News stories from Sunday June 17, 1979

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

Automobile use will remain at the center of the Carter administration's transportation policy, despite the prospect of sporadic gasoline shortages for years to come, according to federal officials. Federal planners do not expect Americans to give up their love affair with the automobile, and for that reason the administration is standing by its decision to cut back Amtrak's rail service, even though the system has been attracting more passengers during the gasoline shortage. [New York Times] The worst Sunday for motorists in the New York area since the gasoline supplies started to dwindle two months ago was reported by police officials. Most service stations in the region were closed and at those that were open there were lines of as many as 150 cars, some running out of gasoline while drivers waited. [New York Times] New York City is apparently favored by Democratic leaders as the place for the party's 1980 national convention. Assurance of support for a major party fundraising dinner in the city this fall seems to the final step necessary for New York to be chosen. [New York Times] A Texas lawyer has been elected president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest, largest and most conservative Hispanic rights group in the nation. Ruben Bonilla, the league's state director, has been highly critical of the Carter administration and was elected over the opposition of members who called him "too bombastic." He vowed to extend the organization's influence "into the external political world." [New York Times] Skylab's disintegration in space next month has caused concern around the world, but mainly among people whose ideas violate common sense or the laws of physics. The White House, the Pentagon and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are being bombarded with letters demanding that they "do something," but the writers' wacky suggestions would be more useful to a Rube Goldberg. [New York Times] Leverett Saltonstall, Republican Senator from Massachusetts for 22 years until his retirement in 1967, died at his farm in Dover, near Boston. He was 86 years old. He established his political future in 1938 with a stunning victory over his gubernatorial opponent, James M. Curley, Mayor of Boston. [New York Times] Criminal use of guns in Massachusetts has declined significantly since a 1975 law mandated a year's jail term for anyone found carrying a pistol illegally, a Northeastern University study said. But the study found that in the same time a corresponding "displacement effect" had resulted in sharply higher rates of murder, robbery and assault with other weapons. [New York Times] Alleged rigging of jai alai games is being jointly investigated by law enforcement officials in Connecticut and Florida, were the owners, players and operators of the matches are the same. The Connecticut inquiry has led to the arrest of three bettors and the warrant for the arrest of a player on charges of conspiring to rig the games. In Florida, subpoenas have been issued for the records of about 20 people involved in jai alai matches. [New York Times] Leonid Brezhnev warned the U.S. that the strategic arms limitation treaty, which is to be signed tomorrow, could collapse if it is amended during the ratification process in Congress. Changes in the treaty, he said at a dinner for President Carter at the Soviet Embassy in Vienna, would have "grave and even dangerous consequences for our relations and for the situation in the world as a whole." [New York Times] Thomas Watson is expected to be named by President Carter as Ambassador to the Soviet Union. Mr. Watson, former chairman of the board of the International Business Machines Corporation, would replace Malcolm Toon, a career diplomat whose relations with the Kremlin have not been cordial. Mr. Watson is head of the General Advisory Committee to the President on arms control and disarmament. [New York Times] Members of a provisional government for Nicaragua were announced by the Sandinist guerrillas, who are confident that their latest offensive to overthrow President Anastasio Somoza will succeed. [New York Times] About 500 Vietnamese refugees reportedly were sent back to sea by Malaysian authorities, who said recently that the estimated 76,000 refugees in the country would be expelled. Other unconfirmed reports said that as many as 2,500 refugees may have been pushed out to sea. [New York Times]