Reports say the House and the Senate may have reached a deal — and a process — to avoid a default on U.S. debt and the reopening of the government. But when the federal government reopens its doors, the pent-up demand for government services may be huge. From fishermen needing permits to farmers applying for compensation for deceased cattle,  there will be a line around the block. Also, Twitter is out with more numbers about how it makes money, which includes picking up a fee everytime a user refreshes. How much is a refresh worth?

Republicans in the House and Senate are debating what exactly should be in a deal to find a way out of the debt ceiling and shutdown mess. Still, any delay would set up a new fight on the sequester. And while most Americans are worried about what might happen if the U.S. defaults on  its debt obligations on Thursday, many argue the damage has already been done. Finally, Northwestern will hold its first peanut-free football game – in deference to those with peanut allergies. 

We’re told the country may default on some of its debt obligations if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling. But default is such a general term — what does it mean, exactly? The three men awarded the Nobel Prize in economics are all involved in pricing and stock market indices: Robert Shiller was co-creator of the Case-Shiller housing index; Eugene Fama was engaged in work on stock market price prediction and Peter Hansen helped develop methods of asset pricing.  And, finally, it takes a lot of time – and money – to find the “perfect” plaintiff for a groundbreaking Supreme Court case, but it can make a difference.  

Investors worldwide are selling their short-term government debt out of fear of a U.S. default. Why that could be disastrous. Meanwhile, there’s been some colorful language used to describe the government shutdown. We take a look at the verbiage. Plus, refinancing has changed the way people buy and sell homes, but how is it affecting everyone in the long term? Also, why Safeway bowing out of the Windy City, how leaders in Silicon Valley are trying to increase diversity, and why not everyone’s thrilled about the idea of Chinese developers funding the rebuilding efforts for Britain’s Crystal Palace. And we wrap up the week with our Weekly Wrap. 

As the government shutdown continues, we look at potential deals to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling. We speak with one small business owner to see how she’s been affected by the shutdown. Meanwhile, Jenny Craig has helped people shed pounds over the years. But lately its profits have been slim. Now Nestle wants to lose it. Speaking of health, the Obamacare story has hit a new stage: TV and film. Also, a look at a new approach to credit, how to make a career as a short story writer, and and update to the situation in Egypt. 

We’re one day closer to the October 17th deadline for the U.S. government to either raise the debt ceiling or default on loans from a whole bunch of lenders. But a cadre of so-called “debt-limit deniers” says it’s no big whoop if the U.S. fails to raise its borrowing limit. That’s not helping ease worries from America’s two top foreign creditors — China and Japan have warned the U.S. to be careful. Meanwhile, Janet Yellen is the nominee to be the next Federal Reserve chair. We ask Wall Street how they feel about that. Plus, in the latest installment of our “Americans Futures” series, The Atlantic’s Jim Fallows talks about about small towns that aren’t feeling the pain of the government shutdown. Also, stories on emergency philanthropy and Iowa’s farmland. 

The Treasury Department has said Congress needs to extend the nation’s borrowing authority by Oct. 17 or risk default. But private observers say that date might be more like Oct. 22, or maybe even Nov. 1. Plus, a survey out today finds many business travelers opt for McDonald’s and Starbucks (they account for 8 percent of all food expenses). It’s not because of corporate budget constraints. Fast food joints attract busy, solo business travelers looking for a reliable wi-fi connection. Congress and the media are on full-on freak-out as we head towards default. To the outsider, it looks increasingly likely that we’ll fail to pay the interest we owe on our Treasury bonds. And yet, if you look at the bond market you’d have no idea anything was going on.

The lack of progress on negotiations over the government shutdown has some folks worried about the likelihood that the U.S. would be unable to pay the bills because of the debt ceiling. In order to avoid that, many are talking about “prioritization,” the idea that the government can pick-and-choose who it will pay. And yet, it’s not that easy: Take a look at a day’s worth of payments to see how complicated it would be. Also, this week, Nielsen starts measuring conversations on Twitter, about different TV shows. And this past weekend, President Obama joined the list of public figures who say the Washington Redskins should consider changing their name.

Twitter’s business model relies on advertising, but it’s unclear how many of Twitter’s user are real or robots. That’s a question advertisers — and investors — are going to want to know. The health care exchanges are open. Now the real work begins, especially for the group of health care advisers known as navigators. We look at the week that was on Wall Street, with our Weekly Wrap. And finally, in addition to Tropical Storm Karen working its way toward the Gulf Coast, there’s an early winter storm brewing in the west. It comes as many FEMA and NOAA employees are furloughed (though at least a few have been called back).