when he saw his poor grades. He realized he was falling short of his full potential. While researching the liberal arts program at Penn State, Chang came across a video about the Paterno Fellows Program. The video challenged good students to become outstanding and he made it his goal to become a Paterno Fellow.

Chang wrote his college entrance essay about how Joe Paterno inspired him to become a better student. And when he heard of Paterno's death, all he wanted to say was “thank you” to the man that taught him a valuable lesson.

"Before learning the life lessons Paterno regularly taught his players, I had little understanding of the world around me," he said. "I gained a greater perspective of the world around me and became a better individual in the process."

What will you remember Paterno for best? Share your thoughts in the comments below or send an iReport with your memories.

Last night, President Obama delivered his fourth (and possibly final) State of the Union address -- An oration that was both a policy guide to the coming year and an unofficial kickoff to his 2012 re-election campaign. In it, he touched on themes of income inequality and the "urgent" need to bolster U.S. employment in the face of a still-struggling economy.

iReporters who tuned in to last night's address shared their reactions to Obama's speech, and saw some general themes emerge: There were plenty of campaign-worthy soundbites to fire up his base, with mixed efforts at outreach to independent and moderate voters.

Melissa Fazli voted for Obama in 2008, but became disappointed and disillusioned with his administration over the past two years. But now, she plans to vote for Obama in the general election, and said she was moved to tears by the speech. She's strongly in support of Obama's call to investigate and bring prosecution against the lending practices that led up to the housing crisis.

"I would like to see it enforced by everyone using social media everyday to keep it on Obama's table until indictments are made," she said. "I would love to see some of these banks go directly to jail and not collect even $200 along the way."

Indiana moderate Mark Ivy, on the other hand, is a little more skeptical of Obama's rhetoric. He thinks that Obama delivered plenty of red meat to liberals, but needs to address the national debt and deficit spending in order to attract swing voters.

"We are all in this together. We must all be willing to give a little," he said. "The number one way to attack the debt and attract Independents and Republicans is a real plan of attack on the tax breaks, the tax deductions that cause the disparity in the effective tax rates. This must done across the board. Closing those 'loopholes' would have an impact on our debt and deficits without tax rate increases or surtaxes while increasing revenue."

And while left-leaning Zennie Abraham of Oakland, California, thought Obama delivered a solid speech in general, he was particularly impressed by the President's full-throated embrace of a pro-U.S. trade policy.

"The President now realizes that nationalism is the one approach that will save America, whereas when he first took office, our allies, like France and Germany, were trying to talk him into maintaining the 'free trade is good' policy that has harmed America," he said. "In doing so, Obama also hones his case for good old fashioned Liberalism."

If you watched last night's State of the Union address, we want to hear from you! Join the discussion on CNN iReport.

After being featured in a CNN iReport promo, what does one do for an encore?

Jannet Walsh had a recent segment on HLN's "Clark Howard," hosted each weekend by the Money Coach himself.

Her financial resolution for 2012 - to find full-time employment - caught the eye of Clark and his producers, so they put her on air to talk about her goals for the year. Walsh told Clark that she is ready to go back to work this year. Check out the video of her latest TV appearance! Congratulations, Jannet, and good luck with your resolution!

Last night, the four remaining GOP primary contenders squared off for a debate in South Carolina, for the second time this week. The story of the night was Newt Gingrich, who charged out of the gate by brusquely criticizing moderator John King for opening the debate with a question about Gringrich's ex-wife, who recently conducted a supposedly incriminating tell-all interview about the former Speaker of the House.

iReporters who tuned in pretty much agreed with each other: There were lots of fiery moments, but the candidates didn't offer clear or direct answers on the issues.

Independent voter David Kronmiller of Burbank, CA, thinks that Gingrich walked away as the clear winner of the debate, with Rick Santorum a close second. "If you listen to that crowd [reaction], Gingrich helped himself with his answer to John King," he said. "It was one of the more memorable moments from this election so far."

Atlanta, GA, resident Adriana Maxwell believes that the debaters were more interested in delivering soundbites than substantive discussion. "The candidates do what the moderator allows them. But it has become clear these debates are about supplying red meat to the base," she said. "It will give the Democratic Party plenty of soundbites in the general election."

Cliff Olney of Watertown, NY, said that Gingrich was hypocritical to slam moderator John King's question about his ex-wife when the former Speaker was one of the lead voices denouncing Bill Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinski. "Not a snowball's chance in hell will this stuff play well," he said. "I'm glad CNN gave these guys the opportunity to talk so voters can see what they would do as President."

But Omekongo Dibinga of Washington, D.C., found himself as an unlikely defender of Gingrich. He doesn't support Gingrich's positions on the issues, but said questions about the Speaker's past marriages and infidelities are largely irrelevant and distracting to presidential campaigns. "People in America are generally forgiving of people who admit their shortcomings," said. "That was the problem with Herman Cain. He took no responsibility for the sexual allegations and let the story go. Newt took it head on."

