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May 15, 2026

Dear Car Pro Family,

I hope you Mom’s had a great day last Sunday, you certainly deserve it! Today is National Police Memorial Day, you’ll notice all flags at half-staff. So we begin today with a tribute to the men and women who put on the badge every day. The song is titled: Black Tape On My Badge. It is dedicated to the officers who paid the ultimate price and to their families. Please take a listen and follow along with the lyrics, and if you are so led, share it with anyone you know wears the badge.

It is starting to get warm, it is time for my annual reminder about leaving kids and pets inside hot cars. Nobody thinks this will happen to them, yet it does. Please take a moment and read the article, it is very enlightening and sad. We have a ton of good info for you today including the story of a guy who leased a Camry and racked up 223,000 miles on it! I don’t leave you hanging on how that turned out. I tell you about an all-new Lexus 3-row SUV they call the TZ and it’s a beauty! I also tell you about how Hertz is going to sell cars on eBay and why I don’t think it’s a big deal like they do.

Programming notes: I am solo for the national show tomorrow from 11-2 Central/9-Noon Pacific, and with no banter between me and Todd, I'll have more time to answer your questions, so call 800 926-7777. Also, we welcome K-NEWS 94.3 FM & 104.7 FM in Palm Springs, CA as a new affiliate starting tomorrow. If you have friends or relatives in the Palm Springs area, tell them to tune in! K-NEWS will carry all three hours of the show.

True Story #13 is at the bottom of this publication, and it is called The Psychic. Do you believe psychics exist? I didn’t either, but… For this week’s car reviews, I have the beautiful 2026 Chevy Suburban High Country. I also spent time with the 2026 Lexus IS 350 F Sport. Our Amy Plemons will be back with a new review next week.

In advice this week, I give you tips on how to resolve a problem with a dealership, although I hope you don’t have one. In my closing message, I answer a question I get asked a lot: Why do you keep working? It was good to really give that some thought. I’ve got some great stories for this week’s Quick Shifts, and Suits & Settlements-my legal roundup feature, don’t miss those.

We’ve got another quiz from Kim Komando and some really cool tech tips. If you aren’t used to looking at her section, give it a try, there are some real gems there. If you haven’t perused my FAQ page, please do. There are likely multiple articles you can use, every one of them written by me.

All of our other regular features are below including the Classic Car Contest, the radio stations we are on, how to call the show to talk directly to me, and much, much more.

We very much appreciate you being part of the newsletter family.  Without you, there is no Car Pro Show.  Let us know how we can help you, and if you haven’t been to our website lately, check it out at CarPro.com. It changes daily.

Have a terrific week.  See you on the radio!

YOU’LL FIND THE FOLLOWING STORIES AND A LOT MORE INFORMATION AS YOU SCROLL DOWN THE NEWSLETTER:

  • It is National Police Memorial Day, And A New Song For Them
  • Kids & Pets in hot cars-A deadly reminder
  • 2026 WardsAuto best interiors & user experience winners
  • Guy puts 223,000 miles on a Camry he leased!
  • CarGurus' 2026 Vehicle Confidence Awards
  • Meet the all-new 2027 Lexus TZ 3-row SUV
  • Corvette ZR1X is the Indy 500 Pace Car
  • Ho hum: Hertz is selling cars on eBay now
  • Ford introduces Carhartt Special Edition Super Duty truck
  • AAA study: Extreme temps hammer EV efficiency
  • Mecum Auctions go virtual inside Fortnite
  • Suits & Settlements-Car Pro legal roundup
  • This week’s Quick Shifts
  • Kim Komando’s Quiz & great tech tips
  • Car Pro Advice: Resolving problems at a dealership
  • Car Pro Car Review: 2026 Chevy Suburban High Country 
  • Car Pro Car Review #2: 2026 Lexus IS 350 F Sport sedan
  • Videos of the week
  • True Stories from a former car dealer #13: The Psychic
  • Closing message: Why I Do What I Do
  • Plus, all your normal, weekly information!

