podcast
CNN 5 Good Things
Starting August 8, 2026 all new episodes can be found over in the CNN 5 Things feed. Search "CNN 5 Things" wherever you get your podcasts. How about a break — for your ears? At CNN, we know the news can be a lot to take in. So each week, 5 Good Things offers you a respite from the heavy headlines and intense news cycle. Treat yourself to something fun and uplifting every Saturday as we share the bright side of life from all over the globe.
An Off-The-Track Kentucky Derby Comeback
CNN 5 Good Things
May 2, 2026
This stallion season manager is celebrating a second chance at life at the 152nd Kentucky Derby. How one man is keeping a promise to his late grandmother at full speed. A family-owned supermarket is taking a page from NPR’s book with its own version of “Tiny Desk concerts.” This ancient "miracle tree" could solve a very modern pollution problem. Plus, meet the oncologist bringing life-saving care to places that don’t have it.
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Host/Producer: Krista Bo Polanco
Producer: Eryn Mathewson
Senior Producer: Felicia Patinkin
Episode Transcript
Krista Bo Polanco
00:00:00
Hey there, happy May! Thanks for hanging out with us today. We've got some great stories for you that'll bring a smile to your face. I'm Krista Bo Polanco, and this is CNN 5 Good Things.
Mark Cody
00:00:11
My hope with every person that we take out is they realize that life can still be exciting.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:00:17
Hear about the joy rides that mean so much to so many. Plus...
Jose Luis Aguilar Garcia
00:00:21
It's so hard just to get your foot in the door. So being able to provide a platform for artists, it's really fulfilling for me.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:00:30
You might walk into this grocery store for milk and eggs and leave with a new favorite band. Later on, new research suggests an ancient solution could address the very modern threat of microplastic pollution. And in Colorado, an oncologist is traveling hundreds of miles to bring cancer care to communities in need. When we come back...
Mark Toothaker
00:00:49
There was so many things that could have went wrong. I just am so thankful that I'm still here. I'm just beyond blessed.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:00:57
A stallion manager might not be at the Kentucky Derby today had he not been watching Monday Night Football. We'll explain. Stick around.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:01:10
The Kentucky Derby kicks off today and racing fans across the country are breaking out their big hats and seersucker suits for what many call "the most exciting two minutes in sports." But for one Derby fan, just being in the stands at Churchill Downs feels like a win.
Mark Toothaker
00:01:28
I'm very, very appreciative of still being here and having a second chance.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:01:33
Mark Toothaker from Frankfort, Kentucky, works at Spendthrift Farm, one of the top stallion breeders in the state. They own one of top contenders at this year's Derby, Further Ado. Last December, an ordinary night at home turned into an ordeal he'll never forget, all because of a botched field goal kick during an NFL game.
Mark Toothaker
00:01:52
I started laughing and my wife was like, what happened? And I said, well, I've never seen this happen before in football. You know, this guy missed the ball. It's almost like reminds me of Snoopy.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:02:03
You know the classic move from Charlie Brown when Lucy yanks the football away just before Charlie Brown takes the kick.
Charlie Brown
00:02:08
Agggh!
Mark Toothaker
00:02:12
You know, it was just one of those things that, that made me laugh. And so we play it back and she starts laughing. And that's, that's really the last thing I remember.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:02:21
Mark ended up laughing so hard, it triggered a seizure. I'm not kidding, that's what he said happened. His wife Mallory called the paramedics and got him to a hospital, where a CT scan revealed he had a tumor the size of a tennis ball.
Mark Toothaker
00:02:34
It was certainly a night that we'll never forget. You know, it just was the scariness of not knowing if it's cancerous or not. And, you know, just amazing. Miracle is what it is.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:02:47
Two days later, the tumor, which turned out to be benign, was removed, and today he's nearly back to 100%. So this Derby day, Mark says he'll be cheering for Further Ado, but he'll be celebrating something bigger than the race.
Mark Toothaker
00:03:00
You know, there were so many things that could have went wrong. I just am so thankful, you know, that I'm still here. I'm thankful that my wife's not a widow and I'm just, you know, beyond blessed.
Mark Cody field tape
00:03:18
Are you Tony? Yes! Are you coming out for a ride with me today? Please! Come with ya!
