This Morning from CBS News: Sept. 11, 2014
Pistorius hears his fate
Judgment Day arrived this morning for Oscar Pistorius, and he arrived at a Pretoria, South Africa court under serious strain. Judge Thokozile Masipa said little throughout the trial but today, she made up for that. She began with a devastating critique of the state's case, which relied heavily on neighbors' testimony that they heard the blood curdling screams of a woman. She said while the neighbors were not deliberately dishonest, they were unreliable. Eventually, she ruled on the murder charges against Pistorius.
Ultimately destroy
President Obama announced in a speech to the nation last night a comprehensive strategy to "degrade and ultimately destroy" ISIS. The president also broadened the U.S. military role to include airstrikes in Syria -- but said the U.S. wouldn't put any combat troops on the ground in the region.
Front lines
The U.S. airstrikes in Iraq that began a month ago saved thousands of refugees trapped by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militant group on Mount Sinjar and stopped the ISIS advance on the Kurdish capital of Erbil. Kurdistan is a semi-independent region in northern Iraq with its own military, called the Peshmerga. CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, reporting from there for "60 Minutes," found them eye-to-eye with ISIS on Wednesday.
Active plotting
There is no "credible evidence" that ISIS militants are plotting strikes against the United States to coincide with the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, CIA Director John Brennan told CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. But he emphasized that the U.S. intelligence community remains exceptionally vigilant in case that possibility arises.
American ISIS
"The topic of Syrian foreign fighters is always a topic number one in our discussions," Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson remarked to CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller. He added, "We're tracking these individuals. Several have been arrested by the FBI who've attempted to leave this country and take up the fight in Syria."
Money trail
After ISIS expanded into northern Iraq, sources say its earnings from oil and gas reached roughly three million dollars a day from sales on the black market for cash. CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews reports the energy profits give ISIS its edge.
NFL DVD
According to AP reporter Rob Maaddi, a DVD of Ray Rice striking his then-fiance was sent to the NFL in April. Earlier this week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told "CBS This Morning" co-host Norah O'Donnell that, to his knowledge, no one in the NFL, including himself, had seen the tape until it became public Monday.
U.S. safer?
Thirteen years after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 claimed nearly 3,000 American lives, the group responsible for those attacks, al Qaeda, is a shadow of its former self, analysts say - but that doesn't mean the U.S. can afford to rest easy, given a host of emerging threats like ISIS, ready to take up the jihadist banner.
Still waiting
Tens of thousands Americans are still suffering from illnesses or injuries acquired in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. For some of those victims and first responders, the support they expected to get from the government has been slow in coming.
Carbon markets gaining momentum in U.S.
An emerging model for reducing global pollution and promoting renewable energy is quietly gaining traction. Two of the nation's major carbon trading markets have recently held auctions that brought in hundreds of millions of dollars -- funding expected to go toward future "clean energy" projects.
Shocking pets
For years, it has been a popular dog training tool: the shock collar. But a new study says use of the collars can stress out your pet. CBS News correspondent Don Dahler reports many dog trainers still swear by them.
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