Greetings! Word of the day: Kleptocracy. Donald Trump raked in more than $2 billion last year, according to mandatory financial disclosure forms that were released yesterday. Quite the haul for the Portly POTUS’s first year back in the gilded Oval Office. (NY Times)...Contrast The Donald’s staggering payday with this piece whining about Rep. Ro Khanna’s net worth. The Washington Free Beacon reveals that the California Democrat, who may be making a 2028 White House run, lives in a  $6 million, 8,000-square-foot  DC abode, complete with two laundry rooms adorned with marble countertops.  “The incongruities between Khanna’s political platform and his lifestyle are among the most striking contradictions of any sitting member of Congress,” bellows Andrew Kerr. “He’s a vocal supporter of the California ballot initiative to impose a wealth tax on billionaires, saying the ultra-wealthy have a duty to give back some of their ‘unprecedented wealth’ in the spirit of ‘shared prosperity’ for the middle class”...Weekend Watches: I’m near the conclusion of  Apple TV’s spooky 10-part series Widow’s Bay and it’s a surprising winner. The series centers on a remote island off the New England coast where residents battle a centuries old curse.  A mix of offbeat humor and creepy horror elevates the series into a Stephen King-style surprising summer hit. Also: The Daily Signal drops its first-ever documentary tomorrow, and naturally it’s pegged to the nation’s birthday. Here’s where you can watch Sacred Honor: The Declaration That Defines a Nation. And don’t miss: It’s the USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina tonight in World Cup action....Happy 250^th America! You’re a grand old lady, warts and all....I’m off tomorrow and Friday for the holiday weekend. Stay cool. See you next week....If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting.

Greetings! Pow! The usually pro-Trump NY Post slams the sons of the portly POTUS and Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick for “Hunter Biden-style sleaze” in the wake of a devastating NY Times investigation.  The Times article charges that Eric and Don Jr., along with  Kyle and Brandon Lutnick, are connected in a billion-dollar Kazakhstan mining deal backed by the U.S. government. “It stinks to high heavens,” huffs the Post’s editorial board....Sounds about right: The Washington Examiner calls Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers “America’s most agreed-upon band.” I’d agree with that. The pro-Petty piece notes that the band’s seminal hit “American Girl" was recorded 50 years ago on July 4, 1976. How cool is that?...Top films celebrating the best of America: Yesterday, my buddy and history buff Bob Frye recommended five essential biographies of American presidents as we enter the nation’s semiquincentennial weekend celebrations.  Today, I’ve selected five films that showcase the positive spirit of America and the best qualities of her people. Here they are in alphabetical order: Apollo 13 (1995). American explorers in jeopardy. Technology plus enormous grace under pressure save the day. High Noon (1952). A lone sheriff does the right thing in the Old West and stands up to a deadly gang terrorizing a dusty town in a classic western starring Gary Cooper in a role that embodies all the qualities we want in our heroes.. Independence Day (1996). Winning popcorn movie as brave U.S. pilots led by Will Smith in a star-making role tackle deadly alien spacecraft. American know-how, brains and brawn eventually come through to save the planet.  Rocky (1976). Yo Adrian, this film worked perfectly in 1976 at the tail end of the bicentennial year and it still rings true today as the archetypical American story of an underdog who just won’t quit. Saving Private Ryan (1998). This movie has it all: D-Day, Spielberg, Hanks. It’s a nail-biting celebration of American valor and spotlights the indomitable spirit of the soldiers who put everything on the line to save our freedom and defeat the Nazis...If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard