News stories from Sunday January 4, 1970

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

Confronted with federal court orders for immediate integration in 30 school districts and eventual integration in the others, thousands of white parents in Mississippi are enrolling their children in private, segregated schools. Some of the schools that will be integrated on Monday may have nothing but Negro students, one official said. [New York Times] Following a period of relative calm in the fighting in Vietnam, a significant increase in enemy activity in the northernmost region of South Vietnam was reported by the United States command in Saigon. The calm, attributable mostly to seasonable bad weather that is now beginning to clear, was broken during the day by three ground attacks in which two Americans were killed. [New York Times] Vice President Agnew was reported to have told Prime Minister Thanon Kittikachorn of Thailand not to be concerned about criticism in Congress or the press over American involvement in Asia. Mr. Agnew, in Bangkok on a goodwill tour of Asia, was said to have reaffirmed the American commitment to protect Thailand against Communist aggression. [New York Times] The second investigation in four months into charges of military censorship and distortion on the military radio and television network in Vietnam was begun after an Army broadcaster unexpectedly ended his news report with a statement that he and his colleagues were not free to tell the truth. [New York Times] A random government survey showed that one of every three microwave ovens leaked enough radiation to be a health hazard, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare said. The department called for a prompt survey of all 100,000 microwave ovens in use to identify defects. [New York Times] State and local contributions to public schools reached a new high during 1969 while federal spending dropped for the second year in a row, the National Education Association reported. The association president called for an outpouring of massive federal aid for schools. [New York Times] The West Virginia Newspaper Publishing Company offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons who tried to kill a local prosecutor by wiring a bomb to the ignition of his car. The prosecutor of Monongalia County, Joseph Laurita, was reported in fair to good condition. [New York Times]