News stories from Wednesday January 3, 1973
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Congress reconvened today in a hostile mood toward the Nixon administration. Democratic leaders from the House and Senate promised that the executive branch will no longer push them around. At a Senate caucus, Democrats approved Mike Mansfield's denunciation of the Vietnam war as a "bloody travesty." White House press secretary Ron Ziegler reminded Congress that America is in a sensitive stage of peace negotiations, and Congress may hinder peace efforts by opposing President Nixon on war policy. House Speaker Carl Albert promised to work to restore Congress' legislative powers.
Washington Senator Henry Jackson, normally a war hawk, says that President Nixon made a serious mistake by not explaining to the people his reason for the increased bombing of North Vietnam. Henry Kissinger will brief GOP congressmen on Friday regarding the bombing and the peace talks.
[CBS] - U.S. and North Vietnamese technical experts met again in Paris to work on the peace settlement. In Washington, Henry Kissinger and President Nixon planned strategy for Monday's resumption of the secret talks in Paris. North Vietnamese negotiator Le Duc Tho is on his way back to Paris via Peking and Moscow. [CBS]
- The recent talk of peace has brought a change to President Thieu of South Vietnam. Thieu now stays out of sight most of the time; a cease-fire would make life more hazardous for Thieu. [CBS]
- More controversy over the bombing of North Vietnam's Bach Mai Hospital surfaced. In Paris, North Vietnamese spokesmen claimed that Bach Mai was deliberately bombed five times, killing 25 medical staff members and two children. [CBS]
- University students in Cairo demonstrated for a fifth day. Some want stronger government action against Israel; some want broader freedom of expression. Today hundreds marched on the center of town, where students and police exchanged blows. The government is now suspending classes at all universities for at least two weeks. [CBS]
- The Freedom of Information Committee of the American Society of Newspaper Editors stated that the Nixon administration poses the most serious threat to the freedom of the press in modern history.
Two Florida television stations owned by the Washington Post Company (the Post is often critical of the President) are facing license renewal fights. Leading the challenge to Miami station WPLG-TV is a man whose law partner, former Democratic Senator George Smathers, is a close Nixon friend. Station WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, which uncovered Supreme Court nominee Harold Carswell's segregation record, is being challenged by three groups. Heading one of the groups is George Champion, a Nixon campaign fundraiser in Florida. Champion claims that his actions are not political. WJXT-TV vice-president and general manager Robert Schellenberg says he is surprised by the challenge. He noted that the ownership of the station has been the same for 20 years and WJXT has a national reputation for journalistic accomplishments. He also insisted that the station is locally owned.
[CBS] - The Department of Health, Education and Welfare announced that monthly insurance premiums for Medicare will go up 50 cents. The new Medicare monthly insurance rate will be $6.30. [CBS]
- Eleven million youths between the ages of 18 and 20 were newly enfranchised last November, but only 48.3% of them cast ballots. Turnout was greatest in the 35-64 age group. [CBS]
- Southern University in Baton Rouge resumed classes today for the first time since two students were shot to death there in November. [CBS]
- A respected political figure is fighting to stay out of jail. U.S. appeals court Judge Otto Kerner is accused of bribery, perjury, mail fraud, conspiracy and income tax evasion. He is the ex-Governor of Illinois, and best known for the 1968 report on racial tension which bears his name. Kerner is charged with conspiring to buy racetrack stock at illegally reduced prices and then selling the stock at a large profit. The judge for Kerner's trial, hand-picked by Supreme Court Chief Justice Burger, is Robert Taylor. Paul Connelly, a partner of Edward Bennett Williams in a Washington, DC law practice, heads the defense team. The prosecutor is James Thompson. The trial is expected to be long and bitter. Two others who were indicted along with Kerner were dropped from the trial after agreeing to testify for the prosecution. [CBS]
- CBS sold the New York Yankees baseball team to a group of business executives headed by Michael Burke. The sale price was $10 million. [CBS]
- In the past six years New York has spent $1 billion on drug treatment centers; little rehabilitation was achieved. Today Governor Nelson Rockefeller urged stronger anti-drug laws. Rockefeller says that drug pushers destroy life and threaten society, and he recommended legislation to mandate life sentences for all illegal pushing of hard drugs. The law would forbid probation and plea bargaining, and would forbid parole and suspension of sentences. [CBS]
- Drugs remain a major concern in Vietnam. There have been 270 deserters from Vietnam since 1970. All but one of the five deserters that CBS interviewed are drug addicts. Clifton Washington says that he deserted so he could stay out a few days longer in order to pass the urinalysis test for drugs given by the Army on return from leave; he just didn't go back. Roberto Delao says that he shoots heroin. He was hiding out at the house of a Cambodian woman. Washington said that MP's picked him up a few times but had to let him go because they couldn't prove he was AWOL, adding that it is not difficult to get false ID papers. He uses the post exchange and sells goods on the black market. Washington said that he plans to turn himself in. Delao also may turn himself in. Addicts fear prison and dishonorable discharges from military service. [CBS]
- A state prison rebellion at Reidsville, Georgia, ended late today. Inmates released the prison guards who had been taken hostage. [CBS]
- On December 22, three members of the Tri Chi fraternity at Pierce College near Los Angeles played a trick of deserting fraternity brother Fred Bronner in the mountains. The prank resulted in Bronner's death; his funeral was held today. An inquest will be held to determine if criminal charges will be filed. The fraternity has been suspended and Bronner's parents are suing. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 1043.80 (+12.12, +1.17%)
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* |
| January 2, 1973 | 1031.68 | 119.10 | 17.09 |
| December 29, 1972 | 1020.02 | 118.05 | 27.55 |
| December 27, 1972 | 1007.68 | 116.93 | 19.10 |
| December 26, 1972 | 1006.70 | 116.30 | 11.12 |
| December 22, 1972 | 1004.21 | 115.83 | 12.54 |
| December 21, 1972 | 1000.00 | 115.11 | 18.29 |
| December 20, 1972 | 1004.82 | 115.95 | 18.49 |
| December 19, 1972 | 1009.18 | 116.34 | 17.00 |
| December 18, 1972 | 1013.25 | 116.90 | 17.54 |
| December 15, 1972 | 1027.24 | 118.26 | 18.30 |