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News stories from Sunday November 5, 1978
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Slight Republican gains appear likely as the 1978 congressional campaign draws to a close with a flurry of television commercials featuring personal attacks. With a low voter turnout predicted for Tuesday's election, an exceptional number of races were too close to call and, as a result, major party shifts seemed possible. Nevertheless, most experts predicted a swing of no more than two Senate seats and Republican gains of about 15 House seats. [New York Times]
- Taxes are the major issue in Tuesday's elections and decisions made by 1978 voters are expected to have a major impact on public revenues and spending levels for years to come. Tax-cutting and spending-restraint referendums and initiatives are on the ballot in 15 states, and many candidates have based their campaigns on promises of drastic tax cuts. [New York Times]
- Reviewing his presidency, Jimmy Carter said he may have underestimated the powers of his office during his first two years in the White House. Nevertheless, Mr. Carter said he was satisfied with the accomplishments of his administration so far and was planning to concentrate on controlling inflation and the nuclear arms race. He said the only major domestic legislation proposed in his 1976 campaign that had not yet been presented to Congress was a national health plan, which would be ready soon. [New York Times]
- The C.I.A. learned that the Soviet Union had information about its KH-11 satellite reconnaissance system more than two months before it came to suspect the former C.I.A. employee who has been charged with selling the secrets, senior intelligence sources said. According to the sources, this fact could jeopardize the government's case against William Kampiles, who goes on trial Monday. [New York Times]
- Saccharin is a potential carcinogen, the National Academy of Sciences said in concluding a review of the sugar substitute made at the request of Congress. It "must be viewed as a potential cause of cancer in humans," the study warned, while expressing concern that one-third of children under 10 years of age were saccharin users and might be subject to the greatest risk. [New York Times]
- The New York Times and the Daily News resumed publication after an 88-day shutdown caused by a succession of union disputes. The final obstacle was cleared when the Newspaper Guild agreed to remove pickets at the Times pending a membership vote on a management contract proposal. [New York Times]
- Iran's Prime Minister resigned after demonstrators demanding the ouster of the Shah rampaged in Teheran, setting fire to buildings. As strikes spread throughout the country, further crippling oil production and other industries, the Shah called on the military to restore order, and the authorities announced that they would strictly enforce martial law. The Shah, rebuffed in efforts to bring opposition figures into a provisional government, was expected to form a new government with military leaders in key posts.
United States officials, alarmed at the deteriorating situation in Iran, said that the Shah would have to take decisive action -- probably a change in government -- in order to survive the crisis. "It's completely out of control," said one official, who called the government a lost cause. [New York Times]
- An Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty "moved close to completion," according to a statement issued by the chief Egyptian and Israeli negotiators and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance following their meeting at Blair House in Washington. Progress was reported on the political and economic portion of the treaty, as well as on the conclusion of the military section, but there probably will not be a formal treaty announcement this week. [New York Times]
- China's Deputy Prime Minister began a tour of Southeast Asia, starting in Bangkok. Teng Hsiao-ping's trip was seen as a major Chinese effort to counter growing Soviet and Vietnamese influence in Southeast Asia. It followed the signing of a treaty between the Soviet Union and Vietnam and adds an important ingredient to the diplomatic chemistry of the region. [New York Times]
- A major scandal has struck South Africa's new government under Prime Minister P. W. Botha and it is possible that his principal deputy, Cornelius Mulder, will be dismissed. A three-man judicial commission will begin an inquiry tomorrow into whether there was secret government funding of a pro-apartheid newspaper in Johannesburg, despite assurances to Parliament by Mr. Mulder that no taxpayers' money had gone to the paper. A report that the government also bid $11.5 million to gain control of an American newspaper to promote apartheid will also be investigated. [New York Times]
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