WATCH: Thanks to 'Secret Santa,' Here's a Traffic Stop You'll Want to Get

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Credit - CBS News

Credit – CBS News

Earlier this month, in Kansas City, Missouri, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department was out looking for people. And when they spotted a subject, they went after them, in a sting operation the likes of which this country has never seen.

What made this operation especially unusual was the man behind it: a fellow in a red hat — known to these men only as “Secret Santa.”

Every year this anonymous, wealthy businessman gives out about a hundred thousand dollars worth of hundred dollar bills to random strangers. But this year, instead of doing it all himself, he deputized these deputies to give away much of it.

“Let’s start with a thousand,” Secret Santa said as he gave the deputies the money.

And so, armed to the teeth with Benjamins, the officers went out to do Santa’s bidding. They specifically went after people they thought would appreciate it most. Cars driving while dented — or out on Bondo — were likely targets.

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Time Capsule from 1700s Discovered in Mass State House

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Credit - ABC News

Credit – ABC News

By Fox News

BOSTON – Crews removed a time capsule dating back to 1795 on Thursday from the granite cornerstone of the Massachusetts Statehouse, where historians believe it was originally placed by Revolutionary War luminaries Samuel Adams and Paul Revere among others.

The time capsule is believed to contain items such as old coins and newspapers, but the condition of the contents is not known and Secretary of State William Galvin speculated that some could have deteriorated over time.

Officials won’t open the capsule until after it is X-rayed at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts to determine its contents. The X-ray is scheduled for Sunday.

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Oldest Time Capsule in US Unearthed at Massachusetts State House

By Michele McPhee

Conservators from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts labored in the chill and snow for hours today to unearth what is believed to be the oldest unopened time capsule in the country, buried under the Golden Dome of the Massachusetts State House in 1795 by then-Governor Samuel Adams and Paul Revere, according to state records.

The 219-year-old capsule is made of cowhide and was initially discovered during State House renovations in 1855. When the repairs were complete, the state’s 23rd governor, Henry Gardner, re-buried it in the granite cornerstone of the historic building, adding new items, including coins…

Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin oversaw the painstaking efforts to preserve the capsule’s contents for much of today. He told ABC News that after the capsule was found by workers overhauling a water irrigation system in the building, state records were uncovered about the capsule that indicate it contained coins that date between 1652 and 1855, an engraved silver Paul Revere plate, newspapers, a Commonwealth seal and a title page from the Massachusetts Colony Records.

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Widow Places Diamond Engagement Ring in Salvation Army Kettle to Honor Late Husband

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Credit - AP

Credit – AP

BOSTON – The Salvation Army found an unusual surprise inside one of its red donation kettles: a diamond engagement ring given by a widow in honor of her late husband.

The charity said Monday the anonymous benefactor placed the diamond ring — valued at $1,850 — and her wedding band in one of the kettles placed outside Boston’s North Station last week.

It says the rings were accompanied by a note in which the woman said she hoped they would be sold and the money used to buy toys for needy children. She said her husband always had a giving spirit — especially at Christmastime.

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It's Legal to Say 'Merry Christmas' in This State

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Credit - Getty Images

Credit – Getty Images

Merry Christmas, Texas!

A Texas lawmaker wants to remind students and teachers in the state’s public schools that they may wish others a “Merry Christmas” or a “Happy Hanukkah” without fear of legal ramifications.

State Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, the author of the Merry Christmas Law, held a joint press conference with state Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, on Monday at the state capitol, in order to reiterate to Texans that they are legally protected when they celebrate their religious holidays – even in public schools.

“With Christmas around the corner, our goal is to educate the public on this state law so that our teachers and students are able to celebrate the upcoming holiday season without fear of retribution or punishment,” Bohac told KPRC.

Raymond told KPRC that celebrating religious holidays was already legal, but that the law “is about providing clarity.”

The Merry Christmas Law was passed with bipartisan support by the Texas legislature and signed into law by Republican Gov. Rick Perry in 2013.

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Drone Strike: Photographer Injured by 'Mistletoe' Copter

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Photo Credit: Georgine Benvenuto

Photo Credit: Georgine Benvenuto

Turns out a moment of awkwardness wasn’t the worst that could happen when a popular family restaurant chain unleashed indoor aircraft with the mission of prompting diners to kiss on camera.

TGI Friday’s much-hyped “Mobile Mistletoe” drones drew first blood in their New York City debut on Dec. 4 at the chain’s beloved Sheepshead Bay location when one of them hit our intrepid photographer right in the face.

