News stories from Sunday July 15, 1979
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- President Carter proposed an energy program intended to cut 4.5 million barrels of oil from the nation's daily imports by 1990. In a televised address to the nation, he said a crisis of confidence was posing "a fundamental threat to American democracy." He also said that the United States would make "the most massive peacetime commitment of funds and resources in our nation's history" to develop alternative energy sources and reduce dependence on foreign oil. [New York Times]
- Tens of millions of dollars were lost through inept management of the sales of surplus minerals from the nation's defense stockpiles, auditors for the General Services Administration have charged in reports over the last decade. The reports, under study in the Senate, raise new allegations of mismanagement in the G.S.A. [New York Times]
- Nevada is leading a rebellion in the West against federal land ownership. The government owns more than half of the West, including 87 percent of Nevada, which seeks appropriation of 49 million acres of federal land under a bill recently passed by the Nevada legislature. [New York Times]
- Boston paid tribute to Arthur Fiedler with a memorial service of music accompanied by fireworks, cannon fire and pealing church bells, a replica of the Bicentennial Concert he conducted with the Boston Pops Orchestra on July 4, 1976. About 10,000 people gathered in heavy rain at the bandshell at the foot of Beacon Hill where Mr. Fiedler, who died last Tuesday, had conducted outdoor concerts. [New York Times]
- Herman Talmadge's prestige eroded in Georgia following his recent testimony before the Senate Ethics Committee. Two problems at home face the Senator: Leading fellow Democrats are planning to challenge him for his Senate seat, and voters may no longer believe in what Atlanta newspapers call "the divine right of Talmadges." [New York Times]
- A funeral mass for Carmine Galante was refused by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, which invoked a rarely used provision of ecclesiastical law. A statement signed by Terence Cardinal Cooke extended "sympathy" to Mr. Galante's family, but said, "We are not able to grant a liturgical service in the church because of the scandal that would ensue." A funeral service for an alleged underworld associate of Mr. Galante was approved, however. [New York Times]
- Morarji Desai resigned as India's Prime Minister. Faced with a vote of no confidence in Parliament, which he did not have enough votes to defeat, he reluctantly stepped down in response to pleas from his dwindling political allies and to save his Janata Party from collapse. [New York Times]
- Four Palestinian gunmen surrendered at the Egyptian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, and freed nine hostages taken when they seized the building Friday. The surrender followed a meeting with members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization who had gone to Ankara to persuade them to give up. [New York Times]
- U.S. concerns have been met by the rebel junta that is seeking to take over Nicaragua's government from President Anastasio Somoza, members of the junta said. They also said that a special State Department envoy had assured them that United States support was imminent. [New York Times]
- Gunmen wounded a close aide of Ayatollah Khomeini in Teheran, and at least nine other persons were killed in a surge of terrorism in Iran. [New York Times]
- Vietnam's acute economic difficulties were cited as one reason for the exodus of thousands of refugees from the country by Deputy Foreign Minister Hoang Bith Son. But in an interview in Hanoi he denied that any of the refugees had been forcibly expelled. [New York Times]