As we tape this, the United States government is hours away from grinding to a halt, barring a last-minute deal. The blame game is already starting, and that’s where we’ll start today’s show. Then we’ll look at lessons federal workers learned from the last shutdown. Plus, the latest on Amazon Prime, IBM and electric vehicle sales.

Here we are again. No federal budget, no government funding beyond the next day or so. There was a time when this state of affairs was brushed off as congressional legislators simply kicking the can down the road, that they’d come to their senses and be, y’know, responsible. But those days seem to be gone, and this economy’s getting by on a never-ending series of four-week budget stopgaps. That’s how we’re starting the show today. Then: a check on the White House’s infrastructure plan, which is expected in the next few weeks. Plus, we check back in on Erie, Pennsylvania, in our continuing series The Big Promise.

You can add a certain device maker from Cupertino, California, to the list of companies crediting the new tax law for new strategic business decisions. Apple announced today it would bring profits back from overseas and add a bunch of new jobs in the next five years. We’ll kick off the show today by talking about what it all means. Then: President Donald Trump likes to take credit for gains in the stock market over the past year, but it’s worth noting that economies and markets in Europe, China and Japan are booming, too. We’ll look at the full picture. Plus, a conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. He just wrote an open letter to CEOs telling them to think not just about profits but about making a positive contribution to society.

Sony Pictures hopes so. The studio is making a bid for the rights to the bestselling board game. We like Catan because it’s all about economics, but is there enough there for the kind of mega-franchise Hollywood demands these days? Plus, we’re talking markets and the Chinese government’s new plan for limiting the population of Shanghai.

Congress may not have completely repealed the Affordable Care Act, but it sure is changing everything about affordable care. First up: CHIP, which covers about nine million children, who are now in danger of losing that coverage. Congress failed to extend funding back in September, and the program will run out of money on Friday. That’s the same day for a possible government shutdown, unless there’s a broader agreement on funding. Then: Federal health officials are letting states impose work requirements on low-income Americans enrolled in Medicaid. Kentucky’s first and other states are expected to follow, we’ll tell you what you need to know. Plus, a new app is offering savings accounts with 5 percent interest and no fee. Is it too good to be true?

This week could have been an economic messaging home run for the White House and congressional Republicans. The tax law’s kicking it, companies are giving bonuses and raises, some raises anyway. But no. We’ll talk about it. Then: T. Boone Pickens announced today he’s hanging it up. He’s pretty much the stereotype of the big-time oil man, with his Oklahoma-Texas drawl. He made more than a billion dollars in the energy industry and ran a hedge fund, too. We’ll talk about his legacy. Plus: Facebook hasn’t had the best week, and it capped it off with changes to the News Feed. We’ll explain. 

You’ve probably seen a bit of that televised negotiating session congressional leaders had with President Donald Trump yesterday. Immigration was the headline news out of it, but the president floated something else that hasn’t gotten as much attention: bringing back earmarks. They let members of Congress direct money specifically toward their pet projects, and the GOP basically banned the practice in 2010. We’ll catch you up on why they left, and why they might be coming back. Plus, the latest on offshore drilling exceptions in Florida and elsewhere, why Warren Buffett is doing succession right and the long, slow death of the power suit.

We talk about the yield of the 10-year T-note a lot on our show. Maybe you’re not quite sure what that means. Maybe your eyes glaze over a little bit. Well, it’s time to pay attention. We’ll tell you everything you need to know to read the tea leaves with us. Then: Residents of New York City pay some of the highest taxes in the country, and in turn they have some of the most expensive public services in in the country. The top 1 percent of the city’s economic pyramid pays nearly half of New York’s income taxes. So what happens to them under the new federal tax law? We’ll talk about it. Plus, a conversation with “The Good Place” creator Mike Schur.