March 13, 1997

Clinton Administration officials say Pres Clinton has decided to shelve idea of establishing commission to recalculate cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security and other benefit payments that are tied to Consumer Price Index; say Administration may reopen issue later, perhaps even in time to use it as part of agreement between White House and Congress this year to balance Federal budget by 2002 (M)

French 18th-century furniture claims center stage in American interior design, displacing the minimalist and English country house look; is admired for its clean lines and exuberance; sales at New York auction houses are up 50 percent; photos (M)ï

Federal investigation into whether China had concerted plan to influence American officeholders began in early 1996 when National Security Agency secretly monitored series of communications between Beijing and Chinese officials in US; law-enforcement officials say conversations offered fragmentary sketch of China's interest in matching Washington lobbying success of Taiwan, and also suggested that Beijing was prepared to funnel money to American politicians in violation of US law; say FBI prepared list of about 30 members of Congress who bureau thought might be subjects of Chinese effort, but advised only half dozen of them in private meetings (M)

James Bennet analysis notes that Pres Clinton has asked broadcasters to surrender free air time to candidates in exchange for new licenses to provide digital high-definition television; maintains that broadcasters have already begun to fight, saying such a plan would cost them fortune and violate their rights under Fifth Amendment, which bars private property from being taken for public use without just compensation, as well as their free-speech rights under First Amendment (M)

Nation's real estate developers, afer their crazed overbuilding in the 1980's helped ruin hundreds of banks and savings and loan associations, are starting to put up speculative office buildings again, breaking ground before they know who will fill most of their floors; developers say they will not repeat their past excesses; instead of building huge skyscrapers, they are mostly constructing squat boxes, often varying in little but trim, in outlying suburbs; economic growth and new hiring are feeding resurgence in building; cost-conscious tenants like thrifty image these surroundings convey; though bent on squeezing more employees into less space, they often need newer buildings with more parking and heavier utility service that technological advances demand; graphs; photos (L)