California legislators are on an amendment and enactment mode, targeting principally the state's various driving laws. Among the measures under consideration are a prohibition on drivers carrying live animals on their laps while behind the wheel. Another proposal seeks to ban truants and high school dropouts from driving, while one bill urges a study on the danger silent electric cars hold for blind pedestrians.

In an attempt to help overweight officers get back in shape, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has hired a full-time diet coach to chalk out special diet plans for them. Rana Parker, who joined the force in July, was working as a diet coach at Head Start, the federal aid program for children. Now she will target recruits and help instill in them good eating habits and finding time for balanced meals.

A castaway cocker spaniel and his companion, a macaw parrot, were rescued by Norwegian Cruise Line workers from a tiny atoll about 1,000 miles south of Hawaii. Snickers, an 8-month-old dog, survived 95 days adrift on a 48-foot boat then four months of being stranded on Fanning Island, one of 33 scattered coral atolls that make up the remote island nation of Kiribati.

A 21-year old woman has filed a $200,000 law suit against American Airlines for failing to protect her after a male passenger reportedly masturbated beside her on a recent flight. The woman, whose identity was withheld, alleges airline employees did not act appropriately after the man sat next to her and began masturbating during a flight in March 2007.

The latest look at shopping comes from Shermans Travel, which has put together its list of the top spots for "shopaholics. " The Thai capital Bangkok topped the list for its reputation as one of the best shopping destinations in Asia. Good finds in the city are high-quality silk, jewelry, and traditional crafts for a reasonable amount of money. Buenos Aires in Argentina is cited for its low cost leather products. Denmark's Copenhagen is among the top five for its wide-range of merchandise especially home accessories and glassware such as Holmegaard and Royal Copenhagen Porcelain.