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For President Trump, the election is likely to hinge on his handling of the pandemic and the economy. His communication now, and in the months ahead, is largely framed by this political context.

What鈥檚 the right path to economic revitalization? Our reporter takes a concise look at some of the tough choices facing U.S. leaders.

The coronavirus pandemic is putting new pressures on the U.S. health care system 鈥� and bringing fresh urgency to the debate over universal coverage. In this video we look at America鈥檚 long history with health care reform, and what we can learn from the role that crises play in fueling change. This is the second installment in a video series about how the past can help us understand, and face, the issues of the present. View the first in the series聽here.听

In Colonial days, pastors often served multiple congregations, traveling from church to church on horseback. Now minister-sharing is returning for another reason: It sustains and even invigorates worship at a time when fewer people are in the pews.

Nature is replete with examples of symbiotic relationships. In Africa, our reporter finds that black rhinos are using cues from birds perched on their backs to avoid human poachers.

One of the world鈥檚 most popular treaties is the Chemical Weapons Convention, supported by 193 states. Last week, the agency charged with enforcing the treaty achieved a historic first. It directly attributed a series of poisonous gas attacks on civilians to a particular government 鈥� Syria鈥檚 鈥� holding it accountable for violating a global norm against such an indiscriminate tool of war.

The 82-page report from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) did not receive much attention. The world is currently focused on a biological threat, COVID-19. Yet the detailed investigation of the Syrian military鈥檚 use of sarin and chlorine gas in 2017 is a breakthrough in how the world deals with the most dangerous substances. If leaders are now being held responsible for stopping the spread of the coronavirus, surely the Syrian regime can be held to account for inflicting deadly gases on innocent people during the country鈥檚 long civil war.

Both Europe and the United States are eyeing new sanctions on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to stop further attacks in opposition strongholds. Past efforts by the West have been stymied at the United Nations by Russia, a close ally of Syria. With this new report, however, Russia鈥檚 obstruction tactics may be weakened.

Enforcement of the chemical weapons treaty has been uneven but generally successful. The OPCW has verified the elimination of 97% of the world鈥檚 declared chemical weapons. Now those types of weapons remaining in Syria need special attention by the international community.

Over the past century, as humans have tried to understand, use, and control the physical world, the more they have also expanded their understanding of their moral responsibilities. A key one is the universal right to life for innocent people during a conflict, enshrined in international agreements. Weapons of mass killing have no place in such a world. Pinpointing blame for their use is a giant step in that direction