News stories from Sunday February 15, 1970

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

William Kunstler, a leading defense attorney at the Chicago conspiracy trial, was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for contempt of court by Judge Julius Hoffman. The other defense attorney, Leonard Weinglass, was sentenced to more than 20 months. The three defendants who were not sentenced Saturday also received prison sentences for contempt. The jury retired for the night. [New York Times] Despite a statement from a Coast Guard official that it was too late to stop the spread of oil spilled into Tampa Bay in Florida on Friday, when a tanker ran aground, workmen used bales of straw, plastic foam and suction equipment to clean up the oil -- while Boy Scouts, students and others rescued and cleaned oil from sea birds. [New York Times] Demonstrations and student strikes in high schools and colleges during the week of April 13 to 18 were called by the Student Mobilization Committee, which was announcing its spring campaign against the war in Vietnam. The announcement came out of a two-day conference of the group at Case Western Reserve University. [New York Times] In an attempt to dramatize opposition to the war in Vietnam, Representative Allard Lowenstein of Nassau County (N.Y.) is expected to offer to resign his seat if Governor Rockefeller agrees to call a special election in 60 days. Mr. Lowenstein would then run for re-election, attempting to turn the election into a referendum on the war. [New York Times] Allied military spokesmen in Saigon said a South Vietnamese brigade virtually wiped out an enemy battalion that had planned to attack Danang this month. South Vietnamese soldiers overran concealed foxholes and bunkers, killed 145 enemy soldiers and captured 12, the spokesman said. Four South Vietnamese were reported killed. [New York Times] The Soviet Union is doing everything possible to maintain good relations with Communist China, a diplomat who has been a member of the Soviet delegation at the Chinese-Soviet talks in Peking said in an article in Pravda regarded as an attempt to refute Western speculation that the Soviet Union was planning to attack China. [New York Times] Canadian officials said the thick industrial fuel contaminating the Chedabucto Bay because of the wreck of the tanker Arrow Feb. 4 may remain in some places for weeks, months and possibly years. The officials added that rough weather forecast for tomorrow could break up the sunken wreckage, further polluting the bay. [New York Times]