Kirk Douglas proved you could reinvent your life and persevere in America. He died last night at the age of 103 — with his wife of 65 years and three of his four surviving sons at his side. He was born Issur Danielovitch “a ragman’s son” and died Kirk Douglas, a Hollywood king. The son of Jewish immigrants from Russia, he is known for being the strong man of the 1960 movie Spartacus, which is about a Roman slave rebellion. He drew strength from surviving a 1991 helicopter crash and persevering after a stroke in 1996 left him unable to speak. He acted in the movies, on television and on stage. He was a philanthropist and gave away millions. He also was an author of 12 books.

In last night’s Presidential State of the Union address to the American nation he boasted about the “Great American comeback.” It was an optimistic view. But in reality, are you better off today than a year ago, two years ago, or even three years ago? Most Americans are struggling and living paycheck to paycheck, according to the Democrats. Is that you? How will you lift yourself out of poverty and do what you were meant to do.

What happens to items left at makeshift memorials? Yesterday cleanup began at the Kobe Bryant makeshift memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Kobe’s widow, Vanessa, asked that some items be preserved for the family. So all those shoes, stuffed animals, 1,353 basketballs, cards, letters, T-shirts and artwork are being catalogued. If you would like to honor Kobe and GiGi, please donate to MambaSportsFoundation.org or MambaOnThree.org

Patrick Mahomes II, 24, led the Kansas City Chiefs to 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54 in Miami last night. To come back in the 4th quarter after being down 10 points, says a lot about Mahomes’s belief in himself and never giving up.

Tonight, in Miami, Florida, the San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54. I cover a few of the 77 ads, 49ers defensive coach Robert Saleh and Chiefs corner back Rashad Fenton. They are what the media pegs as a “rags to riches” story in a sport where money is sometimes no object to their spectators.

It’s Super Bowl weekend here in the United States. Before we watch the big game, I wanted to share backstories of some of the players, including two coaches with the San Francisco 49ers. In today’s podcast I share with you Katie Sowers. She’s the first woman coach at a Super Bowl in 54 years. Her father was a coach. He was her example. Just as Kobe Bryant was for his daughter and rising basketball star, GiGi — before both their lives were lost a week ago in a tragic helicopter crash.

I revisit my challenge to stop drinking soft drinks. After being Coke and Pepsi free for five years, I fell back to my long-time habit of drinking sugary drinks. Now, after several years, I have set a goal as one of my 2020 resolutions to stop drinking “pop” not because it’s bad for your health but because I need to break myself of a bad habit. If you’ve struggled with something for a long time and would like to share, please leave me a voicemail through the Anchor.FM app so that I may include it in future episodes. To your good health.

A week after Jim Lehrer’s passing I share my memories of my former boss, who was a father figure to me. A true journalist with the highest of standards he stuck to his Wichita, Kansas and Texas roots despite criticism of his reporting style and handling of his 12th — and final — U.S. Presidential Election Debate in 2012. Thank you, Jim and Dan Werner, for taking a chance on a Michigan gal fresh out of college and giving me a job in 1987.

In this episode I share what worked and didn’t work in my weight loss journey. Although I have struggled with being overweight for 30 years, I have yet to reach my ideal weight goal. There are numerous factors that could work against you, such as stress in your life, having a sweet tooth, poor eating habits, going through a divorce, or, having a terrible boss. Being consistent and changing your lifestyle is not easy.

Why are some people body shaming the American rapper and Grammy winner Lizzo? This is the second time in one month fans of the full-figured Detroit native have created a social media firestorm with comments about obesity and health. But we shouldn’t take this issue lightly. I share some of the affects that 40% of the United States population struggle with as a result of obesity.