(CNN) -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' directive overruling the Food and Drug Administration's decision to make emergency contraception available over the counter for all women, including girls under 17, was not only unprecedented, it was substantively without merit.

After a thorough and months-long review of the evidence, the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research determined that the contraceptive, Plan B One-Step, was safe and effective for teens, and that teens on their own understood what the product did -- and didn't do -- and how to use it. Based on these expert findings, the FDA commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, concluded that Plan B One-Step was "safe and effective and should be approved for nonprescription use for all females of childbearing potential."

The FDA decision overruled by Sebelius would have made emergency contraception available, alongside condoms and pregnancy tests, on the shelves of pharmacies, grocery stores and other retailers, giving women of all ages at risk of unintended pregnancy timely access to this safe and effective backup contraceptive method. And time is of the essence here: Although Plan B can help prevent pregnancy for up to three days after intercourse, it is more effective the sooner it is taken.

(CNN) -- The liberation of St. Louis begins now.

Albert Pujols is leaving the city and you are free, dear people, to speak the truth. No longer do you have to cower. No longer do you have to worry about stern looks and furious retorts. No longer do you have to tiptoe around the mighty slugger and his Ruthian numbers, fearful that he might say to hell with riverboat casinos and go elsewhere, someplace warmer. No longer do you have to mindlessly utter the Cardinal company lines about all of Pujols' charity work and family life and what a wonderful person he is.

With Thursday's news that Pujols has agreed to a 10-year, $254 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Cardinals officials, players and fans are finally permitted say what has gone unsaid far too long -- that Albert Pujols is a pain in the rear.

I know. Albert loves kids. And puppies. And kids with puppies. He is a devout Christian who has written, "My life's goal is to bring glory to Jesus." His foundation raises large bundles of money to help kids with Down syndrome (and if you don't believe this, ask anyone associated with Pujols. They'll tell you. And tell you. And tell you.). He has never, apparently, drowned a dog or shot himself in the leg.

Over the past 11 years, St. Louis' slugging infielder could do no wrong. And yes, it helped that he averaged 42 homers and 126 RBIs while leading the club to two World Series titles.

Jeff Pearlman

And yet ... for the hundreds of people who work for the Cardinals, and for the majority of the thousands upon thousands of fans who have asked Pujols for an autograph or a handshake or the smallest of words, the three-time National League MVP is, well, terrible.

Having now covered sports for 17 years, I've witnessed few professional athletes who show greater disrespect and outright disdain for loyalists than Pujols. He is a man who, during spring training, walks from station to station with his head down; who responds to "Albert, we love you!" not with a smile or a nod, but with cold nothingness. When people call his name, he almost never gazes up. When people ask for an autograph, he doesn't even bother with a "Not now" or "Try me later." Instead, he turns to devices that men such as Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent perfected in the recent decades -- the steel-faced, how-dare-you-even-talk-to-me, ignore-the-world two-step.

Cartagena, Colombia (CNN) -- Cartagena , the historic jewel of Colombia's Caribbean coast, is a secret that's getting out.

The city's spectacular setting is a draw in itself. Protected by ancient stone walls that enclose its vibrant port, Cartagena is almost entirely surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. Pink, yellow and purple buildings line the cobblestone streets of the old city, faded after centuries under the powerful sun. Billowing flower boxes droop over balconies, drawing the eye up Spanish colonial facades.

Painted doors of all shapes and sizes open onto lush courtyards or mysterious wine cellars. Behind many doors visitors will find first-class dining and some of the most interesting boutique shopping in the Caribbean.

Between January and August 2010, more than 111,000 international visitors came to Colombia, up 9% from the year before, according to Colombian immigration authorities. Of those visitors, 11% made Cartagena their primary destination.

Historically, Colombia's struggles with crime have scared away tourists. But violence associated with Colombia's infamous drug trafficking is steadily declining, and Cartagena continues to be one of the safest cities in Colombia.

Another darker side of history dates back much further: the Spanish Inquisition. Cartagena was a vital seaport for Spain after colonists founded the city in 1533, and the coastal city remained under Spanish rule for more than 275 years.

