People around the world are rising up today and taking to the streets to dance. Their actions are part of a global movement in more than 200 countries to end rape and sexual violence against women called "One Billion Rising," launched by playwright Eve Ensler, creator of "The Vagina Monologues." We speak to Ensler in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she is helping survivors of gender violence. We also air a video of the acclaimed musician Anoushka Shankar, the daughter of Ravi Shankar, who reveals she was sexually abused as a child. [includes rush transcript]

Bahraini security forces shot dead a teenager earlier today as pro-democracy activists marked the second anniversary of what has been described as the longest-running uprising of the Arab Spring. Since February 2011, at least 87 people have died at the hands of U.S.-backed security forces. We speak to Maryam Alkhawaja, daughter of imprisoned Bahraini human rights activist Abdulhadi Alkhawaja. Maryam has served as the acting president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights ever since the group’s head, Nabeel Rajab, was arrested and jailed. The group has just published a new report titled "Two Years of Deaths and Detentions." Maryam also serves as the co-director of the Gulf Center for Human Rights. [includes rush transcript]

For the second time in six months, actress Daryl Hannah has been jailed for protesting the Keystone XL oil pipeline. In October, she was arrested in Texas. On Wednesday, she and 47 others were arrested outside the White House. "It’s incumbent upon us, upon citizens, to show up and stand up and take action," Hannah says. "The polls show that the majority of people in this country are very, very concerned about the climate crisis and want action. And so, the only way that’s going to happen is if we insist upon it. President Obama again and again says, 'Push me.' Well, we need to get out there and push him." [includes rush transcript]

Forty-eight people, including civil rights leader Julian Bond and NASA climate scientist James Hansen, were arrested Wednesday in front of the White House as part of an ongoing protest calling on the Obama administration to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The action came before a rally planned for Sunday on Washington’s National Mall, which organizers have dubbed "the largest climate rally in history." We speak to Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, who was arrested in the first act of civil disobedience in the organization’s 120-year history. [includes rush transcript]

• Bahrain: Teenager Shot Dead in Protests on Uprising's 2nd Anniversary
• Dozens Arrested at White House in Civil Disobedience Against Keystone XL Pipeline
• Treasury Pick Jack Lew Questioned on Citigroup Bonus, Cayman Islands Investment
• Senate Panel Delays Vote on Brennan Nomination, Demands More Info on Drone Strikes
• Desmond Tutu Blasts Idea of Special Court to Review Targeting of U.S. Citizens, Not Others
• New York: 9 Arrested Blocking Gate of Drone Operations Base
• U.S., EU to Start Talks on Massive Free-Trade Deal
• Undocumented Protesters, Allies Disrupt Senate Hearing on Immigration Reform
• California Authorities Deny Intentionally Setting Fire at Cabin Where Fugitive Dorner Was Hiding
• Minnesota: 9-Year-Old Boy Killed After Man Opens Fire on Passing Traffic
• 2 Dead in Shooting at University of Maryland
• People Around the World Dance in "One Billion Rising" Campaign to End Violence Against Women
• Anoushka Shankar, Daughter of Ravi Shankar, Tells Her Story of Sexual Abuse
• Paralympic Champion Oscar Pistorius Charged with Murdering Girlfriend
• Indian Activist, Right Livelihood Award Winner Sankaralingam Jagannathan Dies at 100

Addressing the plight of some 11 million undocumented people currently living in the United States, President Obama’s State of the Union address emphasized the benefits of comprehensive immigration reform. Obama urged Congress to send him legislation to sign into law in the next few months. We get reaction on what Obama didn’t say — namely, his record levels of deportation — from Aura Bogado, a reporter who covers immigration and racial justice for The Nation. [includes rush transcript]

As President Obama announced plans to withdraw another 34,000 troops from Afghanistan, longtime peace activist Kathy Kelly warns the war shows no end. Kelly, who just returned from Afghanistan, says the company formally known as Blackwater is now running a base just outside of Kabul used by the Special Operations Joint Task Force. On Monday, a U.S. air strike in Afghanistan killed 10 civilians. The strike hit what the NATO occupation force called a suspected Taliban hideout in the province of Kunar. Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, warns Afghan civilians continue to suffer from longest-running war in U.S. history. [includes rush transcript]

President Obama opened his State of the Union with a call to revive the middle class and with a challenge to a divided Congress to back his economic proposals to create jobs. We get reaction from Bob Herbert, distinguished senior fellow with Demos, and Cathy Cohen, professor of political science at the University of Chicago and founder of the Black Youth Project. "Median income in the United States has gone down since the recession ended," Herbert says. "Poverty is expanding. We have nearly 50 million people who are officially poor in this country and another 50 million who are near poor. ... You’re getting close to a third of the entire population. So, there is no way to address challenges that are that enormous without making enormous investments." [includes rush transcript]

