News stories from Sunday October 17, 1976

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

Gifts to Jimmy Carter in the 1970 Georgia gubernatorial campaign were itemized in a list made public by the Democratic presidential candidate. About $57,000 out of a total of nearly $700,000 was from corporate and business contributors, including some who did business with the state. The Carter staff did not indicate whether the gifts exceeded the cost of the campaign and, if so, where the surplus went. [New York Times] A freighter has disappeared in the so-called Bermuda Triangle, and the Coast Guard fears it has sunk. The vessel, Sylvia L. Ossa, of Panamanian registry, was on the way from Brazil to Philadelphia. An overturned lifeboat and a life preserver with burn marks have been recovered. [New York Times] Since the 1973 oil embargo, the United States has done little in the opinion of most oil experts to improve its energy posture and would suffer a comparable economic blow if it is renewed. But some of them contend that the nation has finally begun a serious attempt to attack the energy problem. [New York Times] A health insurance cost study for the federal government says the labor-backed plan in the Kennedy-Corman bill providing cradle-to-grave coverage may not cost more than all other plans under consideration. This finding by actuarial consultants has political significance since the plan most resembles Mr. Carter's concept and differs widely from President Ford's. [New York Times] At least 85 naturalized Americans and resident aliens are suspected by the Immigration and Naturalization Service of having concealed participation in World War II atrocities in order to enter the United States later. Almost all are from Eastern Europe, particularly the former republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Their neighbors often call them model citizens. [New York Times] The West German mark's value against the currencies of the six other countries of the European currency bloc was moved up by agreement with them, without specifically changing its value in dollar terms. The mark will continue to float freely against the dollar. The seven countries announced their determination to maintain their currency union and carry out necessary anti-inflationary policies. [New York Times] An exception to the cease-fire imposed on Lebanon by Saudi Arabia was the occupation of a Moslem village near the Israeli border by Lebanese Christian militiamen. Hundreds of villagers were forced to flee and witnesses said several were killed or wounded in the takeover following a night of shelling. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Beirut said the limited talks of six Arab leaders In the Saudi capital were making satisfactory progress. [New York Times] A fourth Rhodesian nationalist leader should be asked to the Geneva conference, in the opinion of four black African presidents. They urged Britain to invite Rev. Ndabaningi Sithole to join the talks. Both he and Robert Mugabe say they represent one of the main nationalist organizations, and the request seemed certain to intensify their rivalry for power. [New York Times] The Peking garrison vowed its allegiance to Prime Minister Hua Kuo-feng as Chairman of the Central Committee of China's Communist Party. The campaign continued against "the gang of four," including Chiang Ching, widow of Chairman Mao Tse-tung, A Shanghai wall poster accused Miss Chiang of having hastened Mao's death by nagging him in his last weeks. [New York Times] The first Soviet splashdown was scored by the two Soviet astronauts whose mission was aborted and who came down, intentionally or not, in a lake in the Kazakh Republic. Heretofore all Soviet manned capsules have parachuted to hard ground. Tass said helicopters and water craft operating at night in snowfall picked up the astronauts and their craft. [New York Times]