News stories from Tuesday April 20, 1971
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- The Supreme Court upheld the principle of busing in order to desegregate schools. The decision is considered to be as significant as its 1954 decision, and the immediate impact may be greater. The decision is in direct conflict with President Nixon's policy favoring neighborhood schools; support for public education may be lessened by today's ruling. Lower courts are now given the authority to alter school attendance zones, combine non-adjacent districts, and guard against resegregation through construction.
A member of the Charlotte, N.C., school board stated his belief that the ruling will result in one standard applied to the South and another for the rest of the country; he is skeptical that New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles will be forced to comply with this Supreme Court decision. A spokesman for the Concerned Parents Association said that he is disappointed by the decision and thinks that this is another step towards the destruction of public education in the South.
[CBS] - The White House Conference on Youth voted down a resolution calling for President Nixon's resignation by a 2 to 1 margin. [CBS]
- Vietnam Veterans Against the War continued their demonstrations in Washington. The group attended a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on antiwar bills, where Senator George McGovern testified that veterans' protests represent the "highest form of patriotism." Veterans then returned to Arlington National Cemetery, where they had been barred from entering yesterday; they were allowed to place wreaths today. Cemetery superintendent John Metzler told the veterans that what happened yesterday was just a misunderstanding. [CBS]
- Senator Mike Mansfield reported that there were 209 "fragging" incidents in Vietnam last year. [CBS]
- Col. Frank Miller has been relieved of command after criticizing South Vietnam's performance during the Laos operation and for criticizing the progress of Vietnamization. [CBS]
- Premier Lon Nol of Cambodia resigned today, but his brother said that the resignation is just a constitutional device to allow reorganization of the cabinet. [CBS]
- The Chinese ping-pong team has accepted an invitation to visit the United States. The White House discounted reports that Vice President Agnew was dissatisfied with the U.S. ping-pong team's visit to Red China. [CBS]
- Secretary of State William Rogers met with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Yigal Allon. Allon listed two conditions for partial Israeli withdrawal from the Suez Canal -- the conditions include the termination of belligerency, and no Egyptian or other troops east of the canal. How to guarantee that troops won't cross the canal after withdrawal is a problem for American diplomats. [CBS]
- The Soviet Union reportedly will send six MiG fighters to Ceylon at the request of Ceylon's government. It will be the first Soviet air base in non-Communist Asia. [CBS]
- Air pollution in Birmingham, Alabama, was reported today as being three times greater than the critical level. [CBS]
- The Interior Department increased the number of oil leases off the Gulf coast, but half of the leases in the Santa Barbara channel will be canceled tomorrow. [CBS]
- Twenty-four people were killed in a fire at the Imperial Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. [CBS]
- House Ways and Means chairman Wilbur Mills introduced legislation to increase the minimum wage from $1.60 an hour to $2.00 as of 1972. [CBS]
- The Senate began hearings on legislation to save wild mustangs. Only 16,000 mustangs remain; they are hunted for sport, used as pet food, and compete with domestic herds for grass and water. Rep. Gilbert Gude's 11-year-old son Greg read a letter to the Senate committee telling of children's sadness over the killing of the mustangs. Author Hope Ryden also spoke before the committee. [CBS]
- House Commerce Committee chairman Harley Staggers has postponed for 10 days a showdown with CBS concerning "The Selling of the Pentagon". At a closed committee session, a lawyer for CBS said that he could not conceive of the purpose for requesting materials that were not broadcast; Staggers listed seven reasons, and said that he believes the public has the right to know if statements were taken out of context or if interviewees were misquoted. [CBS]
- The National Transportation Safety Board recommended that the highest attainable speed of new cars be limited to the highest speed limit in the United States. There is currently no speed limit in unpopulated areas of Nevada. [CBS]
- Anne Eckis is in the hospital after rehearsing a scene for a movie which involved a ride on killer whale "Shamu" at the Sea World Marine Park in San Diego. Eckis said that the whale did not stop when a whistle was blown; she was knocked off by a wave and pulled in to shore by the whale. Eckis said it was the first time she ever rode the whale while in a bathing suit, and the whale may have been curious. Eckis in good condition after receiving 100 stitches. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 944.42 (-4.43, -0.47%)
Arms Index is the ratio of volume per declining issue to volume per advancing issue; a figure below 1.0 is bullish. | |||||||||||||||
| Market Index Trends | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | DJIA | S&P | Volume* |
| April 19, 1971 | 948.85 | 104.01 | 17.73 |
| April 16, 1971 | 940.21 | 103.49 | 18.28 |
| April 15, 1971 | 938.17 | 103.52 | 22.54 |
| April 14, 1971 | 932.55 | 103.37 | 19.44 |
| April 13, 1971 | 927.28 | 102.98 | 23.20 |
| April 12, 1971 | 926.64 | 102.88 | 19.41 |
| April 8, 1971 | 920.39 | 102.10 | 17.59 |
| April 7, 1971 | 918.49 | 101.98 | 22.27 |
| April 6, 1971 | 912.73 | 101.51 | 19.99 |
| April 5, 1971 | 905.07 | 100.79 | 16.04 |