We spend the hour looking at President Obama’s State of the Union address, beginning with his call for new gun control. Obama asked Congress to vote on new gun reform measures, including background checks and a ban on assault weapons. But with the gun lobby-beholden Congress unlikely to approve Obama’s agenda, we’re joined by two guests who call for a broader approach that includes tackling the root causes of violence. "We’re still waiting for a comprehensive discussion from the president ... about really all of the underlying factors that contribute to gun violence," says Cathy Cohen, a political science professor and founder of the Black Youth Project, which began the petition for Obama to return to Chicago to address the gun violence plague after the murder of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton. She says she hopes his Chicago talk on Friday will address "the unemployment that young people face, the inadequate schooling that they face, the problematic policies around incarceration, the trauma that they face from the violence and unemployment in their neighborhoods. And the truth is, is without that type of discussion, we’re never really going to move forward in really trying to deal with and stem the violence in the lives of these young people." Bob Herbert, a distinguished senior fellow with Demos and former op-ed columnist for The New York Times, adds, "If we can begin to change the culture, this gun and violence culture in the country, then we may be able to make some headway." [includes rush transcript]

• Obama Issues Call to Action on Climate, Gun Control in SOTU Address
• Obama Backs Minimum Wage Hike to $9/Hr
• U.S. to Withdraw 34,000 Troops from Afghanistan
• U.S. Air Strike Kills 10 Afghan Civilians
• Dorner Believed Dead After Shootout with Police
• Senate Panel Advances Hagel Nomination
• U.N. Security Council Condemns North Korea Nuclear Test
• Syrian Rebels Seize Military Airport; U.N. Warns Toll Nears 70,0000
• Bahraini Forces Disrupt Protest Ahead of Uprising's 2-Year Anniversary
• Ex-Italian Intel Chief Sentenced for CIA Kidnapping
• Pentagon Bugging Attorney-Detainee Meeting Rooms at Gitmo
• Senate Backs Expansion of Violence Against Women Act
• Obama Signs Exec Order on Cyberattacks
• New York Could Delay Fracking Decision, Leaving Ban in Place
• "Stop and Frisk" Lawsuit Granted Class Action Status

In a Black History Month special, we remember the lives of the legendary civil rights activist, singer and actor Paul Robeson and his wife Eslanda, whose story is not as well known. One of the most celebrated singers and actors of the 20th century, Robeson was attacked, blacklisted and hounded by the government for his political beliefs. Eslanda Robeson, known by her friends as "Essie," was an author, an anthropologist and a globally connected activist who worked to end colonialism in Africa and racism in the United States. We’re joined by historian Barbara Ransby, author of the new biography, "Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson." [includes rush transcript]

Speculation is mounting over who will become the next pope after Pope Benedict XVI shocked the Catholic Church on Monday when he became the first pontiff to resign in almost 600 years. Benedict’s resignation comes as the Catholic Church is facing scrutiny over its handling of the widening priest sexual abuse scandal and its crackdown on liberal nuns. We’re joined by Barbara Blaine of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and Sister Simone Campbell of the Catholic social justice group NETWORK, which was heavily criticized by the Vatican last year. [includes rush transcript]

The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting today after North Korea conducted its third-ever nuclear test in defiance of U.N. orders. According to international monitors, the underground explosion was roughly twice as large as North Korea’s last nuclear test in 2009. North Korea had vowed to conduct rocket launches and a U.S.-aimed nuclear test after the U.N. Security Council resolution tightened sanctions in response to a rocket launch two months ago. "North Korea has been saying for years they would like to have a peace agreement to formally end the [Korean] war, and they would like to have negotiations directly with the United States," says Tim Shorrock, an independent journalist who has covered Korea for more than 30 years. "The only way out of this for the United States is to hold direct negotiations and talks with North Korea on stopping its nuclear program and stopping its missile program." [includes rush transcript]

• U.N. Security Council to Meet on North Korean Nuke Test
• 2 Arrested in Shooting Death of Chicago Teen
• Gun Violence Victims, Families to Attend SOTU Address
• 3 Killed in Shooting at Delaware Courthouse
• Rebels Seize Hydropower Dam; Regime Open to Talks Abroad
• Clashes Break Out on Anniversary of Mubarak Fall
• Yemenis Mark Uprising's Second Anniversary
• Israel OKs New Settlements Ahead of Obama Visit
• Senate Dems to Vote on Hagel Bid; Sen. Graham Vows to Block Nominees
• Pentagon Expands Benefits for Same-Sex Couples
• Federal Judge Overturns Arizona Ban on Planned Parenthood

