News stories from Sunday April 20, 1980
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Families of three more hostages plan to go to Teheran, and have been assured by the hostages' captors that they will be admitted to the American embassy there, according to a University of Kansas professor who led a delegation of 49 Americans to the embassy in February. Prof. Norman Forer, chairman of the Committee for American-Iranian Crisis Resolution, said that plans for the visit were proceeding despite President Carter's ban on American travel to Iran. [New York Times]
- A shutdown of Iran's universities for two days was ordered by the Revolutionary Council in an effort to halt spreading demonstrations for the Islamic Mujahedeen and Marxist Fedayeen movements. President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr warned that continued unrest in the universities could create an atmosphere for a coup. [New York Times]
- Costa Rica told Cuba that is was willing to grant permanent asylum to all 10,000 Cubans who sought refuge at the Peruvian Embassy in Havana. Meanwhile, Spain was the destination of more than 400 of the Cubans who are seeking asylum. A group of 41 was scheduled to fly to Madrid tonight, to be followed by 380 more on Tuesday. Fifty-four refugees left Havana for Spain on Thursday. [New York Times]
- Ronald Reagan was endorsed by Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee and Gov. James Rhodes of Ohio. The announcments were made while Mr. Reagan campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination in Pennsylvania, where a crucial primary will be held Tuesday. [New York Times]
- Earth Day '80 will be observed nationwide on Tuesday, but in a far more subdued way than the first Earth Day in 1970 that started an environmental crusade. Environmentalists now face what may be a counterrevolution from sectors of society that argue that the economic costs and government interference arising from environmental laws often outweigh the benefits. Mike McCabe, executive director of Earth Day '80 said "there is tremendous pressure to modify our goals and roll back our gains." [New York Times]
- Federal benefits for auto workers are coming under increased scrutiny in Washington as this year's surge of auto imports and layoffs in domestic plants drive benefit payments to record highs. Soon, 500,000 auto workers forced out of work by imports will probably be eligible for up to $269 a week in federal benefits. The auto workers can ultimately receive well over 100 percent of take-home pay because the benefits arrive late and overlap unemployment insurance and company-paid supplementary benefits. [New York Times]
- Revision of the federal criminal laws enters a new phase this week. The House Judiciary Committee, continuing a 14-year effort to rewrite the criminal code, will begin to debate and amend the legislation. Business and labor groups, prosecutors, defense lawyers and civil libertarians will be lobbying for or against provisions in the bill, known as the Criminal Code Revision Act of 1980. [New York Times]
- Premier Rene Levesque's campaign for Quebec's independence, which will be voted on May 20, appears to be holding up under attack by federalists in both Quebec and Ottawa. The latest poll gives the "Yes" side a slight lead over opponents of separation, 41.2 percent to 40.9 percent. [New York Times]
- Iran's Foreign Minister went to Paris last week, diplomatic sources there said, to try to ward off possible sanctions by the Common Market, whose Foreign Ministers are scheduled to meet in Luxembourg this week. [New York Times]
- The State Department is taking steps to provide more protection for American diplomats and national security information abroad. Administration officials said that the Department is seeking $5.3 million this fiscal year and $35.8 million in fiscal 1981 to survey about 15 posts in politically troubled regions, especially the Middle East and Central America. [New York Times]