News In Brief

Mondale thanks AFL-CIO for union's endorsement

Former Vice-President Walter Mondale accepted Thursday the shouted endorsement of representatives of the 14 million-member AFL-CIO, pledging, ''I am ready to be the president who puts America back to work.''

The AFL-CIO endorsement will mean considerable help for the Mondale campaign. There will be thousands of volunteers to staff telephone banks and get out the vote, plus other services that could be worth as much as $20 million.