And Kingwood, TX, resident Egberto Willies believes that many of the candidates' statements were factually inaccurate or contradicted previously-held positions, yet went unchallenged by the moderator, which he sees as a disservice to our political discourse. Rather than engaging in debate, "[The candidates] were playing to the sensibilities of the audience and state, which put them in direct opposition with many of their past statements," he said.

What's your take on last night's debate, and the continuing GOP race for the party's nomination? If you've ever wanted to play pundit, now's your chance: Share your thoughts with iReport.

Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures turned Seattle, Washington, into a winter play land last night. In spite of dangerous, icy roads, iReporters stuck to their neighborhoods and came up with all sorts of ways to enjoy the rare snow.

Seattle artist and quadriplegic Jesse Higman built a custom sled that he attached to his wheelchair.

"It has always been impossible for me to go out [in] snow deeper than a couple of inches," said the 43-year-old. "I cut up two of my old paintings and laminated a top and bottom to the sled." He used blocks of wood and zip ties to secure each tire of the wheelchair to the sled. Two coats of glossy varnish made for a smoother ride.

Some of his friends accompanied him on a sledding trip in the Capitol Hill neighborhood yesterday. He said everyone was in a good mood and people seemed to be "captivated by the wheelchair spectacle." And here's what Higman said about the ride: "Wow, was it smooth! I have never gone so fast in the wheelchair."

After a full day of playing in the snow, three-year-old Gray Hopton was so tuckered out, he fell asleep on the sled ride home. His mother, Molly, shared a video of their sweet moment on the walk home last night in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

"We took him in and got him undressed; he was warm and toasty underneath all of his snow gear," she said. "He woke up and the first thing he said was he was ready to go play in the snow again."

University of Washington students Robert Foxcurran and Cooper Oldham aren't sure who did it, but they appreciate the handiwork of the person who put a snowman's head on Seattle’s famous Jimi Hendrix statue on Tuesday.

"I sent this iReport because I thought it was a particularly cool example of how Seattleites were dealing with the snow storm, by having a little fun with a local iconic statue," Foxcurran said.

So whether it's MacGyvering a sled or sculpting a rocking snowman, show us how you are coping or taking advantage of the snow. Let us know what the weather is like and stay warm!

iReporters are a diverse lot in almost every way, so there's not often a consensus among them when it comes to the issues of the day. But today might be the closest we've come to an exception: Much of the community is standing up to voice their objections to SOPA, a proposed law that seeks to clamp down online piracy.

It's not that iReporters are pro-piracy. But, like many people around the web, they feel that the legislation is too broad and threatens free speech. Writer and filmmaker Jeremy "Cougar" Littlefield of Broomfield, Colorado, explains:

"This is not about downloading illegal movies," he says. "This is about ownership of a free web.the modern age of how you communicate depends on it."

Egberto Willies elaborates on Littlefield's points in his video. The Kingwood, Texas resident argues that SOPA is just an excuse for corporations to use the government to gain power.

Corporations will "use government and the pretext of piracy to shut a site down" if SOPA is passed, he says. "The problem is that they need not actually do that, as just the threat and the potential legal costs and other ramifications will change behavior and force bloggers like myself and others to be very careful in not putting anything up that could be used as a false reason to shut down, however temporary."

Websites and bloggers who oppose SOPA for reasons like this are blacking out today to publicize their cause. Blacked out sites include Wikipedia, Wordpress, Tumblr and Craigslist, and even Google has blacked out its logo in solidarity. Time Warner, parent company of CNN, is among industry supporters of SOPA, along with organizations like the MPAA and RIAA.

iReporter John Becker, of Coral Gables, Florida, opposes SOPA for a different reason: "If you unleash SOPA," he says, "the hackers are going to unleash your worst nightmare."

Hackers have already found ways around today's blackouts, and Becker says they'll make online life miserable if SOPA is passed.

"You need to find a better way to stop pirating or else we're all gonna get screwed," he argues, noting that he already spends enough time fighting spam and viruses on his computer.

Despite the opposition to SOPA on iReport, some commenters on CNN.com say it's not as bad as it looks. Check out their arguments and learn more about the proposed legislation, and then let us know what you think.

From going debt-free to “getting out of the 99%,” iReporters had many different resolutions for improving their finances in the new year, and HLN’s money coach Clark Howard was listening.

Patrick Tull’s resolution was inspired by the fact that’s he’s 50 years old – a fact that’s difficult for him to believe. His plan for this year is to publish and sell a book about that very topic. He wants to do something of an autobiography, and work on some new invention ideas to sell in 2012 as well.

Bernardus Stroomer is known for his creative iReport videos, and the one for his resolution (reminiscent of Bob Dylan, perhaps) was no different. He made good use of note cards to share his goal for the year: “See where my $ is going, and where I can cut back..."

Matt Sky posted an iReport that was so inspirational, it made the homepage of HLNTV.com: Sky wants to help five people, in a significant way, in 2012. Sky said, "I personally plan on giving to some charities, doing more local volunteer work, and helping a couple good friends in my life get through some difficult emotional times, but I also think just being aware of trying to help others target than obsess on self gain could lead to things I have not thought of yet."

Check out how these iReports were featured on HLN’s “Clark Howard,” which airs on HLN Saturdays and Sundays at noon ET.

