How a State Regulated a Hand That Feeds It
Date: 16 February 1997
By MELODY PETERSEN
Special report, The Eye On Prudential, examines criticisms of probe of Prudential Insurance Company of America by New Jersey regulators at company's request, following complaints by thousands of customers; at heart of criticism is question of whether home-state regulators went too far in protecting company, third-largest private employer in New Jersey, at expense of millions of policyholders; year-long inquiry by state-led team of examiners found widespread abuses by Prudential agents that management should have known of as early as 1992; fined company $35 million and ordered it to sign settlement to pay at least $410 million, and possibly $1 billion, to wronged policyholders; regulators in other states and lawyers for thousands of customers have challenged settlement; say fine amounts to little more than pittance for company with assets of $219 billion; cite fundamental flaws in task force inquiry; note: most customers who lost money may never get it back since settlement puts most of burden of proof on them; photos (L)
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L.I. Schools Wary of Plan To Increase State Aid
Date: 16 February 1997
By JOHN RATHER
li schools wary of plan to increase state aid**Education officials on Long Island, shaken by years of reductions in state aid, are skeptical of New York Gov George E Pataki's plan to increase state aid and cut school taxes by giving homeowners a tax exemption; photo (M)
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Library of Congress Is an Internet Hit
Date: 16 February 1997
By R.W. APPLE Jr
Collection of Library of Congress is available, for first time, not only to members of Congress and staffs or scholars and specialists, but to general public on Internet world wide web (M)
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When Safety Devices Bite Back
Date: 16 February 1997
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Near-collision of civilian airliner and Air National Guard planes off coast of New Jersey reviewed; military pilots believed they were swooping in unobserved, but rather set off computerized anti-collision alarms and emergency maneuvers that threw three people to floor of Nations Air jet; ironic danger from safety technology discussed (S)
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Anguilla Resort Takes A Holistic Turn
Date: 16 February 1997
Coccoloba resort on Antigua reopens as holistic spa, under ownership of group of American doctors specializing in holistic medicine (S)
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COLD DUNK
Date: 16 February 1997
Mad Dog Expeditions organizes an ice-diving weekend at Lake Winnipesaukee, NH; photo (S)
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Clinton's Leash
Date: 16 February 1997
By Max Frankel
Max Frankel column deplores US strictures on the operation of American news organizations in Cuba, which are contained in the Helms-Burton Act,and failure of CNN and other American news organizations to defy the law and force a decision from the Supreme Court; cartoon (M)
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European Air-Fare Wars Are Slow to Take Off
Date: 16 February 1997
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
Competition has yet to make much of a dent in air fares in Germany or rest of Europe; more than 80 small airlines have sprouted up since European Union adopted new rules to open up market, but 60 of these have already folded and only 6 percent of all routes in Europe are now served by more than two carriers (S)
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