The Torture Debate: CIA Director John Brennan gave a rare press conference admitting his agency did “abhorrent” things interrogating terror suspects but that the so-called “enhanced” methods produced information that stopped attacks and saved lives.

While saying CIA interrogators “went outside of the bounds,” Brennan avoided using the word “torture” to describe what agency interrogators did. “I will leave to others how they might want to label those activities,” Brennan said.

   Even while Brennan was speaking, Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein was busily tweeting in all-caps dissent. “No evidence that terror attacks were stopped, terrorists captured or lives saved through use of EITs.”

A Senate report released Tuesday says the agency used water boarding, freezing water, pain positions, sleep deprivation, and hanging upside down to get prisoners to talk. Brennan said it was “unknowable” whether equally useful information could have been collected by other means.

Compromised: The White House avoided another showdown with House Republicans by approving a spending bill that surrendered to some big Republican demands. Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said she was enormously disappointed with President Obama.

The bill, which still has to pass the Senate, eases banking regulations imposed after the 2008 economic meltdown and vastly increases the amount of money political donors can give to candidates. It also allows cuts in benefits for people already getting pensions from multi-employer pension plans. The plans are $42 billion short of their obligations. Some opponents have said the move is the opening attack on pensions.

The Climate: Climate negotiators in Lima, Peru are into their last day of negotiations to reach an international agreement to limit the release of greenhouse gases. Secy. Of State John Kerry said the world is “still on a course leading to tragedy”. Although half the emissions come from developing countries, poorer countries are looking to be held to a lower standard than the big economic powers.

The Obit Page: Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Michel du Cille died while on assignment covering the Ebola outbreak in Liberia for the Washington Post. Du Cille suffered a heart attack after hiking into a remote area. He had won the Pulitzer twice; once at the Miami Herald and again for the Washington Post. He was 58.

Ink Smudges: The Washington Post continues to dismantle the Rolling Stone story about what was described as a gang rape in a fraternity house at the University of Virginia. The Post reports that while the Rolling Stone reporter interviewed at least two-dozen people, she did not interview the three students who tried to help the girl the night she said she was raped and were the first to hear her story. The magazine reported that one friend named Randall refused to be interviewed, but Randall now says he was never asked.

Eric Wemple writes in the Post, “Publications can be excused for getting things wrong; that happens all the time. What’s inexcusable, however, is that in this case, Rolling Stone did nothing to stave off catastrophic error.”

The Weather Outside: Heavy rain is falling in Southern California bringing mudslides and flash flood warnings. At least two-dozen homes have been damaged by mud and rock slides. Heavy snow is expected in the Sierra Nevada.

Nut Rage: A former executive for Korean Airlines has apologized for an incident in which she delayed a flight and fired a flight attendant for serving nuts in a bag instead of on a plate. Heather Cho resigned from her father’s airline and says she’s sorry. Her father said, “I beg the people to blame me for the current situation, because everything is my fault… I failed to properly educate my daughter.” His daughter is 40.

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