The shutdown of the federal government is over and the debt ceiling has been raised. Furloughed federal workers are headed back to work starting today, and America will be able to pay its bills with borrowing authority extended through early February. The fight is over for now, but has the damage already been done? A credit ratings agency in China downgraded the U.S., despite the resolution to the fiscal battle. A new study finds that offering a bonus to teachers works — under certain conditions. And, New York’s Columbus Circle just won the coveted title of “Best Roundabout in the World 2013.” The award is helping focus American minds on the benefits of this typically British traffic management system.

The ratings agency Fitch warned overnight Wednesday it may strip the United States of its AAA sovereign credit rating. Negotiations about the federal budget, the health care reform law, and raising the limit on federal borrowing are back in the Senate after the House’s plan collapsed on Tuesday. Despite that view in the markets, many are characterizing what could soon happen as “default.” And, instead of default, can we talk about pretty leaves for a second? Tis the season of changing colors in a lot of states. But some recent studies have raised an important question: Will climate change spoil the season?

The talk of the London financial district today are new efforts to make Britain the big place to trade China’s currency, which is an increasingly popular activity in an era where the U.S. dollar is hobbled by the ongoing fiscal and debt mess in Washington. In Geneva today negotiators from the U.S. and five other countries will sit down with a delegation from Iran. They’re working to resolve the stand-off over Iran’s nuclear program. For years, the international community has relied on economic sanctions to keep up the pressure. Marketplace looks at the ongoing economic impact on every day Iranians. And, does having a vendetta help a person’s job performance?  

The gridlock continues this morning in Washington, with no agreement to re-open the federal government or raise the debt ceiling, and the Thursday deadline looms. In Mexico, the president is proposing a major shake up of the country’s oil industry. Whether that’s a good idea or not may depend on whether you work in the oil industry. And, it was forty years ago this week oil producing countries in the Middle East imposed an embargo on the U.S. as punishment for the U.S. supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War. The result was an economic shock that changed America. But the 1973 oil embargo may have also yielded some unexpected benefits

Stock prices surged Thursday as news broke that power players in Washington might be able to avoid a default and raise the debt ceiling by next week. We get the latest updates on the shutdown and the fight to raise the debt limit. When the Broncos host the Jaguars on Sunday afternoon, Denver will be a heavy favorite — an almost four-touchdown favorite. The Las Vegas “line” on the game — that’s the expected difference in points by the end of game — is one of the biggest ever. And, after a long management lock out and then a contract offer of lower pay was rejected by musicians, conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra quit the other day. The New York City Opera will close its doors this month. Is the classical music economy tanking?  

The International Monetary Fund has cut its forecast for global economic growth to 2.9 percent for 2013. This comes as central bankers, finance ministers, and development pros from around the world gather in Washington for the annual meeting of the World Bank and IMF gathering today. First it was mobile phone service with no commitment, no contract. Then it was phone upgrades every six months. What some see as the also-ran of American wireless, T-Mobile, is having a new bout of iconoclasm. Last night the company that likes to call itself the “un-carrier” surprised the industry with a plan that lets people use data and text in foreign countries at no extra charge. T-Mobile CEO John Legere sits down with Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccaio.

The White House confirmed this morning that President Obama will nominate Janet Yellen as chairwoman of the Federal Reserve. If she is confirmed by Congress, she will be the first woman to hold that position. Yellen is currently the Fed’s vice chairwoman and a former member of Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers  We’ll find out who she is, and also take a look at the legacy of Ben Bernanke, the man she will potentially be replacing. Also, Walmart experiences a major setback in its quest to become a retail giant in India.

The Supreme Court begins its new term today, and the first case on its docket is another steeped in controversy. In a sort of sequel to Citizens United, the blockbuster case that allowed unlimited political spending by corporations and labor unions, the court will now weigh in on the issue of individual campaign giving. At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Bali today, leaders of nearly two dozen countries are talking freer trade and bringing more stability to the global economy. And, today marks the beginning of the U.S. Treasury’s roll out of a new $100 bill.

European airplane manufacturer Airbus just won a major contract from Japan Airlines worth $9.5 billion. That comes at the expense of the company that has traditionally built airplanes for JAL — Boeing. Thomson Reuters releases its list today of the world’s 100 most innovative companies. U.S. corporations dominate the list, taking nearly half the spots. But what about China, the world’s second largest economy? And, with no movement apparent in Washington on ending the partial shutdown, conservatives are pushing the idea of letting Congress authorize funding for budget lines piece-meal. This coincidentally comes at a time when a handful of cities are running pilot projects to give the public — as opposed to politicians  — a bigger say on how city budgets are spent. It’s called “participatory budgeting” and San Francisco’s among the places trying it.