Bounty ruling for players finally at hand

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — More than nine months after the NFL first disclosed its bounty investigation of the New Orleans Saints, four players will finally get a ruling on whether their initial suspensions are upheld, reduced or thrown out.

Former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who was appointed to handle a second round of player appeals to the league, has informed all parties he planned to rule by Tuesday afternoon. His decision could affect whether two current Saints — linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith — get to play out the season.

If the sanctioned players find Tagliabue's decision palatable, that could finally bring the bounty saga to an end. If not, it will be up to a federal judge to either disqualify Tagliabue or let his ruling stand.

Even if Tagliabue maintains the suspensions, any punishment will delayed a week, allowing Vilma and Smith to at least play this Sunday at home against Tampa Bay, a person familiar with the decision said.

The delay is aimed at giving U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan in New Orleans time to review Tagliabue's ruling and decide if she still believes she must take the unusual step of getting involved in a collectively bargained process in order to protect the players' rights, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because no ruling had been announced.

If Vilma, Smith, Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita and free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove get the ruling they seek, it would discredit an NFL probe — overseen by Commissioner Roger Goodell — that covered three seasons and gathered about 50,000 pages of documents.

The probe concluded that Vilma and Smith were ring-leaders of a cash-for-hits program that rewarded injurious tackles labeled as "cart-offs" and "knockouts."

The NFL also concluded that Hargrove lied to NFL investigators to help cover up the program.

None of the players has served a game of their suspensions yet and have been allowed to play while appeals are pending, though Fujita is on injured reserve and Hargrove is not with a team. Shortly before the regular season, the initial suspensions were vacated by an appeal panel created by the league's collective bargaining agreement. Goodell then reissued them with some modifications. Meanwhile, the players have challenged the NFL's handling of the entire process in federal court.

Vilma received a full-season suspension, while Smith was docked four games. Hargrove initially received an eight-game suspension that was later trimmed to seven games, but for practical purposes, was reduced to two games because he was given credit for five games he missed as a free agent after being cut by Green Bay before the regular-season opener. Fujita had his initial suspension reduced from three games to one, with the league saying that he failed in his duty as a defensive leader in 2009 to discourage the bounty program run by former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Goodell also suspended Williams indefinitely, while banning Saints head coach Sean Payton for a full season.

Tagliabue's ruling comes after a new round of hearings that for the first time allowed Vilma's attorneys and the NFL Players Association, which represents the other three players, to cross-examine key NFL witnesses in the probe. Those witnesses included Williams and former Saints assistant Mike Cerullo, who was fired after the 2009 season and whose email to the league, accusing the Saints of being "a dirty organization," jump-started the probe.

Also for the first time, the NFL allowed players' attorneys to review all of the documents the NFL had collected, including some in which people stated that the players never did what they were accused of, the person who spoke with AP said.

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No. 12 Oklahoma 24-17 win at TCU for Big 12 share

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Landry Jones and Oklahoma  treated their regular-season finale like a championship game — and finished wearing caps and T-shirts declaring the 12th-ranked Sooners the Big 12 champions.

The Sooners have to share their eighth Big 12 title since they didn't get any help later from archrival Texas.

"Sharing it or not sharing it, winning the conference championship is great," Sooners defensive end R.J. Washington said.

With their 24-17 victory Saturday, after TCU's fourth-down pass to the goal line in the final minute fell incomplete, the Sooners (10-2, 8-1 Big 12) earned the right to proclaim themselves Big 12 champs.

They also might have locked up a BCS at-large bid

"In the end, it's just great to be in this position and to be a winner again," coach Bob Stoops said. "For these guys, Big 12 champs, or co-champs, they're recognized as champions."

Jones threw for 244 yards with two touchdowns and Damien Williams ran untouched 66 yards for a score as the Sooners won their eighth consecutive Big 12 game since a late-September loss to Kansas State.

But the seventh-ranked Wildcats (11-1, 8-1), with the head-to-head tiebreaker over OU for the Big 12's spot in the Fiesta Bowl, finished their regular season with a 42-24 win at home Saturday night over No. 23 Texas.

