Here is your R&D for October 14th:
New York is sued for missing deadline on overseas ballots from the Washington Post
The Justice Department has sued the state of New York for missing deadlines to mail ballots overseas troops. The state’s inability to meet the deadline violates the 2009 MOVE Act, which required that states mail absentee ballots to troops, government workers, and other Americans living abroad 45 days before Election Day.
Colombia Wins Spot on UN Security Council from the Latin American Herald Tribune
On Tuesday, the UN General Assembly elected Colombia to hold one of the two non-permanent seats on the Security Council reserved for Latin America for 2011-2012. Colombia ran unopposed and won 186-0 with five abstentions. Colombia now joins Brazil as the Latin American representatives on the Security Council.
September home foreclosures top 100,000 for first time from Reuters
In a sign that the depressed housing market is still bottoming out, banks took over 100,000 homes last month. However, foreclosures are likely to slow post-September because banks are working through questionable paperwork.
French strikes over pension reform hold lesson for the US and other countries from the Christian Science Monitor
What can the U.S. learn from the French pension reform effort? According to this op-ed, a great deal because the U.S. is facing significant pension problems of its own that demand immediate attention.
China’s Wen inspiring debate with calls for reform from the Associated Press
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao raised eyebrows among international observers back in August when he said that China needed political reform. How might his reformist instincts impact the Communist Party’s choicee of new leaders?