October+27

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Public Option Push in Senate Comes With Escape Hatch By ROBERT PEAR and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN Senator Harry Reid said Monday that he would include a government-run insurance plan in the Senate’s legislation, but that states could opt out.

Ex-A.I.G. Chief Is Back, Luring Talent From Rescued Firm By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH Maurice R. Greenberg’s new company may soon start to siphon off business from A.I.G., and, therefore, its means to repay its debt to the government.

German Limits on War Facing Afghan Reality By NICHOLAS KULISH The German Army has been engaged in fighting in Afghanistan on a scale not seen since World War II, just as the war effort grows unpopular at home.

WORLD Iraq Reaches Voting Deal as Toll Rises in Bombings By ROD NORDLAND The violence appeared to have jolted Parliament into action: Iraqi leaders swiftly compromised on a new election law after an impasse threatened to delay voting.

Opportunities Fade Amid Sense of Isolation in Gaza By ETHAN BRONNER The ideological differences between Fatah and Hamas have frustrated Palestinian professionals, who are seeing fewer prospects for education and employment.

Pressure From U.S. Strains Ties With Pakistan By JANE PERLEZ When Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrives in Pakistan, she will find a state consumed by doubts about the value of its alliance with the U.S.

U.S. RUNNING IN THE SHADOWS For Runaways on the Street, Sex Buys Survival By IAN URBINA Nearly a third of the children who flee or are kicked out of their homes each year engage in sex for food, drugs or a place to stay, studies have found.

Off-Course Pilots Cite Computer Distraction By MICHELINE MAYNARD and MATTHEW L. WALD Two pilots who flew past the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport told investigators that they were distracted by a discussion of a new crew-scheduling system.

SIDEBAR In Battle Over Gay Marriage, Timing May Be Key By ADAM LIPTAK A federal lawsuit that had been viewed with suspicion by many gay rights advocates has gained ground, but it may be outpacing public opinion.

For Delphi Pensioners, the Union Label Helps By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH A General Motors deal with the government that ensures Delphi’s union workers have their pension benefits restored does not cover nonunion workers.

Post-Bailout Blues as Europe Orders ING Group to Sell 2 Units By ERIC DASH and CHRIS V. NICHOLSON Governments around the world are wrestling with just how much to rein in the financial behemoths that contributed to the global banking crisis.

Fraud Plagues Sugar Subsidy System in Europe By DOREEN CARVAJAL and STEPHEN CASTLE Sugar producers have reaped millions of euros in payments, adding to the cost of sugar, through schemes aimed at cashing in on generous subsidy programs.