December 7, 1997

Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy, which has confined its operation to Manhattan, will expand its territory into Brooklyn following purchase of Cranford Inc; new company will be called Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy & Cranford (S)

Peter Passell article contends that confidence that health care system can solve its problems without lot of help from Washington is rapidly evaporating; says as recently as year ago, care regulated solely by free market seemed wave of future, with profit-driven health mantenance organizations in vanguard of struggle to stamp out waste; says today HMOs are reporting falling earnings as they struggle with angry consumers demanding better service and medical establishment determined to resist any more cutbacks in fees; photo (M)

Article on the cost of living in New York, perhaps the ultimate consumer city, calculated by the hour; budget profiles of five residents, whose lifestyle pricetags run from $2.36 to $13.17 per hour; photos (L)

Amy Harmon article on recent conference in Washington, DC, on protecting children from on-line pornography; notes that three-day meeting of industry, government and advocacy-group representatives came after resounding victory for civil libertarian cause on Internet: Supreme Court in June overturned Communications Decency Act, saying Congress's attempt to criminalize distribution of indecent speech over computer networks violated First Amendment; says even among digital libertarians there is growing fear that technology that can block huge portions of what Court called 'most mass participatory medium yet invented' may pose more potent threat to unfettered speech than Government every did; drawing (M)

Officials in Seattle, Wash, are trying to figure out what to do about new law, which obligates City Council members to expand monorail system at cost of $1 billion or lose their salaries if they fail to put measure into effect; referendum, brainchild of cabdriver Dick Falkenbury and poet Grant Cogswell, won unexpected support of 53 percent of voters in perhaps biggest political upset in Pacific Northwest in 10 years; photos (M)