Twenty-five years ago today, we lost 2,977 souls and in the years since, thousands more to illnesses caused by the attack on our country. This morning, Jill and I hold close the families who carry that loss every day. We honor the heroes of September 11th: the firefighters and police officers who rushed into the towers and the Pentagon, the passengers who fought back over Shanksville, and the generation that stepped up to serve in the aftermath. Even now, we remember the greatest lesson of one of our nation's darkest days: at our most vulnerable, unity is our most powerful strength. We will never forget.

Every September we mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. This year it’s more personal for me. More than 330,000 American men this year will hear the words we did last spring when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. By the time we found it, it had already spread to my bones. When prostate cancer is caught early, the five-year survival is close to 100%. So have the conversation with your doctor. Don’t put it off. If you're at average risk, that conversation should start around 50, and the guidelines now say screening every 2 to 4 years. If you're a Black man, start it at 45 or earlier. You are nearly 70% more likely to get this disease and 2 to 4 times more likely to die from it. Which is an outrage in the richest country in the world. If your father or your brother had prostate cancer, start the conversation at 45, and even earlier if more than one of them did. I am deeply grateful to the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who helped to control my cancer and who continue to take such good care of me. Their skill, dedication, and compassion mean so much. The radiation treatment from last fall worked as intended, and I continue to do the things I care about, like finishing my memoir. Thank you to everyone who has reached out and continues to keep me and my family in your prayers. We appreciate every single one of you. It’s my hope and prayer that by sharing our experience and being part of this important conversation, we can help save lives. Talk to your doctors. Ask the hard questions. Do it for yourself, and do it for the people who love you. And no matter what, keep the faith. God bless you.

Simply put, Dolly Parton was an American original. She was an inspiration to millions. She was a relentless advocate for women and for equality. Through her Imagination Library, she placed the gift of reading into the hands of millions of children because she understood literacy is the foundation of opportunity. But perhaps most importantly, Dolly treated everyone with kindness and respect. She lived her values with a flair and vitality for life that was uniquely her own. She was a trailblazer in every sense of the word, and she will be missed by millions around the world. Jill and I are keeping her family, her friends, and her millions of fans in our prayers. God bless Dolly Parton.