Dolly Parton was laid to rest at Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, alongside her late husband, Carl Dean. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Day: September 1, 2026
This is marriage advice we could all learn from. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
This is marriage advice we could all learn from. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Twenty-eight years after Sammy Sosa beat Mark McGwire in a National League MVP race for the ages, the Cubs’ all-time home run leader offered some prophetic words of encouragement for Chicago’s newest MVP contender. As part of the Cubs’ 150th anniversary celebration, Sosa and other members of the franchise’s all-time roster were in attendance Saturday at Wrigley Field as they watched Pete Crow-Armstrong launch three home runs against the Reds. It was the latest statement in a season full of them for the phenom center fielder, who has leapfrogged Shohei Ohtani as the heavy MVP favorite. “Sammy did say I was going to hit three today,” Crow-Armstrong said afterward. “Sammy Sosa told me I was going to hit three, and I hit three, so put that on the record.” Crow-Armstrong is a player built for the spotlight. Even on a weekend devoted to the greatest Cubs of all time, it was PCA who again took center stage. As an encore, he added two more blasts on Sunday, giving him five home runs on the weekend and 38 on the season, a total that trails only Kyle Schwarber for the most in MLB. Crow-Armstrong also joined Sosa, Alfonso Soriano, Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson as the only players in franchise history with at least 14 home runs in a calendar month. Crow-Armstrong, MLB’s leader in wins above replacement, has catalyzed his team with leadoff blasts — he has nine this year, trailing only Soriano for the most in a season in franchise history — and dazzled with walk-off winners. He has astounded with highlight-reel defensive plays, leading all outfielders in outs above average, and amazed with his speed, ranking second in MLB in both steals (32) and triples (seven). He has also hit for the cycle, among his many accomplishments this season. But it’s his consistency as a complete offensive force that might have him winning MVP over Ohtani, something no player has done since Aaron Judge’s 62-homer season in 2022. Even a couple of months ago, the thought that anyone could push Ohtani for the award seemed far-fetched, if not outright impossible. Ohtani seemed to have his eye on winning his first ever Cy Young Award in his return as a full-time two-way player this year. When he puts his mind to something, it tends to happen. At the end of May, Ohtani was pitching himself into the conversation with a 0.82 ERA through nine starts. But his performance began to suffer after he started dealing with knee pain in early June. By the end of the month, his ERA had doubled. Still, even as his Cy Young chances started to fade, it was hard to imagine anyone standing in the way of him winning a fifth MVP award. On July 3, Ohtani had a 1.79 ERA as a pitcher and a .927 OPS as a hitter. But he has not pitched since that date, due to left knee discomfort that required an injection over the All-Star break and a recurring right bicep problem. The lingering issues have not stopped him from being a mainstay in the Dodger lineup, but they continue to prevent his return to the mound. They also opened a door for another MVP contender. “If you guys want to talk about all this back and forth, I really should go get in the lab and start pitching,” Crow-Armstrong quipped a few weeks ago. He probably won’t have to resort to that, the way he is hitting so dependably now. The Cubs’ star outfielder demonstrated his upside last season in an All-Star and Gold Glove campaign while finishing ninth in NL MVP voting. But his production ebbed and flowed. He had an .888 OPS in May, a .771 OPS in June and a .984 OPS in July before falling off a cliff last August (.446). He slashed just .216/.262/.372 in the second half of 2025. The peaks and valleys were part of the package for a young player still adjusting to the big-league game. He chased too often (only four qualified players swung at a higher rate of pitches out of the zone), reached base too seldomly (he had the fifth-lowest walk rate and on-base percentage in MLB) and struggled too much against southpaws (.595 OPS) to sustain his success. This year, he looks like a different force altogether, not unlike the superstar jump Bobby Witt Jr. took from his age 23 to 24 season. After a slow start to the year, Crow-Armstrong has produced an OPS over 1.000 over each of his last three months. Even beyond the consistent production, there are underlying reasons to believe this steady uptick can endure. He has become a much more selective hitter, lowering his swing rate by more than 10% and his chase rate by more than 7% from last season. Those are both the largest drops among all qualified hitters this year. His walk rate, meanwhile, has