The Labor Department released November unemployment numbers today. The report showed 15.4 million Americans are now unemployed and seeking work. That's down 325,000 from the October reading.

And while President Obama is brainstorming with his finest economic minds to find jobs for them, the fact is few firms have the cash or the confidence to add staff right now. Our Allan Chernoff reports in this American Morning original.

Read more: Job market shows big improvement

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is visiting NATO, meeting with world leaders to get their support for President Obama's surge strategy in Afghanistan.

Our John Roberts is there as well and had the chance to sit down, exclusively, one-on-one with Secretary Clinton. It was a wide-ranging talk. How many NATO troops will member nations commit? What can be done about the violence across the border in Pakistan? And what will the changes mean for U.S. forces already on the ground?

First up, Secretary Clinton talks about how many NATO troops are committed and what that will mean for U.S. forces on the ground.

Next, how the 18-month time line will play out. Plus, the challenge of transitioning power to Afghan forces, and Secretary Clinton responds to criticisms that the U.S. is going to "cut and run."

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Editor's Note: "A Soldier's Story" is a new original series by CNN's "American Morning" that will track three military recruits from their final days as civilians through deployment. Our Jason Carroll has been given unprecedented access by the Pentagon as the president outlines a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan. In part two, a new recruit spends his first 24 hours in the Army.

By Adam Reiss

As 18-year-old Will McLain leaves home for the first time there are tearful goodbyes with his parents. His mother Lori certainly did not want this day to come.

Will and his recruiter Sgt. Sheldon Rivers take the two hour drive to the processing center in Los Angeles where Will registers for the Army. He is asked about his tattoo and his medical records are thoroughly checked before he heads into the seminar to learn proper procedures for standing at attention.

"Sir yes sir!" Will is taught how to keep shoulders back and his stomach tucked in.

"I'm anxious, but I'm glad it's finally starting – like one of those days you don't think it will come and like bam it's here," says Will.

"Does anyone have any doubts, reservations or restrictions about joining the military?" shouts the drill instructor. "No sir" is the response from everyone.

"When I tell you to you are going to exit this bus quickly and safely, but the key word being quickly. Do you understand!," barks drill sergeant Crystal Scott as Will's bus arrives at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. It's two hours outside of St. Louis and a world away from his home outside Los Angeles. More than 200 soldiers reported for duty with Will on his first day. 30,000 a year go through the 43rd AG Reception Station, at 600 a week.

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The NFL is set to enforce its toughest rules yet for when players can return to games or practices after suffering head injuries. The new guidelines go into effect this week in the latest move by the league to address a hot-button issue.

For an analysis of the new concussion policy we spoke with Dr. Julian Bailes, chairman of neurology at the West Virginia School of Medicine and former team doctor for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spoke to Kiran Chetry on American Morning Thursday.

Editor's Note: Today we're beginning a new American Morning original series that will track three military recruits from their final days as civilians through deployment. Our Jason Carroll has been given unprecedented access by the Pentagon as the president outlines a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan. In the first piece, it's off to the Army for a high school football star who traded the gridiron to be all he can be.

By Jason Carroll

Will McLain is 18-years-old and a week away from taking the oath to enlist in the United States Army. We gave him a video camera to show us how he was passing the time; there were lots of parties.

“It’s always funny because even when I'm partying with my friends or something like that they always got to throw those Army jokes in. … They think I'm doing a good thing. They figure it’s better than just rotting away in Rosamond."

Rosamond, California is Will's hometown. It’s in the western Mojave Desert; a large stretch of land with a small population of about 14,000. A place Will McLain can't wait to leave.

“I'm kind of glad to be getting out of this little town because it gets old, but there's a lot of things you will miss, you know.”

It’s a place where dirt bike riding is surpassed only by motorcycle racing in popularity. We met up with Will the day before he was set to leave Rosamond. A day his 12-year-old brother didn't want to leave his side.

“I think it hits them more that I'm leaving. This last week, I think it's truly hit them,” says McLain.

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By Sean Callebs and Jason Morris

It's an absolutely beautiful New Orleans sunset, the kind of night that used to be a bonanza for shrimpers like Paul Willis.

"We are trying to make a living, but because these foreign countries are using cheap labor, slave labor – call it whatever you want – we can't compete, we just can't compete. This pass on an evening like this would have had 300 vessels in here ready to shrimp. You are going to see eight tonight, that's what's happened to this industry."

Willis says the U.S. shrimp market has completely crashed. Fuel costs and Mother Nature may be a never-ending battle, but Willis says his biggest foe is cheap shrimp pouring in from Asia. He only makes as much per pound today as he did 15 years ago. While cut-rate Asian shrimp are sold for three dollars a pound, by the time he pays for fuel and crew wages, he's looking at spending more than four dollars to harvest a pound a shrimp just to break even.

A three-year investigation by the AFL-CIO affiliated Solidarity Center, funded in part by the U.S. State Department, found several leading U.S. retailers received shrimp from plants in Thailand and Bangladesh where workers as young as 8-years-old are subject to sweatshop conditions.

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The president shifts his focus from Afghanistan to jobs today. He's hosting a forum at the White House, looking for ideas to put 16 million unemployed Americans back to work. And he has his work cut out for him. Our Jim Acosta reports.

CNNMoney: White House job summit seeks solutions

Read more: Chelsea Clinton to marry

Secretary of State Clinton and Defense Secretary Gates will be back on Capitol Hill today to answer more questions about the president's new plan for Afghanistan. They'll be joined by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.

Admiral Mullen spoke to Kiran Chetry on American Morning Thursday to talk about the unique challenges of sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan's rugged terrain by the summer of 2010.

Read more: Logistical problems could plague Afghan troop surge

Washington (CNN) – Conservative and liberal lawmakers Wednesday sharply criticized President Obama's plan to start a U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in July 2011.

Most Republicans backed the president's decision to send more troops. They claimed, however, he was playing politics by setting an "arbitrary" withdrawal deadline while insisting that any transfer of responsibility to the Afghan government ultimately will be based on conditions in that country.

They also argued he inadvertently strengthened the hand of Taliban and al Qaeda extremists by allowing them to know when a U.S. departure from the war-torn country would begin.

Several members of the Democratic caucus, on the other hand, expressed unease with the president's decision to send thousands of additional troops over the next several months. They questioned whether the war is winnable.

Obama's blueprint faced questions Wednesday as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared before two key committees.

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