News stories from Saturday December 18, 1982
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Stopgap financing bills being prepared in the Senate carry billion-dollar job programs opposed by President Reagan, who, however, offered a clear invitation to compromise with his congressional opponents even as he vowed to veto the bills. [New York Times]
- The Senate was working toward final action on a stopgap spending bill that is needed to to keep the government running when it reopens for business Monday. The House, meanwhile, was bogged down in debate on nearly 300 amendments to a comprehsensive immigration bill. Its sponsor said it appeared dead for this session. [New York Times]
- Unusual ways to deregulate trucking were suggested by Frederic Andre, a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission, during a free-wheeling closed session in October that the commission's members apparently thought would not become public. Mr. Andre suggested that the commission turn its back on petty extortion, allow convicts to run household moving businesses from jail and consider routine bribery payments as free-market discounts. His views became known when the commission released an edited transcript of the meeting after requests under the Freedom of Information Act. [New York Times]
- The installation of satellite antennas to bring television programming to private apartment complexes in several New York City boroughs is disturbing city officials, who say the installations are illegal and are hurting the city's efforts to extend cable television service to all boroughs. Because extension of cable television from Manhattan to other boroughs is still years away, apartment complexes in the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island are paying for their own satellite antennas. [New York Times]
- North Korean arms have helped Iran finance its continuing war with Iraq, providing about 40 percent of the $2 billion worth of arms Iran has acquired in the past year, according to a high-ranking American defense official. Francis West, an Assistant Secretary of Defense, said that North Korea has become the leading supplier of arms to Iran and that Iran has been paying for them partly in cash and partly in oil. [New York Times]
- Some U.S. military aid to Guatemala continues because of loopholes in congressional restrictions imposed in 1977, according co Western officials in Guatemala. United States military aid was cut off when Guatemala refused assistance after the Carter administration issued a report highly critical of the Guatamalan performance on human rights. [New York Times]
- Outlays for black education in South Africa have more than doubled in the last three years, and the government opened 31 new high schools for blacks last year as part of its drive to achieve "equal education for all population groups." But black alienation from the strictly controlled system of segregated education seems hardly to have abated. [New York Times]
- Poland's military rule was tightened by legislation approved by Parliament that gave the government the right to suspend or reimpose martial law. [New York Times]
- A tour of 10 African nations will be made by China's Prime Minister as part of Peking's campaign to enhance its image as a champion of the third world. Prime Minister Zhao Ziyang's visit will be the first to Africa by a high-ranking Chinese official since Prime Minister Chou En-lai visited there 19 years ago. [New York Times]