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   National Police Memorial Day & A New Song For Them 

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AI-Generated Using ChatGPT Plus.
 
Today is National Peace Officers Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor the men and women in law enforcement who gave their lives protecting the rest of us. For most people, it’s a meaningful observance. For those who have worn the badge, it’s something much deeper.

I know because I wore one myself.

Many people know me from radio, television, or my years in the car business, but long before any of that, I worked for the Dallas Police Department. I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with officers who were willing to risk everything for people they didn’t even know. I’ve been there for the good days, the dangerous days, and the heartbreaking days when a dear friend I was supposed to be working with was savagely gunned down at the age of 24. Rest in peace Ron Baker.

And I’ve put the black tape on my badge for others more times than I ever wanted to.

If you’re not familiar with it, when an officer dies in the line of duty, fellow officers place a black mourning band across their badge. It’s simple, quiet, and powerful. No words are necessary. Every officer understands exactly what it means.

That image never leaves you.

Which is why the song I released this week is called “Black Tape on My Badge.”

I wrote it because there are some things you carry forever. For me, one of those things is July 7, 2016.

I will never get over that night.

Seven Dallas police officers were gunned down during what had started as a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas. Five officers were murdered. Others were critically wounded. It was one of the darkest nights in the history of our city and one of the darkest moments I’ve ever personally experienced.

Even now, nearly 10 years later, it’s hard to describe the emotions from that night. Shock. Anger. Sadness. Disbelief. But mostly heartbreak. Those officers kissed their families goodbye that morning expecting to come home after work, just like every other day.

They didn’t.

For those of us connected to law enforcement, it hit differently because we understood exactly what those officers were doing when the shots rang out. They weren’t thinking about politics. They weren’t thinking about headlines. They were thinking about protecting innocent people.

That’s what police officers do every day in America.

And despite everything they face today, the overwhelming majority still do it honorably.

That’s one reason I wanted to write this song. Not to make a political statement. Not to argue with anyone. I wrote it as a tribute to the people behind the badge and the sacrifices they and their families make every single day.

As I worked through the lyrics, memories came flooding back. Officers I knew. Funerals I attended. The sound of bagpipes. 21-gun salutes. Patrol cars lined up for miles. Family members being handed neatly folded American flags and trying to stay strong while their entire world had just been shattered.

You never really forget those moments.

The older I get, the more respect I have for the men and women who continue doing this job. Every shift starts with uncertainty. Every traffic stop carries risk. Every call could change a life forever, including their own.

Yet they keep showing up.

That deserves gratitude, especially today.

National Peace Officers Memorial Day is not about politics. It’s about remembering human beings who believed protecting others mattered more than protecting themselves. It’s about honoring courage, sacrifice and service.

And for some of us, it’s personal.

So, if you see an officer this Friday, take a second to thank them. It may mean more than you realize.

And if you have a chance, listen to “Black Tape on My Badge.” I wrote it from experience, from memories, and from a place in my heart that still aches for the officers we’ve lost, especially those we lost here in Dallas on July 7, 2016.

For every officer who never made it home, and for every family still carrying that loss, this song is for you.

Click on the photo below or here to listen to the song and see the lyrics →

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  Dallas Show Welcomes 3 Special Guests Tomorrow!

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AI-Generated Using ChatGPT Plus.

  Straight Talk and Honest Answers

 

shutterstock-worried-car-buyers-dealer-sales-upside-downCarPro Advice: Solving Problems At A Dealership

The good news is this: most problems can be resolved if you handle them the right way.

Read more → 

   U.S. Auto Market

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AAA: Extreme Temps Hammer EV Efficiency

Read more →

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Ho Hum: Hertz Is Selling Used Cars On E-Bay Now

Read more →

  Guy Puts 223K Miles On A Leased Camry!

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AI-Generated Using ChatGPT Plus.
 
There are leased cars, and then there’s whatever this was. Lots of Car Pro Show listeners sent this story to me, and I can see why. I’ve certainly never heard one quite like this.

