News stories from Tuesday April 25, 1972
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Presidential aide Henry Kissinger returned from a secret trip to Russia to discuss President Nixon's forthcoming trip there and the Vietnam war. The President will address the nation regarding Vietnam tomorrow at 10:00 p.m. EST. U.S. ground troop levels continue to drop in South Vietnam, but air and sea power is increasing.
In Moscow, Kissinger discussed the war with Communist Party chief Leonid Brezhnev and others; Kissinger reported that the President's trip to Russia is definitely on. Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin accompanied Kissinger during his trip. The White House acknowledges lying in order to maintain the secrecy of the visit.
[CBS] - Communist forces overran two more South Vietnamese bases in the Central Highlands, and are moving down Highway 14 toward Kontum; foreigners have been evacuated from Kontum. American air strikes slowed the assault by knocking out a bridge. South Vietnamese forces regrouped at Vo Dinh.
President Thieu ordered Tan Canh and Dak To to be recaptured. The siege at An Loc, 60 miles north of Saigon, is now in its third week. A munitions convoy is pinned down by enemy fire on Highway 13.
At An Loc, North Vietnam holds the northern edge of the city, South Vietnam holds the south; much of the town is in shambles. U.S. air power was called in to help reopen Highway 13 for refugees fleeing from An Loc.
[CBS] - A study on Vietnam that was prepared for President Nixon has leaked out, raising questions about his current war policy. When the President took office, he had Henry Kissinger launch a secret study on the effectiveness of bombing North Vietnam in addition to other aspects of war. Senator Mike Gravel gave copies of the study to other senators; Senators Griffin and Saxbe prevented him from reading it into the congressional record. Senator Saxbe accused Gravel of acting irresponsibly by distributing a secret study. Former Kissinger aide Morton Halperin, who helped prepare the study, says that it shows many issues still unresolved even after years of war. Republicans will try to keep Gravel from reading the study into the record again on Thursday even though the State Department has dismissed the study as irrelevant. [CBS]
- As Apollo 16 continues its journey home, astronaut Ken Mattingly took a walk in space to retrieve film which was taken during lunar orbit. Splashdown is slated for 2:44 p.m. EST. [CBS]
- An Iowa family fought the government for damages, and won. In December, 1968, an Air National Guard jet crashed into the Story County home of Marie Tjernagel; the federal government refused to pay $130,000 damages. Iowa Governor Robert Ray, fed up with delays, ordered all Air National Guard planes in Iowa grounded. The Air Force has now dropped its opposition to the damage claim. Governor Ray said that it takes drastic action to make the federal government realize that it has a responsibility to the people. [CBS]
- At a hearing, an expert recommended that the government drop its plan to ban the use of the pesticide DDT, saying that DDT's benefits outweigh its threat to the environment. [CBS]
- 100 of the 148 civil rights lawyers in the Justice Department signed a letter protesting President Nixon's anti-busing proposals. In a letter to the Washington Post, nine black lawyers criticized the President's plan. In a letter to Congress, a group of white Justice Department lawyers urged the defeat of any legislation which would restrict busing for the purpose of desegregation. [CBS]
- The judge in Angela Davis' trial permitted the prosecution to enter as evidence her letters to the late George Jackson, the "Soledad Brother" whose freedom she allegedly sought through a kidnapping plot. [CBS]
- Actor George Sanders was found dead in a hotel room in Barcelona, Spain, of an apparent suicide. Sanders was married four times, once to Zsa Zsa Gabor and once to her sister, Magda. [CBS]
- San Diego Mayor Pete Wilson announced that plans for the Republican national convention have been halted in his city; San Diego will seek repayment for money already spent. The convention moves to Miami Beach, Florida. [CBS]
- The New York Times is investigating the use by public officials of aircraft owned by big business. [CBS]
- The Price Commission ordered price cuts by two more companies, including F.W. Woolworth. [CBS]
- Ford Motor Company is expanding its recall of 1972 Ford Torinos and Mercury Montegos to install new rear axles and bearings. [CBS]
- Acting Attorney General Kleindienst and the administration's civil rights chief expressed strenuous disagreement with Justice Department civil rights lawyers' letters favoring busing. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 946.49 (-10.99, -1.15%)
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 24, 1972 | 957.48 | 108.19 | 14.65 |
| 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 |