Saturday, October 17, 2026
America's Good News: Saturday, October 17, 2026
From American history
In 1946, a Navy-trained engineer named Molt Taylor met an inventor who had built a roadable airplane and spotted its weakness right away: you had to leave the wings behind. So Taylor built his own. His Aerocar, finished in 1949, folded its wings back and towed them like a trailer, so you never had to return to the airport where you landed. Switching from car to plane took under 15 minutes, and the engine wouldn’t start until every connection was made. Certifying a machine that was both took years, but in December 1956 the Civil Aeronautics Administration approved it. Only six were ever built. Still, a flying car really did come out of Longview, Washington, seventy years ago. In America, “someday” has a habit of showing up early.
1. The future takes flight: Tesla's new Roadster drives upside down and hops over a row of cars on rocket-style thrusters
Near Waco, Texas, Tesla showed its next-gen Roadster climbing an upside-down ramp, then using cold-gas thrusters to flip, hop over five Tesla vehicles and land. It was a short, controlled demo; Tesla says production starts in 2028.
Original title: “Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style”
Source: Read the full story: Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style →
2. Next stop, the Moon program's third act: NASA finishes stacking Artemis III's boosters and installs all four engines
At Kennedy Space Center, teams finished stacking Artemis III's twin solid rocket boosters and installed all four RS-25 engines on the core stage. Next: a pad tanking test and crew rehearsal for a mission targeted no earlier than June 2027.
Original title: “NASA Completes Artemis III Booster Stacking, Shares Status Update”
Source: Read the full story: NASA Completes Artemis III Booster Stacking, Shares Status Update →
3. A new medical school for America: BYU wins accreditation to train its first class of doctors
The national accreditor for MD programs granted BYU's new School of Medicine preliminary accreditation, clearing it to recruit and admit students. Applications open within weeks, and the first class of future doctors starts in July 2027.
Original title: “BYU School of Medicine granted preliminary accreditation, plans for future building announced”
4. Built in North Carolina: an employee-owned defense firm adds 423 jobs and a 400,000-square-foot plant
Employee-owned Corvid Technologies will invest $95 million to expand its Mooresville, N.C., campus with a 400,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, adding 423 jobs that pay an average $81,550 a year, well above the county average.
Original title: “North Carolina Defense Company to Invest $95 Million in Mooresville Expansion”
Source: Read the full story: North Carolina Defense Company to Invest $95 Million in Mooresville Expansion →
5. Building for 2034: Salt Lake City unveils a downtown district for concerts, art, conventions and big-league games
Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith's group and city leaders unveiled a three-block district by the Delta Center with a renovated Salt Palace, a new art museum and a 6,000-seat concert venue, set to finish before the 2034 Winter Games.
Original title: “Ryan Smith, Salt Lake leaders release plans of redeveloped downtown”
Source: Read the full story: Ryan Smith, Salt Lake leaders release plans of redeveloped downtown →