November 24, 1997

Clinton Administration may further tighten controls on export of electronic data scrambling systems by narrowing special exemption that has let financial institutions export strongest encryption technology; if controls are tightened, it would narrow range of financial institutions that are allowed to use most powerful encryption gear overseas to protect electronic transactions; Microsoft and many other companies argue that tightening controls would curtail growth of electronic commerce, which promises to become global business; new debate is part of larger fight pitting American high technology businesses and privacy advocates against law enforcement officials (M)

New York State, once national leader in promoting energy conservation, has, with little public notice, cut its conservation effort to about one-fourth its former size, even though program has been highly praised by environmentalists; amount state has required utilities to spend on program has fallen to $73 million ths year from $280 million in 1993 and is set to drop over nexy few years (M)

Connecticut's experiment at becoming first state to hire private company to handle its entire program of child-care benefits for families on welfare and working poor is failure; Maximus Inc may lose contract because troubled system that it was hired to fix has become worse; hundreds of families have waited for months without receiving aid that they were promised; company has been unable to process deluge of paper work and its phone lines have been overloaded withpleas for help (M

Television stations around nation scramble to be first to put digital, high-definition programming on the air; they impatiently wait for manufacturers to finish work on new digital transmitters and recorders, for engineers to finish creating new pieces of digital equipment, and for consumers to buy new digital televisions; it costs $1 million or more to equip station to pass on digital, high-definition signal; stations in small markets complain they cannot afford to make the upgrade, and some station owners are trying to sell their stations and get out of televisoin business altogether rather than pay for costly upgrade; photos; drawing (M)

Jana Novotna defeats Mary Pierce to win Chase Championships; photo (M)

Clinton Expects Asia To Overcome Crisis President Clinton used a gathering of Asian leaders in Vancouver, British Columbia, to offer reassurance that the current financial turmoil in Asia is temporary and said the United States would exert its influence to promote sound economic policies in the region and pry open global markets in a range of goods and services. Mr. Clinton said the economic future of Asia remained promising.

Movie studios are set to unleash flood of high-profile holiday films on Nov 26; a film can now lose $50 million, even $75 million, making every movie high-stakes roll of the dice; no one knows precisely why films, or actors, fail or succeed; this unpredictability has left careers in tatters; photos (M)

On or off duty, a uniform look for police officers. PAGE B3 The Rev. Al Sharpton is served with a subpoena. PAGE B3

Clinton Administration and some members of Congress weigh steps to aid some 3 million Americans aged 55 to 64 years old who do not have health insurance; many of 'nearly elderly,' who are too young for Medicare and not poor enough for Medicaid, have chronic illnesses that require extensive and costly care; many lost jobs and health benefits in corporate downsizing this decade; Republican-led Congress seen likely to oppose new program (M)

United States aides say Pres Clinton presses Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu for substantial progress with Palestinians in Dec talks; say US wants Israel to announce 'serious and credible' troop withdrawal from West Bank, originally set for Sept under existing peace accords; deny Sec Madeleine K Albright warned Netanyahu that she would announce US stand on what Israeli troop withdrawal ought to be unless he made progress (M)

Anna Deavere Smith, playwright and performer who invented her own form of theater and has used it to explore matters like race and class, will head new summer institute at Harvard University devoted to finding ways in which arts might enhance public discussion of social issues; institute will be financed initially by $1.5 million Ford Foundation grant; it is intended to serve as place where professional artists in theater, dance, film and other fields come together for six weeks each summer to develop new work (M)

Economic crisis sweeping through Asia raises question of whether United States's Asian partners may be weakened for several years, requiring US strategy shift; Pres Clinton's aides acknowledge risk that economic turmoil could lead to political fragility (M)