News stories from Sunday September 5, 1982

Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:

About a dozen races for the House may be decided by such issues as a freeze on nuclear weapons and rising military spending, despite politicians' belief that foreign policy does not swing congressional elections nationwide. Another issue related to foreign policy -- President Reagan's embargo on the sale of the American equipment for the Soviet natural gas pipeline to Western Europe -- has put three Republican Representatives in central Illinois, including Robert Michel, the House minority leader, on the defensive because of local job losses. [New York Times] North Carolina's tobacco growers feel betrayed by the vote in Congress last month that doubled the federal tax on a pack of cigarettes to 16 cents. Especially traitorous behavior is charged to North Carolina's Republican Senators, Jesse Helms and John East. They are accused of switching their votes on the tax increase. The future of government tobacco programs is a matter of concern in the largest tobacco producing state. [New York Times] Sam Church faces a tough fight for reelection as president of the United Mine Workers despite a $100 wage premium he negotiated for senior miners working a one-day, non-overtime shift. He faces an unexpected struggle for survival in the race against his opponent, Rich Trumka. [New York Times] Enrollment at public colleges is up in the New York City metropolitan area as an increasing number of students, uncertain about federal financial aid, are abandoning plans to attend private colleges. Admissions officers at some public colleges have been flooded with last-minute applications from prospective students who found that they could not afford a private school. Meanwhile, private colleges are still soliciting applications long after the spring deadline to try to keep enrollments at last year's level. [New York Times] Israel's plans for more settlements in the occupied West Bank went ahead despite President Reagan's call for a freeze on Jewish settlements. The government allocated $18.5 million to build three new settlements and announced approval of seven others. Its action coincided with the release of the text of a letter of protest from Prime Minister Menachem Begin to President Reagan, warning that the American proposals for the West Bank and the Gaza Strip would lead to a Palestinian state and "a Soviet base in the heart of the Middle East." [New York Times] The administration told Israel that its position on the future of the West Bank and Gaza Strip "remains unchanged and shall remained unchanged" in a statement that condemned Israel's plan to establish more settlements in those areas. [New York Times] An Israell-Arab settlement, Secretary of State George Shultz said, must include establishment of "a totally demilitarized area" covering all of the West Bank if that area is to become an autonomous Palestinian homeland associated with Jordan. Mr. Shultz also said in a television interview that the Israeli cabinet's decision to establish several new Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip "is not consistent with the objective of peace in the area." [New York Times] The disappearance of 8 soldiers, who were apparently captured at an observation post in Lebanon, was announced by the Israeli military command in Jerusalem. The command issued a statement calling the incident a "most serious violation of the cease-fire," and demanding the release of the soldiers. [New York Times] A two-tier fixed peso exchange rate will become effective tomorrow when Mexico's newly nationalized banks reopen. They had been closed to halt a flight of capital from the country during its financial crisis. The peso will now be valued at more than double the free-market rates than were paid during the last week. Other monetary re-forms taken by the government of President Jose Lopez Portillo will sharply reduce mortgage costs for homeowners and will increase more than fourfold the interest paid on savings accounts. [New York Times] Italy created a new anti-crime post and in an emergency session the cabinet named the head of a secret policy agency, Emanuele de Francesco, to the position. He was also appointed to succeed Gen. Carlo Alberto Dana Chiesa as prefect of Palermo. The general and his wife were murdered Friday night. [New York Times]