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In West Virginia, which has the nation's highest rate of tobacco use, officials are spitting mad about R.J. Reynolds test-marketing a new smokeless product in two college towns.

The Winston-Salem, N.C., tobacco company is testing Camel Snus in Morgantown and Charleston with plans to market it nationwide early next year as a product that can be used where smoking is prohibited.

Lane Mendelsohn has enjoyed playing God.

In three years, the 28-year-old Wesley Chapel, Fla., resident created a whole planet for a community of people who love to make money. No, it's not the Ferengi, that profit-driven race of Star Trek lore.

It's for humans drawn to trading stocks, commodities and currencies.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Los Angeles Rep. Henry Waxman's stunning overthrow this week of legendary Michigan Rep. John Dingell to take over one of the House's most powerful committees may be bad news for Detroit and its struggling auto industry.

But it's a clear sign of California's growing clout in Washington.

WASHINGTON -- More than seven years after the 9/11 aerial attacks, the Department of Homeland Security has finally tightened up scrutiny of private aircraft entering or departing the United States.

Shooting hoops from the back of a donkey is one way to raise money for a good cause. And few would argue that awarding teachers $300 grants for classroom projects or after-school activities is not a good cause.

But animal-rights activists say Donkey Basketball is also a way to hurt the animals and possibly their riders.

When the city of Vallejo filed for bankruptcy protection in May, the logical question was: Is this a sign of things to come?

Now two more California cities -- Rio Vista and Isleton -- are considering bankruptcy protection as an option as they face large budget shortfalls and staggering debt.

CALGARY, Alberta -- When a Canadian man and his 12-year-old girlfriend were jailed for killing three members of her family, they found away to communicate across prison walls. They exchanged love letters expressing their joy in the notoriety the slayings had brought them and planned for their future as husband and wife.

Ron Wold laughed when asked how life as an interstate truck driver is going these days. Then he pulled out his wallet, which had an empty compartment where money usually goes.

"That's how it's going," Wold said.

Kris Marceno was an actor, a singer, a bright student with a wide circle of friends. But on Nov. 2, he died alone while playing a dangerous game: He strangled himself in an apparent attempt to get a high.

With all the changes, holiday travel could shape up to be more confusing and time-consuming than ever for consumers who haven't flown in a while. Following are tips to make your trip as smooth -- and cheap -- as possible.

Avoiding fees and saving money

-- Pack as light as possible and try to avoid checking bags in the first place.