All Things Considered

Lawmakers still show no sign of a settlement to avert a government shutdown. It would happen at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Talks continued in private between Republican and Democratic leaders. And on a trip to Pennsylvania Wednesday, President Obama warned about the consequences of a shutdown. Wednesday afternoon on Capitol Hill, House Speaker John Boehner accused the president of showing no leadership. Michele Norris talks to NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson about the politics of the budget shut down.

The 2011 Masters Golf Tournament, one of the most prestigious sporting events, swings into action Thursday. And while all eyes may be on household names like Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, one person to look out for is a 19-year-old Japanese phenomenon named Ryo Ishikawa. Melissa Block talks with Sports Illustrated senior writer Damon Hack about the young golfer and his pledge to donate his entire 2011 earnings for the Japanese relief efforts.

Each week, Bob Mondello offers suggestions for your video queue. Today, he's high on Cole Porter's Anything Goes — not the movie, or the stage musical, but a "live" TV curiosity from 1954.

Republican 3rd District Congressman Scott Tipton is urging the U.S. Forest Service to use any unspent funds from the 2010 budget on mitigating the bark beetle epidemic in Colorado.

Colorado Senator Mark Udall has reintroduced legislation requiring the federal government to enact a Renewable Energy Standard (RES).