One Of The Greatest: Heaven Has Found Its Voice

 From the Grand 'Ole Opry:

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to a true country music icon, Opry member Dolly Parton. 

There is no doubt Dolly’s mark on the world, and on us here at the Grand Ole Opry, will be deeply felt for generations to come. She taught us to always lead with kindness, generosity, and compassion. 

May her legacy live on through her songs, the lives she touched, and the countless artists she inspired. 

There will never, ever be another one like her. We will always love you, Dolly.

President Trump Remembers Dolly Parton

 

Announcing The Passing Of A True American Legend

Voter Rolls: Top Court Hands Trump A 6-3 'Go!'

🇺🇸 HUGE MASSIVE WIN! - Remember the SAVE America Act? The bill to make sure only citizens vote that the Senate let die?

Trump just went and did a big piece of it anyway!

The Supreme Court cleared his mail-ballot order 6-3. Ballots go only to verified voters now, with barcodes… pic.twitter.com/ht5a8hi66y

— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) August 24, 2026

BLOCS Succeeds In PA, Could Do More, IF . . .

We've reported here before how the BLOCS program in Pennsylvania has had remarkable success.

BLOCS is Pennsylvania’s leading scholarship organization dedicated to the PA Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) and has just announced a year of historic achievement in fundraising for private schools throughout the state. As BLOCS closes the end of their fiscal year, the non-profit organization reports they are on track to raise $250 million in need-based scholarships.

And BLOCS can do a lot more IF Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro opts into the new federal Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) program. So far, the governor has not done so and that could cost schools and childen Big Bucks. In fact, Pennsylvania students could miss out on hundreds of millions -- up to nearly a billion dollars in private-donor-funded K–12 scholarships as funds flow to participating states.

Created under federal action, the new initiative offers dollar-for-dollar federal tax credits (up to $1,700) for individuals and businesses donating to non-profit organizations that issue K–12 scholarships for private and public school-related expenses. But, to let in-state residents and students participate and benefit, the state’s governor must formally opt in. As Pennsylvania's largest Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO), BLOCS currently relies heavily on state-level programs. The federal program opens the door to matching funds and an expanded donor base through smaller contributors, among other benefits. 

Currently, BLOCS estimates they will be able to serve more than 43,000 students in the coming school year. This is the largest population that BLOCS has ever served in a single school year in its 40+ year history. Think how much wore they could accomplish if Pennsylvania were to opt into the federal initiative!

BLOCS CEO Rob Delany celebrates these achievements with the community of donors, schools, students, and supporters of the EITC program. “BLOCS is proud to reach this milestone of serving over 43,000 students in the coming year,” Delany said. “We are incredibly grateful to our more than 150 corporate donors, thousands of individual donors, and hundreds of school partners who work with us in each facet of the EITC program to create opportunities for deserving students.”

BLOCS  ensures that children receive the greatest scholarship support possible. Thanks to the efficiencies of responsible management, more than 98 cents of every dollar contributed to BLOCS is directed to a student as a need-based scholarship.

As an independent charitable organization BLOCS provides access to high-quality, value-based education for children ages Pre-K through 12th grade across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Through the generosity of its donors, BLOCS partners with over 500 schools to provide over 40,000 need-based scholarships. More can be found at www.blocs.org.

Trump's Education Reforms: Supporting Every Child!

Today, President Donald J. Trump welcomes students, parents, and education advocates to the White House to celebrate the start of a new school year. Under President Trump’s and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon’s leadership, this Administration has delivered an unparalleled record of expanding educational freedom, restoring parental rights, returning power to the states, and putting American students first.

Expanding School Choice President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts created the first-ever nationwide school choice program, delivering a federal Education Freedom Tax Credit of up to $1,700 for scholarships covering tuition, books, and other costs at private and public schools. Nearly 52 million students nationwide are eligible, with 30+ states already opting in or signaling their intent to participate.   The Trump Administration delivered the largest investment in charter schools in history — $500 million through the Charter Schools Program — to expand high-quality options nationwide.   President Trump directed federal agencies to maximize school choice, enabling states to use Title I funds and other flexibilities to support parental decision-making.