In 1610, a tribunal was established in Cartagena as part of the effort to preserve Catholic orthodoxy in Spain and its kingdoms. The Palacio de la Inquisicion, in the middle of the old city, is not for the faint of heart. Guides will (sometimes gleefully) take visitors through every instrument of torture used against those the Catholic Church deemed heretics. Note: Smiling for photos may feel awkward.

Escape the grim scene onto one of Cartagena's grand public squares and you'll find locals singing and selling paintings, CDs, hats and whatever else there is to offer while the old timers look on from benches surrounding the square.

Take a walk on the 16th-century walls of the old city. From there, the sea stretches as far as the eye can see. Near the walls, mopeds and buses scurry in and out of the city. The buses are apt to screech to a sudden halt before their stops and pick up again without warning. Riders should try to anticipate the driver's next move, as hopping off at speeds of 10 mph or more seems routine. Getting around can be both alarming and comical.

Relax and quench your thirst with some of the most coveted and exotic fruit juices in the world, like guanabana, lulo and nispero. The guanabana with a hint of milk added is a frothy delight. Everywhere you look in town there are fruit stands with tiny windows for taking juice orders. Behind them old ladies use every tool at their disposal to whack and whomp the fruit until the juices pour over the white plastic cups handed out to patrons.

What a way to end a year for the ages.

Having already won three fights in 2011 -- defeating a world champion, a former world champion and an undefeated top contender -- Jon Jones had the bar set pretty high when he walked into the octagon for the main event of UFC 140 on Saturday night before 18,303 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

The light heavyweight champ ended up finding a whole new way to impress.

Unlike in those three bouts just mentioned, or any others, really, in a career spent dominating and barely breaking a sweat, the man called "Bones" found his resiliency put to the test -- taking some early punches and kicks, looking a bit confused -- before he dropped and bloodied former belt holder Lyoto Machida, then choked him unconscious with 34 seconds left in the second round.

"He's just smart, man," Jones told pay-per-view color analyst Joe Rogan afterward, trying to explain why he had difficulty figuring out the Shotokan karate man. "He kicked really hard, he knew his range, he had great tactics. Yeah, he was definitely a very tough puzzle."

It was a puzzle that Jones (15-1) did not solve in the first round, as Machida (17-3) remained outside of the champ's jumbo-jet 84½-inch reach for the most part, entering Jones' airspace only occasionally to land a kick here, a punch there. Then, with a minute to go, "The Dragon" connected with a counter left hand, Jones staggered backward and Lyoto surged forward. Jones dodged the flurry, but when they squared off again, Machida landed a kick to the body that could be heard in his Brazilian homeland.

"It was good, you know?" said Jones. "One of my biggest critic points is that I can't take a punch. So I'm glad to prove to myself and to everyone that I can take a legit hit."

That's what you call retrospect. After the fighting was over, it was safe for Jones to make lemonade out of the lemons that life -- and Machida -- had handed him in that first round. But at the time it was happening, and when he returned to his corner at the horn, the 24-year-old did not look quite as puffed up as he had a few minutes earlier during his uber-confident walk to the cage. He looked like a guy who was in a fight. For the first time.

But it's amazing what a 60-second meditation retreat with trainer Greg Jackson ("Deep breaths ... deep breaths ... calm down ... calm down") can do for a guy's soul.

Especially when that soul is housed in the long, lean body of an athlete of uncommon skill, creativity and, yes, toughness.

Jones came out for the second round with none of the unease one might expect of a young fighter whose mettle was finally being shaken up. He kept his distance and his poise, calmly stalking his 33-year-old challenger as he looked for an opening. It came midway through the round when both fighters threw right hands but only the champ's landed -- and landed hard. Machida took it well, but 10 seconds later he was on his back anyway after Jones grabbed his legs for a takedown.

(CNN) -- The other week, we covered the difference between searching and stalking online. We dusted off our hands, satisfied with our ample labors, and just as we were about to sink into the deep cave of hibernation/suspended animation that we enter between columns, we received the following inquiry:

"This has been a hard thing to admit myself, but I have a problem: I am a total and complete Google stalker. I'll spend hours just surfing the Web, searching for details about old high school acquaintances, co-workers and potential dates. I am a machine. Seriously. I can find anyone. Give me a first name and an identifying detail, and I'll give you a whole freaking dossier.

