News stories from Saturday October 2, 1976
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Earl Butz's resignation as Secretary of Agriculture will be accepted by President Ford if the controversy over Mr. Butz's racial remarks widens, a well-placed administration source said. Mr. Ford avoided any comment on the matter, but sharp criticism of the remarks continued from both Republicans and Democrats. [New York Times]
- Jimmy Carter leads in enough states to give him a majority in the Electoral College, according to a survey by the New York Times, however the Democratic candidate's lead in most of those states is small and is growing even smaller in some of the most important of them. Although President Ford is leading in only eight states, a relatively small increase in his popular support could bring enough states into his column to give him the victory. [New York Times]
- The two-year battle between President Ford and the 94th Congress ended in a draw, according to leaders of both parties. The President and his supporters in Congress prevented the Democratic leadership from fulfilling its plans to expand the economy and provide more government services. On the other hand, the heavily Democratic majorities blocked White House efforts to cut back spending and revise many of the social programs of the 1960's. [New York Times]
- Abortion and the death penalty are the two main issues facing the United States Supreme Court as it reconvenes for a new term. The Court is to decide whether it is constitutional to ban the use of public funds and facilities for abortions. It is also expected to decide not to reconsider last July's decision upholding the death penalty for murder. [New York Times]
- Nelson Rockefeller is nearing the end of his public career outwardly cheerful and conveying the image of a team player fighting for the ticket. Friends and long-time associates, however, say the Vice President is angry, but resigned, over the events of history that kept him from the White House. [New York Times]
- Nazi war criminal suspects living in the United States have come under increased investigation by the Immigration and Naturalization Service after years of delay. The new effort has produced a list of about 91 leading suspects, and the Immigration Service is reported ready to begin deportation proceedings against about 14 of them. [New York Times]
- Two men charged with kidnapping Samuel Bronfman II have gone on trial in White Plains, N.Y., amid mysteries, discrepancies and allegations against the victim. Mel Lynch and Dominic Byrne, the defendants, have both recanted previous statements about the kidnapping of the heir to the Seagram liquor fortune. Mr. Lynch now contends that the kidnapping was a "fake" concocted by Mr. Bronfman to obtain money from his father; Mr. Byrne says that the crime was real, but that he was "duped" in to participation by Mr. Lynch. Mr. Bronfman says he was just an innocent victim. [New York Times]
- Palestinian troops held on to a key village outside of Beirut after stopping a Lebanese Christian attempt to push them out. The Syrian army did not make an attempt to take the village and the fighting appeared to be in a lull. There were reports that the Russians, the Saudi Arabians and the Palestinians were attempting to bring about another cease-fire. [New York Times]
- The "Americanization" of an air defense missile developed in Europe and adopted by the United States Army as part of an effort to standardize weapons among the Western allies may cost more than $250 million. Pentagon officials say the cost, originally put at $104 million, was rising because they underestimated the opposition of the Army and its contractors to accepting a weapon developed and produced abroad. [New York Times]
- West Germans were expected to vote in large numbers in tomorrow's election to choose a new government. A close race was predicted between Chancellor Helmut Schmidt's Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats of Helmut Kohl. Whatever the outcome, it was believed that West Germany's policies would face no drastic change. Other Europeans, however, see the election as an indicator of the strength of the Socialists in other countries. [New York Times]