News stories from Sunday February 15, 1976
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Chief Justice Warren Burger, who has often blamed lack of action by Congress for most of the problems facing the federal courts, again strongly criticized Congress in his annual State of the Judiciary message. He suggested that Congress was failing to act on a particular court problem -- the need for dozens of additional federal judges -- because of presidential election year politics. His message was read for him at a meeting of the American Bar Association in Philadelphia, which he did not attend because he was ill with the flu. [New York Times]
- The A.F.L.-C.I.O., Congress's Black Caucus and Senator Hubert Humphrey have been negotiating through representatives for weeks in an effort to draft legislation that would commit the government to provide a job for everyone who wants to work. They believe that if the proposed job guarantee bill is successful it would firmly reunite organized labor, blacks and liberals under the Democratic banner and would also be a surefire vote getter for Democratic candidates for every office starting with the presidency. [New York Times]
- Administration sources said that sharp disputes within the administration over proposals to control the intelligence agencies could delay President Ford's announcement of reforms and dilute their impact. The White House, seeking to overcome differences in four areas of proposed controls, has scheduled a tentative meeting tomorrow with the heads of the intelligence agencies. If an agreement can be reached, President Ford is expected to make a public announcement of his reforms on Wednesday. But the differences were said to be deep seated and emotional. [New York Times]
- "We meet again in Lake Placid" were the last words officially announced over the loudspeaker in three languages as the 12th Winter Olympics Games ended in Innsbruck last night. The upstate New York resort will be the site of the 1980 Games. About 1,500 athletes had competed for 12 days in nearly perfect weather and shattered Olympic records. The Russians won the largest number of gold medals (first place) -- 13, in addition to six silver (second place) and eight bronze (third place). The United States squad earned three gold medals, three silver and four bronze, the largest number won by Americans in Winter Olympics since the 1952 Games in Oslo. [New York Times]
- Intense fare competition among the major domestic airlines is providing bargains -- $266.73 for a New York-Los Angeles round trip -- for the non-business traveler, but giving airline executives headaches. As the competition intensifies, industry officials are worried because several airlines whose heavy losses last year brought them close to bankruptcy might not be able to afford the lower fares. The combined effect of the recession and past fare increases meant almost no traffic growth in 1975 in a business which had been accustomed to an annual growth rate of 7 percent. [New York Times]
- Western diplomats said that Nigeria's foreign policy, especially its vigorous support of the Soviet-supported faction in Angola, was unlikely to change as a result of the assassination of Gen. Murtala Ramat Muhammed, the head of state. They noted that the new head of state, Gen. Olusegua Obasanjo, had been a key figure in formulating policy under the seven-month-old military regime, in which he was chief of staff of the armed forces. In a broadcast to the country. General Obasanjo promised to continue the "dynamic leadership" of his predecessor. [New York Times]