My friends make fun of me mercilessly, teasingly (I hope) calling me a creeper, and I've seen some sitcoms and movies lately that seem to indicate that Google stalking kills the mystery or whatever, but I'm just fascinated by people -- and the fact that our lives have become so public. (Also, sometimes stalking comes in handy -- a wedding ring can come off, you know). My question is: Am I really a creeper?"

- Creeper(?) in Connecticut

Well, Creeper(?), assuming -- as we did in the last column with Creepy Crushing in Chicago -- that you are not, in fact, out of your mind, allow us to parse this out for you by way of the following examples.

Is it creepy to Google stalk...

Work contacts

You've just been hired! (Finally, someone appreciates your amazing fortune cookie-writing skills.) You've just shaken hands with your new cubiclemate and you're settling into your computer chair when you're hit with the uncontrollable urge to enter her name into Google and hit "Search." Are you a creeper?

Nope. In the wild, wild west of fortune-cookie writing (and all other professions), it's advantageous to know as much as you can about the people you're working with. Does your colleague have a website? Does it have information about her past gigs? Does it include some hobby that you, too, enjoy (She does George R. R. Martin fan art, too?!)?

Well, then, feel free to cast around. No one is going to be creeped out that you looked at a repository of information that they themselves put online -- just do it at home (How will you feel if she walks by to invite you to lunch and sees you're six pages into her blog?), and bring it up tactfully: "Hey! I saw your website. What was it like working with Donald Lau? He's a legend!"

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks rallied Friday after a majority of European leaders agreed on a new deal to try to resolve the eurozone debt crisis.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) added 187 points, or 1.6%. The S&P 500 (SPX) jumped 21 points, or 1.7%. The Nasdaq (COMP) rose 50 points, or 1.9%.

During a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, early Friday, the 17 members of the eurozone -- which share the embattled single currency -- reached a deal for a new intergovernmental treaty to deepen the integration of national budgets.

Six additional EU nations supported the deal, but Britain rejected it. The three remaining EU countries tentatively support the deal, but have yet to secure parliamentary approval. Leaders are aiming to have the plan ready by March.

European and U.S. stocks rallied on the news, ignoring Moody's downgrade of three top French banks: BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole SA and Société Générale.

The U.S. financial sector outperformed the broader market in early trading with Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500), JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500), Morgan Stanley (MS, Fortune 500) and Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500) up between 1.5% and 4%. The rally in financials helped erase some of the industry's outsize losses from Thursday.

"The market views Europe's deal as a positive step, so the optimistic juices are flowing," said Peter Tuz, president at Chase Investment Counsel. "The hope is that Europe is moving toward a mechanism that will allow for broader European Central Bank involvement, and other tools to solve the financial crisis."
European summit: Now it's up to the ECB

But, Tuz warned, "the devil will be in the details, and it will take time to implement."

Meanwhile, a Reuters report that China is creating a $300 billion fund to invest in both Europe and the United States could also have lent support to stocks, said Jennifer Lee, an economist with BMO Capital Markets.

U.S. stocks came off losses on Thursday. The stock sell-off accelerated in the last 20 minutes of trading, with all three indexes falling to their lows of the day, after a flurry of headlines put the likelihood of a Europe debt crisis solution into question.

The declines were sparked in part by ECB President Mario Draghi's refusal to commit to offering broad assistance to troubled eurozone countries. Draghi also emphasized "substantial downside risks" for the European economy.

WILLISTON, N.D. (CNNMoney) -- They're pulling in fat paychecks, but now they're also homeless.

In the town of Williston, N.D., America's newest oil boomtown, more than 6,000 job seekers have come from every corner of the country looking for work. Yet, oil companies and other developers haven't been able to build housing units fast enough.

In the past year, only about 2,000 new housing units have been built, leaving many workers out in the cold.

With dozens of job seekers arriving by the day and fewer and fewer spots for them live in, people are taking some desperate measures.

