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President Barack Obama addressed the United Nations General Assembly today. In his annual speech to the U.N., he doubled down on the need for diplomacy and U.S. engagement in the world. The speech focused primarily on Syria and Iran's nuclear program.

Want to top your pancakes with something other than maple? The alternatives vary, depending on the types of trees in a region. There's Kahiltna birch syrup made in Alaska, blue spruce pine syrup from Utah and Georgian black walnut syrup.

A protest in the Russian Arctic has dramatized growing problems with oil drilling there. Every country has a stake in the enormously lucrative search for oil and gas in the Arctic, says professor Lawton Brigham. But pollution from reckless attempts at development are evident on an island near the Polar circle.

Flooding in Colorado has taken a toll on the state's small businesses. In the small town of Lyons, the road to recovery looks especially long. Businesses there not only need to repair damage, but also stay afloat for as long as six months without much of their customer base. That's because damaged water and sewage lines have made many parts of town unlivable.

Urban farmers are eyeing rooftops that are already green as potential sites to grow food. But there are big obstacles to rooftop farming — from permitting to transporting water and soil to the top of a building.

Nationwide, many cash-strapped cities have raided funds intended for retirees or have chronically underfunded their pension systems. But despite a budget crunch, Milwaukee's fund has consistently ranked among the nation's top pension programs. Even so, some changes lie ahead for city workers.

Bananas are the most popular fruit in America, and demand is growing worldwide, too. But growing bananas requires a lot of pesticides. And a new study shows that some of those chemicals are ending up in caimans living downstream from banana plantations in Costa Rica, where many of the bananas that Americans eat are grown.

As the leader of Senate Democrats, Harry Reid has been in a lot of fights — but this one may be different, in that Reid has drawn a line. After a meeting with other congressional leaders and President Obama on Wednesday, Reid said: "The one thing we made very clear ... we are locked in tight on Obamacare."

Players from other countries bring a tempting amount of uncertainty and risk for U.S. teams. Weekend Edition Sunday host Linda Wertheimer talks with NPR's Mike Pesca for his take on the past week's sports news.

Activists say that about 175,000 students refused to take federally mandated tests last week.