December 15, 1996

Philadelphia Eagles defeat New York Jets, 21-20; photo (M)

Ford Motor Credit Company has become biggest auto financing company in world, earning $299 million in third quarter of this year, compared with paltry $15 million for company's worldwide automotive operations; Ford Credit now plans to extend reach into 'subprime' lending market, borrowers with records of not paying back loans on time; lure is $100 billion that people with flawed credit ratings borrow each year to buy new and used cars, at interest rates of 18 percent and higher; risk is harm to image if Ford is seen as gouging the poor or repossessing cars too aggressively; photo; graph (M)

Clinton Administration mounts detailed probes of several states' performance in enforcing environmental laws; Environmental Protection Agency says Pennsylvania and some other big industrial states are reporting few major pollution violations, suggesting inspectors ignore problems; Admr Carol M Browner says anti-environmental sentiment in Congress has emboldened some states; number of states have passed laws that may conflict with Federal policies by providing too much protection for companies that voluntarily identify own pollution violations (M)

Spanish-language television newscasts of Univision and Telemundo, Miami-based networks, track and explain developments in US and Latin America to potential audience of 25 million Hispanics in US; photo; they have become prism through which Latin Americans throughout hemisphere view their own countries, and offer US viewers less American-centered view of world (S)

Dave Anderson Sports of The Times article notes New York Jets could lose top pick in draft of college football players should they beat Miami Dolphins; discusses how Jets would use top pick; photo (M)