Newer arrivals who can't find vacant hotel rooms or apartments sleep in their cars or in sleeping bags on spare patches of grass along the highway. The luckier ones nab a spot in one of the dozens of dorm-like facilities, known as "man camps," that the oil companies have built to house their workers.

The living conditions are far from ideal, but to some of these workers the lure of doubling or tripling their salaries far outweighs the physical and mental toll it can take.

My street address is the Walmart parking lot

In July, Matt was transferred from a Walmart in Minnesota to Williston's only Walmart -- more than doubling his salary. After arriving in the town he bought an RV to live in and soon realized that the store's parking lot was going to be the closest thing to home he was going to have for some time.

Each day, he buys something from the 24-hour Supercenter so he has an excuse to stay there. At night, Matt (who asked that his last name not be used) and his neighbors break out their lawn chairs, a grill and some beers and tell stories into the wee hours about where they have come from and what they are doing -- or hope to do -- with the money they will make off of this black gold rush.

"Some people look at us like we're homeless," he said. "But anyone who needs to find us can find us -- we have a street address: it's 4001 2nd Ave., Walmart."
Double your salary in the middle of nowhere, North Dakota

LaRae and Scott Miles have been living with their two kids and three dogs in an RV parked in a Williston campground since moving from Washington more than a year ago.

"It's crazy to go from having a home and a yard to living in an 8-by-10 trailer with no yard," said their daughter Kimberly, a sophomore in high school whose belongings are in a suitcase stowed at the end of her bed. "It's going to be a great day when we find a house."

Before the move, the Miles' were struggling to make ends meet. Now, Scott is making $20 an hour as a truck driver -- double his previous salary.

"I'm happy we moved out here, but I'm not happy about how we live," said LaRae. "We're looking for something more permanent to rent, but this is about all we can do."

Life in the "man camps"

Even those who have a place to live find the conditions tough. Many of the major oil companies that are cashing in on the oil discovered in the Bakken formation have been renting entire floors of hotels, spare apartments or building housing facilities -- called "lodges" by some and "man camps" by others -- in order to house their workers.

WATFORD CITY, N.D. (CNNMoney) -- For those who have spent their entire lives in the previously quiet farm towns that dot the northwestern corner of North Dakota, the discovery of oil in the Bakken formation has been anything but fortuitous.

The thousands of people from around the country flocking to these boomtowns has led to a housing shortage and an increase in traffic, crime and frustration among the locals who feel like their small, close-knit towns are now gone forever.

"At first, we were excited about the prospect of bringing in new people and money ... but it slammed us so hard, in such a little time that a lot of locals now are kind of resentful," said Deone Lawlar, a 57 year old native of Watford City, which is located in the middle of the oil play. "Now we want our town back."

The land Lawlar's home is built on has belonged to her family for generations. Last year, the dirt trail that led to her house was extended past her home by an oil exploration company to build two oil rigs, a pipeline company and housing facilities for oil workers. Now, the once-solitary road plays host to semi trucks at all hours of the day.

Many drivers throw trash out their windows as they speed by. Lawlar said she even came home one evening to find a truck driver urinating on her lawn.

"The quiet peaceful country life as we know it is a thing of the past," said Lawlar. She and her husband used to joke that their next move would be to the cemetery. Now, it looks like it might be Bismarck.

Housing shortage sends prices soaring: If Lawlar does decide to move, there will undoubtedly be someone ready to grab up her land.

A housing shortage has sent rents soaring to levels typically seen in big cities like Manhattan and San Francisco. One-bedroom apartments can run around $1,500 a month, while two- to three-bedroom apartments are often around $3,000.
Six-figure salaries, but homeless

Even locals who have been renting their homes for years are getting surprise rent increases from landlords eager to cash in.

Kristen Pallacheck, a nurse at Bethel Lutheran Nursing Home and a Williston native, saw her rent triple this year.

"People are getting greedy, and we're losing people who have lived here their whole lives," she said. "It's hard to make ends meet, especially with two little kids. How does a nursing home keep up with the oil fields?"

