Cartoons: riding the coal train

Of last week's news, the plan to privatize of air traffic control looked the most scary. The Atlantic asks: Is Trump’s Plan to Privatize Air-Traffic Control a Good Idea?

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Chan Lowe, The Week

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Quitting the Paris Climate Accord is probably the more scary. Reuters reported in April that U.S. coal companies ask Trump to stick with Paris climate deal. The companies' reason was to advocate for coal in a global market.

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Steve Sack, The Week

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And here's a little vocabulary lesson from cartoonist Adam Zyglis.

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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My apologies for not posting last week--couldn't find anything that spoke to me.

-- Marge

Cartoon: And what a swamp Washington is

With all the accusations and counter-accusations, news from Washington has a foul smell to it. Add to that all the recent decisions that favor big companies, and Trump's promise to "drain the swamp" has the look of a will-o'-the-wisp.

Steve's cartoon sums it up well.

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Steve Kelley, The Week

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Donald, there is a difference between exceptionalism and exceptionism.

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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-- Marge

Cartoons: for many the doctor is out

After 7 years of trying to repeal Obamacare, the House Republicans have come up with its replacement-- the  American Health Care Act (AHCA).  The Atlantic reports in The People Helped by the Republican Health-Care Bill stating:

Though most old and sick people will be worse off under the GOP bill, it might be a boon—real or perceived—for people earning just above the Obamacare subsidy cutoff.

If it doesn't help sick people, what's it for? They could have spent the time working to make Obamacare better. Wikipedia gives a history of the GOP's efforts to repeal Obamacare (ACA).

Here are some of the editorial cartoonists' comments.

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Steve Sack, The Week

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RJ Matson, The Week

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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Meanwhile President Trump lives in a conspiracy theorist's world.

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Jack Ohman, The Week

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-- Marge

Cartoons: America Trumped

Well, the Trumping of America is well underway and it looks bad.

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Mike Luckovich, The Week

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Michael Ramirez, The Week

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Tom Toles, The Week

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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Do say a prayer in support of the Hamilton Electors (Note: Breitbart says the author Philip Bump is a liar).

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Chan Lowe, The Week

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-- Marge

Cartoons: is it the world or our perceptions that are warped?

Today's mix includes comments on global warming and the Paris climate talks, college youth today, and a "new" definition of the Nativity, which may have been the definition all along.

No doubt Earth is in a desperate place right now, not necessarily from global warming alone; there's terrorism, closed minds, and greed heading a list of problems to numerous to name.

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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Representing developing nations as Pigpen from Charles Schultz' Peanuts may seem to be in poor taste, but his character had a lot of depth to it. However, on the surface, Pigpen fits the Western nations' view of the undeveloped. At least that's how I see it. This week food was on the agenda at the Paris climate talks.

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Bob Gorrell, The Week

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That somewhat uncertain high school graduate recently sent off to college may return a stranger and a noxious one at that.

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David Horsey, The Week

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Does making the Christmas Nativity an all-white program make it better or just more comfortable?

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Mike Luckovich, The Week

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-- Marge

Cartoons: to serve and protect--whom?

Yet another police shooting and cover up; this one in North Charleston, S.C. Columnist Jay Bookman at the AJC (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) reports on this one. Here's how his article starts:

I’m not going to post the video here — it is available in multiple places for those who wish to watch it. But the screengrab above captures the tragedy of it. Fifty-year-old Walter Scott, pulled over for a broken taillight on Saturday, is shot five times in the back by a North Charleston, S.C. policeman who later claimed that he had fired only because he felt that his life was in danger. That was the police department story until the video above, taken by a passerby, was given to the media.

Police officials also initially described efforts to revive Scott through CPR. The video again tells a very different story. After the shooting, Scott’s body is handcuffed, but officers make no effort to assist or revive him. The video also captures the officer, Michael Slager, 33, apparently rearranging the crime scene by dropping an item next to Scott’s body. Both men had served in the Coast Guard.

This photo accompanies his article.

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Video by a passerby, AJC

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Here are some of the comments published by leading editorial cartoonists.

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 Adam Zyglis, The Week

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Mike Luckovich, The Week

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Steve Sack, The Week

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-- Marge

Cartoons: bordering on the insane

Politics in America now border on the insane. But you knew that, right? Check out the issues being lampooned below.

For the scoop on this week's low-hanging fruit, check out Washington Whispers' Tuesday edition: Three-Minute Briefing: To Sink Iran Nuke Talks, GOP Uses Faulty Torpedo. Here are the visuals.

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Steve Sack, The Week

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Drew Sheneman, The Week

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Hillary, Hillary, Hillary. Jeb, Jeb, Jeb.

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Patrick Chappatte, The Week

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Gary Varvel, The Week

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And then there's Florida. Again.

