Stories of the Week | PBS NewsHour Podcast | PBS

The U.S. government went back to work after Congress passed a bill that ended a 16-day shutdown and temporarily raised the debt ceiling. President Obama called on lawmakers to work together, while a small budget group began meeting in hopes of reaching a long-term solution. Congressional correspondent Kwame Holman reports.

What are the practical and political outcomes of the 16-day stalemate in Congress that's finally drawing to a close? Although the GOP retained sequester spending levels, Democrats come out "energized and unified." Judy Woodruff talks to Stuart Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Political Report and Susan Page of USA Today.

What if the glass bubble top on the car in which President John F. Kennedy was riding in Dallas had not been removed by a Secret Service agent? The NewsHour's own Jim Lehrer explores that idea in "Top Down: A Novel of the Kennedy Assassination." Jim joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his personal experience that inspired the book.

President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to former Army Capt. William Swenson for his brave actions to aid his fellow soldiers when his unit was ambushed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Ray Suarez speaks with David Nakamura of The Washington Post for more on allegations that Swenson's nomination was delayed within the military.

Learning to read is the essential foundation of elementary education, but it's also very complex and many students in America are falling behind. John Tulenko of Learning Matters reports on one model school that has re-trained teachers in hands-on skills and strategies and has dramatically improved proficiency scores.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s top political news, including how Republicans and Democrats have fared in the “catastrophic” polls coming out of the shutdown, and whether or not a solution to the stalemate is in sight.

On-demand technologies let consumers watch what they want, when they want. But how will this convenience affect future advertising revenues and distribution models for television? Hari Sreenivasan talks to Ken Auletta of The New Yorker and David Carr of The New York Times.

The government shutdown has touched hundreds of thousands of federal employees, but as the shutdown stretches on, the distinction between essential and non-essential has varied depending on agency and need. Jeffrey Brown talks to Reid Wilson of The Washington Post and Gregory Korte of USA Today for a broad look at the impact.

Following a politically charged search, President Obama named Janet Yellen as his nominee to be the next -- and first female -- chair of the Federal Reserve. Judy Woodruff gets reactions from Christina Romer of the University of California, Berkeley, and former Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

The Frontline documentary "League of Denial" takes a look at the concussion crisis in pro- football and what scientists know about link between repetitive head trauma and brain injury. Ray Suarez talks to Mark Fainaru-Wada of ESPN, an investigative reporter and co-author of the accompanying book by the same name.

Forty-five New York City public high school students are taking big strides toward achieving their dreams by learning how to work together on creating fully functional, original cellphone apps with business plans. John Tulenko of Learning Matters reports on how one summer program trains kids to be high-tech entrepreneurs.

Two raids in Africa over the weekend resulted in the capture of an al-Qaida leader, now being questioned by U.S. military. Jeffrey Brown sits down with White House Counterterrorism Adviser Lisa Monaco to discuss the standard for determining terrorist threats and whether or not Libyan officials were consulted prior to the raid.

In spite of devastating floods that damaged major roads and infrastructure, residents of Estes Park, Colo., have been working around the clock to prepare for fall tourist season in hopes of some financial recovery. But the NewsHour's Mary Jo Brooks reports their efforts have been hampered by the government shutdown.

President Barack Obama refuted Republican criticism he has been unwilling to work on the government's fiscal issues, while House Speaker John Boehner countered that the president's position is unsustainable. Congressional correspondent Kwame Holman reports on efforts in the House and Senate to address the impasse.

As the effects of the shutdown take hold, longer-term fights over safety net programs continue. Jeffrey Brown talks to Jacob Hacker of Yale University and Stephen Parenti of the University of Minnesota about how states opting out of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion has stranded some uninsured Americans.