News stories from Tuesday January 6, 1976
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Lawyers appealing the conviction of four former Nixon administration officials last year in the Watergate cover-up case told the Federal Court of Appeals in Washington that Judge John Sirica had failed in numerous ways to give the defendants a fair trial. They argued particularly that the judge had failed to protect them from massive, prejudicial pretrial publicity. The four men, free pending appeal, are H.R. Haldeman, John Mitchell, John Ehrlichman and Robert Mardian. [New York Times]
- The Central Intelligence Agency has funneled at least $6 million in secret cash payments to individual anti-Communist political leaders in Italy since President Ford gave approval Dec. 8, in an effort to prevent further Communist Party gains in national elections, according to well-informed Washington sources. Several sources said the program was strongly supported by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He was known to have been extremely concerned at Communist gains in local elections last June. [New York Times]
- In Chicago, literary appraiser and Lincoln scholar Ralph Newman was fined $10,000 for backdating President Nixon's papers in order to get a tax deduction. [CBS]
- The United States Court of Appeals in St. Louis ordered that the Reserve Mining Company case be taken from the jurisdiction of Federal District Judge Miles Lord of Minneapolis and that the remaining issues be assigned to another judge, citing "gross bias" and "deliberate denial of due process." The Environmental Protection Agency had accused the ore processing company of polluting Lake Superior. Judge Lord ordered the closing of a plant at Silver Bay, Minn., in April 1974, as a grave health hazard. The appeals court overruled him three days later, holding the discharge was only a "potential threat to public health." [New York Times]
- British Prime Minister Harold Wilson held an emergency meeting in London regarding violence in Northern Ireland; 600 troops have been sent there.
Officials are searching for the killers of 10 Protestants in County Armagh. The "Republican Action Force" claimed responsibility for the killings, in retaliation for five Catholics who were killed the night before. The group may be an Irish Republican Army breakaway faction. Residents of the nearby town are still in shock.
In Belfast, Protestant political and paramilitary leaders are demanding increased army activity in South Armagh. Protestant leader Reverend Ian Paisley said that Merlyn Rees should do something to help, or go home. In Newry, 2,000 people walked off their jobs to protest sectarian killings in the South Armagh area.
[CBS] - The Kremlin issued a toughly worded rebuttal to recent attacks by President Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Soviet involvement in Angola. The statement in an editorial in the newspaper lzvestia was viewed in Moscow as a negative response to hopes expressed in Washington that Moscow might mitigate its support for the Luanda government. The editorial underscored the importance Moscow attaches to the approaching session of the Organization of African Unity, which is expected to endorse the Luanda authorities or call for a coalition government. [New York Times]
- Fighting resumed in Lebanon as Christians blockaded a Palestinian refugee camp. The camp of 20,000 people has been cut off and surrounded. Food convoys by the army are being blocked by Christians. Phalangists say they'll continue the blockade until Palestinians promise to withdraw from areas where Christians were displaced, and until Palestinians inside the camp lay down their arms. Premier Rashid Karami urged the Palestinians to use restraint. The PLO is trying to avoid a direct fight on the eve of the United Nations debate on the Mideast. [CBS]
- Two thousand striking Spanish workers shut down Madrid's subway system. [CBS]
- Funeral services were held today for slain CIA agent Richard Welch. President Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger were present at Arlington National Cemetery. Relatives and the intelligence community attended the services. The press was generally barred because of family objections. [CBS]
- Ronald Reagan campaigned in New Hampshire, visiting ski areas and meeting people; he didn't ski. Reagan spoke at a town meeting in Conway, where he denied that his proposal to turn over federal programs to the states would mean a jump in state taxes. Reagan noted that he made that speech back in September, and no one distorted it then. He will try to win here, but said he was told that getting even 40% of the vote would be quite an achievement. Reagan goes to North Carolina and Florida next. [CBS]
- In Massachusetts, Senator Henry Jackson said that President Ford is a nice person, but not effective. Jackson visited Faneuil Hall in Boston and recalled that he proposed legislation to discourage judges from ordering busing to desegregate schools. Jackson stated that people in Massachusetts aren't racists for opposing busing, and they are concerned about America. Jackson and George Wallace are running close together in Massachusetts, according to polls; Jackson is moving toward the political right. [CBS]
- Two men were arrested in Paris while trying to collect $3.4 million ransom for the head of France's largest record company. Louis Hazan's whereabouts remain unknown. [CBS]
- Starting next year in France, it will be illegal to use foreign words in French advertising or legal documents. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 890.82 (+12.99, +1.48%)
Arms Index is the ratio of volume per declining issue to volume per advancing issue; a figure below 1.0 is bullish. | |||||||||||||||
| Market Index Trends | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | DJIA | S&P | Volume* |
| January 5, 1976 | 877.83 | 92.58 | 21.96 |
| January 2, 1976 | 858.71 | 90.90 | 10.30 |
| December 31, 1975 | 852.41 | 90.19 | 16.97 |
| December 30, 1975 | 852.41 | 89.77 | 16.04 |
| December 29, 1975 | 856.66 | 90.13 | 17.07 |
| December 26, 1975 | 859.81 | 90.25 | 10.02 |
| December 24, 1975 | 851.94 | 89.46 | 11.15 |
| December 23, 1975 | 843.75 | 88.73 | 17.75 |
| December 22, 1975 | 838.63 | 88.14 | 15.34 |
| December 19, 1975 | 844.38 | 88.80 | 17.72 |