The Obama administration’s internal legal justification for assassinating U.S. citizens without charge has been revealed for the first time. In a secret Justice Department memo, the administration claims it has legal authority to assassinate U.S. citizens overseas even if there is no intelligence indicating they are engaged in an active plot to attack the United States. We’re joined by Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "If you look at the memo ... there’s no geographic line," says Jaffer. "The Obama administration is making, in some ways, a greater claim of authority [than President Bush]. They’re arguing that the authority to kill American citizens has no geographic limit." [includes rush transcript]

• Leaked Memo Shows Expansive Rationale for U.S. "Kill List"
• Report Tallies 54 Countries, 136 Prisoners in CIA Torture Program
• Italian Court Reverses Acquittals of CIA Agents for '03 Kidnapping
• S&P to Face Civil Charges for Faulty Ratings
• Prisons Bureau to Review Solitary Confinement
• Obama Promotes Gun Control Ahead of SOTU Address
• McCain Among GOP Senators Who Won't Block Hagel Bid
• Monitors: Over 270 Killed in 2 Days of Syria Violence
• Iranian President Makes Historic Visit to Eypt
• Israel Arrests 23 Hamas Members in West Bank
• Israeli Forces Dismantle Palestinian Encampment Protesting Settlements
• Lawsuit: NYPD Spying on Muslims Violating Handschu Rules
• Arkansas House Advances Anti-Abortion Bill
• Hundreds Protest Fracking at New York Capitol
• Oklahoma Protester Chains Herself to Keystone Equipment

Born on Feb. 4, 1913, today would have been Rosa Parks’ 100th birthday. On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her act of resistance led to a 13-month boycott of the Montgomery bus system that would help spark the civil rights movement. Today we spend the hour looking at Rosa Parks’ life with historian Jeanne Theoharis, author of the new book, "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks." Often described as a tired seamstress, no troublemaker, Parks was in fact a dedicated civil rights activist involved with the movement long before and after her historic action on the Montgomery bus. "Here we have, in many ways, one of the most famous Americans of the 20th century, and yet treated just like a sort of children’s book hero," Theoharis says. "We diminish her legacy by making it about a single day, a single act, as opposed to the rich and lifelong history of resistance that was actually who Rosa Parks was." We also air audio of Rosa Parks in her own words. In the midst of the boycott in April of 1956, she spoke to Pacifica Radio about the action she took. [includes rush transcript]

• Obama Admin Enacts Right for Preemptive Cyberattacks
• White House Proposes Compromise to Provide Contraceptive Insurance
• 35 Killed in Pakistan Attack; Taliban Claims Revenge for U.S. Drone Strikes
• Suicide Attack Kills 33 at Police Headquarters in Iraq
• France Continues Mali Bombing; Amnesty Calls for Probe of Civilian Deaths
• Iranian Foreign Minister Backs Direct Talks with U.S.
• Video Shows Egyptian Police Beating Naked Protester
• Damage to Philippines Reef by U.S. Ship Worse Than Previously Thought
• Study: Suicide Rate of U.S. Vets Jumps 20 Percent
• Iraq War Vet Detained for Shooting Death of Famed Sniper, Companion
• Somali American Convicted in Alleged Entrapment Case
• Panetta: Bin Laden Could Have Been Found Without Torture
• Hundreds Mark 1st Anniversary of Ramarley Graham Killing; Family Sues NYPD
• Appeals Court Sides With Gov. Secrecy in WikiLeaks, Twitter Case
• WikiLeaks Founder Assange Awarded Yoko Ono Lennon Courage Award for the Arts

Ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl, the safety of football is coming under increasing scrutiny as more evidence emerges about links between concussions and brain damage. President Obama recently weighed in on the issue, saying, "If I had a son, I’d have to think long and hard before I let him play football." We speak to former professional wrestler Chris Nowinski, co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute and co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine, which maintains a bank of more than 140 athletes’ and military veterans’ brains in order to study the effects of concussions. He is the author of the book, "Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis," which is the focus of a new documentary. [includes rush transcript]

The new documentary, "Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal," premieres today in New York City. We play an excerpt of the film and speak to writer, producer and director Steve Vittoria, as well as Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio, who has interviewed Abu-Jamal many times over the years. The film features many supporters of Mumia, including actress Ruby Dee, writer Tariq Ali, and author Michelle Alexander. [includes rush transcript]

In a rare live interview, Mumia Abu-Jamal calls into Democracy Now! as the new film, "Long Distance Revolutionary," about his life premieres in New York City this weekend. After 29 years on death row, he is now being held in general population at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution – Mahanoy. "How free are we today, those who claim to be non-prisoners? Your computers are being read by others in government. Your letters, your phone calls are being intercepted," says Mumia Abu-Jamal. "We live now in a national security state, where the United States is fast becoming one of the biggest open-air prisons on earth. We can speak about freedom, and the United States has a long and distinguished history of talking about freedom, but have we exampled freedom? And I think the answer should be very clear: We have not." In 1982, Mumia was sentenced to die for killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. He has always maintained his innocence and is perhaps America’s most famous political prisoner. In 2011, an appeals court upheld his conviction, but also vacated his death sentence. It found jurors were given confusing instructions. [includes rush transcript]

Former New York City Democratic Mayor Ed Koch died Friday morning at the age of 88. He served three terms in office from 1978 to 1989. Koch is widely credited with rescuing the city from the brink of financial ruin, an achievement Democracy Now! co-host Juan González notes was also the result of sacrifices from labor unions. González describes Koch’s mixed legacy, from his earlier days opposing the Vietnam War to his hostile relations with African Americans and Latinos, to the launch of a massive low-income housing program. Koch also took criticism for his handling of the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the city. He was known for his feisty demeanor, which gave him a national reputation and sparked multiple political controversies. "He always sort of represented that combative spirit of New Yorkers," González says. "His most famous line was: 'How am I doing?' And I think that people who look back now at his period of time will say, 'Well, Mayor, you did pretty well.'" [includes rush transcript]

• Turkey: At Least 2 Dead in Suicide Attack on U.S. Embassy
• Hagel Grilled on Israel Stance During Senate Confirmation Hearing
• Hagel: Iraq War Was Worst U.S. Decision Since Vietnam
• Kerry to be Sworn In as Secretary of State
• U.N. Report: Israel Must End West Bank Settlements or Potentially Face ICC Charges
• Anti-Morsi Protesters Return to the Streets After Rival Groups Hold Rare Meeting
• Gitmo Judge Orders End to Secret Gov't Censors at 9/11 Trial
• Mexico: 25 Dead in Blast at State-Owned Oil Company
• Mexico: Thousands Protest Bid by U.S. Firms to Plant GMO Corn
• Former Guatemalan Dictator Goes on Trial for Genocide
• Report: U.S. Sentencing Runs Contrary to International Law
• NYC: 7-Year-Old Boy Handcuffed, Interrogated for 10 Hours for Allegedly Stealing $5
• Report: FBI Agents Flew to Iceland to Investigate WikiLeaks
• Anti-Keystone XL Protester Disrupts TransCanada Speech for Several Minutes
• New York Times, Wall Street Journal Infiltrated by Chinese Hackers
• Pepsi Pulls Gatorade Ingredient After Online Campaign
• Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch Dead at 88