Okay, we get it. Snow in Alaska doesn't exactly sound like a breaking news story. But when it's one of the snowiest winters on record and it's only the beginning of January, it definitely is.

Just take a look at the photo above. Linden O'Toole captured that image and several others in Cordova, Alaska, this week.

"I have lived in Cordova...for 30 years, and we have never had this much snow all at once," she said.

The area has seen more than 230 inches of snow since December 1, says CNN meteorologist Ross Hays. Fifteen feet of snow was dumped on the town last week, and subsequent rain has compressed it, making it heavy and difficult to remove. The city has special heavy-duty shovels on their way from Canada.

"Both of my kids were raised in Cordova, and I don't remember a single day of school closure due to weather," said O'Toole. That record ends this winter: "The kids have been granted this entire week off of school."

Nearby, Anchorage has also been hit by record snowfall. Eric Bleicher captured an image of all the snow in the brief reprieve between two recent storms.

"The incoming storm brought whiteout conditions, 100 mph wind gusts along the Anchorage Hillside, and has forced the only highway south of Anchorage to shut down due to the conditions," he said.

But in the lower 48, it's another story. iReporters from California to Michigan have grabbed their cameras to document the shocking lack of snow and ice they've seen so far this winter.

Becky Hull describes the weather in her town of Cedarville, Michigan, as "insane." She captured the above image of a decidedly non-frozen Lake Huron.

Hull is concerned about the economic impact a warm winter could have on the area.

"I work at a retreat/conference center where we rely on cold and snowy conditions to help people enjoy winter," she explained. "We have no ice for them to skate on, no snow for them to ski or snowshoe on, and we are getting worried."

The story is the same in California, where Michael Hilburn says many ski resorts are still closed for lack of snow.

"A group of friends and I decided to escape snowless San Diego and spend New Year's Eve in the mountain ski resort town of Big Bear Lake," he said. "Unfortunately, mother nature had different plans this winter and not much snow was to be found and the lake was barely beginning to freeze over."

And in Rochester, New York, pictured above, resident Nick Swann wonders, "Is is January or April?"

Swann is a tractor trailer driver and usually transports salt all winter. Like others around the mainland U.S., he's not happy with the economic effect the weather is having.

"Last year this time we were working like mules hauling salt," he said. "What a difference this year! Not good!"

As Swann says, it's a far cry from this week last year, when 49 out of 50 states had snow on the ground. But it's not too late to give up hope: Mild November and December weather can often give way to intense snowstorms later in the winter and even into March and April.

"Although early winter has been mild in North America, plenty of cold air is still bottled up in the arctic waiting to dive south at the U.S.," says CNN weather anchor Chad Meyers.

Are you experiencing severe winter weather - or a lack thereof - in your area? Show us what's happening if you can do so safely.

On January 3, Nigerians took to the streets over the removal of a fuel subsidy, which effectively doubled fuel prices in the country. Less than a week later, protests swelled on January 9 when several major trade unions mobilized demonstrators against the government of president Goodluck Jonathan for alleged corruption and lack of access to basic services like electricity and clean water.

Nigerian iReporters gave CNN an on-the-ground look at the general strike currently underway in Nigeria before most news organizations had cameras on the scene. And as the protests continue, iReporters in the country are sharing their stories and perspectives.

Web designer Oladapo Bamidele, who shot the above photo, joined in non-violent demonstrations in Lagos, Nigeria's capital, this week. Bamidele, 38, said he's angered by the Nigerian government's refusal to reinstate the fuel subsidy. He added that Nigerians have lost faith in their government, and have mobilized to replace it. Bamidele cited the need for improved infrastructure as one of the main reasons behind the ongoing protests.

Freelance journalist Tina Armstrong-Ogbonna said that the increase in cost of living and the subsequent protests have brought Lagos to a standstill. She believes the Nigerian government should reinstate the subsidy and "cut the cost of governance, check corruption among political officeholders, [and] tackle the insecurity in the country due to the incessant attacks of the Islamic sect Boko Haram that has led to loss of lives and properties."

Demonstrations also took place outside of the capital, with protesters gathering in Nigeria's major cities. Patrick Gbenga, a student in Akure, shot photos of an anti-government rally on Monday morning. He said he is participating in the protests because "as a student leader in school, it is part of me to fight against injustice."

Several African musicians have now leant their name to the ongoing protests. Eromo Egbejule attended a January 10 concert in Lagos where Femi Kuti, son of the legendary afrobeat protest musician Fela Kuti, performed. Egbejule shared the following video: "I was proud to be a Nigerian and proud that [Femi] and his brother, Seun have carried on with their father's legacy," he said.

"Nigeria loves peace and this is why we are peacefully protesting, even though the Nigerian police and army have inflicted injuries and in some cases, killed innocent people. Revolution has come to Nigeria and the youth will spearhead it. Until our demands are met, we are ready to protest every day and make sacrifices."

Each of these iReporters' stories, along with several others, are part of our Open Story, which documents the Nigeria protests on an interactive map and timeline. If you're protesting in Nigeria right now, help us tell your story, but please stay safe and avoid hazardous or life-threatening situations.