Across America Week In Review: UFOs, Safest Cities, Best Cookies

ACROSS AMERICA — Welcome to the roundup of notable stories from the week of Dec 2. to Dec. 6 on the Across America Patch.

The thought that we share this galaxy with aliens from other planets has long fascinated us. Thousands of reports of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, are filed every year with the National UFO Reporting Center.

The reports come in from all over the United States and you might find it interesting to read through the unidentified flying objects that have been reported in your state.

Read the complete story: UFO Sightings In 2019 For Every State: What People Saw and check out more of our favorite stories from Across America this week.

Here Are The Safest Cities In The United States: Report

Safety is near the top of every family's list for what they want in a home city. A new study by the personal finance website WalletHub ranked the 182 safest cities in America, and Columbia, Maryland, took home the top spot.

The five least safe cities in the United States included: St. Louis, Fort Lauderdale, San Bernardino, Detroit and Baton Rogue.

Check out the article for the full list of safest cities in the United States and to find out where the urban centers closest to you ranked.

The Best Cookies From Coast To Coast: As Shared By Patch Editors

We cannot emphasize enough how important cookies were this week. National Cookie Day fell on Wednesday, and Patch asked reporters across the nation where we can find the ultimate cookie spots in their state.

Take a look at the article to find out what they said.

Smart TVs May Be Watching And Listening In Your Home, FBI Warns

Countless smart TVs were purchased on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but you might want to speak quietly if you bought one for your own home.

The FBI says that while you're watching your smart TV, the TV may be watching back as it collects data to help advertisers better target their ads and make programming suggestions based on what you've already watched.

Many smart TVs also have built-in cameras that use facial recognition to make programming suggestions based on who's watching.

Check out the article to read all the details about these possibly spying TVs.

Lil Bub, The Cat With Perpetually Stuck-Out Tongue, Dies At 8

In some of the saddest news of the week, Lil Bub, the cat with a perpetually stuck-out tongue died at the age of eight. The feline's life was short-lived, but the internet famous cat was able to help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for animals with special needs.

Lil Bub was born with feline dwarfism, osteoporosis and foreshortened jaw that gave her the adorable look that made her famous.

For the whole story on the inspirational cat, click on the article link above.

Here's how to take a look at all the articles on the Across America Patch page.