swelled from 4.5% last year to 11.5% this year, the biggest jump in MLB, and it’s not at the expense of driving the baseball. In fact, he’s swinging harder and mashing the ball better than ever before. Crow-Armstrong raised his hard-hit rate from 41.6% last year to 48.8% this season, the second-highest jump in the sport behind only Bryson Stott. It took some physical adjustments to get here, some more obvious than others. Most notably, Crow-Armstrong has dropped his hands lower before getting into his load. He has also moved farther back in the box and closer to the plate, especially against lefties, while narrowing the distance between his feet in his stance. It all seems to be working, allowing him to cover pitches better on the outer edge while still being able to turn on pitches and get to his pull-side power. His OPS against lefties has jumped nearly 400 points from last year to this year (.978). By wRC+, he went from the seventh-worst hitter against lefties last year to the seventh-best this year. The end result is an all-around force capable of pushing Ohtani for the league’s greatest individual honor. Crow-Armstrong leads MLB in fielding run value, Statcast’s metric for capturing a player’s defensive performance. He also leads the NL in batting run value and is tied for fifth in MLB in baserunning run value, demonstrating his ability to impact the game in myriad ways. The only thing he doesn’t do is pitch, but neither does Ohtani at the moment as the Dodger superstar’s MVP case hits a lull. Ohtani was expected to be back on the mound Sunday or Tuesday to begin his build-up toward October, but his knee and biceps issues haven’t fully subsided. It’s now unclear when he’ll return to the mound. “I don’t think he’s 100%,” Roberts told reporters this weekend. Ohtani’s offensive performance has also declined since he started ramping his throwing program back up. After a weeks-long break from throwing, Ohtani threw his first bullpen session on Aug. 14. In the 15 games before that date, he had a 1.119 OPS. Over the 15 games since that date, he has a .716 OPS. Meanwhile, Crow-Armstrong’s push for MVP is full steam ahead. His achievements seem to get more spectacular by the day. On Saturday, two of his three home runs came off left-hander Andrew Abbott. On Sunday, his leadoff homer came off All-Star Chase Burns. His 14 home runs in August were the most by any player 24 or younger in a calendar month since Ken Griffey Jr. in May 1994. Crow-Armstrong has already become the first player in franchise history to record back-to-back 30-homer, 30-stolen base seasons. He’s now just two homers and eight steals short of a 40-40 season, a feat that has only been accomplished six times in MLB history — most recently during Ohtani’s 50-50 campaign in 2024 — and never by a Cubs player. While Ohtani’s having another incredible year and doing something no other player can (.909 OPS as a hitter, 1.79 ERA as a pitcher), what Crow-Armstrong is accomplishing in Chicago could be historic. The club’s all-time leader in fWAR for a single season is Rogers Hornsby (11.0), a total that’s not out of reach for Crow-Armstrong (9.3) if he can keep this pace up. Of course, one month remains to sort everything out. Maybe Ohtani, focusing solely on hitting, goes on a tear. Maybe he returns to the mound and reminds everyone why the value he provides as a two-way titan can’t be matched. As of this moment, though, Crow-Armstrong holds the edge in nearly every offensive category (Ohtani has a slight lead in OBP) as well as WAR and stolen bases while also bringing elite defense at a premium position every day. And if he does become the first Cubs player to take home MVP honors since Kris Bryant in 2016, we might look back at this past weekend as the defining moment, when Crow-Armstrong put on a show for the ages while Ohtani’s return to the mound was put on hold. Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
As the 2026 midterm elections enter the final stretch, it’s important to know your rights in case your vote is challenged.
The best way to ensure that your vote is counted is to advocate for yourself. I’m a an attorney and lecturer for the University of Southern California’s undergraduate civil rights advocacy initiative, Agents of Change. Here are several straightforward ways to ensure your vote is counted and two practical remedies for you to consider if your vote remains challenged.
A major part of ensuring that you are able to vote is doing the necessary preparation before you even get to the polling place. Read on to find out how and where to register, where and when you can cast your ballot, and what numbers to call for any information you can’t find online.
Are you registered to vote? Check it out
Before you vote, you need to ensure that you’re registered to vote. You can verify your registration status using this tool. If you can’t use an online tool, then call your local election office or a voter help line like the ones listed in the hotline section below.
