ABC makes plans for shows in Spanish

LOS ANGELES -- ABC viewers will get "Lost" in translation as part of a plan to make all the network's primetime entertainment available in Spanish starting this season.\nThe move is an acknowledgment of the expanding U.S. Hispanic population and its potential as a source of viewers. Previously, "George Lopez" was the only ABC series that aired in both English- and Spanish-language versions.\n"We wanted to move beyond toe-dipping and really dive in," ABC entertainment chief Stephen McPherson said in a statement. "Almost half of the 41 million Hispanics in this country watch only or mostly Spanish-language television, and we want to bring that audience to ABC."\nABC, using both dubbing and closed captioning, will be the first of the major English-language broadcasters to provide its full primetime entertainment lineup in Spanish. Most other networks offer few shows in the language.\nThe cost is "not inexpensive," McPherson said in an interview Thursday, declining to provide a specific figure. But he said the return could be significant in terms of viewership.\n"If you look at the performance of Spanish-language stations in a lot of the big (TV) markets, they're doing very well. In some markets they're beating the broadcast networks," he said.\nHispanics are the fastest-growing minority in the United States and represent one-seventh of the population, according to a recent Census Bureau report.\n"Desperate Housewives," "Lost," "George Lopez" and the new comedy "Freddie," starring Freddie Prinze Jr., will be dubbed into Spanish, as will the network's theatrical movie premieres and some specials. Casting has already begun for actors to voice the Spanish dialogue.\nThe rest of ABC's primetime entertainment schedule, which debuts next week as the 2005-06 season officially begins, will be available with closed-captioned subtitles in Spanish, the network said.

Study says coffee high in antioxidants

WASHINGTON - Coffee not only helps clear the mind and boost energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American diet, according to a study released Sunday.\nOf course, too much coffee can make people jittery and even raise cholesterol levels, so food experts stress moderation.\nThe findings by Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, give a healthy boost to the warming beverage.\nAntioxidants, which are thought to help battle cancer and provide other health benefits, are abundant in grains, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables.\nHis team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. \nThey concluded the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. Rounding out the top five sources were bananas, 76 milligrams; dry beans, 72 milligrams; and corn, 48 milligrams. According to the U.S. Agriculture Department, the typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily.\nThat does not mean coffee is a substitute for fruit and vegetables.\n"Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber," Vinson said.

Stock market rebounds as hurricane fears ease

NEW YORK -- Wall Street rallied Monday after Hurricane Katrina weakened, easing concerns about refinery outages along the Gulf of Mexico and pulling oil prices back from record highs.\nStocks opened lower but quickly rebounded as crude oil futures cooled after surging past $70 a barrel in early trading on news that the storm shut down about 8 percent of U.S. refining capacity. A barrel of light crude settled at $67.20, up $1.20 on the New York Mercantile \nExchange.\nInvestors found some relief in reports that President Bush was mulling whether to offset the supply disruption with oil from the nation's petroleum reserve, but energy and insurance stocks still came under pressure as the market tried to gauge the hurricane's financial impact.

More night games at Wrigley for Cubs

CHICAGO -- The number of night games at Wrigley Field would increase, beginning this year, under a plan expected to be approved by city officials this week.\nThe Chicago Cubs and the city have agreed to a plan that would phase in 12 more night games over the next three years. The Cubs are currently allowed to play 18 night games each season.\nA city council committee will consider the plan today, and the full council will vote on Wednesday. Alderman Tom Tunney, whose ward includes the stadium, is optimistic the deal will be approved.\n"I think there was a lot of hard work by the community and the Cubs and the various city departments to try to forge the best plan," Tunney said Monday. "It's not a panacea or cure-all to all the issues. But I think it's a vast improvement to the first 15-year agreement that brought night games to Wrigley Field."\nDay baseball is a rarity now, and the Cubs are the last team in the majors to play the majority of their home games in the afternoon. Lights were added to Wrigley Field in 1988, but city ordinance limits the Cubs to 18 night games out of their 81 home games.\nThe Cubs have been pushing for more night games the past few years, saying they will generate more revenue. \nPlayers want more night games, too. Playing in the midday heat every day takes a toll, physically, and there are many times the Cubs return from a road trip late Thursday night only to have to turn around and play Friday afternoon.\nBut many residents in the neighborhood around Wrigley opposed the request, saying additional night games would lead to more traffic and congestion. There also would be more littering, residents said.\nUnder the proposed deal, the Cubs will operate a remote-parking lot and pay for a program limiting parking around Wrigley Field to residents on game nights. The Cubs also will contribute $1 million to a neighborhood protection fund that will pay for improvements in congestion and sanitation.\nIn return, the Cubs will get an additional four night games this year and four more next year. At least two will be added in 2006, and Tunney said the community can suspend or postpone the final two if there are problems with neighborhood protection.\n"We don't think we've got all the problems solved yet," Tunney said. "(But) I think the new ordinance is going to be received well by the community."\nAlso Wednesday, the council is expected to vote on landmark status for Wrigley Field. The Committee on Historical Landmarks and Preservation has recommended a plan that would make the 91-year-old ballpark a landmark, but still allow for some changes.

