News stories from Sunday January 31, 1971

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

The launch of Apollo 14 was witnessed by 500,000 people at Cape Kennedy, Florida. There was a delay of 40 minutes due to new safety rules related to the weather, but the launch was nearly perfect. The success of Apollo 14 is vital to the future of the space program. [NBC] The Washington Post reported that there is a news embargo concerning the possible South Vietnam attack in Laos, as U.S. air strikes on the Ho Chi Minh Trail continued. Critics are questioning the consequences if U.S. air support is provided for South Vietnam's attacks in Laos. A fuel convoy was ambushed by the enemy on Highway 4 in Cambodia. [NBC] U.S. involvement in Okinawa has been overshadowed by Vietnam. Protests on Okinawa against American presence there have taken place recently. The United States will soon turn administration of the island over to Japan but the U.S. intends to continue to have military bases there. Protesters object to the presence of poison gas and the proximity of military activities to the residents of the island. Further violent protests are expected. [NBC] Detergents in Chicago are not permitted to be more than 35% phosphates, and all phosphates must be eliminated by next June. Water pollution legalities are also a problem in Detroit, where the metropolitan water department is treating sewage in a 30-year-old plant which returns 750 million gallons of dirty water to Lake Erie daily. A new system removing 90% of pollution is scheduled to be ready in two years. [NBC] The oil spill cleanup in San Francisco Bay has been more successful than is typical; cleanup is now 99% complete. Consequences of the spill include protest demonstrations against the Standard Oil Company, and damage to wildlife. Several lawsuits have been filed against Standard Oil. [NBC] Senator George McGovern asked a Senate committee to investigate the case of former FBI agent John Shaw. Shaw lost his job after writing a letter critical of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. [NBC] Former President Truman was out of bed today in a Kansas City hospital. [NBC] The Nixon administration extended the California Rural Legal Assistance Program for another six months; the CRLA has been battling Governor Reagan to stay alive. Reagan said that the end of CRLA indicates interest by the federal government in finding a better alternative. A CRLA spokesman vowed that the organization will continue to represent poor people even without funding. [NBC] Mexican-Americans met in a Los Angeles park to discuss relations with the police and other problems. There were rock and bottle throwing incidents afterwards. [NBC] The Organization of American States recommends that the U.S. and Ecuador negotiate a settlement related to Ecuador's seizure of several U.S. tuna boats. [NBC] The Queen of Nepal was hit by a bullet during a tiger hunt; she is recovering satisfactorily. [NBC] Residents of San Diego tried to give petitions to the Viet Cong delegation in Paris, asking for information and better treatment of prisoners of war. [NBC]