August 14, 2004

Google Inc is search for price at which it will sell stock to public for first time; company begins taking bids on Internet for 25.7 million of its shares after nearly three months of intense government scrutiny, few modest legal setbacks and rising investor skepticism; is hoping to sell about $3 billion worth of stock using form of Dutch auction; expects to close auction next week; chart; photo of Google's co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page (M)

Securities and Exchange Commission forces Google Inc, which is preparing initial public offering, to amend its prospectus to admit that it might have violated securities laws and to include in prospectus entire interview by company's co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page that appears in September issue of Playboy magazine--along with corrections of few things that were either wrong or had changed since interview took place in April; SEC informs Google lawyers that changes are adequate and that commission will not delay offering over those issues; decision to grant April interview, even as company was preparing to go public, is another example of how Google goes its own way, defying conventional Wall Street wisdom (Market Place column) (M)

People on Florida's west coast stream into shelters operated by American Red Cross as Hurricane Charley veers toward Fort Myers; over 800 people in Fort Myers take shelter in high school gymnasium; temporary residents of shelter are melting pot of American life: migrant workers, affluent homeowners and retirees; photo (M)

First article in series the Bush Record examines administration's overall regulatory record; allies and critics of administration say that Sept 11 attacks and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have preoccupied public and overshadowed Pres Bush's regulatory initiatives; record shows that administration has heeded interests of business and industry; officials under Bush have introduced rules to ease and dismantle existing regulations they see as cumbersome; some analysts say administration has introduced rules favoring industry with dedication unmatched in modern times; several regulatory proposals by administration noted; graph; photo (M)

OPEC's policy is in disarray as cartel's 11 members seem unable to keep their benchmark price under $28-a-barrel ceiling; low-sulfur crude for delivery in September, most widely watched oil price, settles at record $46.58 a barrel in New York trading; there is not much that OPEC's largest producer, Saudia Arabia, can do; Saudi Oil Min Ali Al-Naimi tried on Aug 11 to reassure markets that there is plenty of oil available, announcing kingdom increased production by 1 million barrels a day over last three months, to 9.3 million barrels a day, and that it can quickly pump another 1.3 million barrels daily if needed; graph; photo (M)