The Sooners, whose only other loss was to No. 1 Notre Dame, are in good shape for the final at-large BCS berth Sunday. Kent State's double-overtime loss to Northern Illinois in the MAC championship game likely ended any chance for that league to get in the Bowl Championship Series.

Though the final standings come out tomorrow and either Boise State and NIU could slip in.

TCU (7-5, 4-5), the two-time BCS buster in its first Big 12 season, lost all four of its conference games at home despite going 4-1 in league games on the road.

"We had a chance to win the game, simple as that," coach Gary Patterson said. "We gave up an easy touchdown when a couple of freshmen blew an assignment."

The Frogs were still within a touchdown when Oklahoma's Mike Hunnicutt missed a 42-yard field goal attempt with just under 3 minutes left.

After the Sooners won their last two games by scoring in the final minute — to win at West Virginia, and then with 4 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and beat Oklahoma State — their defense closed things out this time.

Frogs freshman quarterback Trevone Boykin, who finished 17-of-31 passing for 231 yards, threw a 46-yarder to Cam White to the Oklahoma 12. On third-and-10 from there, Boykin got in the end zone on a keeper, but the play was called back because of a holding call — an obvious penalty that cleared the way for the score.

After hitting Josh Boyce for 7 yards, the Frogs had fourth-and-13 from the 15 in the final minute when Boykin threw toward Boyce again. But he couldn't make the play between two defenders.

"We like to make them interesting around this place," Jones said. "Unfortunately we didn't finish it the way we wanted to offensively, but the defense did."

The Horned Frogs' four-game home losing streak is their longest since five in a row from November 1996 to November 1997. Before this year, they hadn't lost consecutive home games in the same season since 1998.

Oklahoma has won the Big 12 in every even-numbered year since Bob Stoops became coach in 1999. The Sooners, who also won a conference title in 2007, have been to eight BCS games in that span.

Just a minute into the second half, Williams took a handoff, shot through a gap on the left side of the line and sprinted undeterred to the end zone for a 21-7 lead.

Jones, coming in off the first consecutive 500-yard passing games by a Sooners quarterback, completed 22 of 40 passes. Williams had his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season, with 18 carries for 115 yards.

After a 75-yard Oklahoma punt, the Frogs had their second one-play scoring drive of the game. Brandon Carter caught a pass behind the Sooners secondary and raced 80 yards for a touchdown.

Boykin fumbled later in the third quarter when he was sacked by Washington, a play that was initially ruled an incomplete pass until overturned on replay. That led to Hunnicutt's 34-yard field goal.

Jaden Oberkrom kicked a 47-yard field goal for TCU with 7 minutes left, which came after the Frogs had lined up to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the 25 before a false start penalty.

Oberkrom was just wide right on a 32-yard attempt earlier in the fourth quarter, though the freshman kicker held his hands out in disbelief and replays showed the ball might have been inside the upright.

Oklahoma had a 14-7 lead at halftime after overcoming an interception by Jones that immediately led to a TCU touchdown, then a personal foul penalty that set up a third-and-23 play.

Sam Carter's interception and 42-yard return set TCU up at the 6. Boykin ran for a score on the next play for a 7-7 tie.

When Oklahoma got the ball back, Jones quickly completed five consecutive passes to the TCU 22. On the same play Kenny Stills dropped a pass near the goal-line, 303-pound lineman Tyrus Thompson was called for a personal foul after twice punching the helmet of Stansly Maponga while on top of the defensive end.

That made it third-and-23 from the 24, but Jalen Saunders caught a TD pass with Sam Carter defending him.

"I didn't do my job. I felt I should have made a play right there," Carter said. "You never know what could have happened."

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Miami bound: No. 2 Alabama holds off No. 3 Georgia 32-28 in thrilling SEC championship game

ATLANTA - Alabama got a hand on the ball, which wobbled into the arms of a Georgia receiver who wasn't supposed to catch it.

