August 29, 1997

Alabama Gov Fob James Jr is defiantly bucking other southern governors who are moving aggressively to improve education and to recruit industry; he has attacked big tax breaks and other economic incentives as 'corporate welfare'; while others emphasize education, James has suggested shrinking state's expansive university system by 10 percent; James is beginning to alieniate state's Republican business leaders a year before he faces re-election; photo (M)

Immigration and Naturalization Service agents detain 55 illegal immigrants, most of them Mexican, as they report for work at seven Monmouth County businesses; businesses involved, which were under surveillance for several weeks, could face fines of up to $2,000 for each immigrant hired without documentation (S) (New Jersey Daily Briefing)

Medical condition of Abner Louima, Haitian immigrant who says he was brutalized by police officers in Brooklyhn precinct house, takes turn for worse, and he undergoes further surgery; his physician says 'surgery went fine' and there are no complications; Louima's faltering condition postpones longed-for reunion with his daughter, Abnia Samantha, whom he has not seen in seven years since he fled Haiti; photo of Dr Jean Claude Compas, Louima's physician (M)

Authorities say 18-month investigation has shown that Zoo Crew, group of young, community-minded entrepreneurs in Newark, NJ, is also drug gang that used its businesses as fronts for 'sophisticated and lucrative' street trade in cocaine and heroin; about 200 Federal, state and county law-enforcement agents raid 13 locations and arrest 21 people, seizing cash, weapons and large quantity of cocaine and heroin; Terrence Dent, identified as group's ringleader, is still at large; photo (M)

Recent disputes over money from Nazis and Holocaust victims stored in Swiss banks looms over conference in Basel to mark 100th anniversary of Zionism; hate mail sent to Swiss Jewish Federation vice pres Thomas Lyssy reflects deterioration in Switzerland's relationship with Jews and Israel since Swiss handling of money became issue; photo (M)