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Here's a quick look at where things stand in Nairobi, where terrorists claiming to be part of the Somalia-based al-Shabab organization attacked a shopping mall on Saturday and then kept security forces at bay until late in the day on Tuesday:

— Deaths. The official count remains where it was as of Tuesday evening in Nairobi, when President Uhuru Kenyatta said there had been 61 civilians, 6 security officers and 5 terrorists killed.

— But Could More Be Dead? Kenyan Interior Minister Ole Lenku told reporters Wednesday that he believes any bodies left in the rubble of the Westgate Mall are those of terrorists, not civilians.

At the other end of the spectrum, The Associated Press says, "in a series of tweets from a Twitter account believed to be genuine," someone claiming to represent al-Shabab said there were 137 dead civilians in the wreckage of the mall. Government spokesman Manoah Esipisu told the AP that al-Shabab "is known for wild allegations and there is absolutely no truth to what they're saying."

— Search, Investigation Continue. "Investigators and bomb-disposal experts on Wednesday began sifting through the wreckage of an upscale shopping mall here in an effort to recover bodies and learn more about the Islamist militants," The Washington Post writes.

— U.S., Britain And Israel Assist. Manoah Esipisu, the government spokesman, "told reporters on Wednesday that specialists from the Federal Bureau of Investigation were involved in the forensic investigation," The New York Times reports. "Israeli and British experts were also on the scene. The forensic examinations would help to determine the nationalities and identities of the militants as well as the victims."

— British Woman Involved? "It was unclear whether intelligence reports of American or British gunmen would be confirmed," Reuters writes. "Al-Shabab denied that any women took part, after British sources said the fugitive widow of one of the 2005 London suicide bombers might have some role." President Kenyatta said Tuesday that 11 terrorists had been taken into custody.

— Americans Involved? "U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Wednesday there had been no verification that Americans were involved in a deadly attack at a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya," Reuters says.

— Questions. From Nairobi, NPR's Gregory Warner reports that "as Kenya began three days of national mourning, questions swirled about why Kenyan authorities took so long to respond to the crisis, whether some terrorists had escaped with fleeing shoppers, and who exactly were the terrorists involved."

We'll update as more news comes in.

From vacant lots to vertical "pinkhouses," urban farmers are scouring cities for spaces to grow food. But their options vary widely from place to place.

While farmers in post-industrial cities like Detroit and Cleveland are claiming unused land for cultivation, in New York and Chicago land comes at high premium. That's why farmers there are increasingly eyeing spaces that they might not have to wrestle from developers: rooftops that are already green.

The green roof movement has slowly been gaining momentum in recent years, and some cities have made them central to their sustainability plans. The city of Chicago, for instance, boasts that 359 roofs are now partially or fully covered with vegetation, which provides all kinds of environmental benefits — from reducing the building's energy costs to cleaning the air to mitigating the urban heat island effect.

Late this summer, Chicago turned a green roof into its first major rooftop farm. At 20,000 square feet, it's the largest soil-based rooftop farm in the Midwest, according to the Chicago Botanic Garden, which maintains the farm through its Windy City Harvest program.

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While conceding that nations will disagree about when and how to step in as "tyrants ... commit wanton murder," President Obama told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that "we must get better" at preventing atrocities.

The president again laid out his case for strong international action to hold Syrian President Bashar Assad accountable for his regime's alleged use of chemical weapons. Then Obama told world leaders that:

"I believe we can embrace a different future.

"If we don't want to choose between inaction and war, we must get better – all of us – at the policies that prevent the breakdown of basic order. Through respect for the responsibilities of nations and the rights of individuals. Through meaningful sanctions for those who break the rules. Through dogged diplomacy that resolves the root causes of conflict, and not merely its aftermath. Through development assistance that brings hope to the marginalized. And yes, sometimes, all this will not be enough – and in such moments, the international community will need to acknowledge that the multilateral use of military force may be required to prevent the very worst from occurring."

Update at 10:45 a.m. ET. Greater Danger Is An America That Disengages:

Turning to a broader theme, Obama says that "the danger for the world is not an America that is eager to immerse itself in the affairs of other countries, or take on every problem in the region as its own. The danger for the world is that the United States, after a decade of war; rightly concerned about issues back home; and aware of the hostility that our engagement in the region has engendered throughout the Muslim World, may disengage, creating a vacuum of leadership that no other nation is ready to fill."