The two remote-controlled helicopters dangling sprigs of mistletoe were intended to spread holiday romance, but one of them flew out of control and clipped Courier photographer Georgine Benvenuto in the nose with one of its spinning, uncovered blades.

“It literally chipped off a tip of my nose,” said Benvenuto, using tissues to stanch the blood. “It took off part of my nose and cut me here, right under my chin.”

Benvenuto said she’s just thankful she wasn’t blinded in the name of love.

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Robot Performs Heart Surgery — Without Opening Chest

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Photo Credit: Reuters

Photo Credit: Reuters

According to a report out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first closed chest heart surgery performed by a robot was successfully conducted at the Al Qassimi Hospital cardiac centre in Sharjah.

It was the first surgery of its kind in the Arab world.

The report says that the November 27 operation was performed on a 62-year-old man from Fujairah.

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Scientists Discover Earth’s ‘Star Trek’-Style Invisible Shield

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Photo Credit: Copyright Regents of the University of Colorado

Photo Credit: Copyright Regents of the University of Colorado

A team of scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder has discovered an invisible “Star Trek”-style shield that blocks so-called “killer electrons” 7,200 miles above Earth.

The electrons, which travel at near light-speed, are capable of damaging space electronics and can put astronauts in danger.

The shield, which forms a barrier to particle motion, was found in the Van Allen radiation belts, according to Distinguished Professor Daniel Baker, director of CU-Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, who led the study. The radiation belts, which are held in place by Earth’s magnetic field, are two doughnut-shaped rings that are packed with high-energy electrons and protons.

“It’s almost like these electrons are running into a glass wall in space,” said Baker, in a statement. “Somewhat like the shields created by force fields on Star Trek that were used to repel alien weapons, we are seeing an invisible shield blocking these electrons. It’s an extremely puzzling phenomenon.”

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Just Three Cups of Coffee a Day Could Slash Risk of Alzheimer's

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Photo Credit: Express.co.uk

Photo Credit: Express.co.uk

Scientists have discovered a link between regular daily intake of the hot drink and a reduction of up to 20 per cent of the chances of developing dementia.

The report released today (thurs) from the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee highlights the role nutrition can play in preserving cognitive function, especially during the preclinical phase of Alzheimer’s before full-blown symptoms of dementia occur.

It notes that a Mediterranean diet, consisting of fish, fresh fruit and vegetables, olive oil and red wine, has already been associated with a reduced risk for development of Alzheimer’s Disease.

But it adds that the latest research now suggests that compounds called polyphenols and caffeine can also be responsible for this protective effect – and these exact compounds are also found in high quantities in coffee.

It shows that regular, life-long moderate coffee consumption was associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease with the body of evidence suggesting that coffee drinkers can reduce their risk of developing the disease.

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10 Supposedly ‘Naughty’ Companies That Are Censoring ‘Christmas’

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The American Family Association has released its “Naughty-or-Nice 2014 Retailer List,” an annual report that offers Christian consumers information about how companies market their products during the holiday season.

The conservative group rates brands on a color-coded scale, with the highest marks going to “5-star rated” businesses that both “promote and celebrate Christmas on an exceptional basis.” This year, some of the companies that fall under that category are Lowe’s, Sears, Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart.

On the lower end are companies that the American Family Association claims “use ‘Christmas’ sparingly in a single or unique product description” and that, overall, purportedly do not adequately recognize the holiday in newspaper advertisements and TV and radio spots.

Some of these so-called “naughty” companies are: Barnes & Noble, Family Dollar, Foot Locker, Limited Brands, Office Depot, Office Max, Pet Smart, Staples, Victoria’s Secret and Maurice’s, according to a list published on the organization’s website…

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90 Percent of the World Age 6 and Older Will Have a Cellphone in Less Than Six Years

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Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

If you think kids’ use of technology is stunning today, consider the latest statistic from a communications technology company about how many people by a certain age will own cellphones in five years.

According to Ericsson, 90 percent of the whole world’s population older than 6 years old will have a mobile phone by 2020.

“The falling cost of handsets, coupled with improved usability and increasing network coverage, are factors that are making mobile technology a global phenomenon that will soon be available to the vast majority of the world’s population, regardless of age or location,” Rima Qureshi, senior vice president and Ericsson chief strategy officer, said in a statement. ”The Ericsson Mobility Report shows that in 2020 the world will be connected like never before.”

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