Thursday, October 29, 2026
America's Good News: Thursday, October 29, 2026
From American history
On March 10, 1876, in Boston, Alexander Graham Bell bent over a strange gadget of wires, a diaphragm and a little cup of water. His assistant, Thomas Watson, waited in another room, well out of earshot. Bell spoke into the device: "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you." Moments later, Watson was at his side. He hadn't heard it through the wall. He'd heard it through the wire. It was the first telephone call ever made, and it was hardly poetry. No hello, no small talk, no "can you hear me now?" Just a man asking his helper to come down the hall. Bell had won his patent just days earlier, and by 1877 the Bell Telephone Company was in business. In America, even the first phone call was a work call.
1. A surgeon 35 miles away: Florida doctors complete the first robotic telesurgery between two U.S. hospitals
From AdventHealth Celebration near Orlando, Dr. Vipul Patel used a robot to remove a cancer patient's prostate at a hospital 35 miles away. It's the first reported telesurgery between two U.S. hospitals, done in an FDA-authorized study.
Original title: “Doctor performs surgery on patient at hospital 35 miles away using robotics”
Source: Read the full story: Doctor performs surgery on patient at hospital 35 miles away using robotics →
2. Honored at last: an Army infantryman receives his Purple Heart 13 years after he was wounded in Afghanistan
Retired Staff Sgt. James Czekalski was wounded by a roadside bomb on patrol in Afghanistan in 2013. On Oct. 27 at Fort Bliss, Texas, before family, soldiers and veterans, the 1st Armored Division's commander presented his Purple Heart.
Original title: “Army veteran awarded Purple Heart 13 years after being wounded in Afghanistan”
Source: Read the full story: Army veteran awarded Purple Heart 13 years after being wounded in Afghanistan →
3. 2.2 billion miles from home: NASA's Lucy becomes the first spacecraft to enter Jupiter's Trojan asteroids
After more than 2.2 billion miles since its 2021 launch, NASA's Lucy is the first spacecraft to enter the Jupiter Trojans, ancient asteroids sharing Jupiter's orbit. Its first close flyby, of Eurybates, is set for Aug. 11, 2027.
Original title: “NASA’s Lucy Reaches Trojan Asteroid Region 5 Years After Launch”
Source: Read the full story: NASA’s Lucy Reaches Trojan Asteroid Region 5 Years After Launch →
4. 3,156 pounds of Halloween: a Rhode Island pumpkin becomes the world's heaviest jack-o'-lantern in Salem
Ron Wallace's 3,156-pound Rhode Island pumpkin was carved on Salem Common this week into the world's heaviest jack-o'-lantern, beating the old record of 2,749 pounds, a Guinness adjudicator confirmed. It's on display through Halloween.
Original title: “Salem Halloween 2026: World-Record Jack-O'-Latern Carved On Salem Common”
Source: Read the full story: Salem Halloween 2026: World-Record Jack-O'-Latern Carved On Salem Common →
5. Champions at last: the Brewers win the first World Series title in their 57-year history
The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the first World Series title in their 57-year history. They went 11-2 in the playoffs, and catcher William Contreras was named MVP.
Original title: “Believe it, Milwaukee! Brewers are World Series champs for 1st time”
Source: Read the full story: Believe it, Milwaukee! Brewers are World Series champs for 1st time →
Sources
- 1. A surgeon 35 miles away: Florida doctors complete the first robotic telesurgery between two U.S. hospitals: abcnews.com (original) · theguardian.com · wdbo.com
- 2. Honored at last: an Army infantryman receives his Purple Heart 13 years after he was wounded in Afghanistan: stripes.com (original) · ktsm.com
- 3. 2.2 billion miles from home: NASA's Lucy becomes the first spacecraft to enter Jupiter's Trojan asteroids: science.nasa.gov (original) · aviationweek.com · swri.org
- 4. 3,156 pounds of Halloween: a Rhode Island pumpkin becomes the world's heaviest jack-o'-lantern in Salem: patch.com (original) · boston.com · salemnews.com
- 5. Champions at last: the Brewers win the first World Series title in their 57-year history: mlb.com (original) · espn.com · mlb.com