News stories from Monday April 24, 1972
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, the Viet Cong representative to the Paris Peace Talks, wrote a letter to each member of Congress urging a halt to the war and a return to peace talks. A spokesman for President Nixon called it a presumptuous effort to inject herself into the American political process. [CBS]
- Antiwar protests continued today. At Columbia University in New York City, demonstrators blocked doors to class buildings. In New Jersey, demonstrators in canoes tried to prevent the Navy ammo vessel "Nitro" from sailing to South Vietnam. The Coast Guard broke up the blockade. Seven sailors from the "Nitro" jumped overboard, complaining about a lack of safety measures on board the ship. [CBS]
- North Vietnamese tanks and troops swept down Highway 14 in South Vietnam's Central Highlands near Dak To, opening a new front in their current offensive. Tan Canh fell to the enemy as government soldiers and civilians fled south. Four Americans were killed when their helicopter was shot down. Enemy pressure increased on An Loc, near Saigon. Rockets hit the U.S. Air Force Base at Danang; seven soldiers were wounded. A B-52 was hit by anti-aircraft fire over North Vietnam and limped back to Danang. [CBS]
- U.S. B-52s and fighter-bombers hit the port at Thanh Hoa, North Vietnam. Seven Americans died in a search operation behind enemy lines in the DMZ. Lt. Colonel I.E. Hembleton was rescued after an 11-day search; he is now recovering at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. [CBS]
- The U.S. withdrew 8,500 men from Vietnam, but Naval forces rose by 4,000 to a total of 38,000. [CBS]
- Apollo 16 astronauts are upset with mission control for making changes in the flight plan. Astronaut Young failed to throw a circuit breaker and the Orion tumbled out of control instead of hitting the moon. Tonight the three astronauts begin their journey home in the command ship, Casper. NASA announced a step toward a possible joint American-Russian space flight in 1975. [CBS]
- The Supreme Court had previously agreed to review the Miranda ruling on confessions in trials, but today decided not to do so. [CBS]
- Eighteen states have accused car manufacturers of conspiring to delay the development of a pollution-free car. Some are calling for the installation of anti-pollution devices on every car built since 1953. [CBS]
- Senator Edward Kennedy hasn't endorsed a candidate in the Massachusetts Democratic presidential primary, which is scheduled for tomorrow. [CBS]
- The Republican National Committee called an emergency session for May 5-6 to consider moving the 1972 convention from San Diego to Miami Beach. National party chairman Robert Dole says that the problems with having the convention in California are insurmountable. [CBS]
- White House aide Peter Flanigan submitted additional written testimony about the ITT affair to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Flanigan says in his letter that he mentioned ITT's objection to the planned antitrust settlement to acting Attorney General Kleindienst. Senator Edward Kennedy believes that Flanigan's letter contradicts Kleindienst's testimony. [CBS]
- In Bonn, West Germany, the opposition Christian Democratic Party announced that it plans to try to oust Chancellor Willy Brandt. Should the coalition of Social and Free Democrats fall, it could jeopardize German treaties with Russia and Poland, and President Nixon's visit to Russia. [CBS]
- Unemployment may be worse than statistics indicate. The Nixon administration has said that 6% unemployment isn't as bad as it looks due to the fact that women and children have entered the labor market. But a study by staff of the Senate Manpower subcommittee found that unemployment is much worse than it looks in poverty-stricken areas -- three times as bad -- due to "underemployment"; the underemployed are those who work but are not earning enough to make a living. The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that the committee's definition of "underemployment" is unclear. [CBS]
- International Union of Operating Engineers president Hunter Wharton stated that worker productivity has not kept up with pay raises, and he called for a return to pride of workmanship. [CBS]
- Dr. David Rosenthal of the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 60 million Americans have mental disorders. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 957.48 (-6.32, -0.66%)
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 21, 1972 | 963.80 | 108.89 | 18.20 |
| 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 |