News stories from Friday April 21, 1972
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Apollo astronauts John Young and Charles Duke carried out scientific experiments on the lunar surface. Duke and Young raised and saluted the U.S. flag on the moon, then drilled into the moon's surface to measure its temperature and take pictures. Duke dropped some equipment; Young tripped on a wire and broke it. They drove the lunar rover to Flag Crater to collect rock and soil samples. [CBS]
- U.S. B-52s and jet fighter-bombers struck deeper inside North Vietnam, including the port at Thanh Hoa, 80 miles from Hanoi. One U.S. Phantom jet was shot down, but its two crewmen were rescued from the Gulf of Tonkin. North Vietnamese forces stormed back into An Loc, South Vietnam; U.S. pilots dodged heavy anti-aircraft fire. Communist tanks were sighted near Chon Thanh as refugees fled from the city. Communists shelled the U.S. Air Force Base at Bien Hoa. A U.S. destroyer sank a North Vietnamese patrol boat.
The South Vietnamese air force flies American planes in South Vietnam. The renewed fighting has revealed that the South Vietnamese air force is unable to handle the job alone. Its maintenance and supply organization is weak and replacement parts are scarce.
[CBS] - Thirteen months ago, 33 U.S. soldiers were killed and 76 wounded in an enemy raid on Fire Base Mary Ann. The Army has taken action against three officers for "substandard conduct" pertaining to the incident: General James Baldwin, Col. William Hathaway and Lt. Col. William Doyle. [CBS]
- The Labor Department reported that the cost of living was up only 0.2% in March, and not up at all (for the first time in five years) when seasonally adjusted; stable food prices were credited. Price Commission chairman Jack Grayson called the figures encouraging. [CBS]
- The director of the Pay Board's Office of Economic Policy stated that some top corporate executives have doubled their salaries under Phase II economic controls. Senator William Proxmire called the revelation "shocking". [CBS]
- The Republican party is considering changing its national convention site from San Diego to Miami Beach. The Miami Beach city council voiced both eagerness and opposition to hosting the Republican convention. The mayor warned that the move may just be a Republican maneuver designed to pressure San Diego into taking action.
San Diego Civic Committee chairman Leon Parma stated that an impasse exists between the Republican National Committee and the owner of the International Sports Arena regarding renovations for the convention. If the Republicans pull out of San Diego, the city stands to lose a sizable financial investment.
[CBS] - Edmund Muskie is reported to have spent the most in the Wisconsin primary, double the amount spent by the winner, George McGovern. Campaigns in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are drawing to a close. Pennsylvania Governor Milton Shapp backs Muskie; Humphrey is supported by organized labor and is courting the black vote. Pittsburgh may be the deciding factor in the Pennsylvania race. Muskie criticized high property taxes and low-quality schools as he appealed for the Polish vote there. [CBS]
- Students protested the renewed U.S. bombing of North Vietnam. In Chicopee, Massachusetts, 100 were arrested for blocking the gates of Westover Air Force Base; in Austin, Texas, police used tear gas to disperse University of Texas students who were marching in the downtown area; protesters also marched in Boston. In New York City, classes at Columbia University were canceled for the day. [CBS]
- Vice-President Agnew attacked critics of Vietnam the war. Agnew criticized Senators Fulbright and Kennedy and presidential contenders Humphrey, McGovern and Muskie for their antiwar statements and he charged that their motives are political. Agnew said that the Democrats' statement that President Nixon wants a military victory more than peace is a lie told by those who pushed America into Vietnam in the first place. [CBS]
- A Middletown (N.Y.) Times Herald Record reporter said that a Secret Service agent pulled him and his wife from a White House reception line to ask what they planned to say to the President. Herb Klein, the President's communications director, offered an apology. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 963.80 (-2.49, -0.26%)
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 20, 1972 | 966.29 | 109.04 | 18.19 |
| April 19, 1972 | 964.78 | 109.20 | 19.18 |
| April 18, 1972 | 968.92 | 109.77 | 19.41 |
| April 17, 1972 | 966.59 | 109.51 | 15.39 |
| April 14, 1972 | 967.72 | 109.84 | 17.46 |
| April 13, 1972 | 965.53 | 109.91 | 17.99 |
| April 12, 1972 | 966.96 | 110.18 | 24.69 |
| April 11, 1972 | 962.60 | 109.76 | 19.93 |
| April 10, 1972 | 958.08 | 109.45 | 19.47 |
| April 7, 1972 | 962.60 | 109.62 | 19.90 |