August 30, 2003

Cars Outnumber Drivers In American Households The average American household has 1.75 drivers, but 1.90 ''personal vehicles,'' according to a report from the Transportation Department. By comparison, the average household has 0.86 adult-size bicycles. The car population has been gaining on the driver population for years and vehicles have become as specialized as shoes with different designs for different uses. [Page C2.]

Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan rebuts critics who favor adoption by Fed of explicit rules, including formal inflation target, to serve as basis for decisions; argues for continuation of broad discretionary powers, and suggests Fed should not even be constrained to automatically follow formulas such as Taylor Rule that links interest rate policy to unemployment, inflation and economic growth trends; critics charge that Fed policy is too dependent on Greenspan's instincts and needs to be based on principles that can guide its actions following his retirement; photo (M)

WHEN Serena Williams had knee surgery a few weeks ago, only one player sent her flowers -- Lindsay Davenport. This was a sweet gesture, particularly because Davenport used to be depicted as one of the establishment players who felt offended by the insularity of the Williams sisters.

The Yankees are playing another contending team and following their discouraging pattern. When they play bad teams, the Yankees look flawless. But good teams expose their problems, and their fiercest rival did so tonight. The Red Sox whipped the Yankees, 10-5, at Fenway Park, flattening starter José Contreras and stinging Jeff Weaver for two home runs in relief. The loss cut the Yankees' lead in the American League East to three and a half games, and the Red Sox start their ace right-hander, Pedro Martínez, on Saturday. Boston has gained four games on the Yankees since Aug. 20.

Port Authority releases scores of reports written by its police officers about attack on World Trade Center in months following Sept 11, 2001, and they are filled with personal observations, both of terrible carnage and of minute details that somehow lodged in memory; they offer interesting, though often incomplete, additions to knowledge of emergency response, such as officer's recollection that captain of Port Authority police precinct at trade center ordered evacuation of entire complex even before second plane struck, a message that was not carried out through ranks; excerpts; photos (M)