News stories from Friday August 20, 1976
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- With the two presidential nominees committed to televised debates on campaign issues, Senator Robert Dole, President Ford's running mate, and Senator Walter Mondale, Jimmy Carter's No. 2 man, said they would also be willing to meet in what would be the first televised debates between vice presidential candidates. Mr. Ford and Mr. Carter will hold the first presidential debates since John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon met in four national televised debates in 1960. [New York Times]
- President Ford and his running mate, Senator Robert Dole, paid a sentimental and political visit to Russell, Kan., Mr. Dole's hometown. The Senator broke into tears -- his friends cheered him for doing so -- in recalling his earlier homecoming, after World War II, in which he was seriously wounded. [New York Times]
- President Ford told the newly elected Republican National Committee that he was in favor of changing the vice-presidential selection process. He said that he had followed very closely the battle at the Republican National Convention over Rule 16-C, sponsored by Ronald Reagan forces, that would require presidential candidates to name their proposed running mate well in advance of the presidential roll-call. "I happen to believe that there is considerable merit to that approach," Mr. Ford said, and he suggested that the national committee change the ground rules for 1980. [New York Times]
- Jimmy Carter tried out at a news conference at his home in Plains, Ga., what may be the principal themes of his presidential campaign, scheduled to begin formally on Labor Day. He accused the Ford administration of allowing the nation to "drift" without a goal or purpose, and said that the voters' choice was between "new leadership in the White House or no leadership." [New York Times]
- The Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose in July at about the same pace as in other recent months, with inflation now running steadily at a yearly rate of 5 to 6 percent. Food prices increased very little last month, but there were sufficient increases in other categories of goods and services to push the Consumer Price Index up by five-tenths of 1 percent after adjustment for seasonal changes in some prices. [New York Times]
- Tighter controls on the use of Darvon -- a mild pain killer related chemically to methadone and the country's third most widely prescribed drug -- is being planned by the government. Overuse and abuse of it by narcotics addicts, would-be suicides and others has been linked to more than 1,000 deaths over the last few years. [New York Times]
- The South African government offered a housing concession to the country's urban blacks but with tough speeches suggesting that life for South Africa's 18 million blacks was not likely to change fundamentally. Reversing a policy adopted last year, the government agreed to allow blacks buying houses in segregated townships to have unrestricted title to the land. [New York Times]
- Mass executions of 46 people were carried out apparently by right-wing extremists in Argentina in reprisal for the assassination of a retired army general. The bodies of 23 men and 5 women, and two mutilated corpses were found in a pasture in Pilar, about 25 miles northwest of Buenos Aires. Sixteen more bodies were found in a field in Banfield, a suburb south of Buenos Aires. [New York Times]
- Secretary of State Kissinger said that the United States was demanding "explanations and reparations" from North Korea for the killing of two American military officers in the Korean demilitarized zone on Wednesday. He said that the United States "absolutely cannot and will not accept" what he termed "the premeditated act of murder." [New York Times]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 974.07 (-9.81, -1.00%)
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* |
| August 19, 1976 | 983.88 | 103.39 | 17.23 |
| August 18, 1976 | 995.01 | 104.56 | 17.15 |
| August 17, 1976 | 999.34 | 104.80 | 18.50 |
| August 16, 1976 | 992.77 | 104.43 | 16.21 |
| August 13, 1976 | 990.19 | 104.25 | 13.93 |
| August 12, 1976 | 987.12 | 104.22 | 15.56 |
| August 11, 1976 | 986.79 | 104.06 | 18.71 |
| August 10, 1976 | 993.43 | 104.41 | 16.69 |
| August 9, 1976 | 983.46 | 103.49 | 11.70 |
| August 6, 1976 | 986.00 | 103.79 | 13.93 |