Denver – October 15, 2026 -- Households across the U.S. are dropping whole potatoes into their Halloween candy bowls, and Potatoes USA is backing the trend with three new "spooky spud" recipes for October.

The trend is called Trick-or-Tater. Some families have handed out potatoes for more than a decade, and more join each year. The Wall Street Journal said it "started as a lark has gained steam in recent years," and NBC Nightly News called potatoes "the new star of spooky season."

Boca Raton – October 15, 2026 -- Patients considering cosmetic dentistry in Boca Raton can preview their results with a digital mock-up before any procedure begins, according to a HelloNation article featuring Dr. Michael Cohen of Big Boca Smiles.

Photos and scans build the digital preview

Smile design starts well before any dental work. Dentists collect detailed photographs and digital scans to evaluate a patient's teeth and facial structure. That data becomes the digital mock-up, a preview of the expected result.

New York – October 15, 2026 -- A new podcast episode, "AI for a Better World: What Does It Mean to Be Human in the Age of AI?", debuts October 15, 2026, on the VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network and on all major podcast streaming platforms via the Planet Classroom Network.

Host C. M. (Cathy) Rubin, an award-winning journalist and education reformer, talks with Viktoria Modesta, a bionic pop artist, futurist and former MIT Media Lab Fellow. Their subject is how emerging technology is changing human agency, artistic expression and self-worth.

Somerville, Mass. – October 15, 2026 -- Lilypad, a paint and primer that absorbs excess moisture and prevents condensation, now comes in seven new colors after landing on TIME's Best Inventions of 2026 list in the Manufacturing & Materials category.

One gallon absorbs about 13 ounces of water vapor

Adept Materials built Lilypad for rooms that get wet. The paint takes in moisture when humidity spikes and releases it as conditions normalize. A single gallon absorbs about 13 ounces of water vapor, roughly what a hot shower releases.

Annapolis – October 15, 2026 -- Maryland residents can now register interest, with no deposit required, in plug-in solar systems that PowerStead Energy is developing to generate electricity at home without a rooftop construction project.

PowerStead plans a guided setup process

The company wants getting started with solar to feel like setting up a useful home product. Its planned process covers equipment selection, placement guidance, site and outlet screening, mounting instructions, help with required utility notification, and support after setup.

Kildeer – October 15, 2026 -- Amped Fitness is bringing Amped Universe, a gym split into eight themed worlds, to 20771 N. Rand Road in Kildeer, Illinois. The opening date, memberships and presale have not been announced yet.

The concept borrows from amusement park design. Members pass through portals into separate environments rather than walking past rows of equipment on one continuous floor.

Eight worlds replace one gym floor

Each destination is built around a different kind of workout:

Dallas – October 15, 2026 -- Topgolf guests can get 50% off gameplay on Halloween Saturday, October 31, with the code "BOO," and sip a gummy-worm-topped Haunted Marg while they play. The limited-time Halloween lineup runs now through November 1 at participating venues.

Dallas -- Starting January 1, 2027, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards members get a new Platinum tier with unlimited Companion Pass trips, a faster route to status for credit cardholders, and points that work for seats and rental cars. The airline also plans a fleetwide Starlink WiFi rollout and a branded lounge network.

Plano, Texas – October 15, 2026 -- Two nonprofit leaders who open up youth sports to more girls and kids received $25,000 grants each from Toyota at the 2026 espnW: Women + Sports Summit in Ojai, California. Markeshia Grant of EPIC for Girls and Rhiannon Potkey of Goods4Greatness are the 11th class of Toyota Everyday Heroes.

NEW YORK – October 15, 2026 -- City Cruises has unveiled its 2026 holiday lineup, with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve cruises that include freshly prepared meals, so guests skip the cooking and cleanup. The sailings run across the company's U.S. destinations.