News stories from Sunday January 25, 1981
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- The freed hostages arrived home on the last leg of a journey from Iran that began last Tuesday. They landed at 2:55 P. M. at Stewart International Airport near the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y,, where they were to spend a few days with relatives. Their families greeted them on arrival, but reporters and photographers were banned from the landing area. There were no bands and no speeches.
Crowds were kept at a distance when the 52 freed Americans stepped on a long, golden carpet as they left their plane, but thousands lined the route of their motorcade to West Point. The crowd shouted "U.S.A.!" "U.S.A." in unison.
[New York Times] - An informal White House reception was attended by the former hostages' relatives before they flew to Newburgh, N.Y., to greet the former hos-tages on their arrival. The family members were greeted by President Reagan and his wife, Nancy, and Vice President Bush and his wife, Barbara. In the emotional meeting the President praised the families for their "courage" and "dignity." [New York Times]
- Strong backing of the pact with Iran that led to the release of the American hostages was given by Senator Charles Percy, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. He said it would be "dishonorable" for the Reagan administration not to carry out the provisions of the agreement made by the Carter administration. [New York Times]
- At least 10 millionaires are members of President Reagan's cabinet. According to financial-disclosure reports re-quired by the Ethics in Government Act, at least 10 of the 17 cabinet members have a net worth of more than $1 million. Only four reported a net worth of under $500,000. [New York Times]
- Fear has spread through Atlanta after the disappearance of 16 black children in the last 18 months, with the most recent less than a month ago. Thirteen of the children have been found dead. The city has responded with an intense safety campaign. [New York Times]
- The 1980 Census apparently missed 8.5 percent of welfare recipients in New York City, according to a court-ordered report by the Census Bureau. The Bureau's progress report was given to a Federal District Court judge who had ordered the bureau to devise a plan to adjust New York population figures to compensate for a "disproportionate undercount" of black and Hispanic residents.
New Jersey's population growth slowed during the 70's, according to the 1980 Census, which also found an erosion of the state's manufacturing base, and a continuing decline of its cities, where the population loss is felt most. The state's population increased by 2.3 percent, to 7.3 million, in the last decade compared to a rise of 23 percent in the 50's and and 18 percent in the 60's. As result of the decrease, New Jersey will lose one of its 15 congressional representatives, the first such loss since 1843.
[New York Times] - El Salvador's leftist guerrillas conceded that they failed to get nationwide support for their "final offensive" against the civilian-led junta. However, the government has not claimed that the guerrillas have been defeated despite the retaking of several town that fell to the rebels in the fighting that started Jan. 10. The goverment reported the dismantling of several guerrilla camps and the confiscation of many weapons. [New York Times]
- The Labor Party's turn to the left was denounced in Britain by four former Labor Party Cabinet Ministers, all in the party's right wing. They formed a "Council for Social Democracy" and asked other party members to join them. [New York Times]
- Chairman Mao's widow's death sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment. Jiang Qing and nine other former Chinese leaders were convicted by a special court of counter-revolutinary crimes during the Cultural Revolution. Eight of the others were given prison terms, Miss Jiang and Zhang Chunqiao were suspended for two years. [New York Times]