Tomorrow, Jim Rickards and his team will gather for America 76/26.

At 1 p.m. ET, as they broadcast live from Philadelphia, they’ll dig into the economic, political and cultural forces shaping the nation’s next chapter.

I’ll be there, too — listening, learning, asking questions and occasionally offering my own two cents.

If there is one must-see event this year, this is it.

In fact, I’m writing to you today from Philadelphia.

That feels appropriate as America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday. Yet the country seems increasingly uncertain about whether to celebrate at all.

One example emerged this week from Freedom 250 — a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization helping coordinate events.

Its flagship project is the Great American State Fair, a 16-day festival scheduled for June 25 through July 10 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The event is designed as a national birthday party of sorts, bringing Americans together to enjoy our common history, culture, food, entertainment and music.

The first round of musicians included Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, the Commodores, Morris Day and The Time, Vanilla Ice, C+C Music Factory and others.

Then the withdrawals dominoed.

Several artists stepped away from the event after concerns emerged about its political associations. Martina McBride dropped out. Bret Michaels followed. Other performers reportedly backed away as well.

But the controversy isn’t really about Martina McBride or Bret Michaels.

It’s about a larger issue.

Freedom 250 was created to commemorate one of the most significant milestones in American history. Its stated mission is straightforward: celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday.

Yet even that has become contentious.

For much of our history, Americans argued fiercely about politics. They disagreed over wars, taxes, immigration, trade and countless other issues.

But citizens could still agree that America itself was worth celebrating.

Today that distinction appears less certain. That’s why the Freedom 250 controversy touches a nerve that runs deeper than any concert lineup.

At its core is a simple question: Do Americans still believe in America?

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Your Rundown for Wednesday, June 3, 2026...

Imperfect, But Enduring

A few hundred yards from where I sit resides one of the most recognizable objects in American history.

No one knows exactly when the Liberty Bell first splintered, but historians believe the damage developed after decades of use.

In 1846, craftsmen attempted to repair the crack. The repair failed, the fracture widened and the bell went silent.

Yet nobody travels to Philadelphia today to see a perfect bell. The fracture has become part of its story.

And so did another feature of the bell.

Cast into the bronze is a verse from the book of Leviticus:

Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof.

The inscription, in fact, predates the Declaration of Independence by roughly 25 years. It was chosen before anyone even knew there would be a United States.

America has since survived revolution, civil war, economic depressions, world wars, social upheaval and countless predictions of its imminent collapse.

But America has never been defined by perfection. It’s defined by aspiration.

The belief that free people… can chart their own course… and build something better for the next generation.

Investors understand this better than most. We trust that tomorrow’s opportunities will be greater than today’s.

America is still worth celebrating — not because our country is perfect, but because the American experiment remains one of the most remarkable achievements in human history.

The Liberty Bell has fallen silent. God willing, its message of liberty never will.

Market Rundown for Wednesday, June 3, 2026

S&P 500 futures are down 0.10% to 7,615.

Oil is up 2.15% to $95.77 for a barrel of WTI.

Gold’s down 0.70% to $4,487.60 per ounce.

And Bitcoin is down 0.35% to $66,720.