Mark Cody
00:03:23
People just want a human connection. They just want to feel alive. They just wanna get out of the house. They wanna be with somebody else who enjoys life. And, you know, have a moment with them.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:03:32
And for some, that moment may happen at 100 miles an hour in a sports car. Granborghini is a project by Mark Cody from Sheffield, England, that gives elderly people free joy rides to help combat loneliness. And it all started with a promise to his own grandmother, Hazel.
Mark Cody
00:03:52
For years, we'd had this running promise, which was one day I'm going to pick you up in a Lamborghini. We're going to go out for a fun day out.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:04:00
'But in 2021, she took her own life when she was 78-years-old after struggling with isolation and loneliness. The tragedy rocked Mark and his family, but it inspired him to follow through.
Mark Cody
00:04:10
It wasn't a promise that I could keep with her, but I knew it was a promise I could keep with many other people and ultimately prevent them from ever being in a similar situation to where she was.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:04:21
He started giving joy rides to seniors over two years ago, first by renting the sports car and finding passengers in his local community. Now he owns a bright pink Lamborghini, his grandmother's favorite color, and spends five days a week out on the road. Anyone can nominate a loved one for a free ride on their website. A joy ride can be as short as 20 minutes or as long as two to three hours down memory lane, literally.
Mark Cody
00:04:46
We can go and visit your old friends, go to the street you were born on. I don't care. Let's get you out of the house and let's show you, you know, the best time. And what I found was it was therapy for me. I get to ask all of the beautiful questions that I wish I'd asked my grandmother. Who was your first boyfriend? What things scare you? What's out of your comfort zone? And it creates such meaningful conversation.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:05:08
And now Granborghini has plans to go global. Through a new app he's building called JoyRiiders, Mark is recruiting other sports car owners around the world to join the mission. The goal? One million joy rides.
Mark Cody
00:05:21
My hope with every person that we take out is they realize that life can still be exciting. That life is there to be grabbed. I don't care if you're 40, 50, 60, or 100 years old, you have no assurances of tomorrow. It's about, you know, trying to maximize the time we have here.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:05:39
'If you want to nominate a JoyRiider or become a driver, head to JoyRiiders.com. That's Joy, R-I-I, D-E-R-S dot com.
Al Zamora performance recording
00:05:51
Hello, Fiesta Fresh. My name is Al Zamora. So grateful to be here. This song is called 24 Hours.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:05:59
'Fiesta Fresh isn't a bar or a concert venue, it's a family-owned grocery store in Newcastle, Delaware. And they're taking a page from NPR's book by hosting their own versions of tiny desk concerts.
Performance recording
00:06:10
Don't hear anything that you you're yelling me. The lion in the dark since 17.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:06:19
Except instead of performing in an office cubicle, they're jammin' out in the middle of the produce section with sessions called Mercadito Concerts.
Jose Luis Aguilar Garcia
00:06:28
Whoever is shopping at the store, obviously they get a free concert, but also kind of like a even trade with the artists because obviously nowadays it's super important for artists that are developing just to be out there and let people hear them.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:06:42
'Jose Luis Aguilar-Garcia is the co-owner of Fiesta Fresh Market with his dad and sister. The 28-year-old also runs his own record label, and music's been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. He was born in Mexico, where his grandfather and uncles played in a mariachi band. His family moved to the U.S. In 2006, settling down in an apartment building that was right next to a local supermarket. Then in 2024, his family took over the store's location and opened Fiesta Fresh Market. That's when José saw an opportunity to bring his two worlds together.
Performance recording
00:07:21
Me prometitste que todavia alli vas a quererme y mira como temine...
Jose Luis Aguilar Garcia
00:07:22
It started just as Latin artists because of my resources in the music industry and the favors I could ask, but now we've had artists of all different types of genres reach out.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:07:31
That was an artist named ERRE, and this performance is from a band called Games We Play.
Performance recording
00:07:36
Mind you, I don't make money but I think I'm getting close. I cannot afford...
