News stories from Saturday April 29, 1972

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

Senators Hubert Humphrey and George McGovern seemed to be in a close race in Ohio's Democratic presidential primary Tuesday. Campaign strategists for both men said that Mr. Humphrey was leading, but Mr. McGovern's aides said that they believed he was narrowing the gap. Senator McGovern did not decide to go all out in Ohio until less than a month ago. [New York Times] The rocks and soil samples gathered by the Apollo 16 astronauts were shipped to Houston for the beginning of analysis. The first of six sample boxes will be opened tomorrow, and scientists were said to be more excited about the samples than about any since the return of the first manned mission, Apollo 11. [New York Times] Strategists for Senator McGovern -- and some other politicians, too -- for the first time could foresee a series of developments that could bring their candidate within reach of winning the Democratic presidential nomination on the first ballot. A substantial bloc of Ohio votes -- at least 50 -- is vital. [New York Times] Reports from around the scene said that the North Vietnamese ring around Quang Tri city was closed and that many South Vietnamese soldiers fled southward in fear. Communist antiaircraft fire was said to be too intense to remove the American advisers from the city. There was also concern for Hue, the former imperial city 35 miles to the south. In other areas, enemy forces captured Bong Son and continued their pressure on Kontum and An Loc. [New York Times] A communique ending the visit to Moscow of President Anwar Sadat of Egypt pledged more Soviet military aid to Egypt and gave some encouragement to the view that the Arabs might use other than political means to recover lost territories. [New York Times]