Read more →

  Kids & Pets In Hot Cars: A Deadly Reminder

nhtsa-hot-cars-kill-kids-NHTSA via Vimeo.

It’s May and it’s getting hot, which means triple-digit temperatures are right around the corner. I make an impassioned plea to all listeners of both the DFW and National Car Pro Show every year as temperatures rise about leaving kids and pets in hot cars. 

PLEASE take a minute and read the statistics below and share it with anyone who has a small child or travels with pets in the car. I update this story every year in hopes that it may get into the hands of parents who leave small children or pets in the car and prevent another child or pet from suffering a horrible, slow, agonizing death. 

Read more →

  Legal Files

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AI-Generated Using ChatGPT Plus.

Suits & Settlements is a weekly feature highlighting recent automotive-related legal matters. Whether they impact customers and drivers, a specific automaker or have wider implications for the industry, they are important lawsuits and settlements I think you'll find as interesting as I do.

In this week’s Suits & Settlements, you’ll find the following reports:

  • Class Action Targets Subaru for Repeated Battery Failures
  • Judge Throws Out Nissan Leaf EV Fire Risk Lawsuit
  • Goodyear Seeks FCC Waiver for Next-Generation Smart Tires
  • GM Pays $12.75 Million in California OnStar Privacy Settlement

Read more →

  FAQ: This Week's Q&A Spotlight!

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Q: Are Extended Warranties Worth it?

For Jerry's Answer: Click Here→

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Q: Should I Buy Or Lease?

For Jerry's Answer: Click Here→

📝 To check out Jerry's FAQ Page with more answers to your questions click here →

  On The Road: Test Drives

chevy-suburban-newsletter2026 Chevrolet Suburban High Country

Sure, it's a big investment, but the 2026 Chevrolet Suburban High Country stands in a class of its own!

Read Jerry's review → 

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2026 Lexus IS 350 F Sport

No gimmicks. Just pure driving enjoyment from one of the last true luxury compact sport sedans! 

Read Jerry's review →

  Quick Shifts

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AI-Generated Using ChatGPT Plus.

Each week I bring you the top stories in the auto industry along with my commentary or sometimes amusing thoughts about the craziness that goes on in the world of cars.

Flock-camera-Aaron-of-L.A-Photography-shutterstock_2632565995Stories you’ll find today:

  • Ticketing Speeders by Day, Speeding by Night
  • 363 Tiny Cars, One Big Mystery
  • The Cameras Are Watching… Everything
  • Victoria’s Secret Called, It Wants Its Lambo Back
Read more→
  Bumper to Bumper: Industry News

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2026 WardsAuto Best Interiors And
 User Experience Awards 

Read more→

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Ford Introduces Carhartt Super Duty 

Read more→

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CarGurus' 2026 Vehicle Confidence Awards 

Read more→

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Mecum Auctions Goes Virtual Inside Fortnite

Read more→

Chevrolet-Corvette-ZR1X-OWENS-I500-Pacecar-26-1242--credit-chevy

Corvette ZR1X Will Pace Indy 500 

Read more→

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Meet The All-New 2027 Lexus TZ  

Read more →

  Weekly Recalls

  Incentives Guide

incentives-3 Here you'll find our incentives and rebate guide which includes a link to every major manufacturer’s incentive page. Just enter your zip code to find the current incentives offered in your area. 

Current incentives By Automaker  

  Sell Or Consign Your Car For Top Dollar!

SELL-YOUR-CAR-

I hear from a lot of people who end up with an extra car for some reason. Sometimes it is due to a death in the family, or someone gets transferred overseas. I’ve seen many occasions where this happens. Well, now, we have two ways to dispose of a vehicle.

ThisCar has been with us for quite some time. They are terrific buyers and make the transactions very easy. They have helped many of our listeners and I’ve had terrific feedback. They are great, too, if you need a good idea what your car is truly worth and as I always say, a car is only worth what someone is willing to write a check for it. ThisCar writes checks, and lots of them.