Dangerous roads ahead: Along with oil companies and the workers who have flocked to work for them, have come dozens of semi trucks that are being used haul crude, water, sand and other supplies from the various well sites and rigs. Roads are getting torn apart as a result, leading to more accidents.

According to the Williston Police Department, the number of accidents it investigated jumped 30% last year to 974, and traffic misdemeanors have also increased 30% year-over-year, from 324 in 2009 to 421 in 2010.
America's Biggest Boomtown

"I drive 15 miles to work everyday with my two children and we have about at least two to three near car accidents a week," said Michelle Falcon-Nelson, who lives in Williston. "The traffic is horrible and our road infrastructure was not ready for the hundreds of oil field trucks that tear it up. This week alone, there were four semi truck accidents in four days."

But it isn't just the bad roads that have residents concerned. Crime of all types -- theft, violence, abduction, sex crimes, domestic abuse -- has tripled, with 16,495 reports of criminal activities in Williston last year.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks are poised to start the week little changed, after a key summit on Europe's debt crisis gave investors few solid solutions.

Europe's top leaders said Sunday that they were getting closer to finalizing a plan to solve the continent's debt crisis. But with a final agreement not expected before Wednesday, the actual details remained under wraps.

Dow Jones industrial average (INDU), S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq (COMP) futures hovered around breakeven. Stock futures indicate the possible direction of the markets when they open at 9:30 a.m. ET.

On Friday, U.S. stocks had rallied to the highest levels since early August, as investors grew increasingly hopeful that a resolution to Europe's debt crisis is around the corner.

Friday's gains pushed the Dow back into positive territory for 2011, with all three indexes on track for their best monthly performance in more than a year.
Europe's leaders nearing debt solution

"If we continue to see incremental progress out of Europe, I think you'll see less choppiness, and you could see continued gains in the U.S. equities side," said Tim Speiss, chairman of Personal Wealth Advisors at EisnerAmper.

Companies: Construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar (CAT, Fortune 500) beat earnings expectations with third-quarter revenues of $668 million. Shares rose 4% in premarket trading.

Netflix (NFLX) will announce results after the markets close, and is expected to report earnings per share of 94 cents -- up from 70 cents a year earlier.

Economy: Investors will be tuning into speeches from two regional Federal Reserve presidents on Monday.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Europe's top leaders said Sunday that they were getting closer to finalizing a plan to solve Europe's debt crisis.

But with a final agreement not expected before Wednesday, the actual details remained under wraps.

"The technical complexities are significant," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy, adding that there are large amounts of money involved.

The European Council, comprising government heads from all 27 members of the European Union, met Sunday in Brussels to hammer out a plan to boost capital levels for banks, enhance a government-backed rescue fund and provide debt relief for Greece.

Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Sarkozy said in a midday press conference that the leaders had made progress on the "ambitious" and "durable" response to the long-running crisis.

"We would not be meeting on Wednesday if we were not really trying this time," Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told CNN.

Meanwhile, Merkel noted that EU finance ministers had made progress over the weekend on a solution for capital-starved banks. In principle, the finance ministers have agreed to funnel about €100 billion into banks to boost capital levels.

But Merkel added that strengthening banks without resolving the debt crisis in Greece and supporting other nations with unsustainable debts will not work.
Europe's debt crisis: full coverage

Echoing past statements, Sarkozy and Merkel said banks should first raise money from the private sector before seeking state aid or money from the EU bailout fund.

"These issues must all be resolved," Merkel said. "It's a painful process."

Sarkozy stressed that the leaders are fully aware of their responsibilities, saying they have a "moral, political and economical obligation" to act decisively.

The leaders are also working on how best to leverage the European Financial Stability Facility. The €440 billion fund, which was recently granted the power to intervene in sovereign debt markets and provide loans for governments that need to recapitalize banks, is widely seen as needing additional firepower.

"It's important to boost the emergency fund to protect the euro," said Merkel.

But many EU governments have ruled out backing the fund up with additional loan guarantees.

European Parliament president Jerzy Buzek told CNN that it was possible other countries from outside the eurozone would be asked to contribute to the bailout fund.