by John L Micek

No one’s listening: Top ten cartoons of the week

As the government shutdown enters its sixth week, Republicans and Democrats don't seem much closer to a solution both sides can agree on. As Bob Englehart notes in his popular cartoon this week, we're not listening to one another. The loudest, harshe..

November 6, 2025

Filibuster follies

Making Sense By Michael Reagan To nuke the filibuster or not to nuke the filibuster? That’s the big question as we head into the sixth week of a record federal government shutdown. We keep hearing that the filibuster is a powerful weapon in the U...

No bed of roses

My house plants and I are in a dysfunctional relationship where I forget to water them and they forget to live. It’s not my fault I think all of them are succulents. People should stop giving me flowers on the assumption I’ll take care of them. ..

Trump can close loopholes and save Medicaid

The Schumer Shutdown may soon end, but we might have avoided it entirely had the Medicaid discussion been transparent. More talk about who’s enrolled in Medicaid, what it costs, what people pay, and what gets paid for, rather than jumping ahead to..

November 5, 2025

Sonya Massey and the ongoing threat of police violence

Some degree of belated justice prevailed late last month when former Illinois sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson, who shot and killed Sonya Massey, was found guilty of second-degree murder. The verdict, which the Massey family referred to as “providing..

Is religion surging in your neighborhood?

Tyrades! by Danny Tyree Let’s face it: America’s Bibles have seen more dust than the Joad family in Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” So, I’m tickled to see a flurry of articles about renewed interest in spirituality, even as I mark the..

The 2025 elections: Why the Democratic donkey braying with delight

Landslide Democratic victories…now there’s a phrase that I’d almost forgotten how to type. But it has leapt from my keyboarding fingers and landed on the screen with the full force of factual reality. The message in a nutshell: Trump 2.0 sucks..

Malala’s message should echo to the White House

There are a few people in the world who are instantly recognizable with just one name: Madonna, Beyonce and Rihanna come to mind, as do fellow performers Cher, Elvis, Prince, Bono, and Sting. The same is true for Malala. I have known about this brav..

November 4, 2025

Still waiting for that Republican health care plan

Laughter is a precious commodity in these dark times, and I indulge myself whenever authoritarian elf Mike Johnson opens his mouth. I’m like that mirthful Mary Poppins character who sings, “I love to laugh, long and loud and clear.” The haples..

November 3, 2025

A Veterans Day tribute

Veterans Day reminds us to honor the men and women who served our country — men like Joe Horne. I met Joe years ago at a neighborhood coffee shop. We shared many enjoyable conversations, which is how I learned about his incredible life. A tailgunn..

November 2, 2025

Halloween horror: Top ten cartoons of the week

It was easier to enjoy holidays like Halloween when the economy was strong, prices were affordable, and we weren't worried about robots stealing our jobs. Jeff Koterba brilliantly mined the malaise surrounding Halloween this year in our most-popular ..

October 30, 2025

New York takes a hard left turn

Making Sense By Michael Reagan Next Tuesday it looks like the people of New York are going to elect a socialist. Unless there’s a last-minute miracle, the polls say Zohran Kwame Mamdani will defeat former governor Andrew Cuomo and become the mayor..

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