Indiana Governor collapses in Chicago

CHICAGO - Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon was taken to a hospital Monday after falling ill at a Chicago hotel where he was attending a conference, officials said.\nThe Chicago Fire Department said O'Bannon, 73, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital about 9 a.m. Hospital spokeswoman Kelly Sullivan said O'Bannon was being treated and undergoing tests in the emergency room. She had no detail on his condition, but added, "I know it's a very serious situation."\nChicago television station WMAQ reported that O'Bannon was unconscious when he was taken to the hospital.\nO'Bannon was at the Palmer House Hilton, where he was attending a conference of the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association.\nIn Indianapolis, the governor's office had few details.\nThe governor gets a yearly physical, and was deemed to be "as healthy as he could be," O'Bannon spokeswoman Mary Dieter said. "Clearly, something has occurred. But he has been very vibrant, very energetic."\nO'Bannon's wife, Judy, was en route to Chicago.\nO'Bannon, elected to his second four-year term in 2000, is barred by term limits from running again next year.\nLt. Gov. Joe Kernan also was at the conference. His office said he was on his way back to Indianapolis from Chicago.\nO'Bannon was elected to his father's seat in the Indiana Senate in 1970 and served 18 years. He first ran for governor in 1987, but when Evan Bayh got into the race, O'Bannon dropped his bid and became Bayh's running mate.\nAfter serving eight years as lieutenant governor, O'Bannon was unopposed when he sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 1996. He entered that race as an underdog to Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and campaigned largely on his down-home charm and Evan Bayh's record. Bayh, meanwhile, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998.\nO'Bannon is also chairman of the board of O'Bannon Publishing Co., which publishes weekly newspapers in Harrison and Crawford counties.

Sunday -- Muhammad Ali sits during the Dalai Lama's visit to Bloomington on Sunday.

An unidentified relative of victims is controlled by Algerian airport employees Thursday, after an Air Algerie passenger jet crashed after takeoff in Tamanrasset, 1,600 kilometers (990 miles) south of the Algerian capital. The crash of the Boeing 737, one of its engines ablaze, killed 102 people. One person survived.

FIRE -- Jesse Storey, left, a fire scene investigator from the Evansville Fire Department, and Sgt. Mike Dotson, right, a crime scene investigator with the Indiana State Police, look over the scene of an early morning house fire near Frichton, Ind., Tuesday, that took the life of 3-year-old Laura Godfrey.