Before the Bulldogs could get off another play, the clock ran out.

The Crimson Tide is heading back to the national championship game.

By a mere 5 yards.

AJ McCarron threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 3:15 remaining and No. 2 Alabama barely held on at the end, beating No. 3 Georgia 32-28 in a Southeastern Conference title game for the ages Saturday night.

"I'm ready to have a heart attack here," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said.

As confetti fell from the Georgia Dome roof, the Bulldogs collapsed on the field, stunned they had come so close to knocking off the team that has won two of the last three national titles.

"We just ran out of time," Georgia coach Mark Richt moaned.

Alabama (12-1) will get a chance to make it three out of four when it faces top-ranked Notre Dame for the BCS crown on Jan. 7 in Miami.

This time, Alabama will head to the big game with a championship already in its pocket — unlike last year's squad, which didn't even make it to Atlanta, but got a do-over against SEC champion LSU in the national title game.

Even though the Tide left little doubt it was truly the best team in the country, routing the Tigers 21-0, there were plenty who thought Saban's team didn't deserve a rematch.

There will be no complaints when Alabama heads to South Florida for a dream matchup between two of college football's most storied programs. The Tide and Notre Dame have each won eight Associated Press national titles, more than any other school.

"This group has been fantastic," Saban said. "They were able to accomplish something of significance, and something that last year's team didn't accomplish, which is win the SEC championship."

What a game it was.

After an apparent game-clinching interception by Alabama was overturned on a video review, Georgia's Aaron Murray completed a 15-yard pass to Arthur Lynch, a 23-yarder to Tavarres King and a 26-yarder to Lynch, who was hauled down at the Alabama 8 as the clock continued to run.

The Bulldogs (11-2) were out of timeouts.

Instead of spiking the ball and gathering themselves, the Bulldog snapped the ball with 9 seconds to go. Murray attempted a pass into the corner but it was deflected at the line and ended in the arms of Chris Conley out in the right flats.

Surprised to get the ball, he slipped down at the 5.

Georgia couldn't get off another play.

Richt said the offence had the play it wanted at the end, but Alabama ruined it by tipping the pass. If it had fallen incomplete instead of going to Conley, who instinctively caught it, the Bulldogs likely would've had at least one more play, maybe two.

Instead, they were done.

"I told the guys I was disappointed, but I'm not disappointed in them," Richt said. "They're warriors. We had a chance at the end."

The consolation prize will likely be a spot in the Capital One Bowl, though the Bulldogs certainly looked like a team deserving of something better.

"Do I think we're worthy of a BCS bowl?" Richt said. "Yes I do."

The Bulldogs even got props from Saban.

"It would be a crying shame if Georgia doesn't get to go to a BCS bowl game," the Alabama coach said. "They played a tremendous game out there. That was a great football game, by both teams. It came right down to the last play."

In a back-and-forth second half that looked nothing like a game in the defensive-minded SEC, the Crimson Tide trailed 21-10 after Alec Ogletree returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Alabama rallied behind a punishing run game, finishing with 350 yards on the ground, an SEC championship game record. Eddie Lacy — the game's MVP — rumbled for 181 yards on 20 carries, including two TDs. Freshman T.J. Yeldon added 153 yards on 25 carries, also scoring a TD.

After the game, Lacy hooked up with the guy he replaced in the Alabama backfield — Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, now with the NFL's New Orleans Saints.

"He just told me congratulations and that I did a great job running and it was it was the best he's ever seen me run." Lacy said.

But the Tide won it through the air.

With Georgia stacking the line, McCarron fooled the Bulldogs with play action and delivered a perfectly thrown pass to Cooper, who beat Damian Swann in single coverage down the left side.

Georgia played like a champion until the clock ran out, though.

Using up their timeouts and forcing a punt, the Bulldogs got the ball back at their 15 with 1:08 remaining. Alabama broke into a celebration when a pass down the middle for Conley was deflected and Dee Milliner appeared to make a diving interception. But the replay showed the ball hit the ground, so Murray and the Georgia offence trotted back on the field for its last gasp.

