This program is 27 minutes long
#52674
#52675
(Studio) Upcoming items outlined.
REPORTER: Jules Bergman Charles Murphy Charles Gibson Brit Hume
#52676
(Studio) Beginning of government tests with regard to fire hazards in event of crashes of subcompact cars noted; tests involve Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega. Pinto's history of flaming wrecks cited.
REPORTER: Barbara Walters
(No location given) Exs. of Pinto crashes resulting in fire given; cases with regard to wrecks in Ozark, Alabama, involving Chester Kaminski and Linda McAfee, and in Virginia, involving Michael Norton family. Photos shown. [KAMINSKI - cites med. treatment he's received and effects of burns on life.] Ford Motors payment to Kaminski and McAfee in lawsuit and court award to 6-yr.-old Norton boy who was sole survivor of Virginia crash noted. Details given re: allegations that Pinto's gas tank poses greater fire risk in collision than other cars; film shown. [Automotive test engineer Harley HOLT - describes events in Pinto rear-end crash.] Additional safety equipment for gas tanks on only 1977 and 1978 model Pintos noted. 1970 Ford Motors internal memo with regard to fuel tank hazard, proving company knew of it then, shown, quoted. Ford Motors' refusal to comment and claim that Pinto is as safe as other small cars cited. Federal highway traffic agency tests for fire danger in small cars and possibilities for recall if unique fire dangers found stated.
REPORTER: Jules Bergman
(Studio) Involvement of Chrysler in 2 largest recalls in history, mostly for Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare, noted, along with lagging sales of these models.
REPORTER: Harry Reasoner
(Westport, Connecticut) Mrs. Vikki Huff's troubles with her Aspen station wagon and resultant efforts to get with other Westport, Connecticut, area Aspen and Volare owners to discover if they had same problems detailed. [HUFF - lists problems with own car.] [Werner HOUSTON - cites trouble he's had with car.] [Francis FERNANDO - talks of troubles he's had.] [Barbara SWANSON - states car troubles; says it's not safe situation.] Chrysler officials' reaction to complaints given. [Chrysler chairperson John RICCAREO - says company doesn't plan these things and when they happen, company fixes them.] [HUFF - says company not fixing trouble spots.] "Wall Street Journal's" featuring of Huff's troubles mentioned.
REPORTER: Dan Cordtz
#52677
(Studio) United States scientists suspicions that more pieces of USSR satellite buried in ice near Great Slave Lake in Canada noted. Reporter Jules Bergman's report on concerns with regard to possibility that shielding around nuclear reactor helped radioactive uranium survive heat of reentry cited. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) concerns over Skylab's lowering orbit and possibility that it might crash to earth noted, along with chance that space shuttle can be launched in time to help situation. Film shown.
REPORTER: Barbara Walters
#52678
(Studio) Report on ice jam in Ohio River just above Louisville, Kentucky, and Army Corps of Engineers' attempts to free it with dynamite.
REPORTER: Harry Reasoner
(Warsaw, Kentucky) Details of dynamiting of ice gorge and limited progress in freeing river given. [Salvage yard operator Captain John BEATTY - has seen no previous ice jam to compare with this one.] Beatty's loss of barge and damage to other river traffic when ice swept them against dam last week reported. Effects of river blockage on industry of area cited.
REPORTER: Charles Murphy
#52679
(Studio) Possible end to coal strike soon reported Earlier report on how West Virginia miner Gary Totten planned to make ends meet during strike and update on Totten's situation noted.
REPORTER: Harry Reasoner
(Powellton, West Virginia) Details of Totten's life since beginning of UMW (United Mine Workers of America, International Union) strike in December given; use of savings in payment of medical bill for daughter Tracy noted. Totten's mtgs. with other miners, at Pete Lopez' gas station, to talk about strike and hopes for contract cited. [Miner Ronnie MEREDITH - states items he wants in contract.] [June TOTTEN - cites ways they've managed so far. Thinks miners should stay out to get demands.] [TOTTEN - thinks banks ought to go along with miners for while because they make money off miners. Says there's no sense in going back same way they came out.] This noted as prevailing feeling among striking miners.
