What’s happening in Congress is not normal

Congress has a job to do. But lately, some of the work on the Hill seems to have come to a standstill. There’s been drama over the debt ceiling, a Republican senator is holding up key military promotions, and now a government shutdown is looming. We’ll tackle the question of who is really to blame for all the governmental dysfunction and unpack the challenges of framing these issues in the media.

Here’s everything we talked about:

• • “Marines issue stand-down order amid search for missing F-35” from The Hill

• • “Congress is in crisis. There’s no clear escape” from Politico

• • “With democracy on the ballot, the mainstream press must change its ways” from The Guardian

Got a question for the hosts? Send them our way. We’re at 508-UB-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.