And what a gasp it was.

Just not quite enough.

Todd Gurley led Georgia with 122 yards rushing, including a couple of TDs. Murray was 18 of 33 for 265 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

McCarron was 12 of 21 for 162 yards with an interception, only his third of the season.

After a defensive struggle in the first half, with Alabama kicking a field goal on the final play for a 10-7 lead, the last two quarters were nothing but run-and-gun.

The Bulldogs took the second-half kickoff and marched right down the field for the go-ahead touchdown. Gurley ran it seven times, capped by leg-churning, 3-yard drive up the middle to make it 14-10.

Alabama looked like it was about to answer, holding the ball for more than 5 1-2 minutes, before the drive stalled. Cade Foster came on for a 50-yard field-goal attempt, but his low kick was swatted down by Cornelius Washington. Ogletree scooped up the bouncing ball in stride and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.

Suddenly, the Bulldogs led 21-10.

But the Tide wasn't about to go away that easy. Yeldon broke off a 31-yard run, Swann was called interference on a throw down the middle, and Yeldon powered in from the 10. He ran it again for the 2-point conversion, pulling Alabama to 21-18.

Georgia went three-and-out, and the ground assault resumed. Lacy barrelled over right guard for 32 yards. Yeldon got it down to the 1. Lacy returned for the first snap of the fourth period, bulling over to put Alabama ahead 25-21.

The Tide's momentum lasted about 2 minutes.

Murray found King down the middle for a 45-yard completion and Gurley finished off the lightning-quick possession with a 10-yard touchdown run up the middle, putting Georgia back on top, 28-25.

But Alabama knows a thing or two about comebacks, having rebounded the last two years from regular-season losses.

Just three weeks ago, the Tide was upset at home by Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M.

Now, Bama is off to play for another title.

"It's just the never-give-up attitude," McCarron said. "You've got to keep fighting through it."

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Spectator falls from stands at ACC Championship

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A 22-year-old man is in critical condition after sustaining life-threatening injuries after falling about 40 feet off a fourth-floor ramp outside Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night at the ACC Championship between No. 13 Florida State and Georgia Tech.

The Charlotte Observer reported that Charlotte-Mecklenburg police identified the victim as Sean Michael Powers, a resident of New Port Richey, Fla. It's unclear if he was a student at Florida State.

Michael Stanford, the supervisor of special operations for Mecklenburg County EMS, said his agency responded to an incident in which a spectator fell from a ramp leading to the stands shortly after the 8 p.m. kickoff.

The fall is the first of its kind from Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers.

The stadium opened in 1996.

Stanford said the spectator was transported by ground to the trauma center at Carolinas Medical Center with "life-threatening injuries."

Major Eddie Levins of the Charlotte Police Department said officers are "investigating what is being referred to as a public accident. A 22-year old male fell from what is thought to be the fourth level of the stadium."

They had no comment on the extent of his injuries.

Bank of America Stadium has switchbank ramps that that take fans to the upper level of the stands.

The man fell on to a grassy area, which was taped off by police. Witnesses were taken to the police office for questioning.

Bud Elliott, 47, from Fort Myers Fla., said he came across the accident just after it happened around kickoff and several fans were looking down from the ramps.

"I came upon a crowd of people who were running," Elliott said. "They said this guy jumped or fell off. It didn't look good. It's just really sad to have something like that happen."

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No. 7 Kansas State wins Big 12 title, beats Texas

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Just as Collin Klein was preparing to trot onto the field for the biggest home game in Kansas State history, coach Bill Snyder put his arm around his senior quarterback and whispered something in his ear.

"He just told me how much he appreciated me, and that he loved me," Klein said. "It was a great moment. And I know he said that to every single one of us, and I wouldn't have it any other way. And that's pretty special."

Everything about this night was special for the Wildcats and their fans. With Klein passing for one touchdown and running for two, Kansas State beat Texas 42-24 to wrap up its third conference championship in 117 years, prompting thousands of people to rush onto the field as the sound system blared, "We are the champions."

