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Tens of thousands of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank took to the streets Friday night to celebrate their formal bid for statehood at the United Nations. Watching on large television screens set up in city squares, Palestinians reacted with joy at the uncharacteristically impassioned speech given by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. From Ramallah, NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro talks with host Scott Simon.

The once-rare possibility of a federal government shutdown reared its head again this week. This time it was over House Republicans' desire to pay for disaster relief costs with money for other, unrelated projects. NPR's David Welna explains the Capitol Hill machinations ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline.

Every week it seems there are more people looking for work, more companies laying people off, and more nations teetering at the edge of unrecoverable debt. But beyond the latest headlines of gloom, there is a fundamental shift going on in our economy and our world. Host Scott Simon talks with Mike Hawley, formerly of MIT's Media Lab, who says that shift may also hold great promise.

The former Godfather's Pizza CEO easily beat Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. It's a big victory for Cain, who up until now has not gotten a lot of attention in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, in large part because of his standing in the polls.

Global finance officials pledged on Saturday to take bolder moves to confront a European debt crisis that threatens to plunge the world into another deep recession. But sharp disagreements about exactly what to do can't offer much reassurance to markets rocked by uncertainly in recent weeks.

A group of semi-nomadic Irish known as Travellers has been ordered to leave the former scrap yard east of London where they've been living. On Monday a judge will rule on their plea to remain on land that's been their home for a decade.

The Internet has become another battleground as the Syrian government expands its crackdown on opponents. Sophisticated Web surveillance of activists has led to numerous arrests.

StoryCorps is honing in on lessons about learning with a new project for the academic year called the National Teachers Initiative. It'll feature conversations with teachers across the country — teachers talking to each other, students interviewing the teachers who changed their lives, and more.

Businessman and former radio talk show host Herman Cain pulled off an upset Saturday. He came in first in the Florida straw poll, handily beating both Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. It's a big victory for a candidate who, up to now, has drawn little media attention and placed fifth or sixth in many national polls. Host Audie Cornish talks with NPR's Greg Allen about whether this marks a change in the Republican presidential nominating contest.

Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, a seasoned dealmaker in the Senate, announced his intention to step down from a key leadership role this week. It has prompted a question going around Washington: Are the best deal-brokers giving up?