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If you've never seen a beach plum, you're not the only one. They only grow in sandy, coastal areas — and some years, the gnarly, windblown bushes just don't bear fruit at all. Fortunately, there are ways to enjoy them now, and ways to spread them out between years of plenty.

If you hear "cheese ball" and think Play-Doh-colored processed cheese coated in tasteless crunchy miscellany, think again. Bursting with artisan cheeses and fresh seasonings, and rolled in nuts or crackers, these updates on the passe party food simply rock.

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee rejected a provision to include a government-run public insurance option as part of the effort to overhaul the health care system. The vote was 15-to-8 against the measure.

President Obama challenged leaders gathered at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday to join the U.S. in solving the world's problems rather than waiting for America to do it on its own. Obama used his first address to the U.N. General Assembly to calls for a "new era of engagement."

G-20 leaders will likely leave Pittsburgh with an agreement to have banks build up their capital reserves while cutting back on bonuses and other forms of compensation. The new capital rules will be phased in and banks would have until the end of 2012 to meet the new requirements.

Iranian envoys meet Thursday in Geneva with representatives from Europe, Russia, China and the U.S. for talks that will focus on Tehran's suspect nuclear program. The meeting comes as Iran's foreign minister visited Washington on Wednesday on a rare visit.

U.N. and Afghan officials confirmed reports of fraud in the Aug. 20 presidential elections and ordered a partial recount. The latest returns from the Afghan Election Commission show incumbent President Hamid Karzai now has enough votes to avoid a run-off with his nearest challenger.

Representatives from the U.S. and five other world powers outlined their concerns about Iran's nuclear program at a meeting in Switzerland with an Iranian delegation. U.S. officials held the highest-level direct talks with the Iranians in years.

Automaker Toyota says it's recalling about 437,000 Priuses and other hybrid vehicles worldwide to fix brake problems. Toyota has now recalled more than 8.5 million cars worldwide because of various manufacturing defects.

In Austin, Texas, a small private plane crashed into a federal office building that housed Internal Revenue Service workers. Initial reports indicate the pilot hated the IRS and may have crashed the plane intentionally.