Baseball, mayors to meet on future of Expos

NEW YORK -- Baseball's committee on the future of the Montreal Expos will meet Tuesday with the mayors of the District of Columbia and Portland, Ore., and a day later with officials from Northern Virginia to discuss a new site selection for the team.\nDistrict of Columbia Mayor Anthony A. Williams will head his delegation, which also includes District Council chairman Linda Cropp, Deputy Mayor Eric Price and representatives of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission.\n"This is going to be one of the highest priorities for our city, if not the highest priority," Williams said Wednesday, calling it a "pre-presentation meeting."\n"Officials of major league baseball want to give us an opportunity to learn in greater detail what they will expect of us when we make our full presentation to them later down the road," he said. "This is an informal, preliminary meeting. No decisions have been made with regard to site selection. We will not be submitting any financing plan at this meeting."\nThe Portland contingent will include Mayor Vera Katz and former Indiana Pacers general manager David Kahn, part of the Oregon Stadium Campaign.\nNorthern Virginia Baseball Stadium Authority chairman Michael Frey, who also is a Fairfax County supervisor, and authority director Gabe Paul Jr. will head their group.\nThe committee told each delegation to bring along up to six people for their meeting.\nThe Northern Virginia group said Wednesday it has hired the advertising and marketing firm White & Baldacci to help prepare its presentation.\nBaseball officials said they hope to have a decision by midsummer on where the Expos will play in 2004, but commissioner Bud Selig last week refused to give a timetable.\nIn North Carolina, Charlotte City Councilor Lynn Wheeler, who chairs the council's economic development committee and was key in bringing the NBA back to Charlotte, said she doesn't think her city government has gotten involved in talks.\n"To my knowledge there's been no request for someone from the city and there is certainly not any commitment by the city to look at it," Wheeler said.\nThe recent deal under which the city agreed to build a new downtown arena for the NBA expansion team that is to begin playing in 2004-05 has exhausted the city's ability to finance sports projects, Wheeler said. "We have no funds," she said. "We are tapped out."\nThe New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority said it had not been invited to any meetings.\nSteven Schauer, spokesman for San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza, said to his knowledge the city has had no contact with the commissioner's office about moving the Expos.

Around The Arts

LA's top cop bit by showbiz bug\nLOS ANGELES -- Police Chief William J. Bratton is giving acting a try with a bit part in a Sundance Film Festival entry.\n"People I Know" premiered Friday at the Utah festival with the chief playing a tough New York City politician in a Miramax film starring Al Pacino and Kim Basinger. The movie about a famous actor considering a run as a U.S. senator is set for limited release in April.\nBratton's role was modeled on Rudolph Giuliani, whom Bratton tangled with when he was New York City's police chief and Giuliani was mayor.\n"It's an inside joke for New Yorkers that the rest of the country might not get," Bratton said of the part filmed more than a year before he came here.\nBratton says he hasn't caught the acting bug.\n"I would never want to be an actor, because they spend most of their time just hanging around," he said. "It's like being a cop at court."\nNew 'American Idol' draws record ratings\nNEW YORK -- Whether to watch Simon Cowell's withering put-downs or discover the next potential star, a record-setting 26.5 million viewers tuned in for Tuesday night's return of "American Idol" on Fox.\nEven for what is turning out to be the winter of reality TV on the broadcast networks, these were stunning numbers.\nExcluding sporting events, it was the most-watched night ever for the Fox network, which began airing prime-time shows in 1987. It eclipsed the 22.8 million people who watched Kelly Clarkson win the first "American Idol" competition in September.\n"We're having a very happy day at Fox," said Entertainment President Gail Berman. "We certainly didn't expect to come close to the finale's numbers, and to exceed them by 16 percent is a dream come true.'\nThe conventional wisdom was that "American Idol," a classic summertime diversion, would have trouble drawing an audience during the winter when faced with tougher competition.\nIts success gives Fox, which has been struggling this television season, its second big hit in a month, joining "Joe Millionaire," which was seen by more than 17 million viewers last week (as was ABC's "The Bachelorette").

WWII reality cartoonist dies at 81

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Bill Mauldin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist who portrayed World War II reality laced with humor, died Wednesday. He was 81.\nMauldin, one of the 20th century's pre-eminent editorial cartoonists, died of complications from Alzheimer's disease, including pneumonia, at a Newport Beach nursing home, said Andy Mauldin, 54, of Santa Fe, N.M., one of the cartoonist's seven sons.\n"It's really good that he's not suffering anymore," he said. "He had a terrible struggle."\nHis characters Willie and Joe, a laconic pair of unshaven, mud-encrusted dogfaces, slogged their way through Italy and other parts of battle-scarred Europe, surviving the enemy and the elements while caustically and sarcastically harpooning the unctuous and pompous.\nThey were the vessels that Mauldin, a young Army rifleman, filled with wry understatement to portray the tedium and treachery of war, entertaining and endearing himself to millions of fellow soldiers in the war and to Americans at home.\nIn his classic book "Up Front," Mauldin wrote that the expressions on Joe and Willie are "those of infantry soldiers who have been in the war for a couple of years."\n"If he is looking very weary and resigned to the fact that he is probably going to die before it is over, and if he has a deep, almost hopeless desire to go home and forget it all; if he looks with dull, uncomprehending eyes at the fresh-faced kid who is talking about all the joys of battle and killing Germans, then he comes from the same infantry as Joe and Willie," he wrote.\nMauldin called himself "as independent as a hog on ice," and his nonconformist approach brought him a face-to-face upbraiding from Gen. George Patton. Mauldin continued to draw what he wanted.