REPORTER: Roger Peterson
(Studio) Govt. recommendation for ban on unvented gas space heaters because of links to deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning reported.
REPORTER: Barbara Walters
#52681
(Studio) HEW's rejection of college desegregation plans by Georgia and Virginia and parts of one by North Carolina and acceptance of those by OK, Arkansas and Florida reported.
REPORTER: Frank Reynolds
(DC) Department of Health, Education and Welfare Secretary Califano's decision to move against Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina if college desegregation plans not amended detailed; states' necessity in changing plans in order to continue recing. federal funds noted. Ex. of situation cited in cases of Old Dominion University and Norfolk State College, within 4 mile of each other in Norfolk, Virginia. [CALIFANO - says states' failure to comply with desegregation criteria could result in cutoff of all Department of Health, Education and Welfare funds to states' educational insts.]
REPORTER: Charles Gibson (WVEC newsfilm)
#52682
(Studio) President Sadat's stop in Morocco prior to coming to Washington, DC on Friday for wkend. meeting with President Carter noted. Unease in United States-Israeli relations at present with regard to issue of Israeli settlements in occupied lands outlined, incl. disagreement between Carter and foreign minister Dayan with regard to promise of Israel not to build more settlements.
REPORTER: Frank Reynolds
(DC) White House low-key affirmation of Carter's stand on Israeli promise with regard to settlements reported; Jody Powell's comments quoted. Carter's talk at ntl. prayer breakfast in Washington, DC mentioned. [CARTER - states feelings re: Begin and Sadat and that Sadat always points out to him that Jews and Egyptians both are descendants of Abraham and worship same God.] President Sadat's arrival on Friday for talks at Camp David with Carter noted; issues listed.
REPORTER: Sam Donaldson
#52683
(Studio) Defense Secretary Harold Brown's statement on necessary increase in United States defense budgets in next 5 years, in order to stay even with USSR , noted.
REPORTER: Frank Reynolds
#52686
(Studio) Reports on Prime Min. Begin's blaming of Palestinian terrorists for poisoned Israeli oranges turning up in Europe, PLO's denial of this and findings that some poisoned oranges came from Spain and what this could mean; Patricia Hearst's appeal of bank robbery conviction to Supreme Court; and indications that "Chicago Daily News" may soon stop publishing.
REPORTER: Harry Reasoner
(Chicago, Illinois) "Daily News" television ad shown. Indications of paper's troubles given, along with its history in publishing since 1875. "Daily News"' Pulitzer Prizes and past byline writers like Peter Lisagor and Carl Sandburg noted. Drop in general newspaper circulation in Chicago in last 25 years and newspaper closings across country in that period reported.
REPORTER: Ron Miller
#52687
(Studio) Senate vote to allow radio, but not TV, live coverage of Canal treaty debate to begin next week reported House subcommittee recommendation that House, not networks, control upcoming camera coverage of House proceedings also noted.
REPORTER: Barbara Walters
(DC) Film of Florida state legislature and Canadian parliament shown. [Florida state LEGIS. - objects to colleague's remarks.] Prime Min. Trudeau's recent defense of administration handling of Royal Canadian Mounted Police scandal mentioned. [TRUDEAU - remarks on attitude of parliamentary opposition.] [Parliamentary SPEAKER - calls for order.] television coverage in United States Congress noted only in cases of special events like President Carter's State of Union address; film shown. Upcoming video taping of House floor activity and controversy over who should do taping outlined. [Representative Jack BROOKS - cites opposition to television networks' control of cameras.] [Representative John ANDERSON - cites opposition to House control of camera coverage.] Congress opposition to network control of coverage due to feeling that networks might embarrass Congmen. noted; films of Georgia legislature shown and Georgia legislators' opinions of coverage and heightened public interest in proceedings stated. Final decision with regard to House coverage to be up to speaker O'Neill.
REPORTER: Brit Hume
#671199