Stay ConnectedStarting 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.
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Meet the blind athletes calling balls and strikes — and pushing to make baseball a Paralympic sport. In Texas, one man’s costume giveaway is helping families in need dress up for Halloween. A US Air Force sergeant reunites with her beloved K-9 partner. In Minnesota, a young girl makes a miraculous recovery just in time for her 13th birthday. Plus, an 80-year-old triathlete made history.
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Host/Producer: Krista Bo Polanco
Producer: Eryn Mathewson
Showrunner: Faiz Jamil
Senior Producer: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Randi Kaye, Nicole Bozorgmir, Deborah Brunswick, Madeline Stix
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A wildlife expert performed a tiny transplant surgery. A Texas volleyball team servesan epic surprise for their school’s beloved custodian. New research brings good news to parents hoping to prevent peanut allergies. A retired computer technician in Florida is paying it forward to people in need. And in Chicago, second chances are in full bloom for at-risk youth, thanks to this CNN Hero.
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Host/Producer: Krista Bo Polanco
Producer: Eryn Mathewson
Showrunner: Faiz Jamil
Senior Producer: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Dan Dzula, Kathleen Toner, Christie O’Reilly
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What started as a dad’s epic Halloween display turned into a nationwide movement that raised spirits – and nearly $1 million – for kids with cancer. Meet the fish with mysterious markings that have anglers and scientists hooked. This cheese expert from Philadelphia made history at the Cheese Olympics. High school students in New York City got to chef for the country’s largest school district. Plus, Italy's oldest barista on how she's brewed up joy for generations.
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Host/Producer: Krista Bo Polanco
Producer: Eryn Mathewson
Showrunner: Faiz Jamil
Senior Producer: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Maya Blackstone
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Chemistry that works like Hermione Granger’s magical handbag won a Nobel Prize this week. How an Indigenous inventor is working to preserve her tribe’s language. A wildlife photographer is making sure hermit crabs in Japan have proper homes. A man was dead for five minutes at a comedy show – what happened next was really special. Plus, a surprising call leads to a heartwarming reunion.
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Host/Producer: Krista Bo Polanco
Producer: Eryn Mathewson
Showrunner: Faiz Jamil
Senior Producer: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Nick Blatt, Samantha Lindell, Clare Duffy, Dan Bloom
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This therapy is helping first responders deal with chronic stress. A group of nurses on strike dropped everything to help mass shooting victims. This Hollywood actor and advocate threw herself the quinceañera she never had – at 60. Inside Washington DC’s first phone-free bar. Plus, this school offers a type of detention that might make you wish you got in more trouble.
Sign up for the CNN 5 Good Things newsletter here.
Host/Producer: Krista Bo Polanco
Producer: Eryn Mathewson
Showrunner: Faiz Jamil
Senior Producer: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Kathleen Toner and Christie O’Reilly
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The last time the Chicago River Swim happened was when Calvin Coolidge was president. These bears in Alaska bulk up for the winter – and for internet glory. A rare surgery brought one man’s world back into focus. New space technology might help fight wildfires. Plus, the 100+ year long streak is over for a family in Texas family.
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Host/Producer: Krista Bo Polanco
Producer: Eryn Mathewson
Showrunner: Faiz Jamil
Senior Producer: Felicia Patinkin
Editorial Support: Alexander Rodway
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A superstar takes the stage one last time tonight, marking the end of a historic residency in Puerto Rico. How a free travel program for high school seniors aims to connect a divided US. A 9-year-old sets up a front-yard stand designed to make people smile. A stranger’s kindness turns a homeless teen into a devoted foster dad. Plus, meet the TIME’s Kid of the Year.
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Host/Producer: Krista Bo Polanco
Producer: Eryn Mathewson
Showrunner: Faiz Jamil
Editorial Support: Felicia Patinkin, Isabel Rosales, Paola Ortiz, Abel Alvarado, Madeline Stix, John Blake
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A new generation is falling in love with a centuries-old game. These women 65 and older clean local ponds by diving for trash (and have a blast doing it). She lost her dad in the Twin Towers – but the FDNY made sure he was still part of her wedding day. A doctor was told he would die, but he found a treatment for his disease everyone else had missed. Plus, the music program that teaches kids jazz and so much more.
Sign up for the CNN 5 Good Things newsletter here.
Host/Producer: Krista Bo
Producers: Eryn Mathewson and Leying Tang
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin
Special Thanks: Nadia Kounang
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We start with a back-to-school tradition that might make you want to kiss your mom. Kids with chronic illnesses took charge on a special day, thanks to 16 different law enforcement agencies. This nonprofit helps thousands of injured and neglected animals find forever homes. A teen gets the quinceañera of a lifetime, with a little help from the internet. Plus, the celebrity engagement of the summer sparked some sweet inspiration. Sign up for the CNN 5 Good Things newsletter here. Host/Producer: Eryn Mathewson Producers: Ifeoma Dike and Leying Tang Showrunners: Faiz Jamil & Felicia Patinkin Special Thanks: Christie O’Reilly
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This nonprofit which feeds thousands of families in need in Florida all started with one man's extra vegetables. Skateboarder Brooke Johnson broke a world record and kept a promise. Artifacts from an ancient sunken city were pulled from the sea in Egypt. A new US coin features a first and a win for disability advocates. Plus, the mystery behind the Peggy Martin rose that survived Hurricane Katrina.
Sign up for the CNN 5 Good Things newsletter here
Host/Producer: Krista Bo
Showrunners: Faiz Jamil & Felicia Patinkin
Special Thanks: Jessica Jordan, Ryan Bergeron and Christie O’Reilly
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