HONORING REAGAN: Ronald Reagan was born 100 years ago this week (Feb. 6 to be exact). To mark the occasion, the U.S. Postal Service is issuing a stamp to honor the 40th president. And to make sure the stamp looked just right, the USPS turned to Plano artist Bart Forbes, who already has 20 stamps to his credit. “I always thought he was the finest president of my lifetime, and to be asked to do that stamp is a great honor,” Forbes tells dallasnews.com. Today’s the first day that you can buy the stamp.

MUSIC BITS: Green River Ordinance has a new album it would like to share with you. And you can download it for free. (dfw.com) … Sarah Jaffe has recorded a three-song session for Daytrotter, which you can also download free. (Daytrotter) … And if all that weren’t enough, you can listen to the Hope Trust’s new album in its entirety – wait for it … for free, courtesy of KXT. (kxt.org)

STAGE ARTS AGENCIES UNDER PRESSURE: Earlier this week, Gov. Rick Perry proposed that the Texas Commission on the Arts be defunded. And Texas isn’t the only state whose umbrella arts organizations are in danger – Arizona and Washington are considering similar measures, and Kansas has already abolished its state arts commission. So what exactly do these organizations do, and what will be lost if they go away? That’s the subject of a well-considered story by online magazine Miller-McCune. If you’re involved in the arts and rely on government funding, this is a must read.