Now, if you have more time, RetailMyRide.com is now an official partner of the Car Pro Show and they take cars on consignment. You’ve heard me recommend them in the past most likely, and they have helped many of our listeners. They market the car at all the right places, they get top dollar for it, take a little off the top, and you get the rest. It’s that simple. No people coming to your house, calling or texting, no worrying about how to complete the paperwork, they do all that for you.

So, the question is: Do you want quick cash or the most cash? We’ve got you covered either way with CarPro AppraisalPro OR CarPro ConsignPro.

It all starts at CarPro.com, click SELL A CAR at the top, or click here →

  Kim Komando Quiz and Interesting Info  

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Besides the Car Pro Show and our weekly newsletter, my other favorite radio show and newsletter is Kim Komando’s.  We are on many of the same radio stations across America.  She does for her listeners and newsletter subscribers exactly what I endeavor to do:  Give you useful information to keep you up to date on the latest in cars, only she does it with technology and there is nobody who does it better.  Not sure how she puts out a top-notch newsletter seven days a week, but she does.

I recommend you subscribe to Kim’s daily newsletter. I learn something new every single day, and it’s free! Subscribe here

💡Kim’s Quiz: 

Humanity built the internet, landed rovers on Mars, and we still communicate mostly through tiny pictures. Somewhere between flirting, fake-laughing at work messages and sending “thoughts and prayers” via one tap, the global emoji rankings got shaken up. The old champ, 😂 (Face with Tears of Joy), was recently dethroned.

Guess what’s the most-used emoji on Earth today? A) 🫠 (Melting Face), B) 😭 (Loudly Crying Face), C) 🔥 (Fire), D) ❤️ (Red Heart). Take your pic, the answer’s at the end.

*Answer below my closing message at the very bottom of this newsletter

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💡Some Interesting Items I Found In Kim’s Daily Newsletter!

Each week, I comb Kim's newsletters and curate a list of her tips and advice that I think you'll find relevant and interesting.

This week: Drones making deliveries to prisons, and more! 

Here's what I have for you this week!→

   Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

Screen Shot 2024-06-27 at 1.11.02 PMDon't forget to check out our newsletter archive! You'll find the past 10 weekly newsletters there.You can find it under the radio show tab on CarPro.com.

Go to the Newsletter Archive →

  Classic Car Contest: Win An AutoHeatShield!

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Credit: Mecum Auctions, Inc.

We have had a lot of fun with our classic car contest on the Car Pro Show Facebook page. We post the photo of a classic vehicle every Saturday morning and invite people to guess the year, make, and model.  The prize is an AutoHeatShield.  Official contest rules 

Last weekend's Classic Car, posted on our Facebook page, was a 1970 Mercury Cougar XR-7 that crosses the block this Saturday, May 16th, at Mecum Indy 2026!

Our Facebook winner this week and winner of an AutoHeatShield, is:  

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  Exclusive Approved Products & Services

In my over 20 years on the radio, I can count the number of products I have endorsed on one hand. I have had many opportunities, but after much due diligence, I usually end up saying no.

I won't recommend a product or service unless I have tried it myself and feel good about recommending it. It is the same with the car dealers on the radio show and website.

Here are companies I wholeheartedly endorse and personally use:

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  Get Your Car Pro Show T-Shirts, Hats and Mugs

  Subscribe to the free DFW Newsletter 

NEWSLETTER-DALLAS-SIGNUPLive in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and haven't subscribed to the DFW edition of the Car Pro Radio Show Newsletter?

Just click here or on the left to subscribe. You'll receive it in your inbox every Friday morning! 

 

  Miss the Show? Catch Our Podcast!

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Catch all three hours of the CarPro Show national podcast!  You'll find them posted Saturday afternoon following the show. 

Click here for the WBAP DFW podcast →

  Searching For A New Or Used Vehicle? 

