News stories from Sunday August 5, 1979

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

Congress has been warned that the Social Security system has been endangered by inflation and recession and that a legislative remedy is needed. "There could be a significant deterioration in the financial soundness" of the system in the next five years despite the large increases in Social Security taxes approved by Congress in 1977, Alice Rivlin, director of the Congressional Budget Office, said in a letter to Representative Robert Giaimo of Connecticut, chairman of the House Budget Committee. [New York Times] More than 100 people were arrested at a demonstration against nuclear power and nuclear weapons at Consolidated Edison's Indian Point (N.Y.) nuclear power plant. They were among 4,000 protesters who marched on the plant on the eve of the 34th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. [New York Times] Many environmentalists are concerned that their golden age may be over. Some believe that this was signaled by President Carter's energy speech and they fear that anti-pollution gains could be lost. [New York Times] Eliminating jury trials in civil cases under certain circumstances has been proposed by Chief Justice Warren Burger. He has suggested that federal and state judges study the possibility of foregoing jury trials when civil cases are too long, complicated and technical for laymen to cope with -- "the protracted trials of issues which baffle all but the rarest of jurors," the Chief Justice said at a meeting of chief justices of state courts. [New York Times] Evidence of poisoned drinking wells was withheld from the California authorities by Hooker Chemical Company officials who knew for years that pesticides they dumped illegally at their plant in Lathrop, Calif., were seeping into wells at their plant, into drinking and cattle-watering wells on neighboring farms and into ponds in local fields, according to company memorandums and laboratory reports. [New York Times] Britain would supervise new elections in Zimbabwe Rhodesia under a new effort to end the war there approved by the 39 leaders of delegations to a Commonwealth meeting in Lusaka, Zambia. The peace proposal also calls for a cease-fire and a new constitution. [New York Times] Heavy fighting broke out in Kabul between a rebellious Afghan army unit and troops loyal to the Communist regime of President Noor Mohammad Taraki, according to Western diplomats in Islamabad, Pakistan. The fighting spread through the city before it was reported halted by government troops. The Kabul radio accused "Pakistani and Iranian agents" of causing the incident. [New York Times] Equatorial Guinea's dictator was toppled in a military coup, the national radio announced. A broadcast from the West African nation monitored in Paris said that President Nguema Biyoto Masie, whose 11-year sway has been described as one of the most brutal in Africa, was removed Friday night in a bloodless coup. [New York Times] A provisional Bolivian president has reportedly been chosen. Hours before the scheduled transfer of power from a governing military junta to civilian rule, political party leaders reportedly agreed to support Walter Guevara Arze, the president of the Senate, as a compromise choice. [New York Times] Italy's new government was sworn in and the Socialists announced that they will abstain in the vote of confidence in Parliament this week on the three-party coalition formed by Prime Minister Francesco Cossiga, assuring his victory. [New York Times]