Trump Set to Announce Response to Syrian Gas Attack, Weighing Missile Strike

Here’s what you’ll find on today’s show:

— A decision on how best to respond to a chemical attack in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma over the weekend is being considered this week, after President Trump told reporters he would announce his plans within a few days of the attack near Syria’s capital. The President canceled plans to attend the Summit of the Americas in Peru and Colombia in order to oversee his response, and White House press secretary told reporters “all options are on the table.”

— Thousands of National Guard troops have been making their way to the U.S.-Mexico border, and on Wednesday Attorney General Jeff Sessions was in southern New Mexico to visit a group of 31 sheriffs who work in border towns. The visit came a week after Sessions announced two major immigration policy decisions: a “zero tolerance” policy for those attempting to cross the border illegally and a quota for immigration judges to quickly close cases. Construction also recently started on 20 miles of fencing at the border that the Trump administration is touting as part of the border wall.

— Approximately one million Americans are living with Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that can cause tremors, balance issues, hallucinations and delusions, among other symptoms, making it the 14th cause of death in the United States. But in April 2016, there was hope for relief from at least some of the symptoms, a new drug approved to help with the hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s. Since the approval, more than 1,800 ‘adverse event’ reports have been filed with the F.D.A., and at least 500 people have died from the “breakthrough therapy” drug.

— A growing body of work shows that women, and women of color in particular, are more likely to get assigned “office housework,” menial or less desirable tasks often related to office maintenance. These little-noticed biases can hold women back in their careers, yield fewer women at the top of organizations, and stifle opportunities to expand diversity.