April 2, 2001

Debate over online music distribution has reheated long-simmering tensions between musicians and record company executives; some artists use controversy to protest what they call years of bad faith by recording industry; singer Don Henley says his Recording Artists Coalition will use Senate hearings on intellectual property rights in online era as beginning of drive to influence lawmakers on artists' rights issue; photos (M)

Doctors and hospitals say poor and uninsured, once supported by bills paid by wealthy and insured, now pay most for medical care, while insured is pay least; problem stems from practice by insurers of making some hospitals preferred providers, allowing their patients to seek treatment at some institutions en masse if hospitals in return give hefty discounts; hospitals have been competing by offering ever lower prices to insurers, not so much to get business but to avoid losing it; photos (M)

US Navy EP-3E Aries II spy plane on routine surveillance mission over South China Sea near Chinese coast collides with Chinese fighter closely tailing it; makes emergency landing on China's Hainan Island, but Chinese plane crashes into sea; China says US bears total responsibility; US seeks immediate release of 24 crew members, sophisticated aircraft and all intelligence equipment; US diplomats and other American officials in China travel to Hainan to escort crew out of country and ensure that plane is not inspected or tampered with; US military spokesman says Chinese planes have become increasingly aggressive in tailing American military aircraft in recent months, even prompting US to register protest; map; photos (M)

New York Knickerbockers defeat Los Angeles Lakers, 79-78; photo (M)

Joyce Purnick Metro Matters column laments loss of Edison Schools' attempt to take over five failing New York City public schools; says Mayor Giuliani is trying to create distraction from city's education problems by moving ahead with decency commission on publicly financed art exhibits (M)