John and Jane Schreiner said they paid a large, large sum for Karson, a baby giraffe born at the Natural Bridge Zoo near Roanoke, Va., and arrived home with the animal Friday after a cross-country drive, The (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review reported Tuesday.

The state House of Representatives voted 70-3 to allow residents to vote on whether to shorten the name from State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to simply State of Rhode Island, WPRI-TV, Providence, R.I., reported Tuesday.

Toddler Tong Liangliang of Tianjin, China, was allowed to begin smoking by his father more than a year ago to help control pain from a hernia with which he was born, but his parents say the toddler's habit has gotten out of control, China Radio International reported Tuesday.

Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they'd rather abstain from drinking rather than put away their cell phones for a week, results released Tuesday of the survey by GFK Roper showed. Respondents also said they'd rather give up television for a week, 33.1 percent; survive on bread and water, 11.5 percent; even have their teeth drilled by a dentist, 14.5 percent, than do without their mobile phone.

Here's one to watch- The bald cat that loves the feel of human hair.