News stories from Saturday December 2, 1978

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

Drastic cuts in federal health programs will be made in the next budget prepared by the Office of Management and Budget, and some will be eliminated. Official documents indicate that the cuts will amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, if approved by President Carter. [New York Times] The Rev. Jim Jones left a network of secret bank accounts around the world that his former aides say total more than $10 million. He was said to have established at least six, possibly a dozen or more, accounts in Switzerland, Panama and other countries behind anonymous numbered accounts and dummy corporations. [New York Times] Reform Jews are urged to convert Americans who are "unchurched" to Judaism by Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president of the congregational arm of Reform Judaism. In a speech to the 180-member board of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations in Houston, Rabbi Schindler said that millions of Americans are "seekers after truth" who sometimes fall "prey to mystical cults which literally enslave them." He said, "The notion that Judaism was never a missionary faith is wide of the truth." [New York Times] Computerized personal records of Americans would be protected from invasions of privacy under proposals expected from the Carter administration following a year-long study. The study's conclusions will be presented to President Carter this week. [New York Times] Riots broke out in Iran at the start of Moharram, the most emotionally charged month of the Iranian religious year. Three times during a 24-hour period thousands of anti-government demonstrators spilled into the streets of Teheran, defying the curfew and a ban on marches, and three times soldiers with fixed bayonets, backed by tanks and helicopters, dispersed them. The government said seven persons were killed and 37 injured in the first burst of violence last night, but the total may be many times larger. An opposition group said 67 victims were buried during the day. [New York Times] Efforts toward concluding the Egyptian-Israeli peace negotiations seemed to accelerate in Washington, where Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Prime Minister Mustafa Khalil of Egypt had a meeting that was described as "useful and constructive." Mr. Khalil indefinitely postponed his scheduled departure tonight so that he could be available for further discussions. [New York Times] Another Vietnam refugee boat sank off Malaysia, and as many as 143 persons were reported to have been drowned. The boat had been denied permission to dock. The Malaysian Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, announced that refugees still aboard the freighter Hai Hong anchored off Port Kiang would be allowed to move temporarily into camps in view of the promise by the United States to accept refugees who cannot find homes elsewhere. [New York Times]