Returning Education to the States President Trump directed the Secretary of Education to dismantle the bloated federal bureaucracy and return authority to states and local communities, empowering them to expand freedom and opportunity after decades of failed central control.   The Trump Administration approved the nation’s first Returning Education to the States waivers, freeing tens of millions of dollars from red tape and directing them straight to classrooms and students.   The Trump Administration awarded a record number of grants to advance literacy, expand access to credentialed school psychologists, emphasize science-of-reading approaches, integrate AI in education, and demand real academic results over ideology.

Ending Radical Ideology and Restoring Parental Rights President Trump signed an Executive Order barring biological boys from girls’ sports and private spaces, prompting school systems and athletic associations nationwide to end the practice.   The Trump Administration launched dozens of Title IX investigations into schools that allowed males in female sports and intimate facilities, enforcing biological reality and holding institutions accountable.   The Trump Administration cracked down on schools that “transition” students behind parents’ backs, rescinded unlawful Title IX guidance that punished districts for failing to use preferred pronouns, and reinforced parental rights under federal law — restoring fairness for female athletes, privacy for young women, and parents’ fundamental authority.

Eliminating Waste, Fraud, and Divisive Indoctrination The Trump Administration terminated more than $2 billion in wasteful “diversity, equity, and inclusion” spending, shifting focus from dividing students by race and identity to uniting them around merit and excellence.   The Trump Administration ended $67 million in grants that funded sexually explicit material for minors, rejecting inappropriate and inaccurate ideological curricula with no place in classrooms.   By enforcing immigration laws, the Trump Administration reduced the strain of non-English-speaking students on American public schools, allowing resources to prioritize American citizens.

Supporting Every Child First Lady Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future initiative expands support and educational opportunities for children leaving foster care through scholarships, university partnerships, savings accounts, and a global coalition — delivering pathways to independence, skills, and the American Dream.   The Trump Administration launched a Title IX investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District for allegedly protecting predator teachers accused of sexual misconduct.   The Trump Administration strengthened protections for prayer in public schools, reinforcing every student’s constitutional rights.

President Trump’s agenda is clear and proven: educational freedom belongs to parents, excellence belongs in the classroom, and America’s children deserve schools free from ideology, waste, and federal overreach. As students return to class this fall, they do so under an Administration that has delivered historic results in record time.

THE Most Beautiful First Lady In History!

 

Truly, A Magical Moment Unlike Any Other!

There's nothing quite like the moment just before the curtain goes up on a Broadway show -- a real Broadway show, on Broadway.

I usually arrive early and . . . click here to read the rest on Dan's Broadway website.

How Many Of These Do YOU Agree With?

Hey, Nova's Right Up There Near The Top!

 

Sounds About Right To Us . . .

 

We're Not Big Sports Fans, But . . . WOW!

THREE YEARS IN THE MAKING
SCHWARBER WALK-OFF HOMER
FRANZKE ON THE CALL pic.twitter.com/7nwjY1knfg

— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) August 23, 2026

And Now, From Today's Big Event . . .

🔥 LET’S GO!! We just witnessed one of most epic performances of the Star Spangled Banner of ALL TIME here at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, courtesy of Christopher Macchio

Complete with a MASSIVE flyover, an INCREDIBLE backdrop, and President Trump saluting

GOD BLESS THE USA! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/L2EQF1VF6A

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 23, 2026

Complaining NOW? Seems You've Forgotten A Lot!

 

Botero In NYC: A New Perspective On Volume, Space

We recently viewed a huge exhibition of the work of Fernando Botero at Sotheby's in New York. This artist's work will challenge you to rethink volume, space, form and dimension.

On top of all that, these works are audacious, surprising and vibrant -- enveloping you with their sheer uniqueness.

