Stories of the Week | PBS NewsHour Podcast | PBS

Republicans have proposed changes to so-called entitlements such as social security and Medicare to reduce the U.S. deficit. But Max Richtman of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare says these aren't entitlements, but earned benefits. He tells Judy Woodruff why these programs shouldn't be changed.

Though talks progressed as President Obama and House Speaker Boehner spoke on the phone, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the White House would be willing to go over the fiscal cliff if Republicans refused a tax rate hike. The president roiled tempers on Capitol Hill over debt ceiling authority. Judy Woodruff reports.

Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who challenged time-signature conventions and brought jazz to a wide audience, has died at the age of 91. His 1959 album "Time Out" was the first jazz record to sell a million copies. Jeffrey Brown talks to George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, about Brubeck's life and musical legacy.

In addition to negative consequences caused by overfishing and pollution, coral reefs face another major existential threat: increased acidity from warming oceans. Hari Sreenivasan reports from Florida about the dire outlook for coral reefs, as well as efforts and research to try and save them.

Though the White House and State Department made statements about the possibility of Syria deploying chemical weapons against rebels, much remains unknown about when, how and what combination of chemicals might be used by Assad's forces. Jeffrey Brown talks to Leonard Spector of the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Reports of Republicans considering a tax rate hike in exchange for spending cuts next year prompted President Obama to reject linking the fiscal cliff to future debt ceiling limits. Judy Woodruff talks to Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who is optimistic for positive progress and hopes shared by all parties for a responsible outcome.

In other news Wednesday, Typhoon Bopha battered much of the Southern Philippines, causing devastating floods, landslides, and many Filipinos without power or shelter. Disaster relief officials reported nearly 300 people dead, with hundreds more still missing.

In a move to cut costs, increase profits and speed its recovery from financial crisis, Citigroup, Inc., announced 11,000 jobs were to be cut worldwide. Gwen Ifill talks to Bloomberg Businessweek's Roben Farzad for more on what pushed America's third-largest bank to make these sweeping job cuts in the U.S. and overseas.

Though Republicans claim $2.2 trillion would be saved by their plan for long-term deficit reduction, economist Paul Krugman calls it a "vapor plan," with few details on where savings will come from. Gwen Ifill talks to Krugman about why he thinks reducing the deficit too fast could push the economy back into recession.

Rising to prominence in New York's dance scene, dancers Toni Pierce-Sands and Uri Sands left the Big Apple to start their own company in the Twin Cities, where an arts renaissance offered new chances to carve out their own niche. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on how Tu Dance company is making dance accessible to a diverse audience.

Ray Suarez talks to U.S. Representative turned Senator-elect Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who will take over retiring Jon Kyl's seat in the Senate Flake reflects on his hopes for the next term, including how he plans to work across party lines in the Senate to find solutions to U.S. budget issues.

Two retiring Republican senators have introduced a new plan for immigration reform that grants legal status but not citizenship to young illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. by their parents. Ray Suarez talks to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Tex., one of the authors of the plan, and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.

Cell phone bills are up 30 percent since 2009. So are cable television bills. Big companies are inserting tiny fees that add up to a lot and their profits do not reflect market competition. In fact, quite the opposite. Economics correspondent Paul Solman talks to David Cay Johnston about what's in the fine print on your bills.

As Palestinians go to the United Nations to ask for more recognition, Margaret Warner talks to Ghaith al-Omari of New America Foundation and David Makovsky of the Washington Institute about why the different Palestinian factions are seeking a status change and how it may affect tensions with Israel and longterm peace prospects.

President Barack Obama urged Congress to find a solution to averting sequestration before Christmas and both Democrats and Republicans seemed optimistic about doing so. But congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle also seemed to hold firm their established stances on social security and taxes. Jeffrey Brown reports.