News stories from Sunday April 1, 1979
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- President Carter toured the Three Mile Island nuclear plant and was told that conditions were stable. The President urged residents to cooperate if emergency measures became necessary. Later, officials expressed cautious optimism that the problems were easing and that the possibility an evacuation would be necessary was diminishing.
The temporary closing of a nuclear plant near Sacramento, Calif., was requested by Gov. Jerry Brown. The plant is a twin of the Three Mile Island plant, Mr. Brown said. He told the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission that there was no evidence of problems, but "it would be best to err on the side of caution and close the plant until the facts are known."
French and West German scientists were sent to Harrisburg to investigate the causes of the accident at the Three Mile Island plant. Japan also was considering an inquiry.
[New York Times] - Protective regulations for 130 species of plants and animals, ranging from orchids to whales, were approved by delegates from 31 nations at a meeting in Costa Rica of the Convention on Illegal Trade in Endangered Species. [New York Times]
- A nationwide lockout of 300,000 Teamsters union drivers and warehousemen was ordered by the trucking industry after the union called a strike against selected trucking companies across the country in an effort to get larger contract concessions. The union rejected an offer that, according to an industry spokesman, would have increased wages and benefits by more than 30 percent over three years. [New York Times]
- Otto Passman was found not guilty of accepting illegal gratuities from Tongsun Park, the South Korean rice dealer, while he was a Democratic Representative from Louisiana. He was also cleared of charges of federal tax evasion and conspiracy. The acquittal came a year and a day after his indictment. Federal District Court Judge Earl Vernon gave the case to the jury in Monroe, La., in late afternoon. The verdict was announced about 90 minutes later. [New York Times]
- Jane Byrne was clearly the favorite to defeat her Republican opponent, Wallace Johnson, in Chicago's mayoral election Tuesday. A change in the political climate that put her in the top place on the Democratic ticket was not likely, a leading political pollster said. [New York Times]
- Tanzanian jet fighters bombed Uganda's Entebbe International Airport, damaging the main runway, according to diplomatic Sources in East Africa. It was the first air attack by the Tanzanians since the war began five months ago, and was regarded as a major step-up in the conflict. [New York Times]
- Egypt declared "null and void" the punitive economic and diplomatic measures imposed on the country at a meeting of Arab ministers Saturday in Baghdad. The Israeli cabinet ratified the treaty with Egypt and approved a state visit to Cairo tomorrow by Prime Minister Menachem Begin, which is regarded as a test of Egypt's sincerity. [New York Times]
- An overwhelming victory was declared by Ayatollah Khomeini in the referendum proposing that Iran become an Islamic republic, and he announced that April 1 was the "first day of a government of God." Meanwhile, disturbances continued among ethnic minorities who want self-rule rather than a central government. [New York Times]
- Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's supporters were more hopeful that President Mohammed Zia ul-Haq would commute the death sentence on the former Prime Minister when Mr. Bhutto's half sister filed a petition asking for clemency. Her action defied an order from Mr. Bhutto to members of his family not to plead for mercy. [New York Times]
- Peking banned dissident wall posters in the city. The decision by city officials indicated that China's leaders apparently have decided to halt the brief experiment with greater freedom of expression for the public. [New York Times]