February 4, 2006

Selection of Super Bowl sites is predicated primarily on weather and facilities, but league owners determine sites, and they can use game as reward for fellow owners and cities; back-room politics and gifts increasingly are helping to lure votes of owners, one of only two decisions--other being selection of commissioner--cast by secret ballot; Detroit, site of this year's game between Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks, used elaborate production with rotating stage to court votes during its bid presentation; golf legend Arnold Palmer gave each owner putter to help Tampa, Fla, in its winning bid for 2009 Super Bowl; Miami was awarded 2010 game after owners were promised use of yachts during Super Bowl week; some owners are questioning way Super Bowl sites are chosen (M)

New York City Schools Chancellor Joel I Klein defends tutoring provision of new teachers contract; provision will require some failing students to stay after school for tutoring in small groups for up to four days a week; admits tens of thousands of children will not benefit from program because of capacity limits; says nearly 50,000 children who are not failing and mostly attend high-performing schools will benefit from small group instruction (M)

Vaccine Against Diarrhea-Causing Virus Is Approved Drug regulators approved an oral vaccine against a common form of diarrhea that kills half a million children each year. But the price of the vaccine, $187.50 for three oral doses, may undercut its usefulness. PAGE A10 Jobless Rate at 4-Year Low The government reported that the unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent, its lowest in more than four years, as nearly every industry hired workers. BUSINESS DAY, PAGE C1 Crime Fighting via the Web As law enforcement officials have stepped up efforts to obtain records on Web use, Internet service providers have become more willing to give them up. BUSINESS DAY, PAGE C1 THIS WEEKEND A New Look at Sports The Times introduces Play, a sports magazine for serious fans and for those who love to play games. In this issue, the Winter Olympics, the Super Bowl and golf in China. Carnegie Hall's Double Life It turns out that there is a second way to get to Carnegie Hall: rent it, rent it, rent it. Just ask the Houston Symphony. ARTS & LEISURE

William C Rhoden Sports of The Times column discusses New England Patriots owner Robert K Kraft, whose team is not in Super Bowl this year after three wins in last four years; photo (M)

Bureau of Labor Statistics reports unemployment rate declined in January to 4.7 percent, lowest level in more than four years; hiring in nearly every industry added 193,000 jobs to work force, well short of what forecasters expected; revisions for November and December push average monthly job growth to hefty 229,000; Treasury Secretary John Snow cautiously welcomes jobs news and maintains that wages could continue to rise without forcing companies to push up prices; photo; graphs; charts (M)