La Tomatina : the festival where you throw tomatoes

Tim Dillon | Five Good News Stories: Floodwater Shark, Dinosaur-Age Mammal Find, School Shooting Prevention, Rescued Deer, Nepal Tigers Surge Johnny Mac shares five good news stories: after a New Jersey nor’easter flooded Surf City, video showed a shark swimming through driveway floodwater, later identified by a biologist as a harmless smooth dogfish likely headed toward Barnegat Bay; a small 66-million-year-old skeleton found in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert and later reexamined at Stony Brook challenged a decades-old tooth-based classification of Cretaceous mammals and the theory that modern hoofed mammals originated in Asia; Sandy Hook Promise’s Say Something Anonymous Reporting System has helped prevent more than 20 school shootings since 2018, including an August intervention in Arkansas; New Jersey wildlife officers tranquilized and freed a deer with a wooden pole and netting tangled in its antlers; and Nepal’s wild tiger population rose to 429, more than tripling since 2009 due to conservation efforts.

Johnny Mac shares five Halloween-themed good news stories: Tropical Smoothie Cafe launches its first Halloween drink, the bright orange Fanta Phantom smoothie topped with purple vanilla popping boba and served in a clear cup; Rivian adds a limited-time Ghostbusters Halloween mode via over-the-air update through November 2 with themed lights, sounds, lock tones, a scavenger hunt, and a Mini Puff “Mallow Mash” game; United Way and local partners in Muscatine County provide free Halloween costumes so children can celebrate at no cost; Florida offers major attractions including The Haunt: Fever Dream in Fort Lauderdale and Miami’s Sound of Screams amusement park; and Portland’s Cookie McCakeface sells a warm “But-Her-Finger” cookie topped with a gummy finger.

Johnny Mac shares five good news stories: a whale watch boat off Massachusetts spotted an 18-foot whale entangled in fishing gear and towing a buoy, prompting a response from the Center for Coastal Studies Marine Animal Entanglement Response Team and the Coast Guard. In England, the National Trust transformed the Sandal Lands coastal golf course into a wetland of about 45 football fields, and birds began nesting there before the project was complete. In Pennsylvania, 17-year-old Alexander built “Iris,” wearable AI glasses that map surroundings and use vibrations to guide blind users; the materials cost $170, and he received the Presidential AI Challenge National Champion Award from First Lady Melania Trump. New York authorities seized 15 ancient Greek artifacts from the Met, later ceremonially returned to Greece. Actor Chris Evans promoted bonded adoptable dogs Greg and Correale, leading to their immediate adoption.

Johnny Mac shares five Halloween-themed good news stories, starting with candy reviews: Hi-Chew Mystery Mix is praised for flavors like green apple, cotton candy, and orange creamsicle (with a mystery flavor unrevealed until Halloween), while Brach’s Mellow Cream Spooky Graveyard is panned across its flavors and shapes; Kit Kat “Counts” are highlighted as a Halloween standout despite thicker chocolate, and Keebler Spooky Fudge Stripes are criticized. He then spotlights Aldi’s Halloween cheeses, including Death by Garlic cheddar, Scary Pumpkin Spice Wensleydale, and green Freaky Franken Sage Derby. The episode also promotes Los Angeles’ United Theater screening of Mario Bava’s 1961 “Hercules in the Haunted World” with live singers, orchestra, and a $10,000 costume contest, plus haunt attractions in Miami and Nebraska’s Kneeknocker Woods “Backwood Cannibals” Trail of Terror and Nana’s Corn Maze.

Host Johnny Mac shares five good news stories centered on Halloween season trends. He recaps a cleveland.com look at the unloved orange-and-black “Peanut Butter Kisses,” originally Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses, tracing their makers’ decline and noting Milster Candies as the sole current producer selling them online. He highlights Halloween-themed Nike and Jordan Brand sneaker releases, including models tied to Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant with various spooky colorways and glow details. He previews New York City’s free family-friendly fall festivals and Halloween events, including “Trick or Streets” with 160 car-free sites. He spotlights South Florida Fairgrounds’ Fright Nights with new haunted houses, scare zones, and themed food/drinks. He closes with Pepsi-promoted limited-time Halloween snacks and drinks, including a zero-sugar Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino chilled coffee drink and seasonal Cheetos varieties.