Sunday Playlist: The latest political crisis

By Dan Szematowicz, CNN

Follow on Twitter: @CNNDan

(CNN) - Welcome to CNN Soundwaves Sunday Playlist, a survey of the podcast landscape and what we're listening to.

The closer we get to January 1st, 2013, the more we're hearing about the possibility of the US government going over the "fiscal cliff."

If a) the President and Congress fail to reach a deal and b) it turns out that the Mayans were wrong about the world ending, then the US economy will enter uncharted territory.

There's been no shortage of analysis and guesstimating over what will happen as the experts and pundits have taken to the airwaves and podwaves.

Here are some of this week's best selections, made with an ear towards context and substance.

• NPR, always great at delivering smart, effective explainers, offered this handy look at a big slice of the fiscal fight:  How Much Income Taxes Could Rise: A Breakdown Of The Options
• Economist Doug Holtz-Eakin once head of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) now leads the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank. He appeared this week on public radio station KCRW in Santa Monica, CA to share his take on the looming cliff. 
• Finally, check out the New Yorker's excellent podcast "The Political Scene." This week features an intelligent, level-headed tackling of this latest political crisis. Also, be sure to stick around for the portion of the podcast that talks about the new Steven Spielberg film "Lincoln." It's a refreshing "ear mint." 

That's it for this week's Sunday Playlist.

Have a great week, and here's to hoping that a sudden epidemic of compromise and sense breaks out inside the Beltway.