Wednesday, October 21, 2026
America's Good News: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
From American history
In October 1903, baseball tried something brand new: the champions of two rival leagues would settle things in a best-of-nine World Series. The upstart American League's Boston Americans took on the three-time National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates, and Pittsburgh grabbed a three-games-to-one lead. Then Boston's fans went to work. A rowdy fan club called the Royal Rooters followed the team to Pittsburgh and sang their theme song, “Tessie,” to rattle the Pirates, especially star shortstop Honus Wagner. Boston won the next four games and the title. Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss took it like a gentleman: he tossed his own share of the gate receipts into his players' pot, so the losers went home with bigger checks than the winners. In America, even the first World Series ended with two winners.
1. A smudge on her sunglasses turned out to be a child: a Florida 20-year-old pulls a 3-year-old from a pool and brings her back with CPR
On Aug. 23, Madison Isler, 20, spotted 3-year-old Luna motionless at the bottom of her Martin County, Fla., apartment pool. She pulled her out and did CPR, joined by a pediatric ICU nurse, until Luna responded. Fire rescue just honored her.
Original title: “Martin County woman honored after using CPR to save 3-year-old girl from swimming pool”
2. A first-time champion is guaranteed: the Rays win the AL pennant and meet the Brewers in the World Series
Tampa Bay beat Cleveland 7-3 on Oct. 19 to win the ALCS, two years after Hurricane Milton tore the roof off its stadium. The Rays meet Milwaukee in Game 1 on Friday, and neither club has ever won a World Series.
Original title: “Rays finish off Guards to set up World Series clash vs. Crew”
Source: Read the full story: Rays finish off Guards to set up World Series clash vs. Crew →
3. Bound for Phobos: a Johns Hopkins-built instrument and an American sampler launch on Japan's mission to bring home a piece of a Martian moon
Japan's MMX spacecraft launched Oct. 19 for Mars' moons carrying NASA's MEGANE spectrometer, built by Johns Hopkins APL, and a Honeybee Robotics sampler. It aims to return Phobos samples in 2031, with at least 15% reserved for NASA.
Original title: “Japan launches historic MMX sample-return mission to Mars”
Source: Read the full story: Japan launches historic MMX sample-return mission to Mars →
4. The lights come back on in Franklin: a 70-year hometown manufacturer fills a shuttered plant and adds 126 jobs
Conair, which has made plastics-processing equipment in Franklin, Pa., for over 70 years, will invest $9.75 million to add fabrication, machining and powder coating in the former Joy Manufacturing plant, empty since 2017, and 126 new jobs.
Original title: “Conair to expand into former Joy facility in Franklin; $9.75M investment aims to bring 126 new jobs to region”
5. Fully clothed, into the surf: a California mom holds an unconscious surfer above the waves until help arrives
On Sept. 26, Benita Karo watched a hurricane-driven wave slam a surfer into the rocks at Oceanside, Calif. She waded in and held his head above water until others helped lift him ashore. The California State Senate has now honored her.
Original title: “Woman honored after helping save injured surfer at Oceanside beach”
Source: Read the full story: Woman honored after helping save injured surfer at Oceanside beach →