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The government has reached its "debt limit:" the cap on borrowing that, if breached, could send the U.S. and global financial markets into a tailspin.

To avert such a crisis, Congress must vote to raise the debt ceiling and increase the amount the government is able to borrow.

But despite urgent pleas from Democrats, House Republicans are stalling on the vote and using their narrow majority to demand spending cuts.

How soon can we expect Congress to negotiate and pass a debt limit increase? What will our country's financial future look like if the stalemate drags on?

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By now, you've probably seen the headlines – and memes – about the revelations Prince Harry includes in his new memoir, "Spare."

Overall, the book is a revealing look into the invisible machine that operates the royal family and a condemnation of the British tabloid press.

And it's been incredibly popular. Libraries here in the U.S. are struggling to meet the demand, with months-long wait times for a copy.

We talk about the enduring fascination Americans have with the royal family, and the future of the British monarchy.

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Millions of Americans are recovering from travel chaos.

Southwest canceled more than 16,000 flights between Christmas and the New Year. Then, it was deja-vu for travelers last Wednesday after a technical glitch in the Federal Aviation Authority's computer system forced all flights to be grounded.

We look at the airline industry – what's working, what isn't, and what these meltdowns reveal about the future of flying.

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Who can vote and how they can cast their ballot are questions as important today as they were almost 60 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. helped lead the fight for voting rights.

This show is a special program honoring the legacy of Dr. King with a contemporary focus on voting access and democracy.

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The House finally has its new speaker. A Federal Aviation Administration glitch grounded every flight in the U.S. And Elon Musk now holds the record for the most amount of money ever lost.

More than 1,200 people have been charged in Brazil for storming the government buildings in protests. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the audience at the Golden Globes this week that there would be "no World War III." Scientists have found that Earth's ozone layer is on track to be fully repaired within decades.

We cover these headlines and more during the domestic and international segments of our News Roundup.

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Over 2.6 million dogs in the U.S. originate from commercial breeders, more commonly known as puppy mills. There are countless stories of animals being kept in miserable conditions, small cages, and with little medical care.

States have slowly been putting policies in place to protect pups, but some say federal protections don't go far enough and many breeders go under the radar.

Today, we talk about the ethics of dog breeding, and what can be done to ensure the welfare of man's best friend.

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Power utilities are moving away from coal and natural gas power plants and embracing renewable energy sources like hydro, wind, and solar.

But it's a slow turnaround. In the meantime, as floods, droughts, freezes, and heatwaves become more prevalent in the face of climate change, they're adding further stress to the already-fragile power grid.

What does the power grid of the future look like?

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This week, President Biden made his first presidential trip to the U.S.-Mexico border, stopping in El Paso, Texas before heading to a summit in Mexico City.

He announced that his Administration will accept up to 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua each month, and allow them to work in the U.S. for up to 2 years. They will also begin to send unauthorized migrants to Mexico.

So how far do the White House's latest immigration policies go? And what impact could they have on our fragile immigration system?

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Around 25,000 kids age out of the foster care system every year in the U.S. What happens when they do?

In the years immediately following their 18th or 21st birthday (depending on the state), these young adults are likely to struggle in poverty.

The effects of growing up in the system last decades into adulthood, too. We heard from one of our listeners, Priscilla Molina, who told us growing up in foster care has affected how she relates to others and herself.

We talk to a panel of former foster youth about what happens when foster kids become adults.

This episode is part of our Listener Picks series.

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California Rep. Kevin McCarthy has had better weeks. The Republican expected to get his party's nod to become speaker of the House this week as the new representatives were supposed to be sworn in. However, a holdout wing of the GOP has stalled McCarthy's ascent. McCarthy has been unable to win the absolute majority of votes required to become House speaker for days.

Damar Hamlin's health is reportedly improving despite being in critical condition. The Buffalo Bill was hospitalized following a tackle in his team's game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.

Meanwhile, overseas, the Kremlin is facing unprecedented criticism from inside Russia after one of the deadliest attacks on its troops since the Ukraine war began. It took place on New Year's Day. Kyiv, and Russian bloggers, claim the death toll is very likely in the hundreds.

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