News In Brief

BRING YOUR OWN TRENCH COAT

The concept isn't exactly new: retired pro sports stars as the featured attractions on organized cruises to, say, the Caribbean. They're paid to rub elbows with the other passengers for a week or so, soaking up the sun, munching on good food, and taking numerous trips down memory lane. But now there's a twist on the theme. The Washington-based Center for Counterintelligence and Security Studies has announced a seven-day "spy cruise" to the Bahamas for next March. Each morning, ex-CIA, FBI, and Soviet KGB agents would offer lectures and displays on espionage.

ANOTHER MOUTH TO FEED

Keepers at the world-famous San Diego Zoo are delighted with the newest addition to its family: a baby male two-humped Bactrian camel. But there's just one minor concern. Apparently, no one realized the youngster's mother was pregnant. She was the last of the facility's camels to shed her shaggy winter coat, which hid her condition.

States that are making life difficult for telemarketers

Nineteen states have passed laws aimed at keeping telemarketers from interrupting dinner or calling incessantly to sell you steak knives, magazine subscriptions, or even phone service, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The laws aim to protect consumer privacy by letting people put their names on a "do not call" list that telemarketers must honor - or face a hefty fine. More than 1 million New Yorkers have signed up for that state's no-call list. Other states' legislators are debating similar measures. States that already offer some form of "do not call" list:

Alabama Illinois

Alaska Missouri

Arizona Nebraska

Arkansas New Jersey

Connecticut New York

Florida Oregon

Georgia South Carolina

Hawaii Tennessee

Idaho Texas

Maine

- Associated Press

(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Monitor