News stories from Saturday November 13, 1982
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Thousands of Vietnam veterans marched in Washington to the recently completed memorial to the servicemen who died in the war, culminating the five-day National Salute to Vietnam Veterans. But it was not the heroes' welcome that many veterans openly longed for. Long sections of the viewing stand were half empty, and attendance was spotty along the 10-block parade route. [New York Times]
- Americans must be reassured that Social Security will continue indefinitely without radical change, the 15 members of the bipartisan National Commission on Social Security Reform agreed, while indicating that Congress should join them in providing those assurances. The commission adjourned a three-day meeting in Alexandria, Va., until Dec. 10, still divided largely on partisan lines on such basic issues as funneling income tax revenues into Social Security, revising the formula for cost-of-living increases in benefits and scaling back benefits for those who will retire. [New York Times]
- California faces a $3 billion deficit if government spending is not sharply reduced and taxes raised, state officials said. A report by the Director of Finance forecasting a deficit of at least $665 million in the current fiscal year, was followed by one from the state Comptroller projecting an additional deficit of $2 billion to $3 billion in the next fiscal year. [New York Times]
- An aspect of the plea bargain deal under which former Representative Frederick Richmond admitted to various crimes and was sentenced last week to prison may be appealed by the Justice Department. The department is considering an appeal of a judge's ruling that declared unconstitutional an agreement sought by the prosecution by Mr. Richmond to resign from Congress and end his re-election bid. [New York Times]
- The U.S. lifted the trade sanctions it imposed on the American and other companies participating in the Soviet natural gas pipleline to Western Europe. President Reagan announced that he was doing so because the United States and its key allies had reached "substantial agreement" on an overall economic strategy toward the Soviet bloc. Mr. Reagan said the trade pact was "a victory for the allies." But France announced that it "was not a party to the agreement." [New York Times]
- The East-West trade pact that President Reagan linked to lifting the Soviet pipeline sanctions represented little in terms of new commitments by the United States' main European allies, Western European officials said. With one apparent exception -- an undertaking not to sign or approve new contracts for the purchase of Soviet natural gas while studies are made -- the pact covers areas where attempts have been made for years to coordinate Western policy. [New York Times]
- A huge gathering of world leaders is expected in Moscow for the funeral of Leonid Brezhnev, possibly the largest gathering of foreign leaders in Soviet history. [New York Times]
- Lech Walesa did not appear in public in Poland despite the government announcement that he had been freed. Speculation grew that he was still in custody or had been spirited to a secret place by the church. [New York Times]