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The U.S. is back from the brink after a deal to reopen the government and lift the debt ceiling, but more crises may be on the horizon with a compromise budget due by mid-December and the federal government only funded through Jan. 15. Host Scott Simon speaks with NPR's senior Washington editor Ron Elving about what comes next.

When Saudia Arabia cut off direct oil shipments to the U.S. 40 years ago, the country was thrown into shock. Calls for energy independence grew louder. The U.S. is now producing more of its own oil and natural gas than ever, but the commitment to efficiency has been uneven.

The name of Washington's football team has been hotly debated: criticized for being a racial slur but defended but the team's owner as actually being a kind of tribute to Native Americans. Host Scott Simon talks to Forbes senior editor Kurt Badenhausen about the economics of the Washington Redskins brand.

Several new studies show the political battles in Washington have been seriously hurting companies and workers. Some economists estimate that over the past few years, partisan standoffs have been stunting growth to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars — and close to a million jobs.

The Web is full of sites promoting views that many find offensive — and often, those sites do business with credit card companies. Some advocacy groups are pressuring Visa and MasterCard to end those relationships, but others worry these campaigns will have a chilling effect on free speech online.

A new Chinese rule targets Chinese bloggers whose posts against their government have gone viral. One blogger and editor for the Chinese Wall Street Journal, Li Yuan, talks to host Scott Simon about the increased danger of posting in China.

The political instability over funding the U.S. government and raising the debt ceiling could have international financial implications. Host Scott Simon speaks with Matthew Goodman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies about how emerging economies view the dollar after the current debt crisis.

Dina Moreno of Seattle describes how her family built a "Little Free Library," one of thousands of miniature lending spots popping up around the country. The library, the size of a doll house, has helped bring the neighborhood together.

San Antonio's newest library doesn't look very bookish. In fact, the BiblioTech is completely digital. Host Scott Simon speaks with Judge Nelson Wolff of Bexar County, who spearheaded the initiative, about the modern take on the traditional library.

The Cardinals beat the Dodgers Friday night, and Detroit and Boston are back at Fenway on Saturday. Host Scott Simon talks with Howard Bryant of ESPN about the games and what's ahead for the World Series.