If you are searching for a particular new or used vehicle, we can help you!  The best news is, if you use CarPro to search, when you find the car of your dreams it will be at a CarPro approved dealership.Screen Shot 2023-07-13 at 9.41.44 AM

Our search feature is simple to use. Choose new, used, or certified.  You can select the make and model, or find a price range you are looking at.  Choose the number of miles you are willing to travel and enter your zip code. From there, you can look through all your matches, knowing you are shopping at a dealership I have handpicked that adheres to the high standards I require.

Start your search on the front page of CarPro.com. If you don't find the car of your dreams, check back regularly.

  You Have 5 Hours To Call The Show! 

phone-2 have 5 hours to call the show!  From 9AM- 2PM Central, 7AM-Noon Pacific, and 10 AM to 3 PM Eastern, the phone numbers are:

  • DFW Show: 9 AM to 11 AM Central, 
    • 1 (800) 288-9227
  • National Show: 11 AM to 2 PM Central,
    • 1 (800) 926-7777 

Add the numbers to your cell phone; you never know when you are going to need straight talk and honest answers about everything automotive.

So, what is the CarPro Radio Show?

Confused about the car buying process? Worried you won’t get a fair deal? Wondering about which vehicle is best for you? Then tune in to the CarPro Radio Show every week where Jerry Reynolds and Todd Chambless will guide you through the car-buying process with confidence. 

No matter where you listen to the show or which station you listen to, you have five hours to call in and ask your questions. We take calls every Saturday from 9 AM-2 PM Central time, 7 AM to Noon Pacific. The phone number is different the first two hours, then changes, so keep that in mind.  

We would love to help you in any way possible!  Keep in mind, we don’t take mechanical questions, but everything else is great!

  Where to Find Us 

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The Car Pro Radio Show is heard every weekend all over the United States, and every weekend we deliver straight talk and honest answers about everything automotive. We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a moment and tell a friend about the show.

Most of our listeners tell us that they never thought they would look forward to a show about cars.  You may have friends or relatives who feel the same way in the cities below, please make them aware.

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Here are the DFW markets the show airs in, times, and stations, and don't forget you can now listen to WBAP on the FM dial at 93.3 FM!

  • Dallas, TX:  WBAP 820 AM/93.3 FM/99.5 HD 2, Saturday 9am to 11am Central
  • Dallas, TX:
    ➡️ NEW!!! KRLD 1080 AM, Saturday 1pm to 2pm Central Dallas Show Airs LIVE
     
    KRLD 1080 AM, Saturday 2pm to 4pm Central - Pre-recorded National Show
  • Granbury, TX:  KPIR 1420 AM, Saturday 11am to 2pm Central 

  • Listen to the WBAP Podcast (up every Tuesday)→

  Jerry's Must-Watch Video of the Week! 

Oh wow, can’t say I’ve ever seen this before. Trucker is traveling down the highway around 70 MPH on a two lane road and passes another 18-wheeler. What he can’t see is yet a third 18-wheeler turning and essentially blocking the highway. In this just over a minute video, the left side of it is what the driver sees, the right side is a camera focused on the driver himself. You see the driver at the point of the crash. Don’t be afraid, he was thankfully seat-belted in, but he clearly looks dazed and confused.

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  Todd's Video of the Week! 

Police dash cam footage released on May 14 shows a dramatic car chase through Paulding County in Georgia that happened on May 6. It ended after officers deployed a PIT (Precision Immobilisation Technique) maneuver to force a U-Haul van off the road, causing it to roll into a church parking lot. The driver, who was reportedly wanted in multiple counties, is now facing hit-and-run and reckless driving charges.

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  True Stories From A Former Car Dealer

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This is #13 in a series of 40 stories written by me about occurrences from my days in the car business. Each story had a lasting impression on me for some reason or another. Some because they were funny, some because they were sad, and some were just strange. But whatever the case, over the next 26 weeks, we’ll feature one of them, in order for you to enjoy.

keyenvelope-1404x1112Today, The Psychic. Something I did not believe it at all. But I was put in contact with one after I lost a tremendous amount of money, at least at that time. I walk you through this whole episode and whether or not I believed in psychics after the saga was over.