The ability of the U.S. government to jail people without charge or trial is now back in court. A group of reporters, scholars and activists are suing the Obama administration over the controversial provision in the National Defense Authorization Act, saying it could allow for the indefinite detention of journalists and others who interact with certain groups. On Wednesday, the Justice Department asked an appeals court to reverse a judge’s earlier decision blocking indefinite detention, saying the ruling would hamper its ability to fight terrorism. On the same day, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker and activist Michael Moore and the case’s lead plaintiff, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges, took part in a panel featuring some of those who were in the courtroom opposing the NDAA. We air excerpts of their remarks. [includes rush transcript]

The Obama administration is ratcheting up its economic war against Iran ahead of nuclear talks slated for Kazakhstan later this month. Last week, the White House announced a new expansion of sanctions that pressure countries buying Iran’s oil to withhold direct payments and instead force Iran to purchase their goods. The Treasury also widened the sanctions list to include Iranian state media. We’re joined by Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council and author of the new book "A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran." Back in the United States after testifying before the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Iran’s nuclear program, Parsi says: "In spite of [the sanctions], you’re not seeing the regime change its nuclear calculus. And I would say that that’s mainly because pressure alone will not work. There has to be negotiations in which something is put on the table that is viewed as strategically valuable by the other side. Only then will we be able to really say that diplomacy has been tested." [includes rush transcript]

A manhunt is continuing in California for Christopher Dorner, the former Los Angeles police officer accused of shooting three people dead. In his online manifesto, Dorner threatened to wage "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" against a police department he accused of racism and corruption. He was fired from the police department in 2008 after being accused of falsely claiming his training officer kicked a mentally ill suspect in the course of an arrest. On Friday, the LAPD announced it would reopen its investigation of Dorner’s firing and his claims. We’re joined by journalist and activist Davey D, who says, notwithstanding the allegations of murder, Dorner’s manifesto "has opened up old wounds or it’s reaffirmed what people have long suspected or have experienced in terms of [police] brutality. ... I’m really curious as to whether or not these allegations that he has raised, where he names dates, times and places and names, whether or not they actually check out. And I think that needs to be really investigated, above and beyond the immediate scenario which led to his firing." [includes rush transcript]

• Pope Benedict to Resign over Health Concerns
• Obama to Unveil Cuts to Nuclear Arsenal
• LAPD Reopens Dorner Case as Manhunt Continues
• Northeast Blizzard Kills 9; Tornadoes Hit South
• Fighting Escalates in Syrian Capital; 5,000 Fleeing Per Day
• Allen Steps Down as NATO Commander
• Israeli Military Dismantles Palestinian Encampment in West Bank
• Bahrain Holds First Reconciliation Talks Since July 2011
• Over 100,000 March in Anti-Austerity "Lift the Burden" Protest in Ireland
• First Lady Among Mourners at Chicago Funeral for Slain Teen
• 4 Wounded in Mardi Gras Shooting
• Action-Film Star Steven Segal Trains Armed "Posse" at Arizona School
• Kerry: Keystone XL Decision Coming in the "Near Term"
• Intel Estimate: Cyberattacks Threaten U.S. Economy

CIA nominee John Brennan was repeatedly questioned about torture at his CIA confirmation hearing, including the use of waterboarding and enhanced interrogation techniques. He refused to say waterboarding was a form of torture, but said he has come to oppose the technique. Under George W. Bush, Brennan served as deputy executive director of the CIA and director of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center. "Remember, he was the cheerleader for some of these onerous policies, particularly renditions and extraordinary renditions. So, for John Brennan today to say he read the Senate committee intelligence report on torture and he learned things he never knew before and that he was shocked with what he learned, this is a case of incredible willful ignorance," says Melvin Goodman, former CIA and State Department analyst. [includes rush transcript]

Thursday’s confirmation hearing for CIA nominee John Brennan was briefly postponed to clear the room of activists from CODEPINK after they repeatedly disrupted Brennan’s testimony. One woman held a list of Pakistani children killed in U.S. drone strikes. Former U.S. diplomat Col. Ann Wright interrupted Brennan while wearing a sign around her neck with the name of Tariq Aziz, a 16-year-old Pakistani boy who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011. Wright and seven others were arrested. We speak to CODEPINK founder Medea Benjamin, who also disrupted the meeting and recently visited Pakistan to speak with victims of drone strikes. "It’s not only the killing, it’s the terrorizing of entire populations, where they hear the drones buzzing overhead 24 hours a day, where they’re afraid to go to school, afraid to go to the markets, to funerals, to weddings, where it disrupts entire communities," Benjamin says. "And we are trying to get this information to our elected officials, to say, 'You are making us unsafe here at home,' to say nothing of how illegal, immoral and inhumane these policies are." [includes rush transcript]