|
|
News stories from Sunday February 18, 1973
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Twenty more American POWs who were freed by North Vietnam arrived at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. All of the men had been prisoners for at least six years. [NBC]
- Most POWs will soon be released from hospitals to go home. Ex-POW Larry Spencer will be coming home to Earlham, Iowa, and the town is preparing a royal welcome for him. Mayor Raymond Flinn says that the town can't do too much for a prisoner of war. Some families here lost their sons in Vietnam, but that doesn't dampen the spirit in Earlham. [NBC]
- Henry Kissinger talked with Chinese Premier Chou En-lai in Peking. [NBC]
- The Senate will open important hearings this week on freedom of the press. Much news comes from official briefings like those from the White House and Pentagon. Often, however, the official story isn't the whole story, and most important information comes from unofficial sources who wish to remain anonymous. Until the Supreme Court recently ruled otherwise, reporters could refuse to reveal the identity of their sources. Now reporters can be and have been jailed for refusing to identify news sources to courts and grand juries.
A House committee is considering numerous bills to help restore reporters' rights. Rep. Peter Rodino says that passing an effective shield law is a must for the 93rd Congress. But assistant Attorney General Roger Cramton stated that the Justice Department opposes legislation shielding reporters, and he feels that the guidelines which were established by the Attorney General provide adequate protection for reporters. [NBC]
- The bodies of four more men were found near Santa Cruz, California, bringing the total number of murder victims in the area in the past six weeks to 13. The latest victims were found in a state park, a favorite area of dropouts using marijuana and other drugs. [NBC]
- Underworld figure Frank Costello died today in a New York hospital. He was 82. [NBC]
- Charles Stewart Mott, the multimillionaire philanthropist, died at the age of 97. He was one of the founding partners of General Motors. [NBC]
- The jury failed to reach a verdict today in the conspiracy case against former Illinois Governor Otto Kerner. [NBC]
- Machine gunners killed two Catholic postal workers and injured another in Belfast, Northern Ireland. [NBC]
- Important elections will be held for the French National Assembly in two weeks. The Socialist-Communist coalition could win control, and this would be a severe setback for President Pompidou. Conservatives may lose control of the Assembly for the first time in 15 years.
A leftist coalition is headed by Francois Mitterrand of the Socialist party. Mitterrand and Communist leader Georges Marche may unseat the Gaullist Assembly. It is likely that neither the left nor right will have a clear majority, so the center party may hold the balance of power. The Gaullists have run France since 1958, and people are tired of it. People are also tired of scandal connected with the Gaullists lately. In one case, civil servant Gabriel Aronde made public government papers showing that the Gaullists have given political office and contracts to their friends. Nobody was arrested but Aronde. [NBC]
|