If you find you’re not registered, you can use this tool from the National Conference of State Legislatures to find your state’s online registration application. If you need to do this in person, then call your local election office for instructions.
At this point, you may have missed your state’s deadline for voter registration. But it may not be too late to register.
Many states allow same-day registration at the polling site. You can find your state’s same-day voter laws detailed here. Ask the poll worker, at the correct polling location, for a same-day registration form; complete the form and then ask for a “conditional ballot.” A conditional ballot allows election officials to count your vote after verifying your voter eligibility. If you can’t research online, you can call your local election office to find out if you can register on Election Day.
Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images
Gather documents to verify your identity
If you live in a state that requires identity verification to vote in person, gather the required documents – which may range from a driver’s license to bank statements with identifying information – before traveling to the correct polling place. You can find your county election office’s contact information here. This webpage includes a table listing each state’s acceptable ID documents and possible exceptions for some people. You may also call your local election office to find out what’s required.
Absentee voters: Locate your state’s identity verification rules here.
Find the correct polling location
You can ensure that you’re headed to the right polling place with this tool. Or call your county election office to find your polling place and its hours of operation; you can look up your county’s election office contact information here.
Once you know your polling place and its hours, you can go there and check in. In most cases, you’ll be handed a ballot, shown where to vote and asked to put your ballot in a machine or a box, and then you can go merrily along your way.
But the moment of check-in is where things might go wrong.
Problems at your polling place
Here are potential vote challenges and ways to overcome them.
Possibility No. 1: Out-of-order polling machines.
If you’re asked to leave because of malfunctioning machines, don’t. Instead, ask for a paper ballot.
Possibility No. 2: You’re in line and officials announce the polls have closed.
If you’re in line at the polling location before it closes, don’t let them turn you away at closing time if you haven’t voted. You have the legal right to vote under those circumstances, so stay in line and wait to cast your ballot.
Possibility No. 3: You’re not on the registered voters list.
If you’re told you can’t vote because your name is not on the voter roster, ask the poll site worker to check again and to check what’s called the list of supplemental voters. If they still can’t find your name, ask the poll worker to verify that you’re at the right location.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Possibility No. 4: Someone claims you shouldn’t be allowed to vote.
If your voting eligibility remains challenged after ensuring you’re at the right polling location, ask to cast a provisional ballot, which is available in every state except Idaho and Minnesota. You can find details about your particular state’s provisional ballot rules here.
Track your provisional ballot here.
Call a hotline
If you are not given a provisional ballot, call an election hotline for help. Here are four hotlines, run by members of the nonpartisan Election Protection coalition, that can help you:
English: 866-OUR-VOTE/866-687-8683, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA/888-839-8682, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Education Fund
Asian Languages: 888-API-VOTE/888-274-8683, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote
Arabic: 844-YALLA-US/844-925-5287, Arab American Institute
Report voter intimidation
If someone tries to scare you into voting or not voting for a candidate, stand your ground and demand a ballot from the poll site, call one of the hotlines above to report the intimidation, and file a claim with the FBI later by phone at 800-CALL-FBI – 800-225-5324 – or online at tips.fbi.gov.
File a lawsuit
If you are still blocked from voting, consider legal action – but get advice on your exact situation from one of the hotlines, which have free lawyers on hand. It’s a good idea to write down the names of people who prevented you from voting and to ask people who witnessed the incident for their contact information.
This is an updated version of a story that was originally published on Oct. 28, 2024.
Karen Figueroa-Clewett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Politics + Society – The Conversation
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Is George Strait Retiring in 2027?
In 2025, George Strait predicted he had ‘maybe five good years’ left before stepping away from the stage. But a new announcement makes it seem like he could be moving his retirement timeline up a bit. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
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Is George Strait Retiring in 2027?
In 2025, George Strait predicted he had ‘maybe five good years’ left before stepping away from the stage. But a new announcement makes it seem like he could be moving his retirement timeline up a bit. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
A high school football team has become something of an internet sensation thanks to its unique tradition of honoring Toby Keith following a big win.
Willcox High School in Willcox, Arizona, is home to the Willcox Cowboys, so it’s only fitting that the team has a longstanding tradition of celebrating victories by gathering on the sidelines and singing along to Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy.” That tradition continues this year.