You can read #13 here: The Psychic→

Click here for the True Stories library →

  Closing Message From Jerry

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Why I Do What I Do

People ask me all the time why I still do this.

Truth is, I ask myself that sometimes too—usually around the fourth straight hour of live radio on a Saturday when my voice is getting tired, my coffee has gone cold, and the phone lines are still lit up like a Christmas tree.

Five straight hours of talk radio isn’t easy. Anybody who thinks you just sit there and “talk cars” has never done it. There’s no script. No teleprompter. No producer whispering answers in your ear. It’s constant focus, constant listening, and trying to help real people with real problems in real time.

And after all these years, I still take it seriously.

Because I remember what it felt like to not know who to trust.

The car business can be intimidating. Especially for someone who doesn’t buy vehicles often. I hear it in people’s voices every weekend. Folks who are nervous. Confused. Sometimes flat-out scared they’re about to make a costly mistake.

And honestly, I especially understand it when I talk to ladies who may have lost a husband who always handled the car buying, or single moms trying to stretch every dollar they have, or widows who suddenly find themselves alone in a dealership wondering who’s telling them the truth.

That gets to me.

Maybe because I’ve seen both sides of this business.

I had a wonderful career in the automobile industry. Better than I ever could’ve imagined. I owned dealerships, served on national boards, won awards, made a good living, and met incredible people along the way. I’ve been blessed beyond anything I deserved.

Which means this:

I don’t do the radio show or the newsletter because I have to.

I could retire tomorrow if I wanted to. Sleep late. Learn golf. Fish, which I love. Stay home on Saturdays. Never answer another car question as long as I live.

But I genuinely enjoy helping people.

Always have.

I like helping someone avoid paying thousands more than they should for a car. I like warning people about bad financing. I like teaching someone how to save money on insurance, extended warranties, tires, repairs, or maintenance. I like hearing relief in someone’s voice when they realize they’re not getting taken advantage of after all. I love hearing from people who got a check because they learned from me what diminished value is. Or someone who knew how to make sure they got a good settlement amount from their insurance company after a wreck.

And every once in a while, somebody will stop me somewhere and say, “Jerry, you saved me a lot of money,” or “You helped my daughter buy her first car,” or “Because of your advice, we didn’t make a huge mistake.”

That means more to me now than a commission ever did.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the business side too. I loved the competition, the energy, the excitement of a busy Saturday on the lot. There’s nothing quite like it.

But somewhere along the line, helping people became more important than selling cars.

Maybe that just comes with age. Maybe it comes from experience. Or maybe when you spend your whole life around people making one of the biggest financial decisions they’ll ever make, you realize how much trust they’re placing in you.

That trust matters to me.

Always will.

I know there are easier ways to spend this chapter of my life. But I still wake up excited to do the show. I still enjoy writing this newsletter every week. I still care about getting the facts right and helping people make smart decisions. Hey, I’ve turned more pages on the calendar of life than there are pages left. None of us get out of here alive. In the time it’s taken you to read this so far, over 200 people have died. 6,400 on average die every hour. Most didn’t know their time was almost over. That is why helping people is so important. It could be your last act, or it could be the last memory of the person you helped.

I especially care about the people who feel like nobody’s looking out for them.

Because everybody deserves somebody in their corner.

That’s really why I do what I do.

Not because I need the money.

Not because I have to.

Because after all these years, I still love helping people.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers — always.

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 💡Kim Komando Answer: 

B) Loudly Crying Face 😭 Humanity has officially chosen one tiny sobbing face as the universal symbol for “I’m devastated,” “I’m crying laughing,” “this is too cute” and “I have absolutely no words.”

Talk about emotional range. According to 2026 global usage data, 😭 has overtaken 😂 as the most-used emoji on Earth. Translation: We’re all feeling a lot, and apparently, one aggressively weepy little face covers the full spectrum. 🔥 is the fastest-growing emoji worldwide.