News stories from Sunday October 31, 1976

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

The latest gains in enough states have given President Ford close to an even chance of defeating Jimmy Carter in Tuesday's election, according to a comprehensive 50-state electoral vote survey by the New York Times. In some states the number of undecided voters seemed to be rising. The outcome could be decided by the final day of stumping, election eve television appeals and the success of the contenders in getting backers to the polls. [New York Times] Two welcome surprises greeted Mr. Ford when he attended a Catholic mass in Buffalo. The first was a strong anti-abortion pastoral letter that was sympathetic to the President. The second was a welcome to the Polish-American church that absolved him of his campaign misstep of having insisted that Communist states of Eastern Europe were free of Soviet domination. [New York Times] President Ford was characterized by Jimmy Carter as a man with an undistinguished record in Congress and the White House. At a breakfast rally in Dallas, Mr. Carter said that his opponent "was a congressman for 25 years -- and can any of you remember one piece of legislation he sponsored?" His audience of more than 1,000 Texans replied with a loud "No!" [New York Times] With barbed pleasantries, Senator James Buckley and Daniel Patrick Moynihan debated issues in their final television confrontation of the New York Senate campaign. Mr. Buckley said his labeling of his challenger as "professor" was "respectful." Mr. Moynihan said the Senator had vowed to beat him so "liberalism would never again show its ugly head in New York." [New York Times] A sniper started shooting from a barricaded apartment toward a restaurant in the Hudson Valley town of Mechanicsville. A 90-minute gun battle between the gunman and dozens of policemen left two killed, 10 injured and the assailant charged with murder. The sniper, Kenyon Pruyn, 32, was said to have a drinking problem. [New York Times] Federal investigators have questioned high Agriculture Department officials on alleged efforts by two Congressmen to influence decisions an rice and other export programs, government sources said. The sources said that the inquiry seemed linked to alleged South Korean efforts to bribe members of Congress. [New York Times] The retrieval of a missile that fell off an American aircraft carrier six weeks ago and dropped to the floor of the North Atlantic off Scotland's coast was announced by the Navy. There had been concern that the Soviet Union would try to recover the Phoenix missile and the F-14 that carried it. [New York Times] A nuclear capability will be given to the United States' new F-16 fighter jet. The Pentagon made the decision in part to reassure European allies that the United States would have a continuing ability to wage a limited nuclear war in Europe as it shifts to a new generation of fighters. [New York Times] Reported missing 17 days, a New Jersey mariner was found 500 miles east of Puerto Rico, adrift in his damaged sloop but apparently unhurt. The Coast Guard said that the sailor, 23-year-old Robert Gainer, who had sought to circle the globe alone, seemed in good spirits and in no immediate danger. [New York Times] Individual investors are expected to react coolly to new notes and bonds totaling $6 billion that the Treasury will offer this week in contrast to heavy demand for previous offers. If interest rates hold steady, it's probable that the new three-year notes will yield about 6¼ percent, seven-year notes will yield a bit more than 7 percent and long-term bonds about 7¾ percent. [New York Times] The newest popular tax shelter, leasing syndications for mining coal, has been opposed by the Internal Revenue Service. Coal leases are the last broad chance for high-bracket taxpayers to gain immediate tax deductions totaling up to four times their cash investment. The I.R.S. has proposed rules to prevent investors from paying coal mining royalties in advance. This would delay tax deductions until the coal is sold. [New York Times] The first woman broker to spend her entire working day on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange last week acknowledged the work was quite a jolt. No matter how many years "you spend in this business, the floor is a completely different world," she said, adding, "There's a different verbiage, a different pace," The broker is Alice Jarcho, 30, of New York. [New York Times] Pessimism is spreading among business and financial experts in Europe over prospects for the world economy and its ability to cope with rising problems of managing debts, slow growth and increasing unemployment. Analysts say there is a lack of international leadership to deal with the issues. [New York Times] Britain must play a pivotal role, in Washington's view, in a transition to black majority rule in Rhodesia or guerrilla warfare there will accelerate, diplomatic sources in Geneva said. Behind-the-scenes talks at the Geneva conference on Rhodesia center on a Briton's serving as an interim governor or as chairman of the proposed council of state, part of a two-tier temporary regime. [New York Times] Scores of Christian Arabs in Israel have asked to serve in the Israeli defense forces in apparent gratitude for Israel's military aid to Christians in Lebanon's civil war. The trend was confirmed by an Israeli official who said that a response by the government would depend on whether it was a transitory move or "something deeper." [New York Times]