It is with great sorrow that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend and beloved member of the 'Days of our Lives' family, Joseph Mascolo," "Days of our Lives" executive producer Ken Corday said in a statement. "The smile on Joe's face is something we'd all come to find comfort in, and he will be sorely missed. His larger-than-life presence, kind heart, and unwavering positivity has impacted us all for decades, and will live on in the memories of his many fans. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time. The actor played Stefano on "Days of Our Lives" on and off for 40 years, and passed away today at 87 after a battle with Alzheimer's. Next week I'll offer a tribute to this amazing man.

John Glenn's death this week at 95 marked the loss of a true American hero. He went from contestant on "Name that Tune" to decorated military hero to astronaut to a political powerhouse. For years I appeared on TV to talk about soaps. Very often I served as guest co-host on different talk shows. Once John Glenn revealed that his wife Anne enjoyed daytime drama. Having dealt with a stutter for most of her life, she loved listening to characters enjoy long conversations. It was a call-in show. A young man called in and said he stuttered most of his life. He said Anne Glenn helped him get over his speech issues because she talked about it, and Glenn thanked the young man. Off air he shed tears. He was crying for all the suffering his wife dealt with — he cried for the young man's suffering and healing. It was not just amazing that he cried — it was that he did it off air. He was running for Senator of Ohio, and he easily could have used his emotions on air to garner votes. Not superhero John Glenn. Yes, he won.

Sally Susman — new head writer of "The Young and the Restless" — promised changes, and they hare already beginning. This week saw the last of Victoria's instant lover Travis. From the duo's meeting in a dive bar and hitting the sheets to getting engaged, the chemistry was never there. It was nothing to do with the actors, just a lack of good plot. Michael Roark, who played Travis, took to twitter about his exit: "I made the decision to move onto the next challenge in my career. Thank you fans for your support and for welcoming me, this has been an unexpected and A special chapter Special thanks to Amelia Heinle [Victoria] for being everything she is and to the CBS family, past and present, for allowing me to bring Travis Crawford to life... but ya never know if Travis may return to GC one day, maybe a wiser man."

Victoria will be busy with her firstborn; Reed returns to town. The young man will return as a teen who had several heart surgeries as a young man. For several years, he had been living out of state with his dad. Reed's dad is one-time bad boy JT Hellstrom. Thad Luckinbill, who played the rapscallion, is Heinle's real life husband. Since exiting Y&R, Luckinbill and his identical twin brother Trent have become high-powered Hollywood movie producers. Heinle must be a beguiling co-star. She met her first husband, Michael Weatherly, when they co-starred on the daytime drama "Loving."

You do not need to be a Native American to stand up for Native Americans. "Days of our Lives" star James Scott (EJ) who was born in England, protested at Standing Rock North Dakota. A pipeline was set to run through sacred Indian grounds and could affect the water. The protest worked.

It is nice to see Kassie Depaiva back playing Eve on "Days." The scenes were shot over six months ago. A few months ago, the powerhouse singer and actress revealed she had been diagnosed with leukemia. She said her prognosis was good. She continues to undergo treatment.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.