Writers target networks for discrimination

LOS ANGELES -- A Superior Court judge dismissed a class-action lawsuit brought by more than 175 writers who alleged that television networks, Hollywood studios and talent agencies discriminate against those over 40.\nIn a decision disclosed this week, Judge Charles W. McCoy Jr. ruled some of the alleged violations occurred outside the statute of limitations and that the writers first must prove their claims on an individual basis before they can show an industrywide pattern of discrimination.\nThe ruling left the possibility that the writers could refile their claims individually.\n"We consider this a bump in the road," said Paul Sprenger, lead attorney for the writers. "Sometimes these things take years and it should be perfectly obvious to the courts that this is a meritorious claim."\nSprenger said they were considering their options, including an appeal or continuing with new class-action claims, but he did not plan to file individual claims.\nThe discrimination lawsuit originally was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, claiming pervasive age discrimination since the early 1980s. The lawsuit alleged violations of the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Labor Management Relations Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.\nThe federal court ruled that there was no support for maintaining the case as a class action, and the plaintiffs refiled in state court. In his decision, McCoy also ruled that having first filed in federal court, plaintiffs couldn't refile the same claims in state court.\nThe lawsuit targeted six television networks, including CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox, 12 production companies and 11 talent agencies, including the William Morris Agency.\n"We are pleased the court has decided that these television writers cannot proceed on such a broad-based claim," a CBS statement read. "We are also confident that any individual claims of discrimination will be shown to have no merit"

Statue to memorialize Sheriff Taylor and Opie

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A bronze statue of Sheriff Andy Taylor and his son, Opie, from "The Andy Griffith Show" will be installed in Raleigh's Pullen Park.\nThe statue commemorates the walk to a fishing hole that Taylor, played by Andy Griffith, and Opie, played by Ron Howard, took in the opening credits of the popular television show.\nThe Raleigh City Council agreed Tuesday that the popular park just west of downtown Raleigh is the best place for the statue, which the cable network TV Land plans to install and maintain.\nIn November, the council accepted TV Land's offer for the Andy and Opie statue. Since then, the city has worked with the New York-based network to find a location.\nThe statue will go between the carousel and the lake at the park -- a favorite spot for visitors, especially families with young children. The statue will be slightly larger than life, with Andy standing about 6 feet 9 inches tall and Opie standing about 3 feet 9 inches tall.\nIt's the third statue the network has installed to depict fictional TV characters. It placed Ralph Kramden from "The Honeymooners" in New York in 2000 and Mary Richards from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in Minneapolis last May.\nRob Pellizzi, senior vice president of marketing and promotions for TV Land, said the network has sent invitations to 25 artists, including about 15 from North Carolina, to design the piece.

Exiled Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, speaks in 1998 at a meeting at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan, according to the source.

Rapper\'s kin offer alibi for death

LOS ANGELES -- The family of rapper Notorious B.I.G. has released documents and an audiotape that they say prove he was in a New York recording studio the night rival Tupac Shakur was shot in Las Vegas. \nThe Los Angeles Times reported last week that Notorious B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher Wallace, was in Las Vegas the night Shakur was gunned down, and that he provided a Compton gang member with the murder weapon and promised to pay the gang $1 million for the assassination. \nThe Times reported Wednesday that lawyers for Wallace's estate gave paperwork to MTV News in New York that placed Wallace at a studio the night of Sept. 7, 1996 -- the same period when Shakur was shot. The rapper died six days later at 25. \nA person who saw the documents said they suggest Wallace reserved the New York recording studio from 12:30 p.m. Sept. 7, 1996, until 4 a.m. the next day, the Times reported. \nThe family of Orlando Anderson, whom the Times identified as the gang member who shot Shakur, also issued a statement Tuesday denying Anderson played a role in the killing. \n"Orlando Anderson did not murder Mr. Tupac Shakur,'' the statement said. "He did not accept money nor was he offered any money from Notorious B.I.G., nor anyone else, to perform such a heinous crime." \nThe family denied that Anderson was a member of the Southside Crips street gang. Anderson died in May 1998 after a drug-related shooting at a Compton car wash. \nLawyers and other representatives of the Wallace family declined requests from the newspaper to review the invoices. \nThe studio records, which are widely used in the music industry to bill artists for studio time, show Wallace was recording at Daddy's House, which Sean "P. Diddy" Combs owns.\nThe invoices indicate that Combs, then known as "Puff Daddy," and another producer were at the studio, along with a few engineers. Combs declined to be interviewed by the newspaper. \nWallace was 24 when he was shot to death in Los Angeles, six months after Shakur's slaying. Police have made no arrests in either killing. \nWallace's family also issued a statement in which the rapper's former manager, Wayne Barrow, said he was with Wallace in the studio the weekend Shakur was shot. \n"No way was he in Las Vegas," Barrow said in the statement. \nWallace family lawyers also gave MTV News a digital tape of a song called "Nasty Girls," which they say Wallace recorded the night Shakur was shot. \nIn a two-part series last week, the Times published findings from its yearlong investigation into Shakur's death and the police handling of the case.