The Wildcats (12-1, 8-1) had never played for a conference championship in their last game at home, and had never had a player end the regular season in such close contention for the Heisman Trophy as Klein.

With his main competitors, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel nor Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, off, Klein had the stage all to himself. He had one last chance to burnish his credentials for what would be Kansas State's first Heisman, and he made it count.

John Hubert scored three touchdowns on short runs for Kansas State, and Klein threw every Heisman question right back at the questioner.

"Tonight's all about our team and what we were able to accomplish tonight," he said. "And Texas didn't give it to us easily. Tonight's about K-State family. That's the most important thing."

After a slow start, Klein wound up hitting 8 of 14 passes for 184 yards and added 108 yards rushing on 23 carries.

In front of their sixth sellout in seven home games, the Wildcats also tied their team record for victories in a season and matched Oklahoma's Big 12 record.

It was Kansas State's fifth straight victory over Texas (8-4, 5-4), which led 10-7 at halftime, and capped and gave Kansas State coach Bill Snyder the conference title just four years after he came out of a brief retirement.

"Bill is unbelievable," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "I have said many times that I think what he has done here is the best in the country, from start to finish."

Oklahoma beat TCU earlier Saturday and immediately donned caps and T-shirts declaring themselves Big 12 champs. But Kansas State's 24-19 win at Oklahoma on Sept. 22 gives them the tiebreaker and sends them to the Fiesta Bowl.

"I think (the title) means an awful lot to all of us," Snyder said. "A great deal to the young people in our program. They were excited about it. Obviously I speak for everybody in our football family. I think it's significant and important for each and every one of us. I'm pleased for a lot of different people, the people that genuinely support this program."

Texas, which may be headed for the Cotton Bowl, lost its lead on Kansas State's first possession of the second half. Klein hit a 29-yard pass and Hubert broke free for 28 yards as Kansas State soared 75 yards in seven plays, with Hubert scoring from the 2.

Hubert also had a 2-yard TD run with 47 seconds left in the third quarter and scored on a 1-yard run for a 35-17 lead with a little more than 3 minutes to go after Drew Liddle recovered Texas' muffed punt.

A few minutes later, Allen Chapman intercepted Case McCoy's pass and ran it back 35 yards, setting up Klein's 9-yard TD run for a 42-17 lead with 1:53 left. The back-beaker may have been Klein's long pass to a wide-open Tyler Lockett that went for a 55-yard scoring play.

"Basically, they just out-executed us," said Texas safety Adrian Phillips. "They did what they were supposed to do and we did not come out to do our job after halftime."

McCoy threw a 14-yard TD pass to Jaxon Shipley in the second quarter and a 9-yard scoring pass to Malcom Brown less than 1 minute left in the game. Brown also scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.

McCoy hit 26-of-34 passes for 314 yards, with two interceptions. He was sacked four times by a swarming Kansas State defense.

The Wildcats' lone touchdown of the first half came on a 1-yard run by Klein and after an embarrassing lapse by defensive back Nigel Malone.

With perfect timing, Malone jumped in front of McCoy's intended receiver on Texas' second possession, made the interception and sped 30 yards into the end zone. But the ball only traveled the 29. The play was initially ruled a touchdown, but upon review, it was determined Malone had let go of the ball and allowed it drop to the ground just as he was about to step across the goal line.

So it was placed on the 1 and Klein plowed into the end zone for his 21st rushing TD of the season and No. 54 for his career.

Klein was 0 for 4 in Kansas State's scoreless second quarter while McCoy was going 17 for 20 in the first half for 204 yards.

McCoy's longest pass play went for 70 yards, but almost all of that was the running of Daje Johnson right after Adrian Phillips intercepted Klein's pass in the end zone and gave the Longhorns the ball on the 20, setting up a field goal.

