News stories from Tuesday October 21, 1980
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- A tough Iranian stand on the hostages was reflected by the Teheran radio. It said that Iran would not negotiate with Washington for the release of the captives even if inducements were offered, and it accused President Carter of trying to strike a deal to bolster his chances of re-election. He said Monday he would unfreeze Iranian assets and end the embargo on trade with Iran if the hostages were freed. [New York Times]
- The hostage crisis became an issue in the presidential campaign. Ronald Reagan declared that the long detention of the 52 Americans in Iran was a national "humiliation and a disgrace." He said he believed that the Carter administration's foreign policy "helped create the entire situation that made their kidnap possible."
President Carter accused Mr. Reagan of making a "political football" of the continued detention of the hostages and said he regretted that Mr. Reagan had "broken his pledge" not to inject the issue into the presidential campaign. Vice President Mondale, expressing a similar theme, said that if Mr. Reagan had a plan to obtain release of the captives he should disclose it immediately and not exploit the issue for political gain.
[New York Times] - Iraq aims to seize Iran's oilfields and to hold them until Teheran agrees to negotiate, a high Iraqi leader disclosed. He said that Baghdad demanded full sovereignty over the key border waterway at the head of the Persian Gulf, a redefined frontier about 200 miles to the north and a return to Iraq of three islands in the gulf. [New York Times]
- A presidential debate was set for next Tuesday in Cleveland. The agreement was announced after two days of talks between representatives of President Carter and Mr. Reagan. [New York Times]
- The economic issue is an anomaly in the presidential election, according to surveys. They have shown President Carter drawing substantial support even from voters who look unfavorably on his economic performance. One reason for this oddity is that Americans are increasingly uncertain just what a President -- or anyone -- can do to cure economic ills. [New York Times]
- Republicans may wrest three seats in the House of Representatives from well-entrenched Democrats from California. The three races appear to be close, and in each the determined challenger has a position of strength on at least one controversial issue that could overcome the strong Democratic lead in voter registration. [New York Times]
- Millions have no health insurance, according to a major federal survey that was termed the most comprehensive one ever done on personal health care and expenses in the nation. A preliminary analysis showed that 26.6 million Americans, or about 12.6 percent of the civilian population in 1977, said they were not insured. [New York Times]
- A major Soviet espionage attempt was reported by sources close to an investigation of the matter. They said that a former covert agent for the C.I.A. had tried to obtain a job on the staff of the Senate intelligence committee in return for about $100,000 from the K.G.B., the Soviet intelligence service. Committee officials said that the applicant was not hired. [New York Times]
- Menachem Begin met with nationalists representing Palestinians in the occupied areas for the first time since he became Israel's Prime Minister. The session with the mayors of Gaza and Bethlehem, who had sought to reverse a deportation order against two other Palestinian mayors, appeared to have produced no rapport. [New York Times]
- Pessimism on Soviet farm production was reflected by Leonid Brezhnev in a report to the Communist Party's policy-making Central Committee. The Soviet leader hinted that the vital grain harvest would be smaller than expected and he acknowledged that Moscow was still having trouble supplying adequate amounts of milk and meat to city residents. [New York Times]
- A split In NATO over defense plans has prompted fears by some officials and diplomats that Moscow may conclude that the small, rich members of the Atlantic Alliance in northern Europe lack the resolve to defend themselves fully. In the last few months Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have moved to undercut promised increases in their military contributions or to require changes in NATO's long-term defense plans. [New York Times]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 954.44 (-6.40, -0.67%)
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* |
| October 20, 1980 | 960.84 | 132.61 | 40.91 |
| October 17, 1980 | 956.14 | 131.52 | 43.96 |
| October 16, 1980 | 958.70 | 132.22 | 65.45 |
| October 15, 1980 | 972.44 | 133.70 | 48.28 |
| October 14, 1980 | 962.20 | 132.02 | 48.79 |
| October 13, 1980 | 959.90 | 132.03 | 31.41 |
| October 10, 1980 | 950.68 | 130.29 | 44.03 |
| October 9, 1980 | 958.96 | 131.04 | 43.98 |
| October 8, 1980 | 963.99 | 131.65 | 46.58 |
| October 7, 1980 | 960.67 | 131.00 | 50.31 |