Man arrested in burning of American flag

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- An Indiana man accused of burning an American flag behind his home has been arrested, despite rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court that said flag-burning is an exercise of free speech.\nDavid H. Stout, 49, of Noblesville was charged Monday with flag desecration and resisting law enforcement. He was being held Tuesday at the Hamilton County Jail on a $9,000 bond.\nStout was arrested Sunday after police found him lying beside a burning flag in an alley behind his home.\nIndiana is among 48 states that still have a law against flag desecration on the books, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has twice said flag-burning is a constitutionally protected form of expression.\n"I assume she's aware that the U.S. Constitution trumps (a state law)," said John Krull, executive director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union. "Since we're seeing flags everywhere right now, including places I'm sure even Betsy Ross never intended, it would be hard to desecrate a flag."\nStout told a neighbor who tried to stop the burning that he could burn his flag if he wanted. The neighbor called police.\nStout is accused of throwing a lighted firecracker at a police officer and struggling with police when they took him into custody.\nHamilton County Deputy Prosecutor Wendy Petersen filed the charges against Stout.\n"Our particular statute has not been challenged," Petersen told The Indianapolis Star. "We still have flag desecration on the books, although we may certainly come up against that (constitutional) argument if we continue to prosecute Mr. Stout."\nBoth charges against Stout are misdemeanors, each carrying maximum penalties of one year in prison and a $5,000 fine upon conviction.\nPetersen agreed that the surge of flag-waving since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks may have created a new sensitivity to flag desecration.\n"I can't comment on what the officers were thinking at the time, but probably a report of flag burning would be taken more seriously because of the environment," she said. "I don't know what we would have done before Sept. 11."\nIndiana's law states that "a person who knowingly or intentionally mutilates, defaces, burns or tramples any United States flag, standard or ensign commits flag desecration." \nThe statute does not apply to proper disposal of flags by burning.\n"There are laws on the books in 48 states, but the Supreme Court decision in 1989, which the court reiterated in 1990, has invalidated all those laws," said Marty Justis, executive director of The Citizens Flag Alliance.\nThe organization was founded in 1994 by the American Legion and is based in Indianapolis. It represents 142 organizations with collective membership of about 20 million.\nJustis said the sole purpose of the alliance is to pass a constitutional amendment to protect the American flag from desecration.\n"An amendment has gone through the House four times in the past four congresses, the most recent being last July," he said. "We've been unable to get it through the Senate."\nStout remained in jail where he was being held Monday in lieu of $9,000 bond.

Kids see magic in 'Potter'

LONDON -- Director Chris Columbus got rave reviews from the kids who saw "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which is a change from the reaction he's gotten in the past from adult film critics. \n"The critics have never been kind to me," said Columbus, whose past films include "Adventures in Babysitting" and "Bicentennial Man," as well as more successful movies like "Home Alone." \nBut "this film feels different," he said. "I do know that I love the picture, and that's really important -- though in the end, who knows?" \nAfter attending the premiere in London on Sunday, 12-year-old Alex Roberts wrote in Monday's Guardian newspaper, "I don't think I'll watch it nine times, but it will certainly be one of my favorite films." \nThe Times of London handed over its review to Barney Macintyre, age 6 and three-quarters: "This is great, the best film I've ever seen, way better than any of the Disney cartoons." \nAnd 9-year-old Jessica Hatrick's enthusiasm made a front-page headline in the Sunday Telegraph on Sunday. Calling the adaptation of J.K. Rowling's novel "the best movie I have ever seen," Jessica offered a few minor caveats -- 12-year-old Daniel Radcliffe in the title role was "a good actor, but he looks like the woman on 'The Weakest Link,' which is a bit off-putting." \nThe movie is being released in the United States as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." It opens on both sides of the Atlantic Nov. 16.