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What T-Mobile's unsubsidized iPhone means for you

Although customers will pay higher upfront costs, they'll actually save hundreds over the course of their contract

Ever since AT&T walked away from a deal to acquire T-Mobile last year, T-Mobile has been struggling to define itself and win over customers — and it hasn't helped that its lineup did not include the iPhone. But that's about to change: Speaking at the Deutsche Telekom's analyst conference this week, T-Mobile CEO John Legere revealed a long-anticipated deal with Apple that suggests it'll finally bring the iPhone to the fourth-place carrier, as well as a dramatic new pricing structure that does away with traditional phone contracts.

First some background: Most phone carriers sell their devices using subsidies. Customers pay attractively low upfront costs for the phone itself, then cough up relatively high monthly fees to pay for voice, text, and data service. "Basically you're paying a mortgage on your phone," says Kevin Fitchard at GigaOm. T-Mobile's new "Value Plan" flips this traditional pricing structure on its head: T-Mobile customers will pay a steeper price ($650 to $850) for an unsubsidized iPhone 5 rather than the $200 subsidized price available through AT&T or Verizon. In exchange, T-Mobile customers will pay a much lower monthly fee over the course of their two-year contract, saving them a healthy chunk of change in the long run — up to $1,000 dollars during a two-year span.

Of course, convincing customers to take the initial plunge may not be easy. That said, T-Mobile already offers an optional version of this proposed Value Plan that accounted for 80 percent of its activations last year. But now it's shifting to the unsubsidized model entirely and — the really big news — applying it to the iPhone. Or nearly entirely: T-Mobile is also kicking around the idea of a financing plan for an unsubsidized phone. After a down-payment of $100, for example, consumers pay for the device over a 20-month stretch. In terms of monthly costs, this option wouldn't differ much from traditional contracts.

What advantage does this Value Plan offer new customers? Other carriers like Verizon are using subsidies to strong-arm consumers into its confusing new shared data plans; T-Mobile appears to be positioning itself as the no-nonsense carrier with clear, easier-to-understand contracts, at least relatively speaking.

Another advantage is that customers who don't want a top-of-the-line device — or who can snag an unlocked iPhone or top-shelf Android for cheap elsewhere — should be able to sign up for T-Mobile's contract with their existing unlocked device, subverting expensive upfront costs while giving them more flexibility. (Obviously, T-Mobile would rather you paid the high unsubsidized price, but remember: Its priority is snaring new customers, at least for now.)

One last thing: Countries in Europe already use T-Mobile's unsubsidized model. Perhaps if U.S. customers find the service's Value Plan attractive, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint will take note.

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The rapid die-off of the world's oldest trees

Trees across the globe are disappearing at 10 times the normal rate, and their demise could spell ecological disaster

If you've never been to California to see its giant redwoods, you should probably go soon. It might be only a matter of time before they're all gone. Research released Friday indicates that the world's oldest trees are dying at an alarming rate. "It is a very, very disturbing trend," says lead researcher William Laurance of James Cook University. "We are talking about the loss of the biggest living organisms on the planet, of the largest flowering plants on the planet, of organisms that play a key role in regulating and enriching our world."

For the study, researchers examined Swedish forestry records starting in 1860s and found that big trees ranging in age from 100 to 300 years old — including American pines and California's magnificent redwoods — are dying at 10 times the normal rate. And it's not just happening in the states. Major losses have been observed at all latitudes, all over the world, a symptom of the earth's rapidly changing climate combined with aggressive logging and land development.

Scientists find this trend so disturbing because big, old trees play an important — critical, in fact — ecological role by providing homes for forest creatures. In some ecosystems, the trees shelter up to 30 percent of all birds and animals, and without them, these creatures could face extinction. The trees also influence local rainfall and retain massive amounts of carbon. Their absence would hasten the already rampant effects of climate change and "have substantial impacts on bio-diversity and forest ecology," Laurance says.

So what's to be done? Scientists insist policies need to be put in place to protect existing trees and encourage the growth of new ones. "Targeted research is urgently needed to better understand the key threats to their existence and to devise strategies to counter them," the study says. "Without such initiatives, these iconic organisms and the many species dependent on them could be greatly diminished or lost altogether."

