This Morning from CBS News: Dec. 12, 2014
Late night passage
The House narrowly approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill meant to keep the government funded for the next year after a dramatic daylong showdown in which the legislation's opponents were just one vote away from derailing the measure.
Unfinished Business
In the final days of the 113th Congress, lawmakers have been squarely focused on the massive spending bill needed to keep the government running. Members managed to cram quite a few items into the spending bill, including some controversial ones, such as changes to campaign finance rules. Even so, the 113th Congress is likely to adjourn for the year with several significant issues left on the table.
Brennan defends
In an extremely rare televised news conference, CIA Director John Brennan acknowledged some interrogators used unacceptable and brutal tactics in questioning al Qaeda detainees. CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports that Brennan said he's working now to restore the faith of his workforce, which has been rocked by the Senate report's disclosures.
California storm
The most powerful storm in five years flooded roads across Northern California yesterday. Parts of Sonoma County got more than nine inches of rain. Toppled trees crushed cars, and downed power lines left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power. CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports that the storm, at times, packed hurricane-force winds.
EPA under fire
Facing significant budget cuts and an incoming Republican-controlled Congress determined to limit her authority, Environmental Protection Agency head Gina McCarthy might be expected to sound a bit chastened. She doesn't. In an exclusive interview with CBS News, McCarthy, who became EPA administrator in 2013, defended her agency's plans to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, strengthen ozone standards and regulate leaks of methane.
Sony hack latest
The hackers who got into Sony's computer systems are leaking private health information of dozens of employees. With the studio reeling from the barrage of leaks piling up by the day, federal investigators are working to determine whether North Korea was behind the attack in retaliation for Sony's new film, "The Interview." As CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano reports, the fallout is far from over.
Supermodel accuser
Beverly Johnson, who rose to fame as a supermodel in the 1970s, is joining a growing chorus of women making accusations against comedian/actor Bill Cosby. She says Cosby drugged her at his New York City townhouse in the 1980s. Johnson sat down with CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy and told him why she's coming forward with her story now.
Rough seas
SeaWorld's share price has plunged, its profits have slumped and attendance across all the company's theme parks is down. These are the key numbers that CEOs are judged by, and they're a big reason Jim Atchison is stepping down as head of the company.
Operation Rhino Drop
Poachers in South Africa are killing rhinos for their horns -- a record 1,020 have died this year alone, and there are only about 30,000 left in the world. "There is a rhino war," wildlife filmmaker Dereck Joubert told CBS News correspondent Debora Patta. "There's a wildlife war. This is the battle for Africa." It's a war being won by the poachers, according to Joubert and his wife Beverly, who are dedicated to helping save the rhinos.
Boston time capsule
A time capsule dating back to 1795 has been recovered in Boston. It was originally placed by Revolutionary War figures Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. Workers used extraordinary care to remove the capsule from the cornerstone of the Massachusetts statehouse. Jim Axelrod reports on what the capsule might reveal about the nation's formative years.
Singing Bishop
One of the great soul singers of his time, the Rev. Al Green's career has taken him from gospel to R&B and back, winning him the 11 Grammy Awards that decorate his church office in Memphis. He was one of the Kennedy Center Honorees this year, representing the best in American arts and culture. CBS News correspondent Anthony Mason interviewed the legendary singer in Memphis.
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