5 Things to Know This Wednesday Morning
— -- 1. CIA Pushes Back on Torture Report
The CIA acknowledged Tuesday that mistakes were made early on during its detention and interrogation program but pushed back strongly on the assertion made in the Senate Intelligence Committee's report that it misrepresented the effectiveness of its program in foiling al Qaeda plots.
It is a case being made by CIA Director John Brennan, who, despite his continued misgivings about the enhanced interrogation techniques, argued that they provided valuable intelligence about al Qaeda.
In a statement released Tuesday, Brennan accepted the report's criticism that the agency was unprepared to manage a worldwide detention program. Brennan acknowledged early mistakes he attributed to an agency that did not have the "core competencies" to run such a program.
2. Nor'easter Dumps Snow, Rain on East Coast
About 25,000 customers in the northeast remain without power today after a powerful nor'easter hit the East Coast.
The storm dumped more than five inches of rain in Essex County, Massachusetts. Wind gusts battered houses and ripped down trees in Scituate, Massachusetts, where 62 mph wind gusts were reported.
In Portland, Maine, drivers dealt with pounding rain and slushy roads, while those further north had blizzard-like conditions.
3. Oscar Pistorius' Conviction Can Be Appealed
South African prosecutors have been granted permission to appeal Oscar Pistorius' culpable homicide conviction, the equivalent of manslaughter.
Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled today that the state cannot appeal his five-year sentence separately and has to pay a portion of Pistorius' court costs during the appeal. If prosecutors succeed in appealing his conviction, the Supreme Court of Appeals may impose a commensurate sentence, which could be a minimum of 15 years.
Pistorius, 28, was charged with murder for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year but convicted of the lesser charge.
4. Baby Boy Born Mid-flight Doing Well
Southwest Airlines flight 623 took off with 111 passengers. It landed with 112.
Passengers and crew aboard the flight from San Francisco to Phoenix landed with quite a story after witnessing a birth mid-flight Tuesday.
"I can't think of anything else that's going to top that," said captain John Gordy. "At least not for a while."
5. See Hikers on Ice So Clear It Appears They Are Walking on Water
This is about as close as mere mortals will come to walking on water.
A new YouTube video described as being taken in the High Tatras Mountains in Slovakia is going viral, with the stunning footage showing two hikers walking on ice that is so crystal clear that it appears they are walking on the surface of a still lake.
