The Debt Ceiling Distraction

Much to the surprise of the Republican Party and the press, President Trump and Democratic leaders have been coming to agreements lately, including an alleged deal on DACA legislation this week and an agreement last week to put the debt ceiling debate off until December, as Democrats wanted. There were even whispers that they might do away with the ceiling altogether.

What is not always clear in the perennial coverage of the debt ceiling is what role the ceiling is actually meant to serve...and whether, 100 years after its creation, we still need it at all. Zachary Karabell, contributing editor for Wired and Politico and author of The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World, talks to Brooke about the role of the debt ceiling as political football and what news consumers should do when faced with coverage of the recurring drama.