Week of March 8, 1983

Police officers who commit perjury at criminal trials have absolute immunity from

damage suits under the 1871 Civil Rights Act, so says the U.S. Supreme Court.

Atty. Gen. William French Smith gives the FBI broader authority to infiltrate and

monitor groups that allegedly condone violence as a tool for social and political

change.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker suggests

that Congress consider enacting an oil import tax this year

to help reduce the budget deficit if world prices dropped

below $39 a barrel.

The House votes to raise the retirement age of Social

Security benefits to 67 from 65.

About 500 black youths, angered because police broke up

an outdoor party, roam the Liberty City neighborhood in

northwest Miami - throw in stones, igniting

trash fires and looting a gasoline station.

Police had to cordon off a 30-block area.

President Reagan orders that all federal

employees who have access to classified

information must submit to a lie-detector test

in any investigation of leaks or face “adverse

consequences,’ including possible dismissal.

Technology - IBM unveils an enhanced

version of its poplar personal computer and

cuts prices on some existing personal

computer systems. A basic XT system costs

$4,995 says IBM.

Speaking at Epcot Center in Florida,

President Reagan says video games are

good for you. “I recently learned something

quite interesting about video games. Many

young people have developed incredible

hand, eye and braid coordination in playing

these games The Air Force believes these

Week of March 8, 1983

kids will be outstanding pilots should they fly our jets.”

41 New Hampshire towns vote to demand that the federal government act to

reduce pollution believe to be caused by acid rain to the Northeast. A group says

the pollution has made rain that falls on New Hampshire 40 times more acidic

than normal, killing fish in lakes and threatening forests and drinking water.

Some Reagan aides wish the President to stop being such a nice guy. He has a

reluctance to fire people.

Sports - ABC televises three USFL games on Sunday - Chicago-Washington,

Philadelphia-Denver and New Jersey-Los Angeles. The ratings weren’t bad. In

Philly - a 20.9 rating and a 39 share. In New York - a 28 share and in Los

Angeles - a 17.8 rating and a 50 share!

More USFL - The Michigan Panthers

get a 9-7 victory over the Birmingham

stallions in the USFL’s first Monday night

game.

Media -

Lets face it, Paul Harvey is everywhere.

His national radio ratings are

the highest for any personality

in the field. Each week he

produces 5 TV commentaries,

3 newspaper columns, 11

radio newscasts and on top of that, appears several times a week as

a speaker.

Passing - Marjorie Guthrie (65) former wife of the late folksinger

Woody Guthrie and mother of singer Arlo Guthrie.

Television news -

Walt Disney is pulling its weekly series off CBS because it is starting its own

channel - a pay channel on cable. Look for the “Disney Channel” beginning April

18. The channel will operate 16 hours a day, 7 days a week with a variety of

programming. Disney says it will contain 15 original series and old classics.

Among the original programming - “Good Morning Mickey and “Mousercise.”

First Lady Nancy Reagan tapes as a guest star on NBC’s “Diff’rent strokes about

drug abuse.

Week of March 8, 1983

On HBO this week - “An Evening With Robin Williams.” No one is spared!

Monday night television -

CBS - Square Pegs, Mall & Frye, Alice, One Day At A Time, Cagney and Lacey

NBC - Little House: A New Beginning, M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers,

Tonight, Late Night With David Letterman

ABC - Movie - Close Encounters of the Third Kind

ESPN - USFL Football

M.A.D.D. - Made For TV Movie.