Insurer Aegon reports profit in Q4

Aegon NV, the bailed-out Dutch insurer, reported a return to profit in the fourth quarter due to gains on investments, a better operating performance and fewer impairments on assets.

Net profit was euro393 million ($530 million), compared with a loss of euro1.18 billion in the same period a year ago, during the financial crisis.

In the Americas, where Aegon does more than half its business and owns the Transamerica company, operating profits were euro201 million, from a loss of euro1.17 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008.

"The improvement was due mainly to the recovery in financial markets," which helped both investment performance …

Robinson out as Kings coach

INGLEWOOD, Calif. Larry Robinson is out as coach of the LosAngeles Kings after his team failed to make the playoffs three of thelast four years, the Associated Press learned today.

A source close to Robinson said the coach was informed during ameeting with general manager Dave …

Aetna sues 6 NJ doctors for overbilling

WOODLAND PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aetna Inc. is suing six New Jersey physicians, claiming they filed "unlawful and excessive" bills, including nearly $57,000 for a 25-minute consultation.

The lawsuits stem from hospital care where patients were referred to in-network hospitals but received care from out-of-network physicians. The doctors don't have contracts and set their own fees.

Aetna spokeswoman Cynthia Michener told The Record newspaper the six …

Granada signs Orellana then loans him to Celta

GRANADA, Spain (AP) — Granada re-signed Fabian Orellana and then immediately loaned the Chile international to second division club Celta Vigo.

Granada says on its website that Orellana agreed to a three-year deal with the club after his contract with …

3 eagles have Mahan soaring

MARKHAM, Ontario -- Hunter Mahan had to rely on the crowd to tellhim where his approach shot ended up on the ninth green in theCanadian Open.

The load roar made it easy to figure out that he holed the 81-yard shot for his third eagle of the round -- and second on a par-4hole.

"I was like, 'Wow! That's crazy,"' Mahan said. "That doesn'thappen."

Playing in perfect scoring conditions on Angus Glen's NorthCourse, Mahan also holed out from 189 yards on No. 18 -- the ninthhole of his morning round -- and made a more routine eagle with a 10-foot putt on the par-5 11th. He finished with a 9-under 62 to matchthe tournament record and take a two-stroke …

Jan. U.S. Auto Sales Seen Slightly Up

DETROIT - Gas prices may be lower than they were most of last year, but consumers still want to buy fuel efficient vehicles, giving Asian automakers' sales a boost over Ford and GM in January.

Industrywide, sales for the month could be up nearly 1 percent to nearly 1.2 million compared with January 2006, when strong fleet sales propped up results, according to estimates from Edmunds.com, a research Web site for car buyers. Companies report January sales Thursday.

Jesse Toprak, chief economist for Edmunds.com, said Toyota Motor Corp. likely will post double-digit gains and Honda Motor Co.'s sales could rise nearly 10 percent.

The Honda Civic, which was redesigned …

headline

OBAMA: So let's look towards the future with a renewed sense of common purpose, a renewed determination, and most importantly, renewed confidence that a better day will come.

All right. With that, let me take some questions. And I've got a list here.

Let's start off with Jennifer Loven, AP.

Q: Thank you, Mr. President. Your treasury secretary and the Fed chairman were on Capitol Hill today asking for this new authority that you want to regulate big, complex financial institutions.

But given the problems that the financial bailout program has had so far _ banks not wanting to talk about how they're spending the money, the AIG bonuses …