Also

* A Ford Motor Co. Crown Victoria car used by police that already is the subject of lawsuits is being investigated by federal regulators for wheel defects that reportedly can cause drivers to lose control. There have been no related accidents, and Ford said the car is safe.

* Spiegel Inc. said the Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating whether the retailer failed to disclose auditor doubts about its financial health.

* HealthSouth Corp. said the Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating trading in the company’s shares before a profit-cutting forecast in August.

* IBM Corp. said it would soon be hosting online game players on its “grid” computers as part of an initiative to sell flexible computing power to a wide range of industries.

* SBC Communications Inc.’s application to offer long-distance service to local phone customers in Michigan failed to get support from the Justice Department, which said the firm hasn’t given competitors enough access to its local network.

* Lion’s Gate Entertainment appointed Marty Zeidman as senior vice president and general sales manager of its film releasing unit. Zeidman was previously head film buyer for Landmark Theatres.