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Is President Obama going to war against legalized pot?

The leader of the now-immortal Choom Gang is reportedly on the verge of becoming the buzzkiller-in-chief

Oh, the Choomanity! President Obama, the nation's most famous former pot smoker, is reportedly considering taking legal action against Colorado and Washington that could overturn the states' new marijuana legalization laws. The new state rules, which allow those over 21 to possess up to an ounce of pot, are on a collision course with the Controlled Substances Act, the federal statute that outlaws marijuana use. Ever since the state laws were passed by popular vote on Election Day, the White House and the Justice Department have been "holding high-level meetings" to figure out a response, says Charlie Savage at The New York Times:

One option is to sue the states on the grounds that any effort to regulate marijuana is pre-empted by federal law. Should the Justice Department prevail, it would raise the possibility of striking down the entire initiatives on the theory that voters would not have approved legalizing the drug without tight regulations and licensing similar to controls on hard alcohol.

The irony of the situation is almost too cruel to fathom. The leader of the now-immortal Choom Gang — who in his youth smoked "sweet-sticky Hawaiian buds," hot-boxed his car so thoroughly that he could take "roof hits," and coined the joint-snatching term "Intercepted!" — is now on the verge of becoming the buzzkiller-in-chief. And the timing of the Times report couldn't be worse, coming only a day after Washington's new marijuana law went into effect. The bongs had only just come out of the shadows, and pot aficionados were still high on the the sweet smell of freedom, when President Obummer entered the picture.

Of course, it's not just Obama's image as a pretty chill guy that would suffer. He could end up paying a heavy political price for cracking down on pot. "Such a response would raise political complications for President Obama because marijuana legalization is popular among liberal Democrats who just turned out to re-elect him," says Savage.

Supporters of the state laws also say a crackdown would be plain foolish. On a policy level, these new rules are tools to raise badly needed revenue and tackle the so-called War on Drugs from a different angle, says Tim Dickinson at Rolling Stone:

The new laws also compel Colorado and Washington to license private businesses to cultivate and sell pot, and to levy taxes on the proceeds. Together, the two states expect to reap some $600 million annually in marijuana revenues for schools, roads, and other projects. The only losers, in fact, will be the Mexican drug lords, who currently supply as much as two-thirds of America's pot.
In the end, though, the controversy comes down to an unavoidable conflict between state and federal laws. An easy (if unlikely) way to resolve the dilemma would be to legalize marijuana across the country. Naturally, there's already a White House petition for that.

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Making money: Snagging year-end dividends, and more

Gift cards to avoid
If you give gift cards this holiday season, make sure they're not ones "loaded with sneaky fees," said Martha C. White at TIME. The Federal Reserve cracked down on retailer gift cards in 2010, ruling that they can't expire in less than five years and that issuers can't charge any fees until the card has been inactive for a year. But those rules don't apply to promotional gift cards, which retailers often offer as a reward to customers who spend a set amount. Those cards can bear fees and often expire not long after Christmas. Cards offered by banks or credit card companies are also not ideal. They may seem convenient since they can be spent anywhere, but they sometimes charge "the recipient a monthly maintenance fee, a fee to check their balance, or even a fee to use the card." If you want to give a gift with no strings attached, "retailer-specific cards are the way to go."

Snagging year-end dividends
Some companies are issuing special year-end dividends so investors can avoid possible higher tax rates in 2013, said David Randall and Linda Stern at Reuters. Costco, Oracle, and Ethan Allen Interiors have all made extra dividend payments or accelerated payouts originally scheduled for next year. Investors hoping to get in on the action should note that spotting companies likely to issue such special dividends "is easier said than done." Those with businesses focused on the U.S. are good candidates, as are those with "a lot of cash on hand, a payout ratio of less than 40 percent, and board members who themselves hold a lot of shares." But investors need to act fast. "Time is not on your side," said Paul Rubillo, founder of Dividend.com.

