U.S.

This Morning from CBS News, July 29, 2015

By Dan Woo

July 29, 2015 / 7:51 AM EDT / CBS News

Taliban leader dead?

A spokesman for the Afghan president said today the government was still trying to confirm word that has circulated widely as a rumor in the region for at least two years: that Mullah Mohammed Omar, the one-eyed figurehead leader of the Taliban, is dead. A source with links to Omar told CBS News last week he died in 2012 of natural causes in a remote part of Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province.

Brady cover-up alleged

Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady is now accused of a cover-up, as he vows to go to court to overturn a four-game suspension. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he will not change the league's earlier ruling against the New England Patriots superstar quarterback. "NFL Today" co-host James Brown reports yesterday's decision relied largely on a newly-revealed piece of evidence: Goodell says Brady scrapped a cellphone that might have connected him to the deflated footballs the Patriots used in a playoff game.

Hunters to court

Two local hunters were to appear in court in Zimbabwe today to face charges of poaching after a well-known and beloved local lion named Cecil was killed in an illegal game hunt. CBS News correspondent Debora Patta reports Cecil, the iconic and rare black-maned lion, was a star attraction of Hwange National Park. This week, he was found beheaded and skinned.

Double hand transplant

An 8-year-old Maryland boy is showing off his new hands. Doctors in Pennsylvania consider the first-ever double hand transplant on a child a success. CBS News correspondent Anna Werner spoke to Zion Harvey and his mother, and reports on the incredible surgery that has given the young boy a new outlook on life.

Quiet epidemic

The number of heroin overdose deaths nearly doubled between 2011 and 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this month. In 2013, more than 8,200 people died from the narcotic. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has talked repeatedly about substance abuse issues and heroin in particular, as have other presidential candidates. Here's a look at how Washington and a selection of 2016 candidates are responding to the problem.

Life as a Public Defender: Jury selection

It was the first time I was picking a jury, May of 2015, and thanks to Madeleine Albright, I felt calm. A friend reminded me that my decades of asking questions when I was a journalist was the best preparation one could have for this moment. Her advice made me think of the day I was sent, last minute, to ask Secretary of State Albright about the Dayton Peace Accords. This was pre-smart phones and at a time before I went to Kosovo, so I knew little about the war in the Balkans. Somehow, I pulled that assignment off, and the memory gave me the confidence I needed for my first jury selection.

Wages and prices

One of the big questions surrounding a $15 minimum wage has been what the impact would be on employers. Some in the fast-food industry specifically have predicted that jobs would be slashed and that prices would skyrocket. But a new study from Purdue University suggests consumers would see a minimal price hike.

Drought tourism

The drought emergency in the West stretches beyond California. The water level in Nevada's Lake Mead is at a record low of about 37 percent. CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports on how the nation's largest man-made reservoir is now bursting with surprises for history buffs.

Counterfeit Swift

Taylor Swift shook off Apple and Spotify over music royalties, but now she's going after what may be a more difficult target: Chinese counterfeiters. CBS News correspondent Seth Doane reports on how the superstar and businesswoman saw a problem and an opportunity.

Coming in August

August is right around the corner, bringing the dog days of summer with it. Luckily, the top TV and movie streaming services are back with a whole new crop of content to help you beat the heat. Take a peek at some of the top new August selections.

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