U.S.

This Morning from CBS News, May 25, 2015

By Dan Woo

May 25, 2015 / 7:17 AM EDT / CBS News

Record flooding

A line of storms stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes dumped record rainfall on parts of Texas, Oklahoma and other Plains and Midwest states, spawning tornadoes and causing major flooding that forced at least 2,000 Texans from their homes. Rising floodwaters prompted hundreds of water rescues yesterday, reports CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca, from Wimberley, Texas.

Iraq refutes

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has refuted harsh criticism of his nation's military forces after Iraqi troops abandoned the city of Ramadi -- just an hour west of Baghdad -- to ISIS. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter accused the Iraqi army over the weekend of giving up the city to the militants virtually without a fight, in spite of having superior numbers. As CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reports, there are now fears that all of the heavily-Sunni Anbar province, in which Ramadi sits, could fall to ISIS.

No strategy

The territorial gains of ISIS over the past week have prompted a fresh look at what the U.S. can do to stop the militant group. But lawmakers are still divided about whether a military or a political strategy provides the best shot at success. "We need to have a more robust strategy. We need more troops on the ground, we need forward air controllers," said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Arizona, on the CBS News broadcast "Face the Nation."

Schieffer: "Hard lessons" from Vietnam

In his weekly commentary, on Memorial Day, "Face The Nation" host Bob Schieffer talked about the "hard lessons" the United States learned in the Vietnam War and how they relate to today.

Down to the wire

Since the Senate adjourned in the early hours of Saturday morning without taking steps to extend or reform surveillance methods of the National Security Agency (NSA), there has been little talk publicly about what happens next. With section 215 of the Patriot Act set to expire June 1, and the Senate convening again on May 31, the day before the provision is slated to run out, high stakes brinkmanship can be expected with civil liberties and national security at stake.

Second chance

On this Memorial Day, we focus on one area of our military that is often overlooked: homeless female veterans. CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports on a special neighborhood in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles, where he found women getting a second chance to rebuild their way of life after defending ours.

Four released

D.C. police say they have released four people who were detained at the same time that the suspect was taken into custody in the slaying of a wealthy family. Police did not identify the four. Experts say the releases don't mean they're in the clear, and they could still lead police to valuable information, reports CBS News correspondent Julianna Goldman.

Debt adverse

A recent survey of small business sentiment found that many small-biz owners are skittish about borrowing money. Indeed, only 10 percent of those surveyed felt it was a good time to expand, "and 53 percent explicitly said they did not want a loan." They have many reasons to be concerned.

Surviving summer

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer. But with the opening of pools, parks and beaches, as well as the unveiling of backyard grills, it can be easy to get caught up in the fun and forget basic safety precautions. Here are five common mistakes to avoid to help ensure that you and your family enjoy a healthy summer.

Love of speed

Keanu Reeves got his share of kicks as leading man in the 1999 film, "The Matrix." Nowadays, he's getting his kicks by leading the campaign for a brand new breed of motorcycle, as he explains to CBS News "Sunday Morning" Correspondent Tracy Smith.

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