The War on ISIS: more U.S. Troops to Iraq?
ROMANS: To the war on ISIS now. The White House considering a sweeping new strategy in that war on ISIS. This plan calls for a new military basis in Iraq's Anbar province, manned by hundreds of U.S. military trainers and advisers. Let's get the latest from CNN's Jomana Karadsheh. This is a shift in strategy since Ramadi, the fall of Ramadi. More U.S. advisers but not anybody in a combat role.</s>JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, here is what we know, Christine, according to U.S. officials. The administration is now considering sending 500 more troops to Iraq. That is in addition to the more than 3,000 who are already in country at this point. Many of those 100 would be train Iraqis. Now, it's unclear how many are dedicated to training, how many others will be in roles like security, air support, medical support and other tasks there in Iraq. Also, we are being told that other considerations is expanding as you mentioned the number of training sites in Iraq, possibly potentially looking at another training site in Anbar province, that is the majority of which is under the control of ISIS, as we have seen in recent weeks. The group managed to gain more territory there, major setbacks for Iraqis with ISIS claiming control of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province. And another thing being considered is training Sunni tribes directly, not arming them, but U.S. forces training these Sunni tribes. As we know, this is key part of the U.S. strategy. They really want to see the Sunnis brought on board to try and shift the balance in that fight against ISIS as this is a replication pretty much of the strategy adopted back in 2006 and '07 in the fight against al Qaeda in Iraq where we saw real change in that battle really changed the tide in that war against al Qaeda. So, hoping this could happen again. And this is, of course, we are hearing from U.S. officials, the decision is expected to come soon. And final decision on how many troops, where they will be based and what they will be doing in Iraq, Christine. Of course, really adding to the urgency that something needs to happen fast as we have seen ten months into the military campaign, ISIS is still a very capable group and able to go on the offensive and gain fresh territory.</s>ROMANS: All right. Jomana Karadsheh, thank you for that. Stunning testimony from the inspector general, the Department of Homeland Security, John Roth, appearing before a Senate Homeland Security Committee, slamming the TSA for a host of shortcomings, including a failure to detect 73 airport employees who were hired despite being on a federal database of possible terrorists. We get more from CNN's Rene Marsh.</s>RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, on Capitol Hill, serious questions raised about whether the TSA is capable of protecting the flying public from terrorists. The agency is struggling with low morale, faulty airport screening equipment, officers failing to detect weapons and fake explosives, and inadequate vetting of airport workers. Now, lawmakers are calling for a complete overhaul of the agency. The TSA was not at this hearing, but the Department of Homeland Security inspector general was. He told lawmakers, quote, "He is deeply concerned about TSA's ability to execute its important mission." Those are sobering words from the government auditor behind a scathing report, revealing TSA cleared more than 70 people with links to terrorism to work at U.S. airports. The inspector general was also behind the recent covert bomb threat that TSA officers failed miserably at airport checkpoints. Now, some of the possibilities is more bomb sniffing dogs and better communication between agencies, sharing information about individuals on terror watch lists. We should point out that CNN reached out to TSA for comment but they have not yet responded -- Christine.</s>ROMANS: All right. Rene Marsh, thank you for that. We are learning new details this morning about the charges against former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. He emerged from hiding to plead not guilty Tuesday in federal court in Chicago. The 73-year-old Hastert is charged with structuring cash withdrawals from banks and lying to the FBI about why. Prosecutors believe he was buying the silence of a former student to cover up allegations of sexual abuse. The FBI says Hastert made 106 withdrawals of less than $10,000 to avoid bank reporting requirements. They say he promised to pay $3.5 million to the person identified in the indictment only as individual A. Hastert has not been charged with sexual abuse. He will not officially join the presidential race until Monday. But Jeb Bush, he is polishing his foreign policy credentials during a three-nation trip to Europe. Bush meeting Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, urging the country's political leaders to take a tough line for Russia for its aggression in Ukraine. He travels later today to Poland and in Estonia where the focus is expected to remain on the crisis in Ukraine. Attorneys for six Baltimore police officers charged for the death of Freddie Gray and filing a motion for Marilyn Mosby to recuse herself from the case. Now, they cite an e-mail sent by Moscow back in march asking police to target the very intersection where gray was arrested with enhanced drug enforcement efforts. Freddie gray was arrested in April and suffered a fatal spine injury while being transported in a police van.</s>ROMANS: In Ferguson, Missouri, a petition to recall the mayor of the troubled St. Louis suburb has fallen short. The county board of election commissioner says the petition was 800 signatures shy of putting 18,000 needed to the recall of Mayor James Knowles before the voters. The group behind it has ten more days to gather additional signatures. Ferguson's mayor has been under fire since the Justice Department found a pattern of racially biased policing in the city following the Michael Brown shooting. Louisiana's Red River at its highest level since 70 years. Flooding has turned neighborhoods in Shreveport into lakes. Many homes completely under water. The Red River cresting at 37 feet. That's a full 7 feet above flood stage. Officials expect it to remain well above the flood level through the weekend. My goodness. Will the flooding continue in Louisiana? Let's bring in our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri for an early look at your weather.</s>PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, Christine. That's right, the Red River major flooding ahead of us and especially farther down the stream and how the nature of the volume of water works. We know the major levels reached across portion of Shreveport, 37 feet is where we sit. Notice downstream, the purple circle here indicating more major flooding ahead of us. And in Alexandria, minor but expect to increase before the water feeds off into the Mississippi over the coming couple of days. You look at the forecast, the rainfall certainly not going to be helpful but notice most of it stays south of Shreveport. But still, some of this water will feed into the rivers where major flooding could be expected. And you look at the broad prospective. We're now getting word that May was the wettest single month in recorded history for the United States. In fact, over 400 percent above average in a few spots for the entire nation as a whole. But you take a look. We had over 400 reports of tornados as well. Most since 2011, wettest May on record for Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado. You had the second earliest tropical storm in the way of Ana that made landfall earlier in the month. And you look ahead to today's forecast. Severe weather expected. Generally a very narrow path stretching out of the plains on into portions of the northeast. Temperatures in New York toasty, getting up into the 90s the next coming couple of days.</s>ROMANS: All right. Pedram, thank you for that. Advantage Cleveland. LeBron James leading the Cavs to a big win in front of a raucous home crowd as they grab a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals. Andy Scholes in Cleveland with the bleacher report, next.