News stories from Saturday November 29, 1980
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Violence broke out again in San Salvador and 20 people were killed after the abduction and murder of a group of prominent leftist opposition leaders, for which, the opposition said, the government of El Salvador was responsible. [New York Times]
- Zbigniew Brzezinski said the election demonstrated that the Democratic party had to abandon its "escapist" approach to dealing with the expansion of Soviet power and influence around the world. "I think the Democratic party damages itself when it moves excessively to the left and if it becomes excessively preoccupied with might be called the do-gooders agenda in international affairs," President Carter's national security adviser said in an interview at the White House. [New York Times]
- Three Iranian warships were destroyed in a battle with Iraqi ships in the Persian Gulf, the Iraqi defense command said. Both sides described the sea battle as the biggest since their war began. [New York Times]
- The invasion of Pacific Palisades, the Los Angeles neighborhood where the President-elect has a home, by Secret Service agents, local police officers, reporters and helicopters has changed the lives of residents of the expensive community. Some residents are concerned while others do not mind. A neighbor of the Reagans said: "It's like living in a circus, but the the neighborhood understands the inconvenience. It's fun and we love it." [New York Times]
- Michigan is making drastic cutbacks in payrolls and services as the economic downturn of the automobile industry erodes tax collections and increases the cost of social programs. Thousands of agencies, institutions and local governments that depend on the state for financial support are affected. If all the proposed cuts are enacted the state will have cut its budget by almost $1 billion, or about 20 percent of its spending in the previous fiscal year. [New York Times]
- A growing number of blacks believe that a series of attacks against them in several cities is a result of national conspiracy to terrorize and kill them. Justice Department officials stress that there is no compelling evidence of a conspiracy although violence against blacks appears to be rising. [New York Times]
- The Army would require $40 billion above planned expenditures in the next five years to become a modern and flexible force capable of meeting a Soviet threat in Europe and danger spots in the Persian Gulf, Korea or Latin America, the Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Edward Meyer, said in an interview. The most immediate problem is manpower, he said. [New York Times]
- Atlantic City casinos are accused by some New Jersey officials of trying to establish access to government influence through hiring people with political backgrounds or ties to politicians. Since the first casino opened there three years ago the casinos have employed at least 30 people with political connections.
Past ties with reputed members of organized crime were admitted by William O'Donnell, the founder of the Bally Manufacturing Corporation, which makes slot machines, in completing his testimony at a hearing for a casino license before the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.
[New York Times] - Tension between Syria and Jordan increased. Syria warned King Hussein of Jordan that it would defend its "national security and interests by all available ways and means -- even if they were unbrotherly." In addition, there were reports that Syria had positioned two army divisions of more than 30,000 troops on the Jordanian border. Jordan said that it also had placed a comparable number of troops in the border area. [New York Times]