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Iran's new president has made his first appearance at the United Nations General Assembly. Hassan Rouhani has been signaling that his government wants a thaw in relations with the West, and may be ready to strike a deal on Iran's suspect nuclear program. There are, however, deep suspicions on both sides.

The Republican Party in the past has had a close relationship with Wall Street and big business. But lately there's growing tension and disagreement as some Republicans in Congress consider a possible government shutdown. The Tea Party seems to have the strongest criticism of big business.

For the first time in over 50 years, Cuba is letting its athletes sign professional contracts in other countries. Sportswriter Stefan Fatsis talks to Robert Siegel about the historic announcement.

Federal Reserve chairmen used to be named without much fanfare. Not this time. A very public competition between former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and the current vice chairman of the Fed Janet Yellen has made headlines and pitted the White House against liberal Democrats in Congress. It raises the question of whether the Fed succession has become too politicized — and whether it could ultimately hurt the economy.

The U.S. Africa Command, designed to strengthen defense relationships in Africa, is still trying to define its mission. African states have been wary, while the State Department and aid groups also express concerns. But growing conflicts in the region may soon put AFRICOM to the test.

Egypt is trying to come to grips with a serious budget deficit in order to secure a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. This will likely mean both spending cuts and tax hikes on food items, water and electricity. The government is drawing the proposals up as many Egyptians are feeling the pinch of two years of economic turmoil and already-rising prices.

The United States is considering its military options following last week's apparent chemical weapons attack outside Damascus, Syria. Russia is opposed to such action. The Russian government says there's no evidence that the Syrian government was behind that attack. And Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that if NATO attacks Syria it would be a violation of international law. To get a better understanding of the Russian view on Syria, Robert Siegel talks with Andranik Migranyan, director of the Institute for Democracy and Cooperation, a Russian-funded think tank in New York. He says Russia is opposed to regime change from the outside and that the solution must be a negotiated settlement.

With the oil and gas sectors booming, the need for truckers is growing. But the ranks of well-trained drivers are shrinking, especially as baby boomers hit retirement age. And competition for drivers has become fierce, with the annual turnover rate nearing 100 percent.

Syria's state-run media depict President Obama as weak and indecisive after his decision to wait for a congressional vote on the use of force. Turkey's prime minister says his country will be part of any international coalition. The Saudi foreign minister called for more action against Syria.

For the past five years, graduation day has been a time of apprehension as much as celebration. Prospects for those entering the workforce for the first time were bleak. The class of 2013 — whether from high school or college — has cause for more optimism than previous classes.