Kai Ryssdal talks with New York bureau chief Heidi Moore and Reuters’ Chrystia Freeland at the Aspen Ideas Festival, and takes questions from a live studio audience.

On whether it’s too late for a debt deal at this point:

Heidi Moore: Well it kind of is. We’ve called the credit worthiness of the United States into question, we’ve shown we’re willing to play fast and loose with when we’re going to pay our debts, how we’re going to pay our debts and from where — for instance, federal pensions. And that can’t serve us well in the future; it makes us look kind of flaky.

Chrystia Freeland: I mostly disagree. Yes, it does make American politicians look kind of flaky — I’m not sure that’s a huge surprise to a lot of people. But there is a huge difference between doing a deal on the debt ceiling and missing the deadline. And if Washington can get its act together and do a deal before the money runs out, that makes a really big difference to the market.

For more, click on “Listen to this story” at the top of the page. And check out these photos taken by Heidi Moore from the Belly Up: