News stories from Saturday December 9, 1978

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

Venus was reached by instrument probes of Pioneer Venus 2, which radioed information about the weather and chemistry at widely scattered regions of the planet nearest Earth. A fifth probe burned up in the molten Venusian atmosphere, but this had been expected. [New York Times] The nation's governors and state legislatures say they will support President Carter's proposed cut in domestic spending if he will push for consolidation and other reforms in the hundreds of grant-in-aid programs that have proliferated under four administrations. The state governments have supported increased federal spending in the past, and have sought more money for themselves. [New York Times] Democrats struggled to establish party positions on such issues as a national health insurance, inflation and arms control at the party's midterm conference in Memphis. President Carter, whose views on major issues were challenged by delegates, mostly listened, while Vice President Mondale, cabinet members and other administration figures spent the day explaining policies and seeking support. [New York Times] Synanon is under investigation in California. The president of the drug rehabilitation organization, which became a rich corporation, is under arrest for allegedly attempting murder. The State Attorney General's office is investigating Synanon for alleged complicity in 18 assaults, including the attempted murder charge, allegations of child abuse, attempts to bribe a California state official and violations of the state's charitable trust and gun laws. [New York Times] Mayor Koch has been asked to give the White House details of the impact that possible cutbacks in federal aid would have on New York City. The information is needed for the final stages in the preparation of the federal budget for the next fiscal year. The city and its allies in its fiscal crisis, meanwhile, were planning to request more federal aid. [New York Times] Western allies were assured by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance that the projected strategic arms limitation agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union would enhance, not diminish, allied security as Western Europe once feared. Mr. Vance gave the administration's first outline of its policy on Europe in a speech to the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London. [New York Times] The exodus of Americans from Iran grew and at the last count 1,200 wives and children of American servicemen and embassy employees, one-third of the American government dependents in Iran, had left. They chose to leave within 48 hours when news came from Washington that they would be flown home at government expense. [New York Times] Norwegian officials were embarrassed by Prime Minister Menachem Begin's decision to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo without the presence of his co-laureate, President Anwar Sadat, who will remain in Cairo. Mr. Sadat, however, will be represented at tomorrow's ceremonies by an aide, Sayed Marei. The chairman of the Nobel Committee has been on the defensive, and she spent much of last week trying to justify the award. [New York Times]