Trouble for defense firms
Investors in defense stocks are being "too complacent" about the risks of deep cuts to the defense budget, said Brett Arends in The Wall Street Journal. The S&P 500 Aerospace & Defense Index of leading defense companies is trading within 10 percent of its 2007 high. But even if lawmakers avoid big defense cuts next year, "budget pressures and the end of two wars" will push down military spending, and the profits at companies heavily reliant on government contracts will likely take a hit. "Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics could be among those more at risk," because their big-ticket projects could come under budget pressure, while Raytheon appears "best positioned to weather the storm."

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Today in business: 5 things you need to know

1. JOB GROWTH BRINGS UNEMPLOYMENT TO FOUR-YEAR LOW
The economy added 146,000 non-farm jobs in November, pushing the unemployment down from 7.9 percent to 7.7 percent, the lowest it's been in four years. Last month's job gains were far better than expected — economists had predicted a rather meager gain of just 93,000 jobs — partly because Hurricane Sandy didn't slow down hiring in the Northeast as much as feared. The news buoyed stocks, but just a bit, as the Labor Department shaved 33,000 off its previous estimate of October's job growth, bringing it down to 138,000. Also, some of the decrease in the unemployment rate stemmed from the fact that more people gave up looking for work. "The labor market is not getting worse," says Jacob Oubina, a senior U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York, "but is also not getting much better." [Reuters]
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2. CONSUMER BLUES HOLD DOWN STOCKS
Consumer confidence dipped in early December to its lowest point since August, according to a survey released Friday. The consumer pessimism caused major stock indexes to give up early gains they had made thanks to the better-than-expected jobs report. The main reason for the mood swing among consumers appeared to be investor worries over the stalemate in Washington on how to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of economy-busting tax hikes and spending cuts scheduled for Jan. 1. "While it (consumer confidence data) is just one measure of consumer sentiment, maybe the constant barrage of back and forth in D.C. with no resolution yet is having an impact," said Peter Boockvar, managing director at Miller Tabak & Co in New York. [Reuters]
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3. CONSUMER REPORTS DISPUTES FORD HYBRID MILEAGE
Ford is taking a beating in the latest issue of Consumer Reports, which found that two flagship Ford hybrids fell far short of the mileage they promised. Consumer Reports said that in its tests the Ford Fusion Hybrid delivered only 39 mpg in highway and city driving — Ford promises 47 mpg — and the C-Max Hybrid only got 37 mpg, instead of the 47 mpg Ford claims. The 20 percent difference was the largest for any vehicles the magazine tested. Most others were within 2 mpg. Ford says it "cannot speak" for Consumer Reports' tests, but that other analysts have praised its hybrids, and even found in some cases that they exceeded expectations. [Forbes]
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4. GOOGLE STOPS OFFERING SMALL BUSINESSES FREE APPS
Google says it's phasing out the free version of its Google Apps software suite for small businesses. Existing customers will be able to continue using their accounts without paying, but all new subscribers — big or small — will have to sign up for the Google Apps for Business Premium version, which costs $50 a year per user. The company said in a blog post last year that the service has more than 40 million users, most of whom were believed to be using the free service. Google's main competitor, Microsoft's "Office 365" online service, offers an email service and online versions of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel from $6 per user, per month. [TechCrunch]
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5. ECONOMISTS PROPOSE $1 TRILLION COINS TO AVOID DEBT-CEILING FIGHT
Another showdown over raising the debt ceiling is looming. Unless Congress raises the limit, the Treasury Department will hit its $16.4 trillion borrowing ceiling by February, and the government will run short of money to pay its bills. If Republicans resist raising the limit, insisting on spending cuts in exchange, the Obama administration has another option, scholars say. It can mint as many coins as it wants, and assign any value it wants. So, the theory goes, it could have the U.S. Mint make two $1 trillion platinum coins, move them through the Federal Reserve to Treasury's accounts, and — voila — the administration suddenly has the money it needs for two more years with no more borrowing. "I like it," Joseph Gagnon of the Peterson Institute for International Economics tells The Washington Post. "There's nothing that's obviously economically problematic about it."

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