julio approaches and looks like it will miss to the north but likely bring another burst of heavy rain. back to you. thanks, jim. here s the forecast for american mainland. showers and thunderstorms in the northern rockies and western plains. also in the lower midwest and ohio valley. most of the south will get rain, too. sunny and pleasant from the great lakes across to new england. phoenix s high temperature will break 100 today. but dallas will be up there, too. it will be in the mid-80s for denver. the low 80s for kansas city and minneapolis. memphis and new orleans will be in the low 90s. also breaking overnight, u.s. troops back on the move in iraq, air-dropping aid to stranded iraqi civilians. president obama also poised to protect americans from sunni militants known as isis. he authorized targeted air strikes in that country. here s more from abc s martha raddatz. reporter: american military strikes are a very real option. we intend to stay vigilant and take action i
reporter: under cover of darkness, three air force cargo jets, escorted by f-18s, dropped pallets like these, loaded with thousands of gallons of water and meals ready to eat. with the isis threat out there, our crews will be in some danger by doing these air drops. reporter: those isis terrorists have surface-to-air missiles and a slew of firepower. they re threatening to take control of the largest electric dam in the country and are closing in on erbil. the kurdish capital has key american outposts with hundreds of military consultants and a consulate. i ve directed our military to take strikes against isil convoys should they move toward the city. reporter: the strikes have not begun. but u.s. commanders have a green light. if we go into air strikes, we re opening another chapter on a book the white house had hoped they had closed. reporter: the last u.s. troops pulled out of iraq in 2011. president obama says he does not plan to send combat troops back
listen to this. there are reports the nation may be using chlorine gas against its own people including children. could be the result of a loophole in the international deal made last summer to eliminate syria s chemical weapons. cnn s alise is there with more. how could chlorine be an acceptable loophole? it wouldn t. three years into syria s civil war policy is in shambles. one of the reasons is because all roads to damascus is through ma mosc moscow. reporter: signs the regime continue to gas its own people. even as inspectors on the ground rid syria of the most deadly chem wall weapons, making a mockery of the u.s./russian deal which scuttled plans for american military strikes. president obama pushed back against charges the latest attacks spelled diplomatic