Also. . .

The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed a rule that could help brokerages compete better with banks in the $25-trillion over-the-counter derivatives business. The rule would ease some capital and margin requirements on brokerages such as Merrill Lynch & Co. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. that have set up overseas and unregistered derivatives affiliates to avoid U.S. regulations. . . . Slate, Microsoft Corp.’s magazine on the World Wide Web, will begin charging for subscriptions early next year, its publisher said. Publisher Rogers Weed said neither the price nor the timing of the move had been determined.