In a video shared by Colby Photography, the team can be seen lining up on the sidelines following a victory. As Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” blasts through the loudspeakers, the players get ready for their big moment. The cheerleaders gather nearby to watch, and when the chorus hits, the team sings the iconic song together as the field lights glow red.
“I should’ve been a cowboy/ I should’ve learned to rope and ride/ Wearin’ my six-shooter, ridin’ my pony on a cattle drive/ Stealin’ the young girls’ hearts/ Just like Gene and Roy/ Singin’ those campfire songs/ Whoa, I should’ve been a cowboy,” they sing in unison.
The crowd can be seen standing in the bleachers as horns, whistles and cheers erupt from the stands when the team finishes their rendition.
The video has racked up nearly 400,000 views on Instagram alone, with the caption reading: “Someone told me when the Willcox Cowboys win a game they all line up to sing a Toby Keith song as part of their celebration. I was skeptical at first but, apparently it was true. What a cool celebration to witness.”
According to another Instagram user, the tradition dates back to the early 2000s.
“Graduated in 2001… can confirm we were doing it then,” she proudly shared.
Another person pointed out just how meaningful the tradition could become for the players, writing, “Imagine doing this as a celebration not even knowing you are creating a core memory for a lifetime!”
One commenter summed it up best: “I think Toby would approve.”
Released in 1993, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” remains one of country music’s most recognizable songs. The track served as Toby Keith’s debut single and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, launching a career that would go on to become one of the most influential catalogs in modern country music. Throughout his career, Keith earned 32 No. 1 singles and sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.
Toby Keith passed away on February 5, 2024, following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62 years old.
More than two years after his passing, Keith’s music continues to bring people together, create memories and make an impact on fans, including a new generation of country music lovers who are keeping his songs alive in their own way.
The post WATCH: This Arizona High School Football Team Celebrates Big Wins by Singing Toby Keith’s ‘Should’ve Been A Cowboy’ appeared first on Country Now.
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After more than 17 hours of deliberation, the jury in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial told the judge on Tuesday that they are officially deadlocked.
On social media, the situation has sparked widespread discourse, with the central question being: What comes next?
The answer, like every other aspect of this trial, is quite complicated.
The controversy began when the 12-person jury told Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan that they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the closely watched murder trial.
Rather than sending the jurors home, however, Sullivan instructed them to head back into the deliberation room and keep working.
“I know that this was a long trial,” the judge told the panel (via People), pointing to the more than 80 witnesses and 300-plus exhibits presented during the proceedings.
Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, has admitted to killing her three children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan — at the family’s Duxbury, Massachusetts, home in January 2023.
The question before the jury has never really been whether Clancy was responsible for the physical acts.
Instead, jurors must determine whether she was legally responsible for them.
Clancy has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. Her defense has argued that she was experiencing severe postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings and had become detached from reality.
Clancy’s attorneys have maintained that she was hearing voices and believed she needed to kill her children before attempting to take her own life.
They have also argued that she was failed by a mental health system that did not adequately recognize or treat the severity of her condition.
Prosecutors have offered a very different interpretation.
While acknowledging that Clancy struggled with significant mental health issues, they have argued that she knew exactly what she was doing and deliberately planned the killings. Prosecutors have pointed to her actions before and after the deaths as evidence that she understood the consequences of what she was doing.
The jury began deliberating Thursday, following weeks of testimony and closing arguments.
The panel — made up of nine women and three men — has already requested to review several pieces of evidence, including prescription medication bottles and the bloody knife Clancy used during her subsequent suicide attempt.
Now, the jurors have essentially told the judge that they’re stuck. That doesn’t necessarily mean the trial is over.
For now, Sullivan has ordered them to continue deliberating. If the jury ultimately cannot reach a unanimous decision, the judge could declare a mistrial, potentially opening the door for prosecutors to retry the case.
For Clancy, meanwhile, the agonizing wait continues.
After nearly four years of legal proceedings surrounding the deaths of her three children, there is still no answer to the question that has consumed this case from the beginning: How should the law hold a severely mentally ill mother accountable for an unimaginable act?
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Lindsay Clancy Trial: Deadlocked Jury Raises Questions About What Comes Next was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Target is looking to set the mood for autumn’s arrival in 2026 by helping your tastebuds usher in the season with these fall-friendly foods.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews