Greetings! The “60 Minutes” Watch: For those of you who think that replicating the success of “60 Minutes” on another outlet (or digital platform) is easy, think again.  The annals of TV history are littered with the bones of newsmagazine that went down in flames.  For instance, in this 1992 article from the LA Times, 15 failed NBC newsmagazines were cited featuring some of the best known correspondents in television at the time.  Nine years later NBC trotted out “Rock Center with Brian Williams” which cratered in less than two years...Dept. of Sticks & Stones: This is how a satirical piece in the Washington Free Beacon described the just-fired “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley: “(B)est known as one of the deep-voiced commentators who helps America's senior citizens fall asleep after football game.” For the record, as a loyal “60 Minutes” viewer of a certain age, I never fall asleep during the broadcast. Worth noting: Right-wing fire-breathing podcaster Megyn Kelly just described Pelley as a “prick,” according to the NY Post....I’m no fan of former Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton, but I believe he’s being unfairly punished by the Trump administration for publishing his White House memoir in 2020. Team Trump is trying to crush the man. The editors of the Wall Street Journal feel the same way too...Weekend Watch: Netflix delivers a solid three-part documentary diving into the explosive 2005 trial of pop singing sensation Michael Jackson on child molestation charges. I’m two-thirds through Michael Jackson: The Verdict and my verdict is thumbs up. Even though I knew the  trial’s outcome, the program consistently held my interest about one of the entertainment world’s most captivating and strangest figures...If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard

Greetings! The Dozing Don: During a fiery hearing before Congress yesterday, Marco Rubio failed to successfully refute video evidence of Trump falling asleep in meetings with staff. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) lambasted the Secretary of State during Rubio’s blustery claim that he’d never witnessed Trump nodding off on the job.  Lieu then produced the damning video. Case closed....The Treasury Department is still holding on to a POTUS proposal for a $250 bill with The Donald’s smug mug plastered on it, just in time for our nation’s 250^th anniversary.  As much as I hate to admit it, aside from the legalities of having an image of a living person on U.S. currency,  it’s a clever concept.  And here are my clever ideas. Trump should resign as president and become the country’s first chief marketing officer, which is more aligned with his skills and interest.  Second, let’s put his Tang-tanned face on a two-dollar bill in honor of the number of times he’s been impeached...Dept. of Understatement: Trump’s jaw-dropping choice of ridiculously unqualified Bill Pulte as the Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI), drew bipartisan fire. Nonetheless, the American Spectator dropped this anodyne headline: “Pulte Draws Mixed Reaction.” Pulte, who has zero national intelligence experience, will now have two high-ranking roles, one at the DNI and the other as head of federal housing.  Pulte's absurd titles remind me of the hit NBC comedy “30 Rock” where Jack Donaghy, the obnoxious boss played to perfection by Alec Baldwin, was GE’s VP of East Coast TV and Microwave Programming...The “60 Minutes” Watch: NewsBusters has assembled a roundup of what it considers to be the “worst outbursts” of Scott Pelley’s career at CBS News....If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard