News stories from Saturday October 9, 1982

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

Inflation is under control, Paul Volcker, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board , said, adding that he now wants to help try to pull the economy out of the recession. [New York Times] Unemployed middle-income people have increased in number as a result of prolonged levels of unusually high unemployment and the elmination of certain types of better-paying jobs in government and industry.The length of unemployment insurance benefits has been reduced by the federal government in 13 states this year and the length of coverage will probably be cut back in eight to 16 other states, Labor Department officials said. [New York Times] Investigators in the Tylenol-cyanide murder case, a 130-member veteran team, has methodically set out on a journey of unknown duration to discover who is responsible for the deaths of at least seven persons who swallowed the drug. [New York Times] The abolition of Solidarity was defended by Poland's martial law ruler, Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, as the only practical way out of Poland's economic and political malaise. "We have come another step on our rough and toilsome road," the general said in addressing Parliament during what he termed a "historic session." [New York Times] Poland's most-favored-nation status will be suspended, President Reagan announced, in response to the outlawing by Poland of the Solidarity labor union. With the status, Poland has for 22 years had the lowest prevailing tariffs for its exports to the United States. The immediate effect of the action will be to raise tariffs on exports of manufactured products but not farm products. [New York Times] The President's action was symbolic, admnistration officials said in characterizing Mr. Reagan's decision to deprive Poland of its most-favored-nation status. The step was taken without any conviction that it would be duplicated by American allies or that it would produce an early improvement in conditions in Poland, they said. [New York Times] A synagogue was attacked in Rome by unidentified gunmen who threw grenades and fired submachine guns. A 2-year-old boy was killed and 34 people were wounded. The congregation was observing Shemini Atzereth, a holiday on which children are taken to synagogue for special blessing. [New York Times] Israel's role in the massacre in Beirut last month is the focus of an investigation by a special judicial commission that begins in Jerusalem this week. Two questions emerge as crucial. One is why the Israeli leadership, knowing that Lebanese Phalangists had massacred Palestinians in the past, decided to allow Phalangist militiamen into Palestinian refugee camps. The other is why cabinet ministers and generals did not move more quickly to stop the carnage. [New York Times] The Social Democrat minority government in Hamburg admitted failure to reach a working agreement with the Green Party and agreed with the opposition Christian Democrats to hold new elections to the state legislature in December. [New York Times]