The show continues until September 7, so hurry on up to Manhattan to view it before these paintings go up for auction for what may turn out to be record sums. Enjoy our photos. The following from Sotheby's:

Working in deliberate contrast to the prevailing ethos of abstraction, Botero's work of this moment [1960 - 1973] was deeply rooted in the Western canon while engaging with the same ideas and new techniques that drove the New York school and early Pop Art. Even in the context of his contemporaries whose work retained the human form, his monumental figures, imbued both with pathos and a winking sense of humor, present contrarian counterparts to the existential distortions of Francis Bacon and the gestural vitality of Willem de Kooning. From 1960 through the early 1970s, the exhibition charts Botero's journey from expressive brushwork to flatness, clarity, and geometric proportion, as his interest in the function of images in cultural memory tracked closely with the growth of Pop Art through the Americas.

This exhibition will include important works on loan from The Botero Foundation as well as a selection of works for sale. As the first exhibition dedicated to a single artist at the landmark Breuer building, Botero in New York arrives at the height of the summer season, when the city becomes a defining cultural destination for international visitors and collectors alike, offering a rare opportunity to experience Botero’s work in one of the world’s most vibrant art capitals.

From A Dem US Senator: Incite To Violence?

Democrat Senator Tammy Duckworth: "I want to leave tire tracks on the backs of those Republicans."

What is wrong with her? pic.twitter.com/nel7S4iCiO

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 21, 2026

How Babe Ruth's Catholic Faith Sustained Him

Facing a health crisis, legendary baseball great Babe Ruth wrote about confession, communion, and the Miraculous Medal in an autobiographical article published in Guideposts magazine in October 1948.

Here's what he said:

“In December, 1946, I was in French Hospital, New York, facing a serious operation. Paul Carey, one of my oldest and closest friends, was by my bed one night. - They’re going to operate in the morning, Babe, Paul said. -Don’t you think you ought to put your house in order? -I didn’t dodge the long, challenging look in his eyes. I knew what he meant. For the first time, I realized that death might strike me out. I nodded, and Paul got up, called in a chaplain, and I made a full confession. -I’ll return in the morning and give you Holy Communion, the chaplain said, -But you don’t have to fast.

-I’ll fast, I said. I didn’t have even a drop of water. -As I lay in bed that evening, I thought to myself what a comforting feeling to be free from fear and worries. I now could simply turn them over to God. Later on, my wife brought in a letter from a little kid in Jersey City. ‘Dear Babe,’ he wrote, ‘Everybody in the seventh grade class is pulling and praying for you. I am enclosing a medal, which if you wear will make you better. Your pal—Mike Quinlan. P.S. I know this will be your 61st homer. You’ll hit it.’ -I asked them to pin the Miraculous Medal to my pyjama coat. I’ve worn the medal constantly ever since. I’ll wear it to my grave.”

Everybody LOVES 'No Tax On Tips'

A New York Legend Is About To Return!

We take this as Good news for New Yorkers and visitors who miss the old Carnegie Deli in Midtown -- closed since 2016.

Now Carnegie is set to return, along 7th Ave between W. 53 and 54 St. Though no firm date has been announced, it's set to open sometime soon and even the famous Carnegie sign is back on the scene.

Carnegie Deli does have a location in Madison Square Garden and occasionally does pop ups, but the old style sit down deli on the street has been gone and most people are unaware of the MSG location.

Once the hangout of popular comedians and other celebrities of the 1950s thru 1980s like Henny Youngman, Milton Berle, Jackie Mason, Billy Crystal and others, it was featured in the Woody Allen movie, Broadway Danny Rose where a group of popular comedians were discussing the old days. It also played a major role in the film When Harry Met Sally.

It's absolutely a part of NYC's historical food culture, known for huge piles of corned beef, pastrami and mustard, on Jewish Rye -- also, plenty ofRussian dressing and their famous pickles.

Under Sherrill NJ Loses Jobs At Record Pace!