News stories from Sunday November 23, 1975
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- On the 12th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, a senior member of the Warren Commission staff called on Congress to reopen the assassination inquiry because of new questions raised by the recently disclosed involvement of the United States in assassination plots of foreign leaders. David Belin, who was also chief counsel to the Rockefeller Commission in its recent investigation of the Central Intelligence Agency, said he was confident that a new inquiry would not upset the Warren Commission's conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin. He said, "The primary reason for this request is that I believe it would greatly contribute toward a rebirth of confidence and trust in government." He had previously steadfastly held the view that the Warren Commission's findings were final. [New York Times]
- Senator George McGovern admonished his party not to "sell its soul on busing," which, he said, was "one inescapable remedy of the Constitution for a proven case of segregation." At the closing session of a three-day convention on Democratic issues in Louisville, Ky., Mr. McGovern accused his party colleagues, in a speech on busing, of "abandoning the public dialogue to demagoguery." Convention officials had tried to dissuade him from making the speech because of the bitter opposition in Louisville to the court-ordered busing there. [New York Times]
- James Schlesinger said in a television interview that before his dismissal as Defense Secretary the White House was proposing a defense budget for next year that would have required a 200,000-man reduction in the size of the armed forces. He made clear that he believed his objections to attempts to restrict the growth of the defense budget were the "chief substantive issue" that led to his dismissal by President Ford. [New York Times]
- Because of the uncertainties of the city's fiscal crisis, some of the nation's leading corporations with New York City headquarters are again seeking relocation sites in Connecticut, where taxes are lower and suburban life is less stressful. "Interest in moving out has definitely grown as the fiscal crisis has deepened," according to Jack Bush, special assistant to the city's Economic Development Administrator. [New York Times]
- The resettlement of more than 130,000 Indochinese refugees, which officials agree developed into the most difficult such resettlement in the nation's history, is drawing to a close. However, the related problems and complaints continue. Resettlement officials say it has been almost impossible to place many of even the most highly skilled refugees in jobs that match their abilities and they also complain that few large corporations or labor unions have offered to help. [New York Times]
- Governor Carey is expected to send a special message -- directed primarily at the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus and Assembly Republicans -- to the legislature, which will make a third attempt to pass the $200 million New York City tax package, telling the legislators that the specter of default requires them to put aside the local concerns that stalled action on the tax bill on Saturday. Mr. Carey, his aides said, will also tell the legislators that he is responsible, and willing to take the blame for the taxes. Until last week, he had blamed the Ford administration. [New York Times]
- The faithful who had fought for Generalissimo Francisco Franco gathered in the Valley of the Fallen where their leader was entombed inside a mountain in the vast crypt he had built about 40 miles northwest of Madrid. Some 70,000 veterans of the Civil War, Falangists and others came from all the provinces of Spain in a fleet of buses to say their farewell. [New York Times]
- Fighting spread in Beirut and its suburbs as a cease-fire, proclaimed three weeks ago, continued to unravel. Eight people were reported killed and 15 were reported wounded, and as night fell the sounds of explosions increased. [New York Times]
- Portugal's military leaders are faced with the most serious crisis of authority since they came to power after the revolution 19 months ago. President Francisco da Costa Gomes and the Council of the Revolution -- under pressures from all sides to take strong action to restore the government's authority and establish clearly where Portugal is going -- will hold an emergency meeting today. [New York Times]
- Navy officers at the Sixth Fleet headquarters at Gaeta, northwest of Naples, said that at least four men were killed, four missing and 16 injured in the collision in the Mediterranean Sea Saturday night between the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy and the guided-missile cruiser Belknap. They said that the casualty figures were preliminary and could be higher. At least 55 men were rescued from the sea. The officers said they could not explain why the ships collided and that a formal inquiry was underway. They denied reports that the cruiser was refueling from the carrier. [New York Times]