Ebola outbreak hits western African countries

GENEVA -- An outbreak of fever in the west African nation of Gabon has been confirmed as the deadly disease Ebola, the World Health Organization said Sunday.\nIt is the world's first documented outbreak of Ebola since last year in Uganda, where 224 people -- including health workers -- died from the virus. Ebola is one of the most virulent viral diseases known to humankind, causing death in 50 to 90 percent of all clinically ill cases.\n"It's been confirmed by a laboratory in Gabon," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told The Associated Press. "We've had reports that seven people have died."\nHartl said WHO has already sent a team to help the coastal nation and that a second team of four specialists would leave Geneva for Gabon Monday.\nThe outbreak is in remote Ogooue Ivindo province in northeastern Gabon, he said. Gabon was last afflicted in an outbreak in 1996-97 that killed 45 of the 60 people infected.\nFriday, Hartl said there were unconfirmed reports of a possible outbreak in Congo, which is near Gabon although the two countries have no common borders.\nEbola is passed through contact with bodily fluids, such as mucus, saliva and blood, but is not airborne. The virus incubates for four to 10 days before flu-like symptoms set in. Eventually, the virus causes severe internal bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea.\nThere is no cure, but patients treated early for dehydration have a good chance of survival.

Turnovers turn game to Patriots

NEW ORLEANS -- The New England Patriots made this a Super Bowl to remember, for all the right reasons.\nAdam Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired, capping a thrilling final two minutes and giving the Patriots a 20-17 upset over the St. Louis Rams on a red, white and blue Sunday.\n"We shocked the world," New England safety Lawyer Milloy said.\nThe winning kick came after the Patriots had lost a 17-3 lead in the final 10 minutes. The game appeared headed for the first Super Bowl overtime after St. Louis tied it on a 26-yard pass from Kurt Warner to Ricky Proehl with 1:30 left.\nBut MVP Tom Brady, whose status as the starter was in doubt until midweek, drove the Patriots 53 yards with no timeouts to set up the deciding kick.\n"No one gave us a chance to win this game," said running back Antowain Smith, who gained 92 yards in 18 carries.\nNew England won on a day filled with patriotic themes inside the Superdome and high security outside. Fans were urged to show up five hours before kickoff to get through a perimeter that looked more like a military compound than a football stadium.

Rumsfeld likely to scale back jet patrols

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld indicated Sunday he probably will scale back the continuous fighter jet patrols over U.S. cities.\nHe raised the possibility of tying the intensity of the patrols to different levels of threats against the U.S., as assessed by the government. \n"My personal view has been that what we need to do is what we have always done historically, and that's to have different threat levels. And as we see changes in the threat condition, adjust up or down," Rumsfeld said. \n"We have been at a relatively high threat level for some period of time, which has been appropriate given the threat information that I read every day," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press." \nThe Air Force's civilian leader told The Associated Press last week that he wants to end the post-Sept. 11 the current 24-hour, 7-day-a-week patrols and instead leave fighters on "strip alert" at airfields, ready to launch in case of emergency. \n"What we need to do is get gradations of threat conditions and be able to move them up and down, depending on our best judgment and hope we're right." \nThe patrols are tying up about 265 airplanes -- mostly fighters, refuelers and radar planes -- and about 12,000 airmen, Air Force Secretary James Roche said in the Associated Press interview. \nThat compares with 14,000 Air Force personnel committed to the war in Afghanistan, he said, making the Air Force the only service with a large-scale commitment to both fronts in the war on terrorism. \nRumsfeld said it was his hope "that the threat condition will be such that we will not need to maintain that level of combat air patrols…and we will be able to reduce the stress that's been put on the force and reduce the cost to the American taxpayer"