by John L Micek

Sky-high prices: Top ten cartoons of the week

We're nearly one year into Donald Trump's second term in the White House, but so far there isn't much that costs less then when he took office. Clearly high prices are on the mind of readers. Our most-reprinted cartoon this week was a funny piece dra..

January 8, 2026

Rest in peace, Mike

Editor's note: This column is written by author and former columnist Bill Steigerwald News of the death of my old friend Michael Reagan went viral this week – justifiably. When it was announced on Jan. 4 Mike had died of cancer at the age 80, many..

January 7, 2026

Writing woes

Proofread carefully to make make sure your writing is correct. It never ceases to annoy me when people misuse the written word. English is a beautifully ugly language. For one, it allows phrases like “beautifully ugly.” For two, it has words lik..

Why can’t we speak ill of the dead?

Tyrades! by Danny Tyree This is the year I start asking, “Why?” When some tidbit of casually dispensed “wisdom” grates on my nerves, I’m going to channel a persistently inquisitive youngster and bombard my “benefactor” with “Why?” ..

Republicans of color in a fight with their own party

Conservatives are currently embroiled in an acrimonious fight between Republicans of color and racists embedded within the far-right movement. Take the Republican gubernatorial primary in Florida, which is getting meaner by the minute. Rep. Byron Do..

January 6, 2026

An icon’s death brings out another round of hypocrisy

I hate hypocrisy. That is why, from my first sentient moments, I knew I could never call myself a liberal. Even before I abandoned the Democratic Party 10 years ago after a 38-year stint, I knew I wasn’t made out for the progressive life. And as t..

The wealthy man the media ignored

As the new year begins, the media roll out their annual tributes to the rich and famous who’ve passed on. But I’d rather tell you about one of the wealthiest fellows I ever met — John Swiatek, who died in 2009 just shy of his 84th birthday. Jo..

January 5, 2026

Trump’s toadies tried to bury big news on New Years Eve

Leave it to MAGA Republicans to ring out the old year with one last blast of craven stupidity. Mike Johnson’s House crew apparently assumed releasing Jack Smith’s recent secret testimony in the midst of holiday festivities would somehow ensure n..

Michael Reagan on vacation

Editor's note: Michael Reagan is on vacation this week. He will be back with a new column on Friday, Jan 9...

January 2, 2026

Hello, 2026!: Top ten cartoons of the week

2026 should be a fun year for cartoonists... if we're not all replaced by robots. The fear of A.I. was front and center in a number of our most-popular cartoons this week, as technological terrors took the place of Baby New Year. But our most-reprint..

Thirsty Iran could be heading towards a crisis

I’ve been saying this for years. Maybe I’m wrong, but the pattern is hard to ignore. As Iran slides deeper into water bankruptcy — a structural gap between water demand and what the country can sustainably supply — the odds of protests and w..

December 31, 2025

The cold of colds

Glorious is the morning when you take your temperature and find out it’s 98.7 F. That was my cue to roll back over in bed and go straight to sleep again, because I was obviously sick. Look, my company gives me 10 sick days per year. I’d be stupi..

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