He continued: "I believe such disengagement would be a mistake. ...

"Some may disagree, but I believe that America is exceptional – in part because we have shown a willingness, through the sacrifice of blood and treasure, to stand up not only for our own narrow self-interest, but for the interests of all."

Update at 10:33 a.m. ET. On Iran, "Diplomatic Path Must Be Tested":

The U.S. is "encouraged that [Iranian] President Rouhani received from the Iranian people a mandate to pursue a more moderate course," Obama says.

"Given President Rouhani's stated commitment to reach an agreement, I am directing John Kerry to pursue this effort with the Iranian government, in close coordination with the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China. The roadblocks may prove to be too great, but I firmly believe the diplomatic path must be tested. For while the status quo will only deepen Iran's isolation, Iran's genuine commitment to go down a different path will be good for the region and the world, and will help the Iranian people meet their extraordinary potential – in commerce and culture; in science and education."

Update at 10:30 a.m. ET. U.S. Is Prepared "To Use All Elements Of Our Power":

Staying on the Middle East, Obama says "the United States of America is prepared to use all elements of our power, including military force, to secure these core interests in the region. We will confront external aggression against our allies and partners, as we did in the Gulf War.

"We will ensure the free flow of energy from the region to the world. Although America is steadily reducing our own dependence on imported oil, the world still depends upon the region's energy supply, and a severe disruption could destabilize the entire global economy.

"We will dismantle terrorist networks that threaten our people. Wherever possible, we will build the capacity of our partners, respect the sovereignty of nations, and work to address the root causes of terror. But when its necessary to defend the United States against terrorist attacks, we will take direct action."

Update at 10:23 a.m. ET. Call For "Strong Security Council Resolution":

After saying the U.N. Security Council must endorse a strong resolution that insures Syria will verify it is handing over its chemical weapons or face "consequences" if it fails to do so, Obama says that "if we cannot even agree on this," it will show that the U.N. is "incapable of enforcing even the most basic of international laws."

Update at 10:20 a.m. ET. "Insult" To Suggest Anyone Other Than Assad Used Chemical Weapons In August:

Speaking of the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus that the U.S. says killed more than 1,000 people, Obama says "it's an insult to human reason and to the legitimacy of this institution to suggest that anyone other than the regime carried out this attack."

Update at 10:15 a.m. ET. "Shifting Away From A Perpetual War Footing':

After withdrawing troops from Iraq and beginning a drawdown in Afghanistan, the U.S. is "shifting away from a perpetual war footing," Obama says.

He believes the "world is more stable than it was 5 years ago," but concedes that incidents such as the terrorist attack on a mall in Kenya show that dangers remain.

A new poll released Tuesday shows that a clear majority of Americans want Congress to keep the federal government operating and deal with President Obama's health care law separately.

According to a United Technologies/National Journal poll taken Sept. 19-22, 63 percent of respondents — and 51 percent of Republicans — said Congress should provide the funding necessary to keep the government open, rather than shut it down in an attempt to defund Obamacare.

The poll follows on the heels of a CNBC survey released Monday, which found that 59 percent of Americans oppose shutting down the government and risking a default over the Affordable Care Act. That poll was conducted Sept. 16-19.

But if Obama and congressional Republicans cannot reach a budget agreement by Oct. 1 and the government shuts down, there's no certainty that the GOP will get all the blame: a Pew Research poll released Monday suggests the public would hold both accountable.

The Pew survey, conducted Sept. 19-22, shows 39 percent of Americans would hold the GOP responsible for a government shutdown, while 36 percent would fault the Obama administration. Seventeen percent would place the blame on both.

The poll also reveals the American public isn't overly optimistic that Obama and the Republicans will agree on a continuing budget resolution in time to avoid a shutdown. Asked if the two sides will strike a deal by the end of the month, 46 percent believed they would, and 45 percent believed they would not.

The Pew survey marks a departure from an early September CNN poll that found that 51 percent of Americans would blame Republicans for a shutdown, compared with 33 percent for Obama.

On Friday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved a stopgap budget measure to keep the government open through mid-December that also removes funding for Obamacare. The bill moves to the Democratic-controlled Senate this week.