March 18, 1997

Justices Take Public TV Case The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether government-operated television stations have editorial discretion over programming, or must serve as a public forum for political candidates and others. Page A18. Clinton and Clergy The President keeps in touch with a small circle of Protestant clergy members for spiritual counsel that, he says, ''keeps me both humble and optimistic.'' Page A16. Ford Takes the T-Bird Away Ford will stop making the Thunderbird, a symbol of when love and rock-and-roll were young. Page D1. Selling Times Square Sites Development rights for three large parcels in Times Square have been placed on the selling block. Page B1.

ADT Inc, seeking to thwart hostile takeover by Western Resources Inc, sets friendly merger with Tyco International in stock deal valued at $5.4 billion (M)

Ahmanson Sweetens Bid For Great Western Financial H. F. Ahmanson & Company, battling to acquire Great Western Financial, a rival California savings and loan, sweetened its all-stock hostile bid for the company, to $6.6 billion, or about $50 a share. The value of the revised deal would change with the price of Ahmanson stock, but it appears to top the friendly $6.25 billion offer that Great Western accepted on March 6 from Washington Mutual. $(Page D6.$) Dow Rises as Nasdaq Falls Blue chips staged a late rebound, with the Dow Jones industrials closing up 20.02 points at 6,955.48. But losers exceeded winners by almost 2 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq index lost 13.54 points, closing at 1,279.43. $(D10.$)

New Jersey state officials announce until Labor Day at least, state and local police officers will be looking for tailgaters, lane-changers, and others who practice offensive rather than defensive driving (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Russian Pres Boris Yeltsin reshuffles Cabinet, filling senior ranks with economic reformers to make good on pledge to overhaul Government and quicken pace of economic change; shakeup, which gives country most aggressively market-oriented Government since 1992, is aimed at reviving stalled economic program that has created fertile ground for Yeltsin's political opponents; is likely to enhance Russia's plea for greater role in international economic affairs, coming only three days before Helsinki summit with Pres Clinton; most important move is appointment of 37-year-old Boris Y Nemtsov, dynamic governor of prosperous Nizhni Novgorod region, as one of two First Deputy Prime Ministers; together with recent appointment of Anatoly B Chubais as chief architect of economic change, move gives vital responsibilities for social and economic policy to two of country's most vigorous and most pro-market officials; other changes noted; photos (M)