Jose Luis Aguilar Garcia
00:07:41
So hard just to get your foot in the door. So being able to provide a platform for artists is really fulfilling for me.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:07:55
A team of scientists from Brazil and the UK say an ancient solution could help tackle a modern problem, microplastics in our drinking water. Exposure to these tiny particles have been linked to serious health risks, such as heart attacks and strokes. Enter the moringa tree. Used for millennia to purify water, researchers found its seeds were just as effective at filtering out microplistics as commonly used chemicals. My colleague, senior climate writer Laura Paddison, dove deep into their findings. So Laura, this sounds promising. How does it work?
Laura Paddison
00:08:25
'Hi Krista, the moringa tree is pretty special. Known as a miracle tree, it's one of the most nutrient-dense plants on the planet. It's fast-growing, it's drought-resistant, and as you said, it can purify water. So extracts from its seeds work as a coagulant, basically a substance which causes tiny particles in water to stick together so they can be filtered out. The scientists tested moringa seeds against a commonly used chemical coagulent known as alum. They used PVC microplastics in their experiment. These are believed to be amongst the most hazardous kind. And they added them to tap water. They then ran this contaminated water through an experiment that simulates water treatment plant processes. And they found moringa was more than 98% effective at removing microplastic, which is similar to alum. The big advantages of moringa over alum are that it's natural, it's biodegradable, it doesn't produce large amounts of sludge, and it has far fewer toxicity concerns. And experts say it could eventually offer a cheaper and more sustainable solution to getting microplastics out of our tap water.
Shana Varner
00:09:30
If they weren't here because I might not be able to get through this. I.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:09:35
In parts of the U.S., cancer care can be hundreds of miles away. Meet the doctor, bringing it closer to them.
Dr. Richard Hoyer
00:09:46
Unplug and here we go
Krista Bo Polanco
00:09:49
In rural America, cancer care can be difficult to access.
Dr. Richard Hoyer
00:09:52
Off we go to Trinidad.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:09:55
So once a month, Dr. Richard Hoyer from Colorado Springs hits the road and travels over 400 miles to try to change that.
Dr. Richard Hoyer
00:10:03
So our goal with this clinic is to bring everything we would normally do at our clinic in Colorado Springs and bring it to these communities. I've held the idea that everybody in the United States should have access to the same health care. I really firmly believe that. That access should be the same, no matter where somebody lives.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:10:28
And the need is clear. In Colorado, there are no licensed oncologists in the eastern part of the state, where just over 112,000 people live. And across the country, many rural hospitals operate in the red. Since 2014, more than 20% of them have stopped offering chemotherapy. And rural patients across the county are nearly 10% more likely to die from cancer, according to a study published in 2022.
Doctor appointment recording
00:10:55
All right, we're just going right in here. I'm good. How are you doing? I'm Good. Thank you.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:11:01
'On this five-day visit, Dr. Hoyer and his care team have seen nearly 100 patients, like Shana Varner. She was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer last September. Shana had to quit her job, didn't have a car, and couldn't afford to drive to Colorado Springs for treatment. Now she gets care closer to home from Dr. Hoyer's team, including nurse practitioner Rose Gates.
Shana Varner
00:11:21
Dr. Rose has heard, seen me cry, she's seen me laugh. She's comforted me because I really thought at one time I was dying. And she took my hands and she told me I was gonna be all right. That's pretty special.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:11:37
And for Shana, there's more on the line.
Shana Varner
00:11:44
I have a little girl. She's seven. My little miracle baby. You know, it's like, I don't know, it's scary if they weren't here because. I might not be able to get through this and be here for her to watch her grow up. I feel good now. I was scared for awhile but I feel a lot better now.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:11:58
Dr. Hoyer's practice is part of a much bigger story about a healthcare system stretched thin in rural America, the patients forced to navigate it, and what happens when the person bringing that care can't do it forever. Watch the full documentary on CNN All Access. The link is in our show notes.
Krista Bo Polanco
00:12:19
All right, that's all for now. Thank you so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed the show. And if you did, let us know. Please consider giving us a good rating and review wherever you listen and spread the good vibes by sending this episode to a loved one. Be sure to join us tomorrow for the next edition of CNN One Thing. Can ice be nice? The Trump administration's immigration enforcement operation is attempting a bit of a reset. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez examines whether a softer touch on social media is translating to a lighter touch in the streets. Have a good day. Till next time.