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When Congress left on its August break five weeks ago, members knew they had a string of fiscal deadlines coming up upon their return — from the budget bill funding the government to a debt ceiling increase. The Syria debate has overshadowed all of that.

It smells like vinegar and tastes like spoiled cider. But fans of the fermented tea say that kombucha helps fight off diseases and aging. Sounds fantastical? Well, it probably is. At this point, scientists still know little about kombucha's health effects.

Disruptions in government services will slow growth, at least in the short term. But economists say they can't refine their predictions because they have no idea how long the shutdown might last or how many federal workers may be furloughed.

Gun sellers in the state say they couldn't keep their shelves stocked in the days leading up to the implementation of the law, which takes effect Tuesday. The legislation requires gun buyers to be fingerprinted, limits bullet purchases and bans the sale of many assault weapons.

As the pope begins a meeting with his Council of Cardinals, an Italian newspaper publishes a wide-ranging interview with him, in which the pontiff affirms separation of church and state and expounds on the nature of good and evil.

The special election to replace former Republican Rep. Jo Bonner serves as a useful barometer for gauging the ferocity of opposition to the Affordable Care Act among the party faithful. In one campaign ad, a GOP candidate throws a copy of the health care law into a trash can.

What happens when you ask architects to re-imagine a structure mandated by the Jewish holy book? A freaking cool cultural piece of art, that's what.

Serena Williams will take on Victoria Azarenka in the U.S. Open final. Host Scott Simon talks to NPR's Tom Goldman about tennis, as well as the season opener of the NFL.

China runs the largest censorship machine in human history, researchers say. But Harvard studies of Internet postings in China suggest that even vitriolic criticisms of leaders and state policies are not what officials want to censor.

Norman Rush's newest novel takes a geographic hiatus from Botswana, his usual literary location. Instead, reviewer Drew Toal says the book is instead full of irritating intellectuals, postmortem scandal, and a group of collegiate clowns who come together after the death of an old friend.