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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-- Marge

Cartoons: Already missing Jon Stewart

"Jon Stewart to Leave 'The Daily Show' This Year," says the Rolling Stone. And it's sad news indeed. For me Jon Stewart is the voice of reason in a stridently polarized world. His forte was commenting on the news of the day.

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John Darkow, The Week

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Another reporter, this one supposedly a 'real' one, is leaving his post, having been shot down for gross inaccuracies, "Brian Williams' False 2003 Iraq Helicopter Claim Draws Scrutiny To Other War Exploits."

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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Forbes has an interesting comparison of the two: "Brian Williams, Jon Stewart And The Line Between Real And Fake News."

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Chris Britt, The Week

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Meanwhile, more trouble on the internet superhighway: "Cost of Anthem's data breach likely to exceed $100 million."

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Gary Varvel, The Week

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And, of course, my (almost) weekly shot at the filthy rich.

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Walt Handelsman, The Week

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-- Marge

Cartoons: the war continues but may turn a little foggy

Naturally, editorial cartoonists are having a field day with the election results. Some are looking at results not related to Republicans.

If Congressional action continues as it has recently, we have nothing to fear from a Republican one.

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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New Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said as leader he hopes to work with President Obama and Democrats in the Senate, according to an interview with Time.

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Steve Sack, The Week

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Millennials Want Jobs, Not Vote Pandering. Unfortunately the Koch Brothers won.

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Chip Bok, The Week

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Now that marijuana is legal in more places, it's easier to tune it all out.

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Tom Toles, The Week

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While looking for an article that gives information on the topic of 'corporations as people', I found this: "Porn stars demand Google's help to combat piracy." Seems it's easy to forget that Google is a corporation, too.

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David Fitzsimmons, The Week

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-- Marge

Cartoons: Taking another look

These cartoons speak for themselves, but I've included links to related news articles because they present some interesting, and perhaps useful, information.

First of all, I like Obama and think he's dealt in a measured, well-considered way with the tremendous challenges the presidency has given him.  That said, it's not helpful to change course midstream: Obama adjusts Iraq narrative, now blames Bush for troop withdrawal.

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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While ISIS rejects modern living, it uses modern methods to spread its gruesome messages. Hmmm. Authorities are looking for a tech-savvy terrorist from Boston whom they suspect runs ISIS' social media campaign.

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Mike Keefe, The Week

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According to PCMag, Apple says "that the hack of celebrity photos did not include a breach of iCloud or Find My iPhone." Whatever the cause, there's still the same result.

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Drew Sheneman, The Week

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Apparently the Department of Homeland Security has "lost track of more than 6,000 foreign nationals who entered the United States on student visas."

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Nate Beeler, The Week

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--Marge

Cartoons: Thorny places

In Ferguson, Missouri, riots followed the shooting of robbery suspect Michael Brown, an incident that they tried to keep quiet.

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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During the riots, reporters were arrested.

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Jack Ohman, The Week

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As a result of the riots and police actions,

...federal and state officials for the first time offered a sweeping response, criticizing the police reaction and calling for changes. Gov. Jay Nixon (D) announced that the Missouri State Highway Patrol would take over running security in Ferguson from the local police, which was followed by a remarkably different night in Ferguson that saw hugs and calm replace tear gas and fear. (Washington Post article about the shooting) 

War in Iraq continues. Although there may be hope on the horizon with Haidar al-Abadi stepping in as Prime Minister.

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Dan Wasserman, The Week

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Mike Keefe, The Week

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This last cartoon is a reference to M.C.Escher, perhaps best known for his constructs that jumble planes.

On the American homefront, there are many tributes to Robin Williams. In this one Jonathan Winters is speaking. I, for one, was deeply affected by Robin's death and already miss him.

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Chip Bok, The Week

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-- Marge

Cartoons: Ebola, suing Obama, Russian hackers and agribiz

Well, at least it's not wars and rumors of war this week.  Instead we have the Republicans approving Boehner's lawsuit against Obama, threat of bodily harm by the Ebola virus, and Russian hackers stealing more than a billion usernames and passwords.  Also there's a comment on whether junk food is cheaper than healthy food.

Just the day before beginning summer recess, Republicans voted to sue Obama.  I think the following cartoon adequately describes the U.S. Congress' actions since Obama entered office.

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Adam Zyglis, The Week

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A majority of Americans disapprove of the GOP's lawsuit, according to the Huffington Post.

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David Fitzsimmons, The Week

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Meanwhile, Ebola spreads.

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Drew Sheneman, The Week

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Promising experimental drugs and vaccines are being developed for reputedly incurable Ebola, but there are obstacles, some man-made.

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Chip Bok, The Week

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It would be easy to say that the theft of 1.2 billion user login credentials by Russian hackers is a response to current sanctions, but the records were amassed earlier.  It's possible that release of the information about the hack was timed for maximum affect.

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Mike Luckovich, The Week

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Finally, Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?

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Pat Bagley, The Week

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-- Marge